Ghazal came inside the room and looked herself in the mirror. Tiny droplets were present on her face which were cascading down to her neck, her half dress was also drenched in water. But even after that much, her heart was thudding furiously and heat, redness was a part of her features. Sincere thanks to her husband!

She touched her heated up cheeks and smiled at the memory, her gut went under a weird somersault remembering Haaris's bright smile, closed eyes when Ghazal was attacking him with the water gun. It was getting difficult to stay upset with him, her husband had charms which definitely had to dangle her determination.

Ghazal removed the dupatta from her head and opened her hair as due to Haaris her hair was drenching in water and she didn't want to damage them. The events of a few minutes ago began to revolve in her head as she moved a hand in her slightly wet locks. With a click of the door, the father-son duo entered the room and Ghazal tried to compose herself because she didn't want to show herself happy with the passed ordeal and raise Haaris's hopes.

Before leaving her room, Ghazal had placed the fresh set of clothes for her husband and son, so there was no need for her to give any kind of attention to Haaris though she was constantly feeling his intense gaze on herself from the mirror. She saw from the corner of her eyes that Haaris was changing Adam's clothes with still chatting with him continuously. Ghazal would never understand how they could talk non-stop on any topic they got.

"Dad, nesht Shunday we will again play thish."

"I have a new game for next Sunday."

"Really?"

"Yes."

They both hi-fived each other and Ghazal just busied herself in combing her hair.

Chatter-box!

Ghazal's hands began to sweat as her son ran outside the room leaving her alone with her husband. She was saving herself from this kind of situation when Haaris would be alone with her because she hadn't had guts to face him just yet and to confess that there was a fear growing up inside her in his vicinity. That confession would surely hurt him and Ghazal hated those shades of hate on his features.

She weakly closed her eyes as a wave of dizziness went over her for a moment. Ghazal moved a little ahead and held the dresser for support but gulped in anticipation as she felt someone's presence behind her, supporting her and saving her from falling. She could feel Haaris warm breath on her ear as he looked at her face to confirm that she was alright, his gaze holding concern for her. Moving the wet strand from her face, he kept her hair on her back and made her sit on the edge of the bed. Ghazal tiredly placed her head on his shoulder, her mind went blank and didn't get a grip of the situation going around her. She just closed her eyes for the time being as all she could feel was weaker than the passing moment.

The loose strands were constantly bugging her features but she had Haaris on her side who was gently pushing them away. Ghazal was stuck in turmoil and she knew it. She didn't want to get close to her husband and also didn't want to get away from him.

"Do you need water?"

She shook her head, a witty reply moving inside her to be spat out but she remained silent.

I already had enough!

"Can I comb your hair?"

Haaris hesitantly asked taking the comb from her hold. Ghazal remembered that morning in the hospital when he had braided her hair. They had crossed a milestone from there in their marriage but today it was not holding the same excitement and warmth rather the query was wavered and hesitant. She couldn't deny him, maybe it was the concern on his face or the sincerity of his being.

"Okay."

Haaris took his seat behind her and she felt his hands on her nape, gently holding her hair and moving the comb as slowly as he could. Unlike the earlier time, Haaris swiftly braided her hair and neatly too. She was impressed, to say the least. His warm breath clashed with her earring as she felt his lips on the end of her jaw making her breath hitched.

"Can this be taken as repentance for my mistake?"

His question stood between them like an ice wall making everything around them silent, cold and distant. Ghazal put her gaze on her fidgeting fingers as she answered.

"No."

"Okay."

How she hated his okays! Wouldn't he ask her why? Why she couldn't take this as repentance? He needed to know that his weakness, his anger was capable of changing him to a whole different person who couldn't remain in his senses. That she became afraid in his presence and didn't want to face the same fate of some years ago. Couldn't just he sense her fears?

***

"Okay."

Haaris didn't want to stress his better-half when she was already looking so weak and fragile. He slowly neared his face to hers and kissed her forehead. Ghazal quickly pulled back from his hold, surprising him. She hadn't ever done that. Even when Ghazal used to be occupied in her past, she never pulled back. Yes, she was shy, sometimes embarrassed and many times hesitant but never stopping his ascending steps. Then what had happened just in that one and half-day which had forced her to behave like this.

He didn't know but his grip on her wrist tightened and Haaris pursed his lips staring in her eyes just to make his way to the hidden secrets inside her. Ghazal lowered her gaze not meeting his eyes pushing him to feel more agitated.

"What happened, Ghazal?"

She just shook her head in return and began trying to pull back her wrist. " You can now let me go, Haaris. I'm fine."

He hesitantly let go of her wrist but something was bugging him which he still didn't know. Maybe it was her behavior, Ghazal never behaved like this ever which was kind of rude towards him.

"Are you now hating my touch too?"

Haaris asked standing up from his place, his hand messing his wet locks. Lightning of irritation felt like building up in his mind with Ghazal's hesitancy which was way too different and difficult than before.

"Who says that I have started hating you?"

Her old habit of answering the question with a question! Haaris saw a ghost of amusement in her eyes as she enquired." That's what it is feeling like. You are slowly going away from me."

Didn't know when and how he became so hyper in his anger that Haaris couldn't get a grip of his words. They just left their barriers and he came to know about them seeing the hurt on the victim's face. Ghazal slowly got up and held his arm to face herself.

"I can never hate you, Haaris. Whatever will I try, I will always fail in hating you. I'm just kind of-"

Her words wavered at the end as her voice left her. Ghazal just covered her lips with her hand as some tears gently gathered near her black orbs. What was she trying to say? Did he hurt her in some way? Haaris made her closer to him, hesitantly holding her arms.

"What are you saying, Ghazal?"

"I'm afraid of you."

Ghazal answered in a shaky whisper, not ready to meet his gaze. Sometimes in life, the words are small but their impact feels like it will live for whole lifetime. That was what had happened with Haaris. His grip loosened and he took a step back from Ghazal, his eyes just staring at his wife in shock and bewilderment. Never in his entire life, Haaris had thought that one day Ghazal would confess her fear, that too regarding him.

"What I did Ghazal to make you scared? I never hurt you, I always took care of you."

His voice reached an octave in worry trying to understand the reason behind his wife's fear. " Haaris, it's not necessary to hurt someone physically, sometimes it's your words and anger which can hurt others more than anything. I am stopping my thoughts and myself but I'm constantly remembering Farzan seeing you in anger."

Ghazal looked in his eyes for the first time and said in a hurry as if she just wanted to run away from him and if she stayed, she was afraid of the outcomes. He was responsible for all of this. Haaris was thinking of that silent treatment as a result of their argument but it was holding a whole different meaning. He never tried to understand her point of view, he just wanted to pour out his anger without thinking how it was affecting Ghazal.

When he came to know about Farzan and his abuses, Haaris had made a silent promise to himself that he would become a different person for Ghazal. He would never behave like that to make her remember about her hurtful past but now here he was. He had proved to his wife that he was no different, a slight change but Haaris was the same man as Farzan from inside.

The click of the door brought him back to the present. Ghazal had vanished inside the washroom when Haaris was busy in his own thoughts. He would always be good for nothing, who didn't know how to value pious relations. But he would change himself, not for anybody but just for Ghazal. Haaris would show her that he was not like her ex-husband, he was not a monster and she could always trust him. There was no need to afraid of him because Haaris was in love with her, madly.

***

Ghazal faked a smile giving the prescription to the elder lady who seemed deprived from every happiness in the world. She was depressed and talking to her Ghazal could understand what she was going through. But that was not all, seeing her and talking to her she was feeling like it was her future. Like she would be like this after some years, just like her-depressed, sad, deprived of the excitement to lead a new life.

Why she was thinking like this? Why all of a sudden Ghazal had turned down into a pessimist, who was unable to see any kind of hope in her future? A future which was holding a new addition in her life, a husband who cared about her. But more or less it was all because of him that Ghazal was forced to think like that. That fear had pushed her to fall into a pit of hopelessness.

"You can just call me whenever you want. "

Ghazal slowly patted her hand with a smile as she handed her the prescription. The lady didn't bother to return her smile and left her cabin, and she just took a long sigh of tiredness. Maybe in this phase of motherhood, this work was not good for her. Because she was already had become too sensitive to empathize with everybody and on top of that it was not good for her to feel the pain of her every single patient. She should take a few days leave and have a proper rest to remove her mind from every clutter.

Today she got late more than usual and evening had taken everything in its wings, night was slowly creeping behind it. When Ghazal came in the hospital, a busy schedule was awaiting her. Four rehab sessions, weekly reports, maybe eight to nine patients for their counseling sessions.

It was somewhat better for her to move her mind away for the time being from everything going around her especially the fear and all. That's the thing about fear, as you sense it inside you-it begins to grow and Ghazal was unable to understand this. She was unable to understand that Haaris was different from everyone. Mostly she was needed to give some time and space to their relationship especially Haaris because if she had a tiny bit of trust in him, she would know that he would never hurt her ever in their entire life.

Ghazal moved a hand over her features and closed her eyes to remove the tiredness from them. Haaris had sent his driver to pick her up from her workplace when she had denied his offer to come at the hospital. Everything spoke of his concern, his care towards her and here she was getting afraid of his single touch just like the other day. What was happening to her and to them?

She locked her cabin and get into the car. Resting her head on the headrest Ghazal closed her eyes to shut off the world for a few moments. She was forced to open her eyes when she felt that the car had stopped at someplace. Wasn't it a little soon to reach their house?

"What happened?"

Ghazal fixed her scarf a little and enquired about the situation to which the driver worriedly glanced at her.

"Mam, there's someone lying on the road."

She just gulped in anticipation hearing his words. The night was growing and making everything a little more haunted in its wake. Ghazal peeked out of her window to find a lady lying on her face. Seeing from her place, she couldn't see any kind of blood or injury and that meant the lady hadn't got into an accident. So it could be possible that it was definitely a trap for her. But what if the lady was in real need of help and how Ghazal would answer her Lord in the afterlife.

The road was some kind of stranded and the driver quickly came to her side door when he heard the tick of opening it.

"Mam, you stay here. Let me take a look."

"No, I want to see what has happened to her."

It was perhaps her helping nature or her curiosity which made her deny the driver's request. Ghazal moved ahead, her steps measured towards the lady, unknown of the fact that her single step was going to bring a tremendous change in everyone's life.

***

"Dad, why everyone looksh sho shad?"

Haaris glanced beside him in surprise as his son asked him an unusual question. They were heading towards the nearby ice cream parlor to buy some treats for his son. The ice cream was an excuse, he just wanted to leave his house to get rid of Ghazal's memories and more like to kill time till the return of his wife.

"Why do you think so?"

Adam childishly shrugged his shoulders, " I don't know. Ma hash stopped shmiling, you are sho shilent. Da ish shick and on hish bed." Haaris smilingly ruffled Adam's hair, his heartbreaking a little on his observations. Everything was correct and unknowingly Haaris and Ghazal both were impacting Adam in their whole ordeal just like he had spent his childhood in darkness because of his Papa and Mum. It was these small mistakes that parents made that lead up to a big dysfunctional family.

He couldn't let it happen. Haaris knew that feeling of emptiness of losing a complete family and he wouldn't let Adam to feel it. First thing he would do was to sort out everything with Ghazal, peacefully. She would definitely understand if Haaris would show her Adam's point of view.

"Dad, you should take an ish cream for Ma. She will shmile at you then, jusht like me."

Adam advised and gave him a toothed smile afterward. He nodded chuckling to himself and kissed his forehead before choosing a good ice cream flavor for Ghazal. While choosing, Haaris came to know that he had no idea of Ghazal's likes and dislikes. Maybe they should focus on this thing rather than falling into an argument or fight over everything.

"What your Ma likes?"

"She eatsh from my cup everytime. But maybe truity fruity."

"And why is that?"

Adam took a bite from his popsicle quickly before moving closer to his father to share a nice secret with him, "Becaush when she bringsh me an ishcream it ish alwaysh truity fruity."

Haaris just smiled at his son's reasoning, his mind wandering around Ghazal's smiles, that beautiful smile which had the power of a serene light, which could so gently transform his dark and ugly surrounding into some beautiful panorama. She had different types of smiles and every single one holding a whole different meaning in itself.

A formal smile with tight lips.

A bright smile when she is heartily happy.

The smile between her anger and happiness.

A smile which makes her eyes twinkle, just like when she does some mischief.

"Dad! I have finished. "

Haaris nodded and packed a tub of Ghazal's favorite treat. His mind was still somewhat jumbled up in his present, all was going downhill and he would unable to do anything properly. He needed his life back when all was okay between him and his spouse. He was terribly missing those days spent with her, terribly!

He stopped the car at the front of their house, his heart jumped a little bit seeing the car which Haaris had sent to pick Ghazal from her work. Ghazal was home! He was adamant to go to her workplace but when she denied him then it was necessary to show his wife that he was changing, she could trust him, he respected her requests and he wanted to give some space to Ghazal.

As he left his car, the driver came running to him with worry etched face making him some sort of anxious regarding Ghazal.

"Sir, we got a lady lying on the road. We have brought her home."

Was he in his senses? Who told him to do so? What if it was some kind of trap? What if she had hurt his Ghazal?

"Who told you to do so? "

"Sir, I was denying madam. But Ghazal madam insisted to bring her home."

He lost it! He lost his temper again! Why Ghazal was testing him so much? Why? Didn't she know how worried he was for her? When she would stop thinking so emotionally about others? With long strides Haaris entered his house, Adam had already gone. As he thought, Ghazal was in their room and chatting with Adam.

" Champ, can you leave us for a few minutes? I want to talk with your Ma."

" Yesh, dad." Adam chirped sliding out from Ghazal's lap and after coming closer to Haaris he gestured him to bent down a little, leveling his lips to his ear, " Give that ishcream quickly or it will melt." Haaris chuckled at his son even when he was so irritated. He closed the door as Adam left and looked at his wife who was worriedly looking at him.

" Why you do this, Ghazal? What was the necessity to bring that woman home? What is the assurance that she isn't faking it? What if she had-"

Ghazal put her palm over his talking lips stopping his speech, they both staring silently in each other's eyes. Her other hand gripped his hand and she slowly ushered him towards the edge of the bed. Even when she removed her hand from his lips, Haaris was still unable to speak. She retrieved something from the bedside drawer and sat near him.

" She is Azkiya. "

His ear felt like they had gone under a vacuum after her words and he looked at the passport which Ghazal had given him a few moments ago where Azkiya's picture was staring back at him.

The world is so small!