" Shafaq, You know I don't like apples. ", Zaid whined. They had lunch together sometime earlier and now they were in his room and Shafaq was cutting some fruits and forcing him to eat, especially apples.

" It's good for your health. ", Shafaq said putting the pieces of apples in the plate.

" But I don't want to eat them.", he said holding the knife teasingly which was half in the hands of Shafaq. The hard part of knife was in his hands while the sharp one was in hers.

" Leave it and let me cut them. ", she said pursing her lips to stop herself from smiling, wiggling the knife from his grip. But his grip was tight on the knife.

Zaid snatched the knife from her which as a result wounded her right palm.

" Ouch..", Shafaq screeched holding her palm which was bleeding profusely. The tears had started to gather on the rim of her eyes.

" I am sorry, Shafaq. ", Zaid said who too was shocked by this, " I didn't knew, it will hurt.", he mumbled with regret.

"Show me, I will bandage it.", he said taking out the first aid box from the bedside drawer ,hurting Shafaq was never his intention.

" I will do it myself. You rest.", she said stopping herself from crying.

" Don't you hear me, show me. ", Zaid repeated his words taking her hand in his and this time with slightly strict voice.

Shafaq looked at him in awe, who was carefully wiping the blood from her hand and slowly blowing on her wound.

" It's very hurting, isn't it? ", he asked now bandaging her hand.

" No.", Shafaq said, her voice was wet with tears. Zaid lifted his head to see Shafaq, who was smiling at him.

" The pain is long gone.", she said and Zaid stared at her silently.

******

" So, how's your hand now?", Zaid asked after he was done doing his excercises. One week had past in flickering of eye and their routine was going with ease because Zaid was now responsible towards his excercise schedule, his diet routine and the medicines.

" Alhamdullillah, much better. It's been two days and thanks for your help. ", she said sitting in front of him on the bench and handing him the water bottle.

" What's in thanking me? I had given you that pain.", Zaid said with regret.

" Stop blaming yourself. ", she said, " Let's go somewhere out."

" I don't want to go.", Zaid said hiding his face behind the newspaper, ignoring the conversation.

"Why? I want to go with you.", she said removing the newspaper from his face. She knew, Zaid was ignoring the topic.

" But I don't want to go.", Zaid said, this time slightly irritated.

" And I am asking you the reason. ", she said.

" I don't want to see the sympathy in the eyes of the people. ", he yelled.

Shafaq sat on the ground in front of him taking his hands in hers, " We often kill our choices just for the sake of ' what people will think', but the world is full of busy people. They don't have time to judge you, or your choices."

" So live your life to the fullest", she said tightening her hold, "without bothering about the people, like you used to do."

******

" Where did you wanted to go?", he asked when Shafaq was hanging his dresses neatly in his cupboard.

Shafaq's hand stopped for a moment, then she turned with a smile, " You tell me. Where do you want to go?", she said.

" How about an ice-cream?", he asked.

" Yep. Best choice.", she said showing a thumbs-up sign. A ghost of smile formed on his lips too.

The ride was somewhat long yet comforting. They had taken Driver baba with them. Shafaq was showing every single thing to Zaid with so much excitement as he had not seen that place.

" Some day, we will come to eat gajar halwa from there.", Shafaq told Zaid showing gajar halwa cart. In winter, it was general to see carts of this dessert everywhere in all the places of Lucknow and other nearby cities.

"Yeah.. I used to come with Sani-", Zaid was about to say with excitement but his smile faded with that name.

" So..what flavour would you prefer for your ice cream ? ", Shafaq asked to lift the tension which had built up in the car.

" I don't quite remember what I used to like.", he said raking his hand in his hair.

" Chocolate flavour with lots of chocolate chips.", Shafaq said, shocking him.

" You remember?", Zaid asked with wide eyes.

She nodded with her chin on her hand which was resting on her thigh.

" I am sure, you don't know my favourite flavour. ", she said challenging him.

" No, I know it.", Zaid said thinking. His thinking with some silly and wrong answers were still going on when their car stopped at the ice-cream parlour.

******

" Leave your guesses, you will eventually know when I will order it.", Shafaq said with a smile gesturing towards the ice-cream parlour.

A sudden feeling of nervousness built up in Zaid. How would he be going to face the outside world after a long time?

" Shafaq you go. I will wait here. ", he said.

" But why? You have to come. If you don't want to be on your wheelchair, I have also brought your crutches. ", she said.

" No, Shafaq. You go and get the ice-cream for us. I will wait here.", he said.

Shafaq nodded and left the car. Zaid began to observe her. She was looking simple and subtle in sky blue salwar kameez with white dupatta on her head. She smilingly greeted the owner, and he patted her head for blessings.

After giving the order, she stood watching her surroundings and gave Zaid a smile when she caught him staring at her. Zaid moved his gaze from her embarrassed.

Few minutes passed, he looked up from his mobile on the sound of door opening and found Shafaq with five small cartons of ice-cream.

" Sorry..", Shafaq giggled seeing his shocked face," Actually others are also going to join us in our ice-cream treat."

" Baba, take us to the place I told you.", she told Driver baba.

" But where are we going? ", Zaid asked her with curiosity.

" You will know.", she said smilingly looking outside the car window.

" It's not good to hide things from your husband. ", Zaid's words fluttered her heart with happiness and joy.

" Oh really? ", she asked looking into his eyes. Zaid nodded and Shafaq pinched his cheek, " So sweet!!".

******

" Why are we here?", Zaid asked looking outside at the board which showed an old age home.

" Because it's the place where no one will judge you.", Shafaq said putting her hand on his shoulder. She knew Zaid was nervous to face the world with his disability and she had to help him anyhow.

" How are you so sure?", he asked with disbelief.

" Because all they need is love and care and all they can give is love and care.", she said opening the car door and preparing his crutches.

"Come, I am sure, you will not regret this decision Inshaallah. " she said giving her hands to help him.

Zaid hesitantly placed his hand in hers, baba and Shafaq helped him with the crutches. Shafaq was walking with the same speed as Zaid, talking about the place, her experience with it.

" You never told me that you used to come here.", he said, when they entered the old age home.

" Some things are so precious to us, that they lose their meaning if we share them with someone. ", she said.

Her philosophy sometimes confused him but he didn't said anything.

They entered and met with many seniors. Some where couples who had left their houses for sake of peace, some where forcibly left out here, some where alone with only memories of their families and grandchildren.

Shafaq greeted everyone with a smile and also bowed down her head in front of them for their blessings. Zaid was coming to know, how much they loved Shafaq by the smile on their faces.

" Who is he?", a man in his late sixties asked Shafaq pointing at Zaid who was silently sitting on one of the benches.

" This is Zaid Hussein, my husband. ", she introduced him with shyness.

" Mashaallah, he is very cute.", a lady said sitting beside him and pinching his cheek.

Shafaq suppressed her laughter seeing Zaid blushed face. Many old ladies and men came to meet him just because he was Shafaq's husband.

It was the best day he had ever spent in his life. Shafaq was right! Nobody judged him for his disability, all were supportive. It was now late evening and they were returning home.

******

" You don't feel embarrassment with me?", he asked Shafaq out of nowhere, when she was massaging his legs at night.

" No. Why would I feel embarrassment with you?", she asked and Zaid looked at her as if she was asking him the dumbest question.

Zaid shook his head, " I thought, may be you feel it because I can't walk properly. ", he said looking down.

" Don't you ever talk like that about yourself. ", she scolded him, " You are not weak. Don't smother yourself. "

She got up and hesitantly cupped his cheek, " You are my husband, my pride. I feel proud when you are with me. Because Allah has blessed me with you. Can Allah ever take wrong decision for his disciples? ",she asked touching their foreheads.

Zaid slowly shook his head, " So why would he be now? You are the best and will be the best for me.", she said nuzzling his nose with hers.