She's awake.

His heart had fallen at her feet at the sight of her brown eyes. They had looked into those pools of chocolate after such a long time he felt his warmth returning to him.

"Wafa" he breathed kneeling infront of her who stared at him blankly. She blinked several times and after a while pulled her hands out of his hold. Her eyebrows furrowed and her gaze travelled around the room.

"Aapi... Where is aapi? Who are you and where is Safa aapi?" She stuttered looking around frantically.

"You... You don't know who I am?" He asked. His heart sank when she shook her head and looked at him curiously.

"Am... ammi? Where is my family?" She asked making him fall back on the cold floor.

"Wafa. You seriously don't remember me?" His voice broke making her look at him confused.

"I'm sorry but who are you?" She asked shaking with anxiety.

"I'm Buraak. Wafa. Your Buraak" he said loudly making her flinch back. He held her hands with tears in his eyes but that look in her eyes was tearing his heart apart.

"Can...can you please call my aapi? Maybe she'll know you" she said scooting away from his hold.

She didn't know who this man was. She didn't understand what relation she had with him or how he even knew her.

"I... I'll be back. Okay don't be scare" he strutted on his words walking away from her confused self.

He hurriedly went out to look for her doctor and had ran upto him when he found him on round.

"Doctor" he called making the other man stop and turn to him.

"Yes Buraak?" The man in the white coat asked.

"Wafa" he breathed "she doesn't remember anything. What's going on?" He asked making tht doctor place a hand over his shoulder and sigh.

"It must be temporary memory loss." The doctor mumbled to himself.

"But.. what?" He asked confused and hurt.

"Under the state of shock she has forgotten her most recent memories. It's a side effect many patients go through after such accidents. I'll check up on her only then I can confirm this thought." the doctor informed.

"When... When will she go back to being normal? I mean when will she remember everything?" Buraak asked breathless, his shoulders dropped and heart shattered.

She doesn't know who I am to her.

"It's unpredictable, but you can always hope for a faster recovery. Just don't purposely trigger any sensitive memories." The doctor left him standing lifelessly in the hallway, he blinked his pain away and took in a deep breath before walking back to her.

He slowly opened the door only to find her sitting just as he had left her. She looked up with hopeful eyes, but her eyes dimmed when they didn't find anyone with him.

"Where's aapi? You went to call her right?" Her voice as soft as he had heard the first time, his heart clenched and so his fists.

How do I tell her about Safa?

"Safa" he started but she cut him off with a bright smile.

"You know her. When's she coming to take me?" She asked unknown to what her words did to his heart.

"Safa. She's out of town for a while. You whole family is actually." He said gulping the truth down.

They're away. Just way too far away.

"But.." she started disappointed. "Then who are you? And why have they left me here with you? Why am I even here?" Her voice started raising octaves and her body become rigid. She stood up in urgency but her legs gave out from under her. Buraak was quick to steady her but she pushed away from him.

He now realized how she must've felt when he would push her away much like she did just now.

"Who are you?" She yelled shaking at her spot.

"I'm Buraak. I'm your husband" he said trying to calm her down.

"I'm not married" she yelled "you're no one to me" her words, like a dagger pierced through his heart making it bleed in the form of the brimming tears he felt in his eyes.

"Wafa. I'm not lying" he said softly making her shake her head violently.

"No. I was in my office last night. How the hell is this even possible?" Her voice came out in broken sobs and hiccups, she clutched her hair tightly shaking her head.

"You had an accident Wafa. You don't remember now but I promise you will. Please" he begged pulling her hands away from her hair "please believe me."

"Don't touch me" she yelled pushing him away. He raised his hands up in surrender approaching her slowly.

"Stay away from me" she cried pushing herself against a corner.

"Stop it Wafa. You're hurting yourself" he said loudly making her breath hitch and sobs cease.

"Come sit on the bed or else I'll have to make you do it" he said staring at her like he used to before. She stared back at him with silent tears leaking her eyes.

"Sit here and I won't come near you" he said, jaw clenched and eyes hard. Like a child she did as he told, he sighed rubbing a hand down his face.

"Now. Be a good girl and sleep for sometime. Okay?" He said slowly sitting on the arm chair placed in the far away corner.

She didn't say anything, nor did she move. She kept staring at him questioningly but he wasn't meeting her eyes.

Who is he? How can aapi leave me with a strange man?

"Wafa" he sighed seeing her curious gaze.

"Please tell me where my family is. Please, I want to go home" she mumbled in a small voice looking down letting those tears fall silently.

"I'm also your family Wafa. You just don't remember it right now but you will. It'll all be okay"  his voice was a soft whisper and soothing to her ears - but the constant turmoil her heart was in - it was making it hard for her to even focus on the things happening.

"I'm... I'm not married, why can't you under that?" She tried again "who even told you that?" She asked.

"What's are you doing?" She asked seeing him get up from his place and sit next to her. She scooted away from him, senses on high alert.

"Showing you the proof I have. Maybe then you'll know I'm not lying" he said going through his phone. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of the picture he had found. A picture not that old, a picture of them sitting together dressed in the finest of clothes, smiling for the camera hand in hand for their wedding photographs.

"Here you go" he said pushing the phone in her hand. She looked at him first then at the picture.

"This is not true. This is fake" she panicked seeing herself smile back at her. Her head was starting to ache and her heart was heavier than she had ever felt before.

"You know what. Why don't you forget everything and take a nap?" He suggested feeling the exhaustion of his day and her condition take over him.

"But..."

"I'll be outside. It's okay. I won't try anything" he said getting up from her side and left the room. Leaving his phone behind in her hand.

She stared at the closed door and then at the device in her hand. With shaking fingers and scrolled through his gallery like a thief.

Pictures of them together were found in the most recent folders. Some from what seemed like was a wedding, some of hers in a black dress sitting in what she assumed was a restaurant.

When did this happen? I don't remember going anywhere. I don't own this dress.

Taking the chance she called Safa. She had memorized the number by heart.

"The number you've dialled is currently switched off. Please try again later"

"Aapi" she cried in frustration and called again but the she received the same response. Her hands slammed the phone on the bed and went upto run through her hair.

"My hair" she gasped at the length of her short hair. They used to be waist long and now were only shoulders length.

"What happened? Why can't I remember anything?" She panicked "I went to my office yesterday, Jahan dropped me home and then? I was suppose to go meet Ammi, she had called me to talk about something important. What happened there?"

"Hello miss Wafa" a voice startled her out of her reverie and she looked up to find a man in white coat standing at the foot of her bed.

"I see you're awake" he said smiling softly. She could see the man from earlier standing behind him.

Who is he?

"I'm your doctor. Dr Ehsan. How are you feeling now?" The man asked making her take a deep breath before replying.

"I.. I don't remember anything. Isn't it November 17th 2019?" she asked looking confused.

"Well. Miss Wafa." The doctor started "it's 25th January 2021" he continued making her eyebrows scrunch up in confusion.

"How is this possible? Is this some kind of a joke?" She asked breathing hard.

"I wish it was. You had an accident that made you forget a small portion of time and what happened during it." The doctor tried explaining but stopped seeing her tremble at her spot.

"And... And where's my family? I want to meet them. All of this is a lie" she yelled making Buraak step forward, but he stopped seeing her flinch away.

"Your... Your family is not here at the moment."

"Well then call them" she stated.

"We have. They won't be here till a long time because of some issues but Buraak is here. He's the closet family you have at the moment" the doctor smiled nodding his head assuringly.

"Now Wafa I want you to give some rest to your brain. Alright." Ehsan said beaconing a nurse close.

She stared wide eyed at the wall, wincing as the nurse punctured the needle in her skin. Her teeth bit her lips forcefully keeping her sadness to herself.

I've forgotten a whole year of my life.

"Can I atleast sit here?" She heard someone say but her tongue was too heavy to move, her eyes too numb to look around and her mind too hazy to even make out the next words he had mumbled.

He watched as her eyes dropped and her breathing steadied. His eyes stung with tears and his hands held his head in them helplessly.

Just when he thought everything would go back to normal and he'd have a normal life with her life made everything worse. She wasn't ready to accept him and he wasn't sure how he'd handle it.

   🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

Time was a snail and it refused to leave it's spot. Every passing second of them living under the same roof like strangers was a nail pounding in his heart.

He still had to take Wafa to Zaakir, since none of them knew if the danger was gone or not but this new situation was something he wasn't able to fight.

"Good morning" he greeted with his usual smile. The two settled on their respective seats away from each other, she mumbled a reply back and stayed to herself. He didn't trouble her much and kept to himself but he had to take her there. If he had to have her then every single hurdle had to go.

"Wafa" he called making her look up from her place.

"Are you free today?" He asked. It was a bright sunday and he thought it would be a great opportunity to start building his relationship with her.

"I.. why is everything okay?" She asked, worry dripping from her words.

"Yes. I just want to take you out. Let's have a day to ourselves?" He asked cheerfully making her stare at him with hesitancy.

"You'll feel better" He said making her  look away deep in thought.

"Okay... I guess" she mumbled making him smile softly at her.

It's been a month since they came back from the hospital. She resumed her job and so far everything was at peace. She could feel a pull towards the man who had been living with her. Her family wasn't heard of and she was worried about them. She had asked Buraak so many times about them but he always avoided that topic.

"Great we'll go shopping in the evening and then have dinner in a restaurant" he said placing his elbows on the table and clasping his hands together.

"Alright" she said meekly.

He gazed at her who was playing with her food. Her short brown fled down her face in beautiful waves, her skin glowing under the bright light of the chandelier hanging over their heads. Brown eyes casted down, pink palms holding her head up.

There was a dull void in her posture that worried him to his core, she was troubling, no, forcing herself to remember what she had missed and he could see that.

"Wafa?" He acknowledged her making her tear her gaze away from the laptop she was working on. Curious eyes turned to meet his deep brown ones melting his heart in a pool of chocolate.

"Are you ready? It's almost evening" he said making her nod after giving the clock a glance.

"I'll go get ready. Is that okay?" She asked hesitantly.

"Sure. Of course" he smiled making her heart flutter and her lip to roll inward under the pressure of her teeth.

With a jittery heart she slowly walked up the stairs into their room. A shy smile adorned her face when she remembered how he would always take care of small things.

How he would always leave a freshly bloomed rose by her bedside with a cute note. Those were the first things she always when she would wake up, to the scent of roses beside her.

Her mornings were always beautiful from the steaming cup of coffee and warm breakfast that was always present on the table for her.

He really admired the way he kept his distance even though the proof of their marriage was presented to her days ago. She felt bad for keeping him this way, away from her. Seeing him patiently waiting for her to accept him was making her force herself to remember all those times they might've spent in bliss. Those days when they would've lived her marriage. She couldn't recall anything.

With desperate tears stinging her eyes she straightened her red kurti and spread her red dupatta over her chest.

With a soft smile on her face she walked down the stairs. The soft padding of her feet took his attention and he turned around to have his breath knocked out.

A blush shot up from the length of her neck to her cheeks as she noticed how he stared unmovingly. His eyes wide and hands frozen mis air with his phone almost upto his ear. He put his phone down smiled at her.

"You..." He started but he was at loss of words.

"Is something wrong?" She asked looking down at herself.

"No. I mean. You look gorgeous" he said forwarding his hand to hold hers but he stopped looking in her eyes for confirmation of his actions.

She chewed on her bottom lip stepping forward towards him. With slow hesitancy he held her hand, the two of them froze, their heart skipped a beat.

He ran his hands down the length of her arms and took a hold of her hand, her skin warm and soft. His thumb rubbed against the back of her hand making her blush a deeper shade of pink. Shy eyes met his deep ones and the world around her flashed black and white.

His smiling face, a loud cheer of laughter and earth shattering kisses.

She jolted away from his touch with a pained expression. She blinked to get the image out of her eyes but she couldn't.

"Wafa? Are you okay?" He asked holding her trembling form in his arms.

"Hey. Jaan. Breath." He said in her ear rubbing her arms. She pulled back slowly blinking the forming headache away.

"Yes." She breathed "yeah I'm fine" she smiled patting her face.

"You still wanna go? Are you sure?" He asked cupping her face, all hesitancy gone at the sight of her distraught expression.

"Yes please" she smiled making him nod uncertainly.

"Let's go then" he said and held her hand taking her outside with him. She gazed at him with softened eyes and heart.

"We'll go to the mall and buy you anything that you want" he cheered opening the door for her. She smiled widely at his antics as he jogged to tht other side.

"Hum apne rishte keliye ek koshish nahi karsakte Wafa?"

"Karsakte hain. Magar asaan nahi hoga yeh. Jo cheez mujhse munsalik hai aapko nuqsaan pohncha sakti hai Buraak. Me ek lost cause hon, mujhe mehnat karna bekaar hai."

"I didn't mean to bound you to myself—"

"I was bound to you the day we got married, it's my job to remain peace between you and Ammi. She does act obnoxiously most times and I apologise"

Her eyes clenched shut as she saw them sitting in the same car. The conversation was broken and muffled but it rang like a broken record in he ears.

She snapped out of her pain at tht sound of a horn blaring. She looked to the side to see Buraak raging over the driver of the car infront of them.

"Do you not know how to drive?" He yelled seeing the driver in front flip his off.

"Idiots" he grumbled making her giggle at his troubled expression.

"Why are you laughing?" He asked narrowing his eyes playfully.

"You've turned red" she chuckled pointing a finger at him.

He held back his smile from blooming on his face and took her hand in his. He playfully bit her finger making her yelp.

Soon they had reached the mall and were roaming around with bags hanging from their hands. A new calm aura surrounded hen both as they now settled in a restaurant to have dinner.

Bright smiles and no formalities were what their moment thrived on. All night long all he could do was gaze at her radiant face and tinted lips. How he wanted get closer to her, how he wanted to gather her up in his arms and kiss her senselessly. How he wanted to steal her away from tht world and cherish her to the fullest, but he knew ; he knew this was needed time to adjust to him and his feelings.

Back at him he had decided to take her risk. A risk he was afraid and excited for.

"Wafa"

With a soft gaze, heightened hope and strong belief he had held her hand in his. Her eyes had widened and her lips had parted. He pulled her close gazing in her eyes intently, the heat of his gaze warmed her skin in a hue of red.

"I love you" he whispered before placing a chaste kiss on her forehead. Eyes closed and lips plastered on her skin. Her eyes fluttered close at him pecking her forehead, her body to fazed to move against him.

"Goodnight" he said smiling at her, who had her eyes down with blazing cheeks.

"Good... Goodnight" she stuttered making him chuckle with a shake of his head.

She marched towards her room and closed the door shut with a racing heart. After calming her heart down she changed into her night suit and laid down on her bed. Her eyes fluttered close and slowly the exhaustion of the day and the warmth of her shower took her senses away.

The moon rebelled against the muslin curtains in her room to have a look at the withering girl. Low grunts filled the room as the figure on the bed tossed and turned, her face morphed into a painful expression brows furrowed.

"No" she grunted shaking her head in her sleep. Visions, one after another filled her mind, physical pain made her whimper and her lungs made her gasp for air.

She felt herself being thrown back in air and her body colliding with a hard surface. She jolted awake from her dream and looked around her. Sweat trickling down her body as she looked around her frantically. Throwing the cover away she ran out of her room crying hysterically screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Buraak" she yelled running in tht hallway looking around for familiar face in the dark. As if her instinct kicked in she ran to the room she thought was his. Opening the door her eyes fell on his rigid form.

He had just woken up to the sound of wafa and screaming and was about to run out to her when she found her way to him.

"Wafa" he whispered.

"Buraak" she cried running to him and hugging him tightly.

"Wafa? What happened?" He asked embracing her tightly. His rubbed tht back of her head feeling his heart race against time.

"Buraak.. woh.. woh... Safa aapi.... Hum... Humara ghar..... Chat" she mumbled in broken words and his blood froze.
(He.... He... Safa aapi..... Our house... The rooftop...)

She has regained her memory.

He blinked his haze away and hugged her tightly.

"It's okay. It's going to be. Wafa calm down jaan" he whispered in her ear rubbing her back.

"Buraak.... He.... You can't get rid off me" her voice became heavier and his whole body went rigid.

"Buraak please don't let me go" she cried. He could feel something move under her skin and it made him hold her even tighter and recite surah e falak and surah e naas in her ears.

Her body started shaking and thrashing in his hold but he did as Zaakir had advised him to and soon with a painful scream her body went limp in his arms.

"Wafa" he called patting her cheek but it burned his hand at how hot her skin.

He laid her on the bed and rubbed her hands. In urgency he called Zaakir and doctor Ehsan, requesting them to come over to look at her condition. His eyes leaked tears of desperation and pain while she burned in fever.

"She'll be okay once she wakes up. I've prescribed the medicine. Take care" Ehsan patted his shoulder and left handing him tht paper while Zaakir sat quietly on a couch in the living room.

"What do you say? Why's he still after her?" He asked, his voice breaking and shoulders shaking.

"I think this was it. I've done everything I can and maybe this was a final blow. Just keep Allah in you remembrance and inshallah this won't happen again. She'll be okay soon" Zaakir said offering him a supportive smile.

"I hope so" Buraak said seeing him off.

He walked back in her room with a sighs and sat beside her, his hands kept changing the wet strips over her forehead while eyes kept shedding tears for her well being.

"Why do you always have to be in trouble? I only now got you and you're again closing your eyes on me. This isn't fair Wafa" he complained leaning down and kissing her cheek.

The remaining hours of the night slipped by him falling a sleep beside her, his back against the headboard.

He woke up grunting at the pain in his neck and back. He looked beside him to find her asleep, he smiled at her peaceful face and walked downstairs to make breakfast for himself. He didn't know if she would wake up or not hence he decided to wait till she did.

Eating his food he walked back upstairs and sat beside her. Taking a day off work he spent his time working while sitting next to her. Somewhere close to afternoon he heard her groaning. She turned to her side, face morphing into something of extreme pain.

"Buraak" she mumbled raising her hand slightly making him hold it firmly.

"I'm right here. Don't worry." He whispered softly in her ear making her snuggle closer to his side. With a small smile on his face he lowered himself down beside her and wrapped his arms around her. She plastered herself against his chest and fell unconscious again.

His eyes closed and he found himself lost in a place where him and Wafa didn't fear anything in the world. He woke up in the evening, the sun had set and what was left behind were the violet hues of its existence.

He made himself dinner and ate alone, checking upon her fever it was still going strong and she wasn't waking up some that he could start the course of her medicines.

"Wafa" he called her once his worries started settling in. He shook her while changing the wet strips on her forehead.

"Wafa wakeup you have to eat something" he said again shaking her awake. She grunted in pain as every limb of her body ached.

"Buraak don't please" she whined but he had, had enough.

"Come on, eat something, take your medicine then you can sleep" he said pulling her up in a sitting position.

She didn't feel her muscles moving while he fed her, her eyes kept dropping and her body kept shivering at the wind that touched her burning skin.

He left her there and filled the bathtub with cold water. He brought ice and tossed them in it. The lack of cold air in Karachi worried him lesser than her fever.

"No" she cried as he carried her in his arms.

"Don't be ridiculous. You're burning and those strips aren't working on you." He scolded making her whimper lowly.

She jolted when he lowered her body in the tub, arms holding him desperately. He sat down next to the tub worried.

"Get me out of here" she cried making him replied in negative.

"Just a few more minutes" he coaxed.

"What are you doing?" He said sternly seeing the water drain out.

"I have to change" she said groggily

"Why did you do that Wafa?" He asked frustrated at her.

"Because I peed myself. How can I sit in that water Buraak? You're of no help" she cried equally frustrated.

"Oh" was his simple reply as his cheeks tinged red.

"Sorry" he said rubbing his nape.

"Get me out of these clothes please. I can't move" she slurred making his eyes widened.

I most certainly didn't think about that.

Shit.

"Wafa. I..."

With half open eyes she glared at him and tried getting up but to her luck she slipped. He was quick to hold her before she could hit her head and sat her back down.

"I could care less about this right now" she cursed at the end making him glare at her with a flushed face.

"Don't kill me once you're sober please" he uttered before kneeling down.

With sweaty hands he undid the buttons of her shirt and pulled it off. He tried his best to keep his eyes off of her but the revealing skin was too much to ignore.

She shivered as his fingers touched her, a tremor ran down her spine as a flash of memories flooded her mind.

Taking in a deep breath he completed his work and discarded her wet cloths away in the basket. Washing the tub once with normal water he filled the tub with warm water, he added in bubble bath not letting her exposure effect him much. His heart was racing in his throat and his finger itched to run across the length of her body but he refrained himself from acting on impulse.

It wasn't a normal occurrence in their life to have such encounters and now facing one was harder than he could've imagined.

Washing her off, he carefully pulled her out of the water, staring at the wall behind her he dried her and dressed her in a fresh set of clothes.

Steadying her body was a hard task but he had done it. He brought her back and laid her down on the bed, while tucking her in. He kissed her forehead and let himself hold her now, as close as he wanted, as peacefully as he could.

The next few days were her trying to get back to life. It was hard to tell her about Safa but she already knew and her breakdown was the most heartbreaking thing for him.

He had held her close and had told her it was all going to be okay from then onwards.

Life was slowly falling back into place like a puzzle with all the pieces. A bright future called them and their upcoming anniversary made them excited for the events to unfold. One years to them being together. One year of their life being a roller coaster of emotions.

One year to them learning and accepting each other. One year to the promise of making it a forever.......

Assalamualikum guys how are you all?

So here an update.

Just almost two chapters are left so here's the progress so far.

Hope you like it.

Comment and tell me how it is.

Enjoy.

Allah Hafiz.

Love
Hafsa_tahir