دنیا کو خبر کیا ہے میرے ذوق نظر کی
تم میرے لیے رنگ ہو، خوشبو ہو، ضیا ہو

Saturday - 11:01pm

The night was dark and full of stars, and despite the cold winds blowing across the land and gloom sprawled all over, no amount of tension knotted her stomach; no worry flowing through her blood.

After a lifetime of heartache, she finally felt free.

"Remind me again...why am I doing this?" Hemayal shot a glance from the passenger seat to the man behind the wheels, a smirk coming to rest on his lips at the annoyance that rested in her voice.

"Because resisting me is an art you haven't yet mastered." Ibrahim said as he bent towards her slightly, a slow grin marking his face.

"I am a pro, don't challenge me." Hemayal laughed slightly herself, his carefree expressions and playful attitude stealing all her worries away - not that she had any left now.

"At other things, sure." Ibrahim said as he finally parked the car and after throwing her a smile, exited the car with fluid grace.

Carefully stepping out, Hemayal met unpaved land and the stumble in her step as she walked a little forward in her four-inch stilettos made a small laugh escape Ibrahim before he came forward.

"Not a pro, then, huh?" He said before taking her elbow in his hold, gently guiding her forward, and Hemayal's insides gushed at the small gesture.

Will her heart ever stop reacting this way at his touches?

"What is this place? I've never been here before." Hemayal mumbled slightly as she cast a confused glance across the area, clouded to the brim with darkness at the moment, her sole guidance being Ibrahim's arm.

Suddenly, light surrounded her.

Lights hanging from the tree branches intricately; lights adorning the bench flowered with roses; lights paving a path deeper into the woods; lights taking her breath away and leaving her stunned and ecstatic in its wake.

Surprised, bewildered, Hemayal's eyes widened as they travelled across the lit land, heart jumping to the mouth as she took an unconscious step back directly into Ibrahim's chest.

"Ibrahim." Hemayal gasped and a low chuckle left Ibrahim's lips as he tightened his hold around her waist.

"You like?" He asked and Hemayal could feel the smile in his voice from behind, his chin coming to rest on her shoulder.

"I love." Hemayal breathed, eyes hooked to the beautiful view carved out in front of her.

"I'm glad." He said before gesturing her forward and Hemayal moved, gait slowed to a stun.

"When...when did you arrange this?" Hemayal asked, turning, heart refusing to look at anything but the view of the fine specimen of man standing in front of her.

"Today." He answered as they moved towards the bench.

Walking a little ahead, the man collected a red rose from the bench and turned to her. Almost bowing, he presented it to her and Hemayal laughed as she took it from his hand - a small, shy giggle escaping her throat that messed with the cords of his heart.

Her laugh was the most beautiful he'd ever seen - not only because of the way her eyes crinkled or the cheeblkbones rose; no. It was something else entirely. Probably the fact that she valued those laughs; knowing they were few and rare.

"I like the sound of that." Ibrahim mumbled, gazing into her eyes for a second, and God, Hemayal never wanted to look away.

Taking her by the hand, Ibrahim walked them around the bench, occupying a seat that faced directly ahead at the sprawling sky fluttering with stars and dreams, the moon a crescent of beautiful hopes.

"I've never seen this place before." Hemayal muttered as played with the end of his jacket, their sides touching as they sat with Ibrahim's arm thrown around her shoulder.

"I discovered it some time ago while hiking. Isn't it beautiful?" Ibrahim asked, playing with the ends of her loose strands fluttering with the cold wind.

The view they were privy to was that of Islamabad sprawled before them in all its beautiful magnificence, the night lights of far away streets and houses a sight to behold on such a night. And far above was the stunning black sky that engulfed them in its wings - its gaze soft, its breeze gentle.

"It is. Very," Hemayal said, the smile now a permanence on her face. "Thank you."

"Pleasure." He bowed his head a little, a small smirk tugging his face.

After that, a comforting silence fell on them, one laced with peace and tranquility and emotions. And neither of them hurried to break it because they knew it wasn't the calm before the storm - it was the peace after war; it was spring after a harsh winter.

"Tell me now, I'm all ears." Ibrahim said, slapping her shoulder with his own gently.

"About what?" Hemayal asked, still looking far ahead at the magnificent Islamabad sprawled before her eyes.

"Your father. I noticed the tension between the two of you today." Ibrahim said and a heavy sigh left Hemayal's lips as she dropped her head, clutching Ibrahim's hand placed in her lap a little too tightly.

"Can we please not discuss that? I'm really happy right now, I don't wanna ruin it." Hemayal mumbled, mentally pulling away from Ibrahim as her walls started creeping up.

"If you don't want to, I'm not going to force you, but you do realise that we'll have to discuss it someday, right?" Ibrahim said, halting the tread of his fingers through her hair and turning to face her completely.

"I was kind of hoping we wouldn't." Hemayal replied slowly, sighing.

"Hemayal, look - "

"Because of what happened twelve years ago." Hemayal uttered quickly, voice sharp and hurried, all the intentions of getting rid of the topic sooner rather than later.

"Why?" Ibrahim asked, slowly, gently and Hemayal bit the insides of her mouth before taking a deep breath.

"Because of his regrets," Hemayal began, steeling her heart. "When I was a child, we were very close. Even more than I was to Dadu. But then he killed your Uncle and I was made to marry you at such a young age."

Ibrahim, silent and attentive, didn't utter a word, his arms closing in around her tightly in support as she bared her heart to his - all its fears and pains that rested there.

"His guilt ate him. First, we grew distant and although I tried to set things right between us but I was just a stupid teenager, what could I have done anyway?" Hemayal shook her head in mocking self-pity, and Ibrahim only pressed a feather-light kiss to her temple - his way of offering support.

"It's okay." He mumbled, his hot breath fanning the side of her face.

"Then, I gave up and we got used to the routine of him ignoring me. But things weren't as bad as they are now, not until my mother died," at that, Hemayal came to a halt with a sharp intake of breath, her insides churning just as every last inch of beauty before her dulled. "Mama died and so did whatever was left of my relationship with Baba. Baba completely withdrew from me after her death."

"But...why? Shouldn't he have gotten more close to you?" Ibrahim asked, confusion lacing his voice and Hemayal sighed, shrugging.

"I wish he had, but it was just his way of dealing with the fact that I was made to sacrifice for his sins." Hemayal replied, not anger but hurt in her voice as she talked about her father.

Had her father chosen the other path, the kinder one, maybe things wouldn't have been so bad for the brown-haired woman after all; maybe she wouldn't have reacted so horribly after the death of her Dadu. Maybe.

"What's gone is gone. The past can't be changed, it can only be made peace with. Let's focus on the future for now - it's yet to be written and I promise you that it's going to be beautiful." Ibrahim mumbled serenely into her ear, his hold around her shoulder soft now.

"I like the sound of that." Hemayal murmured, her walls crumbling as she let go of the past - freedom tainting her blood after having spoken her heart out to this man.

"You'll like the look of it better." He said softly and Hemayal nodded her head, eyes returning to the beautiful view ahead.

"Let's talk about something else, let's talk about good stuff." Hemayal said, tilting her head to his side.

At that moment, she almost wanted to tell Ibrahim about the note, the words almost out of her lips, but something prevented her - maybe the thought that as soon as she told him, this moment of theirs would be permanently damaged.

Ibrahim's worry and tension would surface; his playfulness at the moment subsiding and Hemayal knew that no matter what she did afterwards, it wouldn't come back. So, for now, she let it go.

"Where do you wanna live after marriage?" Ibrahim asked, his fingers still grasping the ends of her brown strands.

"Your apartment." Hemayal shrugged in an obvious reply.

"I thought you'd prefer a house, somewhere distant and quiet." Ibrahim said and at his understanding of her, Hemayal stilled for a second before a large grin split her lips.

"I like the sound of that," Hemayal mumbled, soul satisfied. "But for now, I want to live in your apartment too."

The first thing Ibrahim's apartment reminded her of was home and Hemayal had tried half of her life finding one. Even for a little bit, she wanted to feel the taste of a real home.

"You liked it that much?" Ibrahim laughed, small gush of pride coming to rest in his voice.

"I loved it. It was like walking into home after a long time." Hemayal said and after uttering those words to him, she realized something utterly beautiful;

Words with Ibrahim were never difficult, there was no need to think through her words a thousand times before speaking them. Things said to him didn't embarrass her, words uttered in front of him didn't make her conscious. And for a woman who'd spent half her life doing exactly that, she felt free and liberated now.

She could speak her mind to him and she knew he wouldn't judge.

"The pleasure is mine." Ibrahim said cheekily and a small laugh left Hemayal's lip.

"You look pretty when you smile." Ibrahim said and Hemayal could feel his gaze on her - that intense, dazzling gaze - and her heart went straight into fibrillation as colour tainted her cheek.

"Only when I smile?" She nudged him in the ribs as she asked, feigning a frown.

"Look, look. Does this attitude suit you?" Ibrahim asked, pulling away from her a little, a small smile grazing his lips.

"Of course it does," Hemayal shrugged, a lopsided grin tilting her lips."Ibrahim?"

"Yeah?" He mumbled, tightening his hold on her again.

"This is the happiest I've ever been in twenty-five years of my life." Hemayal said, turning to look into his brown orbs, the sadness that came to rest in them after hearing her tugging her heart.

"Oh, baby," Ibrahim mumbled, leaning forward to press a kiss on her forehead and something similar to peace and warmth simmered her blood. "From now on, there's only going to be that."

"Promise?" Hemayal asked, burying her face in the crook of his neck as she asked.

"Promise," Ibrahim mumbled, placing another kiss at the top of her head. "I love you."

And at that, her heart, just like the last time, completely stopped.

"I like the sound of that." Hemayal murmured.

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Stay safe, you guys!

Till Next Time,
Salam!