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"Oho. My best friend's getting engaged."; Irha teased from where she was sitting at the table across Ayat. Her elbows propped on the ebony and glass table and chin resting on the back of her hands.
Ayat had told Irha everything about the proposal and now they were in a restaurant orating on it. Tension was engulfing her from every crevice but the exotic aroma of coffee and dew soil was trying its best to ease it out.
The weather was rainy and it had been chucking down on and off since last night. But now it had taken a short break due to the exhaustion of exerting all its efforts on creating a mess. The wind, however, was still in action, dancing enthusiastically, carrying out all its moves perfectly.
"I'm not. I'm just considering the proposal right now."; she fiddled with her fork.
"What's the difference? Sooner or later you'll have to give the verdict. And let's be honest you are of age."
Ayat arched her eyebrow up as a droplet of rain crashed down the window pane by her side.
"Oh really? Then why don't you get engaged? You're a year older than me anyway. Better you than me."; she chided.
"Trust me I would only if mom dad would allow it."; she winked.
Ayat shook her head as the corpses of leaves rustled outside, droplets striking their hunter green skin like the sticks pattering the drum.
"What if he's not the right guy?"; she said in merely an audible whisper.
"What if he is the right guy? Why do you always have to contemplate on the negative outcome? It's a two way street, Ayat. And the fact that they're willing to give you as much time as you want proves that they are nice people."
Ayat dropped her head in both her hands and the wind outside howled in frustration.
"I don't know man. It's all so overwhelming. I don't know what to do."
Irha reached out to her hand and cradled it in hers as she rubbed circles at the back of it with the pad of her thumb.
"Hey, listen to me. I know it's hard but remember Allah has already made everyone in pairs. You've already been written in someone's fate and vice versa. So just pray to Him, give your verdict, and leave everything to Him."; she said as the lose strand of her hair dangled limply from her perfectly messy bun.
She nodded in understanding. Her almond eyes perfectly framed under her thick and curled lashes as she streaked the drop on the doused window down with her cold slender forefinger. Her gaze then suddenly fell on a tall and lean figure standing just an inch away from the window, his feet planted on the crystal sheen of road mirroring the amber ball in the sky playing hide and seek with the overcast of scattered cotton candies which were busy in brewing another round of shower. The guy had his back turned on Ayat so she couldn't make out his face. His athletic torso was quite evident from the beige sweater that was sealing his muscular abs. The hem of his black slacks stopped right above the white joggers which were immaculately tugged in a neat knot. His right hand was propping the umbrella which was harboring him from the drizzling gradually turning in to torrents. While the other hand was busy holding the phone to his ear.
She was busy observing everything while Irha ate the rest of her sandwich. Then a few seconds later, a car came chasing the duo of encompassing wind and escalating halo rain drops. It pulled up on the other side of the road. The dark black windows were caving the person inside not letting her have an insight. The guy instantly put the phone in his pocket and taking long strides strutted towards the car. The door of the car flew open while he was shutting the umbrella closed. As soon as he sat inside and leaned forward to shut the door, the face of the driver came into view and Ayat's eyes shot wide open, creasing from the middle in bewilderment and mouth hanging open.
"OH MY GOD!"; she gasped.
"What?"; Irha who was engrossed in her sandwich looked up suddenly with a jerk. Following Ayat gaze, she leaned on her arms, placing them on the table and peered out the window but the car had already left by.
Ayat spun her face towards Irha like a robot.
"What is is, Ayat. What did you see?"; she inquired.
After a few second she commenced.
"You remember how I told you about Ahid being MIA for a few days?"
"Um yeah."; she scrunched her eyes in confusion.
"Well I just saw him."; she retreated, her eyes still bogging out of their sockets.
"What?"
"Yeah."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I am. I can never mistake those blue eyes. And there was some guy with him too."; she said contemplating on the thought.
"Who?"
"I don't know. I could just catch a mere glimpse of him while he was getting in."
"May be he was his dad."; she suggested.
"No he was too young to be his dad. I think something's fishy, Irha"; she said as she slanted forward on her forearms, placing them on the cold table.
"Why? He could be a friend or something."
"No Irha. You don't understand. You didn't see the look on his face when he got that phone call. It was like as if he had seen a ghost. And when he came back his face was dilapidated as if a living corpse had walked in. The guy who left the class and the guy who came back were two completely different people."
The rain had started to pour now, dragging down the window pane in stream.
"Maybe he just came back and was going to university. And anyways it's none of our business."
"Yeah! I guess you're right. There's no need for me to pry or overthink. I already have other things in my plate."
"Exactly. Let's go now. My class is in thirty minutes. I'll drop you on my way."; she offered while looking at her watch.
"Yeah. Let's go."
******
Her elbows were resting on the table, trapping the book. Her hands harboring her face and eyes planted on the book. Notes were disbanded everywhere on the table with a little space for the coffee mug which had now gone cold. Every fiber in her body was completely hunkered on her book when Sara barged in the cafeteria and flumped across her on a chair, crossing her arms on her chest as she huffed.
Ayat looked up towards her and a tedious smile reached her naturally tinted red bow lips.
"AsSalamuAlaikum! What's up?"
"WalaikumAssa;am! And nothing's up. Everything is down. Under the hill actually."; she piqued in exasperation as she slumped her notes on the table with a bang.
Ayat hitched back on her reaction, her gaze moving back and forth between her and notes. She then let out a small chuckle and asked what was wrong.
Sara looked at her, confounded.
"Seriously Ayat? How can you laugh at such a situation? I didn't know you could someone this much." she berated.
"Hate whom?"; she inquired, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Ahid, of course."; she said as if it was quite obvious.
"Wait a minute. I don't understand."; she exclaimed, squinting and shaking her head as if she hadn't heard right.
"Ayat, are you in your senses? Everything happened in front of you."; she shook her head in disappointment.
"Ooookaaaay. Now can you please explain me in simple words instead of using the language of riddles?"
Sara huffed and commenced.
"Okay well, once there was this guy named Ahid Khan. This one time he got a phone call and afterwards he just banished in to thin air like a fly. And Ayat Raza who happened to have a photographic memory forgot everything because she never developed it. And now it's been four days since he has gone MIA and no one has any idea where."; she expatiated with a mocking anger.
"What? He hasn't come today?; she yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Hey! Do you want to get us both kicked out of the cafeteria?"; she said as she clawed at her hands, reaching towards her, and looked around to see if anyone was staring. "And anyways did you see him today in university? No, right? You know what I'm just gonna take this caffeine away from you. It's loosening your screws in the top department."; she said pulling the mug away from her while Ayat squinted her eyes, contemplating on the morning's incident as jolts of electricity shot up her entire body. The dormant thoughts she had managed to subside came rushing back to her head. This time tenfold.
She was damn sure it was him she saw. It was without any doubt him but if he was in Lahore then why didn't anyone know about it? Why didn't Neha and Rameez know about it? Why wasn't he coming to the university?
Scruntinizig on it she was completely lost in multitude of scenarios her brain was brewing when Sara snapped her fingers in front of her. She averted her pondering gaze towards Sara with a twitch.
"Yeah?"
"Where are you lost? Did you even listen to anything I said?
"Umm of course I did. Where do you think he is?"; she asked placing her hands on the whirlpool of notes that were covering the wooden table.
"I don't know. No one does. He's probably hiding under a rock or something. Either that or the sky has swallowed him. That's the only explanation."; she slumped back theatrically, folding her arms across her chest.
"What about his family?"
"You know how private he is. I have absolutely no idea about it. The only thing I do know is that he lives in Islamabad. And in Lahore he's abode in this apartment."
"Apartment?"; Ayat crinkled her eyebrows.
"Yeah. You didn't know?"
Ayat shook her head.
"Okay so Neha and Rameez are his friends. Can't they go to his house and check what's wrong?"
"They can't actually."
"Why?"
"Ahid doesn't like it. In fact once they went to his house to surprise him on his birthday but instead he got really mad. Neha even had several fights with him for never letting her in his house."
Everything else around her blurred out while her mind went two hours back, swarming with different lethal scenarios.
Who was that guy she saw him with?
Was he the one who called him that day?
Why wasn't he telling anyone about it?
Was he in danger?
And why wouldn't he let anyone in his house?
The entire time she talked to Sara, these presumptions kept lingering in her head like a pendulum.
Something was terribly wrong.
******
She had just performed ablution and was looping dupatta around her head when prayer calls for Isha started echoing everywhere. She sat on the edge of her bed in front of the window and closed her eyes taking a deep breath, listening to it intently. Her lashes were sheltering her orbs hooded with dismay and moon casting its silhouette on her face. She had decided to give her verdict today and her head was a whirlwind of emotions and frustration. But first she needed to talk to her best friend: Allah Taalah.
Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!
Allah is Great! Allah is Great!
A lone tear escaped her almond eye and shined down her cherry red cheek while a drop of rain crashed down the window pane silently and secretively. Like a kiss stolen in the forbidden forest, a secret unleashed in the darkness, a treachery committed in the blink of an eye.
Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah.
I bear witness that there is no God except for Allah.
She looked out the window and the thunder electrified the sky while the tears and rain drops poured in unison.
Ashadu anna Muhammadan Rasool Allah.
I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.
The moon winked at her from beneath the cumulonimbus clouds, unveiling itself gently and steadily, giving her hope that with a horrendous storm, there always comes light to hold on to.
Hayya 'ala-s-Salah. Hayya 'ala-s-Salah.
Hurry to the prayer. Hurry to the prayer.
She popped up on her feet and went towards the recliner chair that held the prayer mat.
Hayya 'ala-l-Falah. Hayya 'ala-l-Falah.
Hurry to success. Hurry to success.
She laid the prayer mat on the carpet and stepped into her sanctuary.
Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!
Allah is Great! Allah is Great!
La ilaha illa Allah.
There is no God except for Allah!
Once she had finished praying and turned her head in salaam, she raised her quivering hands to Allah in dua while her wobbled lips tried to construct coherent sentences.
Ya Allah I know I'm the biggest sinister in this world and I ask for your salvation. I ask for your forgiveness. I may be very sinful but I still deserve a good and pure spouse. Someone who will always be there for me, there to hold me when I'll be falling apart, there to support me when everyone will be against me. Someone who'll be loyal to me. Someone who'll let go of my shortcomings and bring out the best in me. Someone who'll never deceive me.
Sobs were now raking her entire body as the rain thrashed the ground outside battering it with all its might, sharing her pain and hollowness. Telling her that she wasn't alone.
And I know you've already written someone for me. I don't know if it's the one who sent the proposal or anyone else but I do know that whoever that someone is, I'll only end up with him. Doesn't matter if I get engaged to anyone because my heart only belongs to the one who's been created for me. My soul only belongs to him. My loyalties only belong to him and he could be anyone, living anywhere but no matter how much far away he might be, he's already been written in my fate and we are destined to end up together. So I'm gonna give my verdict and leave everything to you. But I only demand one thing in return. A spouse who'll be faithful to me and I shall be faithful to him in return.
After she had talked to Allah and poured her heart out, she folded the prayer mat and loosening the dupatta from where she had tucked it tightly on the chin, made her way towards Sabeen's room.
She came to a halt outside and after taking a deep breath she knocked at the door.
"Yes?"; Sabeen's voice came from inside.
She pushed the door open to see her sitting amidst the vortex of papers and notes, her dupatta discarded on the other side of the bed and her auburn hair pulled up in a messy bun with a few tresses framing her face. Spectacles resting on the bridge of her nose while she was hovered over the paper she was grading. Her forefinger and thumb caressing the red pen shrouded between them.
"Yes my love?"; she asked, her eyes still etched on the parchment she was examining.
"Khala, I have made my decision."; she said clutching the sides of her kameez in a tight fist.
"About what?"; she asked turning the page over.
Ayat paused for a moment.
"About the proposal."
Sabeen abruptly arched her head up as if she doubted her hearing sense.
"Did you say what I think you said?"; she inquired suspiciously.
Ayat nodded.
She looked at her for a while and then took her glasses off, placing them on the side table as she gestured Ayat to sit on the couch in front of the bed. Ayat obeyed her silently and seated herself in, placing her palms on the edge.
Sabeen slipped her feet into slippers and strolled towards her. After taking her seat beside Ayat, she muffled one hand around her while clasped the other one on her hand.
"And?"; she asked.
"I---"; she paused as the gulp of tears scratched her throat while she looked upward to stifle the sheen of glass that had formed in her waterline, stinging her eyes.
She clenched her left hand in fist to suppress the sob that was breaking an entering her body while her heart sored, wailing to pierce out of her chest.
Before coming here she had promised herself not to cry even though she had sobbed in front of Sabeen umpteen times but her tear fest was only limited to her. She had never even cried in front of Irha no matter how hard the situation was. Everyone had always adored her for being so strong but little did they know about the chaos that would always be tearing her apart from inside. But now she didn't wanna put up a show even in front of Sabeen. She didn't want to worry her. She just wanted to see her guardian angel content and happy.
"My answer is yes."; she croaked trying to pull up a smile on her face which even after her ample amount of efforts couldn't reach her foggy orbs.
"Oh mera bacha."; Sabeen said as she caved Aayat in a tight embrace, tears staining down her eyes.
"I'm so happy for you. Umer is such a nice guy and I'm sure he'll always keep you happy."; she exclaimed as she pulled away.
"How do you know? You've never even met him."
"My heart knows."
Ayat chuckled.
"I'll invite them over tomorrow so you can meet them."; Sabeen suggested.
Ayat nodded in agreement.
Sabeen then stood up and sauntered towards the side table. She retrieved an envelop from the drawer and walked back to Ayat.
"Here's a picture of him."; Sabeen said as she extended it towards her.
Ayat pushed her hand back while erecting up on her feet. "No need khala. I've already given my verdict and the picture won't change anything. Besides they're coming over tomorrow, I'll see him then."
"But---"; Sabeen protested but Ayat cut her off midway.
"Khala, I trust you."; she stressed as she held Sabeen's hand with both of hers.
"He's really hot you know."; Sabeen winked at her.
"La hawla wala quwata. I can't believe my own khala is saying this."; she shook her head in disbelieve.
"Hey! I'm a cool khala."; she said throwing her hands around in air, feigning to be offended.
Ayat chortled as she hugged her tightly. She was happy to see her guardian angel grinning like that after ages.
******
The next day she had taken off from university as Umer's family was to come over. Both of them had cleaned the entire house. From vacuuming every corner of the house to dusting every nook, there wasn't even a single vase with a tiny trace of dust.
She had told Irha everything and wanted her to come over but she had an exam so took a rain check but gave all her blessings and instructed her on call like daadi amma.
"To be really honest, khala, it feels like chand raat today. Us cleaning the entire house for Eid."; Ayat said from where she was bent down on her stomach as she inspected the table to see if there was any trace of dust. Only on Sabeen's insistence. Otherwise she didn't really care.
"Well today's no less than an Eid."; Sabeen said as she put the lid back on the cauldron.
Ayat shook her head on this exagerration.
She got up and placidly roamed around here and there with a duster in her hand when Sabeen squeaked, pointing her finger at the window.
"Oh look Ayat there's a coating of dust on that grill of the window".
"Geez! Khala relax. What's all the hype? It's not like the PM's family is coming over or anything."
"The hype is that they are going to be your in laws and Umer is going to be you husband."
"Fiance actually."; Ayat corrected.
"It's only a matter of time, my love."
Ayat huffed in annoyance and after cleaning the window carefully, went to get ready.
She had just taken a shower and was now standing in fornt of a mirror. She had donned a very simple and light colored shalwar kameez as she didn't want to come off like she was dying for the proposal. It was a lilac colored kameez with accents of cream colored streaks here and there. The sleeves came down below her elbows and stopped one inch above her wrists. The shalwar, however, was plain cream.
After blow drying her hair, she brimmed her eyes with a very thin streak of eyeliner like she usually did and swiped her lashes with mascara.
She pulled her hair back in a bun and loosely looped the cream colored dupatta with lilac boundary around her face and covered the front and back with its drape, making sure not even a single lock of her hair was visible as he was still non-mehram to her. Her cheeks were already naturally coated with rosy tincture and the bridge of her nose crimson. Her lips were stained with light pink natural gloss.
In jewelry, she had adorned herself with a delicate silver bracelet which perfectly complimented her pale thin wrist while on the other one she wore her black chained watch. Her fingers, however, were empty as she didn't like wearing rings. Without any much of an effort she was mesmerizing with exquisiteness like a porcelain doll with elegance and simplicity etched on every nook of her being.
Sabeen had just turned off the stove that harbored biryani while Ayat plated out the chicken karrahi in the pyrex dish and put it on the dining table, covering it with a lid. She then proceeded to make tea and put the the kettle on the hearth. In desi culture, the girl whose proposal were to come has to make tea.
"Uff Ayat, move your hands quickly. They'll be here in twenty minutes."; Sabeen retorted, paniking.
"Exactly khala, they'll be here in twenty minutes which is quite a lot of time. So let me do it my way in peace."; she said as she filled the kettle with water.
"Ya Allah, help me with this one."; Sabeen mumbled as she put the chocolate marble in the refrigerator.
Once everything was done and dusted, Sabeen examined Ayat thoroughly, analyzing her from head to toe.
"What is this, Ayat?"; she asked, her eyebrows arched up, kissing each other in the middle.
"What? You yourself asked me to make tea. I'm not gonna make coffee now."; she scrunched her eyes together in annoyance.
"Haye Allah I'm talking about you."; she said as she hit her forehead.
"What about me?"; she rose her eyebrows.
"Why haven't you put on makeup? You do know they're coming to see you and not me, right?"
"I'm not a show piece kahala. Allah has created me this way and if they can't accept me with my original appearance then they are the smallest people ever to exist in this universe and I wouldn't stop thanking Allah for rescuing me from them before hand."
Sabeen gaped at her for a while as a sheen of glass appeared in her eyes.
"When did you grow this much?"; she said while cupping one of her cheeks.
"Hey! I've always been this intellectual since childhood."; she said wounding her arms on her chest and scrunching her nose at Sabeen.
Both of them giggled when the door bell suddenly went off. Sabeen rapidly extracted herself away from Ayat and soared out of the kitchen while instructing her how to present all the snacks which was pretty useless as everything was already set up on the coffee table in drawing room. Ayat stood there, froze to her feet. She had managed to keep herself cool till now but now that they were here she completely lost it. Her heart was pattering against its cage while the blood in her veins stopped running and she turned cold as ice muttering every Surah she could remember under her breath.
They were now in the drawing room and a chug of giggles erupted out of it. Ripples of cramps shot up her lassitude back as her stomach lurched in to tight knots. Her mind was a whirlpool of mess. She kept standing there, holding the edge of the black granite counter top with the hearts of her rogue pink palms and after what felt like forever, Sabeen finally walked in the kitchen.
"Ayat, you haven't even set up the tray for tea."; she said in exasperation as she started putting everything together.
On not receiving any cunning comeback, she turned around to see her feet planted on the marble floor and eyes boring into nothing in particular. Sabeen walked towards her and held her by her shoulder.
"You okay, my love?"; she asked.
Ayat shook her head.
"I'm really nervous, khala."
"Aww that's completely natural my love. I understand but they are really nice people. Just meet them and you'll feel at home."; she consoled her.
Ayat nodded lightly and grabbed the tray with both her hands and made her way towards the drawing room with Sabeen beside her.
She strolled in, her gaze lowered and face cast downwards.
"AsSalamuAlaikum."; her voice was lighter than the air.
"WalaikumAssam!"; everyone replied in unison while Sabeen seated her self in an adjacent couch.
Ayat put the tray on the table as a woman popped up from her seat, walked towards her, and enveloped her tightly in her embrace.
"Arrey Saaliha, would you let my daughter breath? She must be choking."; the man said as he walked towards them and patted Ayat's head in a fatherly manner.
"It's not my fault, Jahanzaib. She's so adorable MashaAllah."; she said as she freed Ayat from her cave.
After both of them had showered her with hugs and kisses, they took their seats back while Ayat kneeled down in front of the coffee table to mix sugar in the tea as per everyone's accordance. She still hadn't seen him and didn't have any strength to do so either.
After she had served the elders, firmly and gradually she moved her head towards Umer and asked him how much sugar he would like.
He was a tall and lean man and was clad in an ivory sweater with blue denim jeans. Sleeves coming down his wrists and an Emporio Armani chornograph watch protruding out on the left one. He had big cat green eyes with hints of brown swirls in them which immaculately accentuated his pale skin. His jaws sharpened and chiseled and brown hair perfectly combed backward. To say he was suave was an understatement.
"Just one spoon please."; he replied, his reddish pink lips pursued in a smile. She nodded and served him with tea, her gaze anywhere but at him.
Once she was done serving, Saaliha patted the seat between her and Jahanzaib and asked her to sit amidst them. With a small smile in her face she ensconced herself between them. They asked her several questions and she answered them with one or two words. They were indeed very nice but she still wasn't comfortable. She just wanted to run away and hide under her bed.
"I think we should seclude our children now so they can talk everything through."; Jahanzaib suggested out of thin air.
All of them nodded and stood up while Ayat gaped at Sabeen with plead in her eyes like a child yearning for his mother to not leave him alone. Sabeen gave her an assuring nod before going out through the brown tinted wooden doors.
They were now all alone in an isolated room. She shuddered as the air around them thickened as much as it could. She fidgeted with her bracelet. If it were any other situation, she would have talked to him in her signature tone but right now everything was different.
She bit the edge of her lower lip while Umer cleared his throat from where he was sitting on a single seat couch.
"AsSalamuAlaium."; he greeted, his hands entwined together and elbows resting on his thighs.
"WalaikumAsslam."; she flickered at him for a second and replied. She had never been alone in a room with any guy so all of this was making her really uncomfortable and she wasn't liking it but the elders were at a hearing distance so she somehow managed to compose herself.
"First of all I'm really sorry if all this is creating inconvenience for you but you do know that this conversation is really important?"; he asked diligently.
She nodded.
He continued.
"I need you to know that we won't rush you into anything. We'll get married only after your studies are complete. And also I'll never resist you from pursuing your career and following your ambitions. Mom told me that you're also studying business and I believe that you do know that I'm too. I'm still in sixth semester and once my qualification is complete, I'll join dad's firm and you're more than welcome in it but only if you want. As I said earlier I would never pressurize you or try to impose my decisions on you. You have all the rights to do what you want and you'll always find me standing next to you and supporting you. I'll try my best to be your pillar and not a barrier."; he orated solemnly.
Each and every syllable of each and every word calmed down each and every nerve in her body, plaining out the labyrinth in her head. The gloomy clouds that had been mourning in her eyes since last night changed into luminous oceans but the air around them was still intact in its thickness.
He waited for her to say anything but when she stayed quiet, he finally uttered cautiously.
"Now is there anything you'd like to say?"
She shook her head. "I guess you've said everything I wanted to."
"Is that a yes?"; he asked, his lips stretched in a tedious smile,
"I've already said yes. Didn't they tell you?"; she asked confusingly.
"They did actually but I was afraid that you might change your answer after meeting me."
"I never take my words back Mr Umer Jahanzaib."
He grinned at her and asked if they should go outside as everyone was waiting for them in the dinning room.
She nodded and both of them made their way towards the door. But before she could pass the threshold she stopped in her tracks to give him a way but he bowed and extended his hand out the door to let her go first like a true gentleman he was. She smiled and crept outside.
And with that the first pin in their relationship was nailed or was there even a relationship to be pinned nail at all? Guess time will tell.
******
AsSalamuAlaikum! My dear wattpadians. This was it for now. I hope you liked it and don't forget to vote and comment if you did.
So what are your thoughts on Ahid?
What is he up to?
Is he in danger?
And did you like Umer?
Until next time, Allah Hafiz.
Thanks for reading.
Xoxo.