~Heathrow Airport, London, 2015~

x-x-x-x-x

~Third Person's POV

Amidst the hustle bustle of the overwhelmed crowd, he dragged his luggage towards the escalators which were leading to the waiting area for those who were traveling through the international flights. The announcement for several flights echoed throughout the busy and capacious terminals of the 'Heathrow Airport'.

He sat there silently, staring at the marble floor beneath his feet, while his haphazard thoughts motioned towards the events from the last night. 

Mr. and Mrs.Shehroze had strictly forbidden him from traveling but he was adamant about his wish since three days. He was continuously begging to them to grant him one last chance but they weren't in a mood to listen to any of his rants as they did not want him to travel through such a long distance and that too, in such a vulnerable state. 

"If I didn't reach there on time, I would have to regret about it later!" 

He held his head in his hands with anger and hurriedly walked to and fro across the corridor, trying to explain his desperation and helplessness to his parents.

"You simply don't understand boy! You are not in a state to travel! We can't let you fly to Pakistan in this state!" Mr. Shehroze barked upon Shahveer for the umpteenth time.

"I am absolutely fine Baba! It's you who is not understanding! I can travel on my own now. I need her, I need to ask for forgiveness, I need to confess each and everything to her before it gets too late. It has already been six months and I can't delay it anymore, please try to understand! "

He begged once again, while his olive green eyes started to dwell up with a storm of salty tears.

"But my son___"

"I will die Mom, I will die from the guilt of the sin which I have committed!"

He interrupted his mother to which both of them stared him back with horror.

"The more it will be delayed, the more I will start loosing each and every tiny fragment of my consciousness, my sanity!"

He sobbed like a child.

While his parents looked at him with complete shock.

The man joining hands in front of them like a kid, wasn't the same Shahveer which they had been raising since 24 years!

He was changed!

They had never seen so much desperation, pain and helplessness in his beautiful eyes before. Its not that he
wasn't this stubborn before.

But this time, there was something different in his stubbornness.

Previously, there used to be anger, ego, madness and frenzy in his stubbornness.

But now, there was shame, guilt and humbleness!

His determination and continuous begs were enough to make Mr. And Mrs. Shehroze realise that he wasn't going to stop so soon.

And finally, they had to give up before their son's wish, with a very heavy heart.

"When will you come back?"

Mrs. Shehroze asked with a heartbreaking tone.

"As soon as I meet her, I will apologize and bring her here without any delay!"

He smiled as if what he was thinking was just a piece of cake.

Little did he know, that this matter was indeed not just a piece of cake!

"Promise me that you will come back soon!"

Mr. Shehroze looked at his son with loads of affection.

"I promise you Dad! Your son is very well at persuading and consiliating others. I will makee sure that she forgives me with her whole heart!  I will bring her back! I will bring our Hooriyah back!"

He smiled ear to ear as Mr. Shehroze patted his back.

"And how long will you stay in Pakistan?"

"It will just take me five days to bring your future daughter in law back to UK, I promise you MOM!"

He hugged Mrs. Shehroze happily while she wiped her tears with joy and excitement.

"Just 5 days!"

He whispered once again, as he finally turned to leave his house in order to catch his flight from London.

5 days?

Five ...DAYS????

How beautiful it would have been if his quest had ended within five days.

If only, he knew that the quest which was about to begin wasn't going to last for five days, he would have never stepped out of his house!

The Quest which was about to begin now!

The quest which was unfortunately not going to end within five days, but perhaps would mercilessly continue for the .....................

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Next Five Years!!!

x-x-x-x-x

~Shahveer

"This is the final boarding call for passengers Fred Phillips and Shahveer Khan , booked on flight 372A to Lahore, Pakistan. Please proceed to gate 3 immediately. The final checks are being completed and the captain will order for the doors of the aircraft to close in approximately five minutes time. I repeat. This is the final boarding call for Shahveer and Fred! Thank you."

I jerked upon hearing my name which had been just called during the announcement.

Lost in my own thoughts, I failed to notice that I was being called since twenty five minutes. I hurriedly grabbed my bag and raced towards the gate which was supposed to lead towards the airplane. As I made my way towards the first class passenger seats, a polite air hostess accompanied me along the aisle and helped me stuff my luggage inside a small compartment.

It wasn't that I was onboard for the first time. I had traveled alot before. But this time, something was really different! A strange mixed feeling of nervousness, anxiety, excitement, ecstasy and guilt was dancing across my spine. My body was nothing but just a pool of adrenaline, making my body shiver after every passing minute! I was feeling numb, desperate and nervous.

And why won't I?

After all, I had finally surrendered myself to the most beautiful realisation of my life. I was going to meet the most gorgeous, most pious and the most beautiful woman of my life, and bring her back to my house where she truly belonged!

Without any further delay, the plane accelerated along the runway like a thunderbolt and finally began to take off towards the land where my dreamy girl has been waiting for me since eighteen years.

The deeper I started to drown in the ocean of her miraculous dreams, the higher the plane flew across the wide horizon, dashing through the dark tumultuous clouds, which were already threatening a heavy downpour!!!!!!!!

x-x-x-x-x

~Lahore, Pakistan, 2015~

~Shahveer

A thick blanket of darkness and silence enveloped me as soon as I pushed open the gates of my mansion and stepped inside it.

It was empty, silent and gloomy!

Where had all that resplendence, joy and glory of this magnificent mansion gone, which used to be present here all the time?

Crestfallen, I dragged myself towards my room to freshen up myself as the jetlag from the journey of twenty-three hours had already sucked up all of my energy and I definitely had to regain it before I could leave for Murree tomorrow.

As I sluggishly walked towards the corridors, my swollen and tired eyes unfortunately fell upon the lobby of the farmhouse which could be clearly seen from the windows of this mansion.

And that was enough to chop my heart into millions of pieces!

Various sounds of inhumane laughter, humiliating taunts, abusive words, clapping and disrespectful shouts started to ring in my mind like a bell.

"How I wish you had seen your ugly face in the damn mirror before confessing your shitty feelings to me!"

A shiver ran down my spine as I jerked upon recalling that merciless night which nothing but just an extremely brutal memory.

A lonely warm tear cascaded down my cheeks as I mumbled under my breath,

"What have I done, Oh My Allah?" .......

I paused for a second, trying to realise what have I just said.

My Allah?

After spending a life like this, where the hell did I get those guts from?

How dare I say 'My Allah' ?

"Do you think HE would still be yours after whatever you have done to HIM and HIS Creation?"

I questioned myself with embarrassment and guilt, finally realising that how much doomed was I feeling tonight.

"Perhaps, Its not only Hooriyah whom I have lost! I have lost you too, Oh Almighty Allah!"

I wept silently as I walked towards my room and opened the lights one by one. Every nook and cranny of my room seemed to be colourless, dull and boring, but the only thing shining brighter than anything else, was a beautiful white colored box, which was resting peacefully on my shelf.

I gently picked it up from the shelf and wiped the dust from its surface with my hands and blew the remaining dirt away. I slowly opened the box, only to witness the most beautiful and lovely Divine Book I had ever seen in my entire life.

"Holy Quran?"

I questioned myself as I moved my fingers towards the beautiful book but immediately stopped as soon as I recalled something from my past.

"Make sure you have performed ablution before you touch it!"

She smiled beautifully.

"Ablution?"

I whispered to myself.

"How to perform ablution? I don't know anything about it!"

I groaned with pain and annoyance simultaneously, as I was dying to open the Book and see what was so special inside it that Hooriyah Jahangir Khan had been so respectful towards it and gifted it to such a sinful man like me!
I wanted to read it, understand it, because it was gifted to me by my beloved! But she had forbidden me to touch it without performing ablution.

Why the hell didn't I know how to perform ablution?

WHHHHYYYYYYYYY?

I sobbed weakly with helplessness and placed the box carefully inside my cupboard.

What happened next was even more terrifying.

A neatly folded envelope was resting peacefully on my desk and as soon as I looked at it, I immediately remembered that it was indeed the last letter which was given to me by Khan Baba the day on which I was leaving for Manchester.

I raced towards the desk and hurriedly tore the envelope. There was a small paper resting inside it.

I quickly opened it and madly began to read whatever was scribbled upon it .

"If by any chance, you ever realise that how much pain you have given to me, just come back and knock at my door....

You will find it open!

The door of my house & even the door of my heart,

Will be open to welcome your existence once again!

If at any stage of your life, you ever feel blue or gloomy, just remember one thing, your Hooriyah will always follow you like a shadow, to protect you from the tornados, storms and all sorts of calamities!"

I smiled like an idiot, as a ray of hope danced across my heart, making me feel extremely elated!

I knew it!

I knew that she would forgive me!

But my smile slowly began to fade away as soon as I read the next line, which made me realise that this ecstasy was merely temporary!

"But my Dear Shahveer.....!!

The doors will not remain open for eternity. There will be a time when I will shut them close as tightly as possible. I will wait for you ,but not forever! Although I shouldn't, but my heart is bleeding to give you one last chance. I will wait for your apology for the next few days, but if you still fail to realise what you have done,then I have to do something which I had never wanted to!
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I will make sure, that you never see my face again!

I will make sure that you regret your doings for the rest of your life!

I will make sure that you suffer through the same pain which you have given to me last night!

You will never find me againnn

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Never in your life!"
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The letter immediately fell down from my hands as I read the last line with immense horror in my eyes!

"No...No....This can not be true!"

I shook my head in disagreement as my body trembled with infinite fear while a layer of an excruciating pain ran across my soul, making me feel lost and completely helpless.

"She had given me another chance! Why didn't I read this letter before? WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?"

I shouted at the top of my lungs.

A gentle layer of dizziness started to envelope me as I stumbled and fell upon the marble floor.

How much more helpless a person could be?

How much more powerless a person could be?

How much more vulnerable a person could be?

"Ya ALLAHHHHHH!"

I cried with pain and agony.

Such an unfortunate destiny I had, that even the Best Listener and The Best Fashioner of my life wasn't going to listen to any of my cries now!

I had not just hurt His Creation, I had hurt Him too.

I had hurt Allah too!

She had given me one last chance, but Allah had been giving me infinite chances.

I have caused her so much pain, and I have realised that.

But have I ever imagined or realised that how much pain I had given to The Almighty?

I haven't just violated Huqooq-ul-Ibaad (Rights of humans), I had also violated Huqooq-e-Ilahi (Allah's rights)

I had lost everything tonight!

My faith, my deen, my identity, my sanity, my confidence, my power , my status , the most beloved woman of my life and the Most High, the Most Merciful, Allah. s.w.t....!

I had lost everything!

But still there was one thing which I haven't lost yet.

And that was ......HOPE!!!!

I immediately got up from the floor, took that white box out of my cupboard and grabbed my suitcase and raced towards the corridor.

I wasn't going to wait for the next morning anymore!

I will go to Murree, right now!

I don't care if it is midnight, or if I am tired or deprived of sleep!

God for bit if it gets late, I would have to spend myriad of sleepless nights for my entire life!

I will ask for her forgiveness right now!

I don't have much time left!

I should leave for Murree, immediately!

As I marched across the hallway, my
accelerated steps immediately came to a halt as soon as my glance landed on the door at my left.

It was the same room where she had stayed for two weeks.

The room where I had seen her for the first time in eighteen years.

The room where she was offering her prayers like an angel.

Like a Hoor!

The room where we talked to each other for the very first time.

I slowly pushed the door open and a layer of cool breeze and a heavenly fragrance brushed through my soul, drenching it with immense affection and a longing to see her charismatic face again!

Tears started to dwell up in my eyes as I entered inside the room where that angel has been living since two weeks.

I could feel her so close to me, yet she was so far away.

Her floral fragrance was still revolving around and was so fresh as if she had just left the room.

As I walked towards the window, where she had been silently watching me with her teary eyes when I was playing a guitar and singing songs with my friends in the garden, my heart started to dwell up with pain and was about to burst with tears.

As I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and turned to come out of the room, something touched my feet making me stop in my tracks.

I knelt down and my eyes widened with astonishment as I picked up a broken glass frame inside which there was a beautiful picture of a little boy and a little girl.

It was me and Hooriyah!

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There was a fine crack between us!

My heart cried with agony.

I carefully took the photograph out and slowly kissed it with affection and finally kept it inside my pocket, ready to leave for Murree, in order to mend all the broken frames and join all the torn memories back again!

x-x-x-x-x

~Lahore Railway Station, Punjab, Pakistan~

It was perhaps the most darkest night I had ever witnessed. There wasn't a single star on the sky, and the moon was hiding behind a thick blanket of tumultuous clouds while the wind blowing towards my face was extremely chilly. I finally decided to sit down on a nearby bench and started rubbing my hands together in order to warm my body up. There was still half an hour left in the arrival of the train and the weather was becoming unbearable after every passing second. My hands were numb while my lips were getting purple after every passing second. The cold breeze was barbarically piercing through my bones, making my body shiver crazily,

I took the lighter out of my pocket and started igniting it in order to light up my cigarette which was stuck between my lips, but my hands immediately stopped motioning as soon as I started feeling something strange in the air while someone slowly walked towards me and quietly sat by my side on the bench. My eyes widened with amazement, ecstasy, pain and affection simultaneously as soon as I saw that beautiful angelic face.

"Hoor?" 

A soft whisper escaped through my lips.

Her eyes twinkled magically as she giggled in that same beautiful manner and slowly opened a thick brown shawl and wrapped it around my trembling shoulders making me feel much warmer.

I averted my gaze from her and looked at the shawl which was resting on my shoulders with complete astonishment. I smiled with gratitude and opened up my mouth to utter something

"You are an angel in disgui___"

I paused.

Within a blink of an eye, she had disappeared.

There was no sign of her existence anywhere. I looked here and there, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Then I touched my shoulders, only to find not a single sign of that shawl which had covered them a few seconds ago.

It was merely an illusion.

Another illusion! 

I immediately realized that I had still not been free from having hallucinations. 

A sigh of grief escaped through my lips as I walked towards the train which had already arrived a few seconds ago.

"How I wish you knew how much you are causing me pain by deceiving me through your temporary illusions!" 

I whispered to myself and wiped a stream of tears which was cascading down my cheeks and finally grabbed my backpack and silently walked towards the platform where the train was waiting for the passengers to leave for Rawalpindi, a city which was 68.6 km away from Murree.

x-x-x-x-x

~Murree, Punjab, Pakistan~

As a bright ray of sunshine kissed my eyelids with affection and welcomed me with a melody of tranquility and joy, I rubbed my puffy eyes with my knuckles and blinked continuously for a while, trying to figure out where was I. It took me few minutes to realize that I was sleeping like a dead man in a public coaster since three hours, which I had booked for myself in order to travel to Murree from Rawalpindi. 

 By the time the bus crazily jerked to a halt, my eyes were already completely opened.

"Bhai Sahb, Can you please tell why the bus has stopped ?" I asked the man dressed in khaki Shalwar kameez, who was sitting next to me, with annoyance.

"Brother, we have already arrived at the hill station. Look outside, you are in Murree, time to leave now! Or else the driver will take you back to the place where you have come from!" 

He laughed cheerfully as he examined my sleepy facial features.

"Murree?" 

My mouth was left wide open as I heard him telling the biggest news of my life!

I slowly removed the curtains away from the window while my eyes widened with amazement as the most beautiful and serene view came in front of them.

Huge monstrous mountains were covered with a rug of trees, green, yellow, scarlet and orange, but their bare tops were scarfed and beribboned with snow. From carved rocky outcrops, waterfalls drifted like skeins of white lawn, and in the fields I could see the amber glint of rivers and the occasional mirror-like flash of a mountain lake. It was as if long ago they were a great beast, only to lie down one day and never get up. Perhaps the beast fell into an enchanted sleep, perhaps its soul was still in there. They soared upwards as if determined to kiss the heavens.

I was engrossed to the full!

When barely more than a thin sliver of the sun could be seen, the snow atop the mountains began to glitter like diamonds, throwing entire spectrum of color across the land and into the air. The water of the nearby river reflected that light back, though with more shades of blue, due to the moon's influence. I had almost lost my breath as I was utterly captivated by the scene which was dancing like a fairy in front of my eyes.

Hooriyah Jahangir Khan was an angel!

And this angel has been living in a heaven throughout her life!

This is completely mesmerizing!

 I hurriedly grabbed my luggage and stepped down from the coaster and headed towards the nearby busy market . There was a huge crowd of energetic people who were busy in buying groceries, cutlery and snacks for the supper. I took out a paper from my bag on which my Dad had already written the address of Jahangir Uncle's house. But in order to get proper directions, I had to ask someone to guide me towards the address.

I stopped few people one by one and asked them about the whereabouts of Mall Road, and Sector A2-A. Some of them were successful in telling me the correct directions and without wasting any other second, I immediately headed off towards my destination.

I hired a cab driver who thankfully agreed to take me to my desired address. The roads were still glossy and wet while the weather was getting pleasant after every passing second due to the light drizzling and chilly breeze. I started getting nervous as soon as the distances started to get shorter and shorter. My heart was racing wildly while my body was trembling with both fear and excitement. I haven't prepared anything in my mind. But all I knew was that I was determined to get back what was always destined to be mine.

The car sped off towards the Mall Road, and within half an hour, some pleasant wooden cottages started to appear before my eyes. A storm of flashbacks started to dance across my brain as soon as I started recognizing the familiar streets which I had frequently visited eighteen years ago.

Finally the driver stopped the car outside a beautifully decorated small wooden cottage , out of which lots and lot of birds were drinking water from a cute vessel. The garden was full of flamboyant flowers, specially chrysanthemum , which was always my favorite!

But who planted those rare flowers in this garden?

Was it Hooriyah who did this?

How on Earth was she aware of all the likes and dislikes of mine?

I paid the driver, grabbed my backpack and headed towards the cottage without wasting anymore time. The cottage was still the same as it was two decades ago. Warm, tranquil and welcoming.

A sound of beautiful laughter of two little souls entered in my ears as I walked past the garden. A small boy and a small girl were playing and running after each other throughout the length of the garden.

"Hooriyah, I won't spare you this time!" The boy shouted angrily.

"You better watch out, or I might break your water guns again...HAHAHAHAHAH" 

The little girl laughed devilishly as she stuck her tongue out on him and continued running again.

I smiled as I recalled the most beautiful flashback of my life.

I knocked the door for several times but there wasn't any response from the other side. My heart started to beat faster and faster with nervousness and fear.

I tried knocking it again, but to my surprise, the door pushed open due to a huge blow of the wind. 

The door was already open!

A melodious voice entered my ears.

"If by chance you ever realize your mistake, you will still find the door open!"

She was right!

The door was open!

A ray of hope started to build inside my heart as I recalled the words from her last letter. I politely pushed the door open and slowly entered the house. There was complete silence, darkness and tranquility. I could hardly see the wooden floor upon which I was standing.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" I asked in a confused tone.

But there was no response.

I walked across the lounge in order to search any existence, but there was just my shadow, dangling across the staircase. I carefully climbed upon the stairs, hoping to find someone upstairs, but there was not even a single sound in this cottage.

"Is anybody here? It's Shahveer! Shehroze khan's son!" I tried speaking again and again but to no avail.

I finally entered a room which was dimly lit by a small candle, while the windows were open wide, displaying an exquisite view of mountains and the dark starry sky, upon which the full moon was playing hide and seek with the clouds. I stood by the window and looked at the sky for a few minutes.

"At least we are under the same sky!" I whispered to myself.

Suddenly, my gaze fell upon a nearby table and a storm of memories started to hit me like a bullet.

x-x-x-x-x

~Flashback, January 1998~

x-x-x-x-x

"Oh shit! The light has gone again!" Little Shahveer yelled with annoyance.

"It's not a big deal !" Little Hooriyah tried to calm him down

"It certainly is! I was completing my homework! Now how will I do it?" Shahveer folded his arms with disappointment and rested his head on the table with hopelessness.

"Uh-Oh, Don't worry Veer, your Hooriyah will always be there to lighten up your darkened world!"

Hooriyah laughed clumsily and went outside to bring something and within a few seconds, she came back with a cute lantern in her little hands due to which , the darkness vanished immediately!

"YEEEEEESSSS! You are the best, Marshmallow! I love you! Thanks for doing this! Now I can complete my homework in peace!" Shahveer chirped with happiness.

"I will be always there for you!"

Hooriyah smiled and both of them burst into a cute laughter and continued to giggle for what seemed like an eternity!

x-x-x-x-x

Lost in that beautiful flashback, I walked past the table, examining the little kids who were busy giggling and talking to each other while my eyes started to brim with tears upon realizing that how much she had loved me since childhood. She was always there for me whenever I needed her. And when she needed me, I stabbed her heart with a poisonous dagger! 

She was so adorable, and I was so cunning!

Still lost in that beautiful memory, I failed to notice that someone was already standing at the door of the room and watching me silently.

I finally raised my gaze in order to look towards the entrance and tried hard to recognize the person who was watching me silently.

I squinted my eyes to have a clearer vision as it was too dark in the room. There was a young lady standing at the door, wrapped in a shawl and holding a lantern in one of her hands and looking straight in my eyes. Her eyes were large and beautiful but they were not hazel brown. The strands of her hair were curled and her creamy skin was shining under the light of the lantern. The lady entered in the room making my heart beat faster.

She was here.

She was finally here.

My world....

My life......

My beloved......

My Hooriyah Jahangir Khan was finally here!

My heart overflowed with ecstasy as I mustered up some courage to speak to the love of my life.

"HOORIYAH?"

An almost inaudible voice escaped through my lips.

There was complete silence at the other end.

"Hooriyah?" I asked again.

No response.

I took few steps forward and asked again,

"HOORIYAH???"

"IMAAN!" The lady finally responded.

" IMAAN?" I asked with complete shock and astonishment.

"Hooriyah Api's younger sister!"

She added.

Her eyes were fixed on me and they looked gloomy, dull and sorrowful.

"Wh....Where....Where is Hoor?" I stammered.

"She is gone!" Iman replied in a cold, strange manner.

"Gone? But where?" My heart pumped faster than usual!

"Gone far away! Far away from us, from this house and you!" 

She whispered coldly while tears started to dwell up in her anger-filled eyes.

The floor beneath my feet immediately swept away while my heart ferociously sank into my stomach, stealing all of my senses away.

All I could feel was a strange feeling of nothingness, defeat and regret. 

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I hate to admit that, but it was perhaps, the last day of my life!!!!!!