She groggily lifted her head up feeling an intense pain in her back amd neck. Her half-slept mind was unable to tackle the reason for this.

She looked around her surrounding rubbing her eyes then she remembered last night,Zaid's illness.

She didn't knew,when she went into the valleys of deep slumber but it was still a peaceful sleep. Her head was resting on the bed beside Zaid and she was sitting on the ground.

From the light outside , she knew it was Fajr time. She hurried towards washroom for her wudu.

She finished her Fajr prayer and after supplications, Zaid was still asleep.

She came towards him and took her previous place. She ran her fingers in his hair, whiffing Quranic supplications.

Zaid opened his eyes to found Shafaq in front of him. She was lost in her own thoughts that's why didn't looked at him.

A black mark on her collar bone caught Zaid's attention as Shafaq's dupatta had slipped from her shoulder.

******

Zaid extended his hand and lightly touched the mark. Shafaq flinched at his sudden touch and looked at him in shock.

" What's this? ", Zaid asked feeling her shocked gaze and he quickly removed his hand.

Shafaq neatly fixed her dupatta and asked composing herself.

" You don't remember it?"

Zaid shook his head.

" In summer vacations, I used to come here with Mumma and Papa. And that time, you had just learnt riding bicycle. I had insisted you to made me sit behind you and you had agreed.", she said reminiscing her old days.

" And your dupatta had stucked in the back wheel of my bicycle. ", Zaid added as he remembered his childhood memory.

" Yeah!", Shafaq giggled, " Mamu had scolded you a lot at that time. "

" Yep. He had slapped me also. But you weren't upset with me, instead you were crying for me.", his lips curled into a faint smile.

Shafaq felt like she was seeing him smiling after long ages.

" We used to build Tree house, didn't we?", he asked.

Shafaq nodded. " I remember, I used to wait for your vacations to start, to play new games in our Tree house.", he added.

" Why it has to be change?", Shafaq said staring in void. Zaid looked at her in confusion. " Why have you shut me out? Can't we be friends again? ", she continued making eye contact with him ," I am not asking for your love or care. I just want you to put your trust in me as we used to do, as we used to share our problems with each other. "

Zaid stared at her and was unable to form words, " I am sorry, I have disturbed you in early morning with my wifey 'talks'.", she said with a humourless laugh getting up, " I will send the breakfast. "

******

" Baji, Zaid bhai has returned his breakfast. ", Qasim said entering kitchen where she was making tea for everyone.

Shafaq took the tray from him in surprise.

You have spoiled his mood in early morning, lady!, she thought to herself.

" Allah, how silly of me!", she slapped her back of head and left the kitchen with the tray.

Her heart jumped in her throat hearing his familiar voice behind her. The scene in front of her felt like a dream to her.

Zaid was sitting in the living room with Mamu, Mumani and Naano. Mamu's lips were curled into a genuine smile after a long time. Mumani and Naano was serving him various breakfast dishes.

" Come, Shafu!", Mamu said looking at her with glint of happiness.

She silently took a seat between Naano and Mumani. She had dreamt of this day many times, when Zaid would spent his quality time with his family like he used to do earlier.

But now when it was becoming true, she was feeling nervous and excited all at once. Her palms were sweating and she was unable to look at Zaid who was busy in his breakfast.

" I must go in the garden for my excercise.", Zaid announced after finishing his breakfast, " Let's go, Shafaq. ", on his order Shafaq quickly came towards him.

She was unable to decipher, what had happened so suddenly for this sudden change in Zaid?

Mamu smilingly put his hand on Zaid's head, " Yes, of course. Take care of him, Shafu. "

Shafaq nodded and took him to the garden. She sat in front of him, " Do you really want to do the excercises? "

Zaid looked at her in silence, " I don't know.", he said after a while focusing on the cypress vine at distance, " One part of me wants to put my trust on you, wants to see the bright side of my life. But, the other part is afraid. Afraid of getting failed, scared of not able to return to my previous self."

" What's the point in making assumptions if you have not tried?", Shafaq said taking his hand in hers, Zaid watched her action and then focused on her.

" Life is very lenghty with regrets but somewhat easy if you have the satisfaction. At least try, in this long journey, you will have the satisfaction that you had tried. ", she said tightening her hold.

Zaid's eyes had become teary by the time she finished her sentence. He looked up to stop his tears to flow. He took a long sigh and pursed his lips.

" I trust you, Shafaq. ", he said keeping his hand on hers.