Through the shadow, through the cloud, the light escapes. We too can follow. We too can copy the glow. There is no darkness we cannot outturn, there is no night we cannot wake from.

Omer

The night was dark, just like a sinner's deeds. It was deep, more than the ocean. It contained wonders, same as the galaxies.

Walking with long yet quiet steps, he moved towards the entrance door and unlocked it with a key he always had with himself. The deadly silence and dim lights welcomed the tall, black-eyed man as he stepped inside the magnificent Lashari House.

Without even caring to glance around him, he started walking straight to the staircase which would lead him to his room. He knew that nobody was going to be awake at this time of the night as he had told no one about his return.

Knowing his mother and grandmother very clearly, he was certain that if he told them about his arrival, they would stay up all night and wait for him.

And that was the last thing he wanted to happen.

Glad that all of them were in their bed and he did not become the reason for their lack of sleep, Omer walked towards his room, content. He was halfway through the stairs when a thought came to his mind and he turned on his heels and went down again, this time moving towards the kitchen. Thirst had made him change his route and forced him to go to the kitchen.

He pushed the kitchen door open and entered it, not forgetting to turn on the lights. He reached the board on which the water bottles were placed orderly and picked out one of them. Not caring about pouring the water in a glass, he rotated the cap and drank water directly from the bottle.

Gulping down the liquid smoothly, he again turned around and left the kitchen, taking the water bottle along with him. Omer had not yet reached the staircase when something caught his attention and he stopped dead in his tracks.

He had forgot to turn off the Kitchen's light and that helped him see through the darkness. His eyes narrowed and his forehead got decorated with lines as he began taking slow and cautious steps towards the large window pan which was opened and someone was sitting outside in the moonlight.

Frowning a little, he reached the window and his calculations soon changed as he took in the sight of two ladies sitting at the step. His frown deepened as he saw Fariya and Maida talking in slow and hushed voices, with Fariya's head resting on Maida's shoulders.

Omer wondered what they were doing here at 3 in the morning and his subconscious begged him to remain static at his position and hear what the two sisters were talking about but his manners and etiquette convinced him otherwise.

Shaking his head, he rotated to leave both of them the way they were but he had only just taken one step back when he heard the voice of her, of that gorgeous mess.

It felt like the devil had tied the chains around his feet and he was not able to move an inch. He stood still as he heard someone. A voice which was strange, not so familiar, but whose owner was his; legally, morally.

But it was not her voice which made the moving man come to a stop, it was the word she uttered

A word which shattered his world once, a word that is nothing more than an illusion. Just something that people use to manipulate other human beings to give in to them. A word people so shamelessly repeat over and over again to get away from their atrocious deeds. A word he lost his believe in on a cold, december night five years ago.

Love.

His eyes widened as his ears took in the words of her, of his wife.

"She said she loves him."

Omer abruptly turned around and looked straight ahead at the two ladies who were not very far from him and he could hear them clearly. Taking a step forward, he stopped right behind the bars and hanged at every word of the conversation.

"Fariya, there must be a misunderstanding."

Maida's surprised voice reached him and that killed his manners a little more as he became more curious regarding the topic of their discussion.

"I heard her loud and clear. There is no misunderstanding."

Fariya's voice seemed to be coming from an abyss as she spoke her words quietly.

"And do you think Omer Bhai too loves her?"

Maida's words made his world tilt.

Did they find out about his past? The thought crossed his mind for a split second but he rejected it as soon as it registered in his whirling mind.

He had never discussed his past with anyone else, not even with himself; he had been running from it for years now. And there was no way Fariya could have found out about it for nobody other than him in the God's green Earth knew about it.

But who were they talking about then? Why were the talking about him? That was the question which made his heart beat rapidly out of anticipation and Fariya did not leave him waiting there. She answered the question that had been going on his mind.

"I don't know but it is possible. I mean both Syra and Omer had spent their childhood together. They can't fall in love with each other."

Syra?

Syra loves him?

That was a news which made him widen his eyes. He didn't know about it, Syra had never told him. But even if she did, what would he have replied?

There was no answer.

There was never an answer.

He was bound to his past and no matter how much he tried, he could not get free from it. The demons of his past would haunt him everytime he tried to lead a normal life, a happy life.

"Don't rely on possibilities, Fariya. Go to Omer Bhai and clear everything with him."

Maida's stern voice reached the man who who unethically eavesdropping on their conversation.

"There's nothing to clear about. He loves her too. I just know it. I mean why would he behave with me like this if there wasn't any other woman in his life? It wasn't my fault that we got married and he is sensible enough to understand that. There was some other reason due to which he was behaving like this with me and now I know the reason. He loves Syra."

Omer had never heard her speak more than two sentences and now here she was, mouthing her thoughts, clearly and unhesitantly. Fariya's words were strong but they held despair hidden deep beneath them, Omer could feel it.

The man could not help but wonder that she was smart too. She had concluded and clearly understood the reason behind his rude behaviour. Though it was not true that he loved Syra, it was indeed true that it was because of some other woman that he was behaving rudely with her.

Omer felt like going to her, to sit beside her and tell her that what she was thinking was not true, that he did not love Syra. But to take those few steps would cost him his life and he wanted to live, explaining everything to her would unleash the demons from his past and he wanted to forget his past desperately.

So instead of going towards her, he turned around to leave her there. And as he walked back to his room, the thoughts which roamed in his mind were not of Syra's love but of Fariya's false assumptions.

◇◇◇◇

The pleasant sight that welcomed him made the hard expressions on his face vanish into thin air and a full, bright smile made its way on his face as he walked deeper inside the Dining Room.

The sight of all of his family together, seated around the table and eating their breakfast, swelled his heart and he couldn't help but bow down to the Almighty in sheer gratitude.

Everybody seemed to be busy in their affairs; eating and talking, and nobody noticed Omer who was standing behind the head seat on which his grandmother was sitting. Omer looked from one person to another as he smiled at the family he was blessed with.

The first person whose eyes landed on the tall man was Urwa. Seeing him standing in front of her after a whole week, the lady's brown eyes widened in surprise while her lips parted a little.

"Bhai!"

She exclaimed in surprise and hurriedly stood up from her seat. And the next moment, she was in Omer's arms who was laughing slightly as he kissed the top of her head. Omer pulled away from her and smiled-a bright, euphoric smile which lightened up the whole room.

Everyone in the room had stood up from their seats and moved towards Omer. But the black-eyed man moved towards his Dado first and bent his head as his grandmother placed a kiss on his forehead. The smile never left his face as he met his mother and other members of the family and hugged them.

And as he was meeting Maida, he looked around the room as he scanned for a certain being but his gaze only clashed with the empty walls as it returned back.

"Bhai, why didn't you tell us?"

Saad's excited voice reached everyone when they had settled on their chairs again and resumed their breakfast. Omer looked up at him and smiled.

"Well, then I wouldn't have seen this reaction."

Saad's face illuminated with a smile.

"You would've seen this anyway. You're the most cherished child in our family."

Omer's laughter rang in the room as he shook his head a little.

"You are jealous?" Omer mockingly asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, I am."

Saad huffed in annoyance but the frown on his face was short lived as his mother, who who sitting on his right, slapped slightly on his arm which made him laugh.

"Gentlemen, eat your breakfast."

Taya Abbu's smiling voice swirled in the air before it reached everyone in the room.

"Okay, Boss!"

Everybody laughed at Saad's words and Omer felt his heart got filled up with bliss as he looked at everyone. It was a pleasant sight, a delightful one.

"Here she comes. Where have you been?"

Saad's voice reached him and it forced him to look up from his plate. Only when he had turned his head up did he notice the person who was coming through the door and was smiling at Saad.

"I was aslee..."

Omer heard her melodious voice through the air but the magic her voice created broke as soon as it was produced as her doe-like eyes landed on the person who was sitting in front of Saad. The smile on her face vanished instantanly as she stopped dead in her tracks.

Omer's eyes smiled as he looked at her surprised face and to hide the smile which threatened to form on his lips, he lowered his gaze and looked back at his plate. The black-eyed man heard his younger brother cough a little and he looked up in his direction, only to see a mischievous grin dancing on his face while he gazed at the surprised lady.

Omer turned his head to see Fariya who was glaring at Saad and then moved forward as she murmured a Salam to everyone. Sitting beside her mother, she shifted some eggs in her plates and did not dare lift her eyes for the rest of the time.

◇◇◇◇

"You love her?"

Bilal's amused voice reached him and on hearing it, Omer's head snapped up and he passed his friend a deadly glare. Here he was, telling him about his real feelings for Fariya and he was making fun of him.

"I'm going."

Omer's stern voice rang in the Monal Restaurant as he angrily stood up from the chair and began to make his way to the exit door. But Bilal was quick. Before he could reach the exit door, Bilal caught upto him and forced him to stop.

"Okay, man. I'm sorry. I was just playing around." Bilal said through a laugh.

Omer only granted him another glare and began to push past him when Bilal caught his shoulders that made Omer stop.

"I'm sorry. I'll be serious now. Let's talk."

Omer looked at Bilal with narrowed eyes and then let out a breath before turning around slowly and moving towards their table. Once both of them were seated again, Bilal finally voiced in a serious tone.

"Okay, tell me. What is it?"

Omer looked up at him and then let out a dejected sigh.

"I can't sort out things. I don't want to be rude to her but I can't be nice."

Bilal looked at him seriously as he mouthed his thoughts.

"Omer, you shouldn't let your past destroy your future. Forget it."

Bilal did not know what exactly happened five years ago but he did know that it was drastic enough to turn Omer into a cold and heartless man he was today. Omer never got into details about it with him, nor with anybody else, but he did tell Bilal about its consequences, about its aftereffects. About that cold night on which he lost his believe in a pure feeling such as love.

"It's not that simple. If it was some other woman, I would have tried with all my heart. But I can not. Not with Fariya. I.. I can't do..."

Omer's voice died at the end as he lowered his head in defeat.

"Why? What is there in Fariya Bhabhi?" Bilal asked in puzzlement.

Omer did not raise his head and continued looking down. The fact that he did not get angry at Bilal for calling Fariya as Bhabhi and remained silent, proved how much his mind was disturbed at the moment.

It's not always the heart which breaks, sometimes it's the mind. And Omer felt his mind crack open.

"Fariya has her eyes."

The black-eyed man whispered, a whisper which did not reach the man sitting in front of him. A whisper that was his biggest secret, his most frightening nightmare.

"What?" Bilal narrowed his eyes as he questioned Omer.

The tall man just shook his head and finally raised it to look straight ahead.

"She reminds me of my past."

Sympathy and pain hurriedly made their way in Bilal's eyes as he looked at him.

"Omer, I'm sorry."

Omer only pressed his lips together as he looked past his friend and stared into oblivion. The view from up here was enchanting. The elegant city of Islamabad stood before him in all its glory and majesty. But tonight, the mesmerising view could not soothe his wounds like it always did, the enthralling sight could not ease his heartache like it did before.

"Omer, what will you do then? You have to accept her. There's no other way."

Bilal's anxious voice rang in his ears as he averted his gaze and looked at him.

"I'll just ignore her. For as long as I can."

Omer's reply did not please the other man one bit. Rather, a frown appeared on his face on hearing Omer's words.

"And what about her? What is her mistake? Why are you torturing her like this? You're only thinking of yourself."

Bilal's blunt reply made lines appear on Omer's forehead as he narrowed his eyes.

"I'm only thinking of myself? It's her I am thinking about. My distant and cold behaviour must be hurting her but do you have any idea what will happen to her once I tell her the truth? Once I tell her that everytime I look at her, I am reminded of some other lady? That I loved someone else? She'll break. She'll start hating me. And I just can't witness that sight. My behaviour will be hurting her, I'm sure of that. But at least she is fine. At least she doesn't hate me."

Omer suddenly lost the thin thread he was holding onto since past weeks and let his anger unleash. He had been holding everything in, not letting a soul know what was happening in his heart or how chaotic his mind was.

All of this anger and emotions which had welled up inside him wanted a way out but he had been controlling them for the sake of his beloved people around him. But it was painful. Beyond painful.

To hold every feeling inside of you was extremely hurtful, to plaster a smile on your face when you're breaking on the inside was agonising.

"You loved someone else?"

Bilal's startled voice made the chain of thoughts which were running wildly in his mind come to a stop. His whole world stopped for a moment.

Oh, my goodness.

What had he done? Why did he unveil this secret to Bilal?

Omer tore his glance away from him and looked here and there.

"I don't want to talk about it."

Omer's low voice put a stop to the questions which were hanging on Bilal's tongue and were desperately waiting to be materialised but he pushed them back for his friend's sake and sighed a little.

"Okay, then tell me this. What do you feel for Fariya Bhabhi?"

Omer considered the question a little as he stared at some random point in thin air.

"Sympathy. Regret." Omer replied, his tone uneven.

He stopped for the longest time ever before a word escaped from his mouth which made the air around him dance.

"Care."

His voice was low, very low that it hardly reached the man sitting in front but Bilal understood it.

"You care for her?"

Bilal's bewildered voice reached him and he slightly nodded his head.

"I do. I don't love her. Not even one bit. But I do care for her."

Omer let the words hang between them for a moment as he went silent.

"Why don't you try to forget your past, then?" Bilal's voice was sprawled with plead.

"I can't. The only way to forget my past is to make peace with it and I can't even begin to understand what happened. Making peace with it is a whole different thing." His voice contained defeat.

Men are beings who carry mountains of possibilities on their shoulders. They calculate every step they take, contemplate on every decision they make. They do not think from their hearts but from their minds. And that is why when they are faced with situations in which mind is of little use and decision can be made by heart only, they find themselves in deep dilemma and confusion. They find themselves weak at that moment, vulnerable. And in that particular moment, they break. They break themselves or they break the people around them.

◇◇◇◇

"Bhai, did you bring us gifts this time?"

Urwa's excited voice rang in the TV lounge as she addressed her elder brother. The whole, extended family was sitting in the lounge, watching TV while chattering with each other.

"How can he forget that? It's a tradition to bring gifts for for your family or else it is considered a sin."

Saad's sarcastic voice reached everyone and made them laugh while Urwa's brows furrowed.

"Saad, people should say something only when they are asked for it."

Though Saad and Urwa had four year gap between them, they were very friendly and close with each other so they said all those things to one another without even caring about anything.

"I did bring you gifts. Saad, can you bring the black bag from my room?"

Omer cut Saad, who was beginning to reply to Urwa, in mid-sentence and asked him to bring the bag. Saad stood up from the couch and went from the room, not forgetting to slap Urwa on the head slightly on his wayout.

"Omer, what was the need to bring all the presents? You brought them last month."

Omer's mother asked him with narrowed eyes as Saad entered the room holding a full, black bag. Omer only smiled at her as he collected the bag from Saad and placed it on the table in front of him. Unzipping the bag, he put his hands in it and fished out three shawls of different colours from it along with three dresses.

"Dado, Ammi, Chachi. These are for you."

Omer said smilingly as he passed the three old ladies their gifts. All of them accepted it with a large smile on their faces as they took it from Omer's hands. Omer then pulled out a perfume and a watch from the bag and looked towards his father and brother.

"Abbu, here's a watch for you. And Saad, your perfume."

Saad collected the perfume from Omer's hands and gave him a huge grin; he finally got the perfume he wanted.

Before Omer could pull out the other presents from the bag, he looked straight ahead at the three young ladies sitting on the sofa. Two of them were looking up at him with anticipation in their eyes but the other one, the one sitting in the middle, had kept her gaze down and was staring intently at her hands which were placed in her lap.

Omer looked down at her hands and saw her long, slim fingers interlaced with each other, her thumb rubbing the skin of her other hand while her nails pierced into her knuckles. Omer pressed his lips together as he averted his eyes and looked back at the bag in front of him.

He pulled out three small boxes from the bag and stood up from his seat before he moved forward towards the sofa on which three of them were sitting. Reaching them, Omer paused in front of the sofa and extended one box to Urwa and other to Maida. Maida reluctantly accepted the gift but on the contrary, Urwa took the gift from her brother's hands excitedly.

There was still a small box in Omer's hand while he stared directly at Fariya's fingers. She had her head down due to which he could not see her eyes and in one way or another, he was thankful for that.

The box he was holding in his hand was different from the othet two boxes; it was velvet in colour and was much smaller. Extending his right hand, he placed it in front of her head and kept it there for a while, his arm hanging in the air. Fariya looked up hesitantly but thankfully, her gaze was directed towards the gift and not towards the person who gifted.

Her doe-like eyes widened just a little on seeing the box but she recovered more quickly than he thought. She kept staring at the box he was holding and then finally, extended her hand to take it from him. She was very careful, Omer noted, as she took the box from his hands and was cautious enough to not let their fingers touch.

Omer had thought for a second that she wouldn't accept the gift but as soon as the small weight got shifted from his hand to her, he breathed a sigh and turned back towards his seat.

"It's a bracelet."

Urwa exclaimed jovially as she took the bracelet from the box and tied it around her delicate wrist. But unlike her, Maida had opened the box and had seen her bracelet too, but she did not wear it there. She just looked up at Omer and smiled at him as she murmured a quiet thanks.

But as far as woman sitting in the centre was concerned, she did not even open the box to see what was inside. She only clutched the box in her hand and Omer got the feeling that she would never wear the gift he had bought for her. She took it from Omer for the sake of her family sitting around her but she had no wish, whatsoever to accept it.

Fariya

"I told you. You are assuming wrong things about him."

Maida said as she picked Fariya's gift from the bed. Fariya had almost thrown it there when they returned back to their room.

"And what does that mean?"

Fariya stopped for a moment as she walked towards her side of the bed.

"See, he gifted me and Urwa a bracelet but got you a ring."

Maida's excited voice rang in her ears and she snapped her head up to look at her sister. Fariya's large eyes then moved down towards the gift Maida was holding and her gaze crashed with a beautiful ring.

The ring was not heavy; it was very simple but what made it stand out was the floral-shaped diamond encrusted at its centre. The ring was elegant, beyond beautiful. Omer has a good choice, Fariya pressed her lips together as she admitted the thought.

The hazel-eyed woman tore her glance after a moment, settled herself onto the bed and picked her phone from the nightstand. Her eyes were roaming around the messages she had received but her mind still wandered around the stunning ring.

"Did you like it?" Maida said as she sat beside her elder sister on the bed.

"It's fine." Fariya replied without a hint of any emotion in her voice.

"It's beautiful, Fari. Omer Bhai has..."

Maida began to say something in Omer's favour when her sister cut her in mid-sentence.

"Why are you always defending him? As far as I remember, you hated him for what he said to me."

Fariya asked angrily as she turned her head to look into Maida's brown eyes.

"I misunderstood him. He's a good man and he has been nothing but nice to us since we got here."

Maida replied assuringly, as if her words were enough to convince the wounded heart of a woman.

"Did you forget what he said to me?" Fariya once again questioned her sister.

"I did. He must be very angry at that time for what happened. You should try to forget it too."

Maida's calming voice raged the woman in her who was rejected on the very first night of her marriage.

"Forget it? That man punctured my dignity, crushed my soul, bruised my pride. I will never forgive him." Fariya harshly spoke as she stood up from the bed, furious.

"And what about his love for Syra?" Fariya crossly asked as she paced her room, anger oozing out of her body.

"That is an insane thought which is created by your own mind. And even if Syra loves Omer Bhai, there is no guarantee that Omer Bhai loves her back. For all we know, it could be a one sided feeling."

Maida tried to make her sister understand and help her get rid of all the mess she had created in her mind.

"It's not a one sided feeling. I know it. And even if I think for a second that he doesn't love her, it still won't solve any problem. Syra still loves him. How can I live with a man who is loved by my sister? Syra is a cousin I've always dreamed of. She is a nice lady with heart as big as an ocean. I can't hurt her by living with a man she loves. Syra matters more to me."

Fariya's voice tailed off in the end as she collapsed on the bed in utmost despair. Fariya had seen Syra, talked to her, shared a bed with her. Syra was the most kind lady she had ever met, her eyes always sparkled with kindness and generosity. Though both of them had not met that much, Fariya was still convinced that she had a heart of a saint.

And Fariya Ali Sikandar did not have a heart to snatch her happiness, her love.

"What will you do, then?" Maida asked as she turned her head to see Fariya.

"I will talk to Syra. I'll go to Phoppo's house tomorrow."

Fariya said, her voice laced with hope. She just wished that she could get out of this chaos without hurting anyone in the process. She desperately hoped that everything could be smoothly worked out before it fell into small, painful pieces.

◇◇◇◇

The Sun was at its peak but the rays it emitted were soothing, comforting. The sky was a shade of blue and golden as it peered down at the woman running after a man in the house, shouting something the sky couldn't hear.

The sky, in order to hear what the beautiful lady was saying, sent a hundred particles of wind down which danced around her merrily. The wind perceived her words and carried them back to the impatient sky. And the sky smiled as it listened to the lady's annoying cries.

"Saad, take me with you. Please."

Fariya pleaded loudly as she rushed after her cousin who was walking towards the car.

"How will it benefit me?"

Saad mockingly asked as he reached the car and finally halted his steps as he turned around to face his irritated cousin.

"You just have to take me to Phoppo's house. You are going there anyway." Fariya said annoyingly.

"Sister, I'm not your driver." Saad said as he plastered a smirk on his face.

"Fine then. I'll go there myself. And I will not forget to call Taya Abbu on my way."

Fariya angrily said as she stomped her foot on the ground and began moving towards the gate not before threatening her cousin.

"What's going on?"

A voice came from which made her stop. Fariya slowly turned around and her doe-like eyes took in the sight of a tall man moving towards them with narrowed eyes.

"What's happening here?"

Omer looked at Saad and then his eyes landed on Fariya who was standing there, immobile.

"Actually, Fariya is going through a Taxi to Phoppo's house."

Saad was the first one who replied and his answer was enough to make Omer furrow his brows. Omer looked at the lady who was standing beside the car and was looking at Saad with wide eyes. Fariya looked back at her spouse and instantly shook her head.

"I was asking him to take me to Phoppo's house but he was continuously saying no so I thought that I should go by Taxi."

Fariya's voice died at the end as she sensed Omer's penetrative gaze on her. It was the first time she had talked directly to him in all these weeks and it felt strange, peculiar. Fariya saw Omer move his eyes towards his younger brother.

"Saad, what kind of childish behaviour is this? Take her there right now."

His voice was loud and it contained the slightest bit of anger.

"No, I'll go there by the Taxi."

Fariya said before Saad could say anything and turned around as she walked towards the gate.

"Fariya, I was just joking. Come on, I'll take you with me."

Fariya heard Saad's voice from behind which made her steps come to a stop. She rotated her head and looked back from over her shoulder towards Saad.

"No, thanks. I'll go there myself. You're not my driver, Saad."

Fariya said as she again turned her head around and started moving towards the gate. She had been pleading with Saad for the past 30 minutes but he was acting all stubborn and now Fariya was really mad at him.

But she had only just taken one step when she heard someone.

"Fariya!"

A voice came from behind which shackled her moving feet and she came to an abrupt stop. The voice chained her thoughts and her mind went blank for a second before it regained itself and registered the unfamiliar sound of her husband.

It was the very first time he had pronounced her name. His voice was cold, it lacked any emotion, it was glacial. But his icy voice didn't set her heart on fire, rather it did something else to it. The feeling of her name flowing out of his mouth sent a hundred melodies running through her heart.

It was strange how sometimes a person's long sentences and nicely put words do not effect you in any way and how sometimes a simple word can stir you entire existence.

Fariya slowly turned around and came face to face with her husband who was looking at her with all the confusion on his face.

"I will go by...."

Fariya found the courage to ignore his face and mutter her thoughts but she saw an irritated Omer coming towards her. Her heart dropped in her ribcage and her mouth went dry as she saw her husband approaching her with a frown decorated on his face.

Omer reached her in two long strides and stood close to her, so close that Fariya could smell his cologne. Her heart started beating at a dangerous rate and before she could step back and control her abnormal beats, Omer coiled his fingers around her arm and gently pushed her towards the car.

Opening the door, he made Fariya sit on the front seat and uncoiled his fingers as he stepped back. Before he could close the door, he bent his head just a little and looked at Fariya in the eye.

"You are our responsibility."

That was his final words as he closed the door and went towards his brother. Sitting inside the car with door closed and windows down, Fariya couldn't understand what he was saying.

But even if the door was opened, she still wouldn't be able to hear him for the sound of her accelerating heart beats rang in her ears, making all the other sounds around her go back in dark.

She gulped down the emotions and took deep breaths to control her vigorously beating heart when she saw Saad coming towards the car. Saad opened the door and seated himself on the driver seat before turning on the engine and pulling the car out of the driveway. Fariya continued looking down and didn't dare lift her eyes until they were out on the road, her face burning with heat.

◇◇◇◇

"Phoppo, where is Syra?" Fariya questioned as she looked around the living room.

"She's upstairs in her room. She doesn't know that you're here."

Phoppo smiled at her niece and placed a nugget in her plate.

"Is she fine?"

Fariya finally asked the question she had been meaning to since she got here.

"Yeah, of course. She is perfectly fine."

Phoppo said and Fariya could hear the truth in her voice. She hoped that Syra was fine, she didn't expect it. And the thought that Syra was fine filled her heart with happiness and confusion simultaneously for her hope was granted but her expectation was proved wrong.

"Can I meet her?" Fariya asked as she placed her plate on the table and looked at her Phoppo.

"She's sleeping. But you should go in and wake her up."

Phoppo gave Fariya her approval as she nodded her head. Had it been some other time, Fariya would have felt bad for waking up a person but she had come to her Phoppo's house only to talk to Syra and she can't go back without talking to her.

"Okay, Phoppo. Thank you."

Fariya said smilingly as she stood up from her seat and walked out of the room.

Once outside Syra's room, Fariya stopped for a moment as she prepared herself for Syra's reaction. It was the first time she was going to meet her after she had found out about her love for Omer.

Fariya knocked at her door but didn't expect anyone to open it as the owner of the room was asleep so he decided to open the door but to her surprise, the door of the room was pulled open from inside and in front of Fariya stood Syra, water dripping from her face.

"Fariya!"

Syra exclaimed as she engulfed her cousin in a bone-crashing hug. Fariya's already large eyes widened even more as she took in Syra's reaction; never in a million years would she have anticipated this reaction.

And in that moment, Fariya was convinced more than ever that Syra really had the heart of a Dervish.

"When did you come?"

Syra questioned her cheerfully as she pulled back from the hug and took Fariya inside her room.

"Few minutes ago. Phoppo told me that you were asleep." Fariya said as she sat on the bed facing Syra.

"I was. I just woke up five minutes ago."

Fariya nodded her head and looked at her cousin in the eye.

"Who did you come with?" The kind lady questioned.

"Saad. He had some work with Talha." Fariya said as she stared at her hands.

"I'll go meet him then."

Syra excitedly said as she stood up from the bed but before she could step ahead, Fariya caught her wrist that made Syra stop.

"He's gone. He'll come to pick me up later."

Fariya said and on hearing her, Syra sat back on the bed.

"Syra, I wanted to talk to you about something."

Fariya finally gathered her courage and arranged her wild thoughts as she looked up at Syra.

"Yeah, what is it?" Syra asked cautiously.

"Umm... I.. I wanted to talk to you about Omer."

Fariya said the words and her heart constricted on seeing Syra's reaction. The colour left her face and her eyes widened instantly, but she recovered herself more quickly than Fariya thought.

"Wha.. what about him?"

Syra questioned and Fariya could almost sense her quivering voice.

"Syra, please. Don't play with me. I heard everything that you told Urwa."

Fariya said earnestly as she took Syra's hands in hers.

"Wh.. what?"

Syra's face went pale and her lips trembled.

"I don't... I'm.. sorry..."

Syra's shaking voice filled Fariya's already bleeding heart with more pain.

"It's fine, Syra. It's not your fault."

Fariya embraced the embarrassed lady while she reassured Syra again that it was not her fault. When both of them pulled back, Syra smiled at Fariya, a smile which did not reach her eyes.

"Tell me everything from the start. When did you fall in love with him?"

Fariya wanted to know about everything and most importantly she wanted to know if Omer was also in love with her or not.

"It all started about a year ago. Though I had been living with him since my childhood, I started to have feelings for him only a year ago. It was last summer.

Talha was busy and driver had gone with Baba to another city so Omer came to my college to pick me up. He was just like Talha to me so I didn't notice much but my friends went all crazy.

Omer was handsome, he was well-settled, he was nice. My friends didn't take much time to make me his assumed fiance. They talked about him with me every second of the day. They were just being the typical girls but in the process, I thought about him for the first time in my life.

I was forced to think about him, not as a brother but as a man. And I felt instant attraction towards him. It was not love at first sight but love at first thought."

Syra's voice died at the end and she stared at her hands while she narrated the whole story to Fariya.

"And? Did you tell him?" Fariya whispered as she scanned Syra's face.

"No, I didn't. He always treated me like a sister and I didn't want to ruin anything that was between us. I thought that if I would confess my love for him, he'll ignore me and start to get hesitant around me. And I didn't want that to happen. At least this way with him not knowing anything, he talked to me and cared about me. I didn't want to lose the part of Omer I already had." Syra's voice was sprawled with pain, pain of loss.

"Does he love you?" The question finally escaped from Fariya's lips.

"Love? No. Of course not." Syra chuckled almost painfully, as if Fariya's question was absurd.

"I know Omer. He respects me, cares for me, values my opinion but he doesn't love me. He'd never love a woman who is like a sister to him. Never."

Fariya did not know why but when she heard Syra's words, she felt instant relief rush through her body. It was regretful but it was unexplainable.

"And now? What would happen now?"

Fariya wanted to know what would Syra do, now that Omer was married to her.

"Nothing would happen. He's your husband, Fari. He's all yours."

Syra said in a voice which was as low as a whisper. Even though her words were low and quiet, her eyes screamed pain and agony. One look in Syra's eyes and Fariya was thrown in an ocean of regrets.

"But you love him..." Fariya's voice tailed off as confusion decorated her face.

"Fari, he's married now and I can't do anything about it. Nobody can." Syra said in a defeated tone.

"Omer can."

Fariya finally decided to tell Syra her big, dark secret.

"He in not interested in our relationship. He told me that he'd break our Nikah as soon as he could."

This time, it was Fariya's voice which was sprawled with defeat.

"Omer would never break this Nikah. I know him." Syra said as she chuckled sorrowfully.

"How can you say that?" The hazel-eyed woman questioned.

"Omer is not a man of love. He has hardly loved anyone other than his family. But he is a man of responsibilities. And Fariya, intentionally or unintentionally, you have become his responsibility. And Omer has accepted this as well."

Syra tried to make Fariya understand, killing her own heart in the process.

"He has not. He told me himself that he will break this Nikah." Fariya said emphatically.

"When did he tell you this?" Syra quietly asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"The same night the Nikah happened." Fariya said while lowering her head.

"Fari, you have to understand. He was angry. He didn't even know about you before that night. Omer is not a man who goes around hurting people. And I'm sure he must have regretted his words later. Please, don't be someone who judges other people without even understanding them."

Syra's kind words melted her heart in a second and did something that was not less than a miracle; they made Fariya understand him. But even though her heart had forgiven Omer for his words, Fariya's mind was stubborn and it wanted an explanation, an apology.

"A person should not search for explanations, they can ruin you. Rather, one should look for reasons to forgive, they can save you." Syra said as if reading her cousin's mind.

"But he will leave me..."

Syra's voice cut Fariya in mid-sentence.

"Fariya, throw this thought out of your mind. He would never leave you. He might have not accepted this relationship with his heart yet but he would, sooner or later. Omer Ahmed Lashari will always be yours." Syra said, her voice reduced to a mere whisper till the end.

Fariya understood what she was feeling right now; it's not easy to give the love of your life to someone else, it's painful to retreat your steps when you're head over heels in love with someone.

"Syra." Fariya whispered.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could do something for you."

On hearing her cousin, Syra smiled; a genuine smile.

"There is something."

Fariya raised an eyebrow in question.

"Just keep him happy."

A sob escaped Fariya's lips.

"Syra!" Fariya said as a lone tear fell on her face.

"And you too. Stay happy."

Syra smiled and embraced her cousin in a hug.

◇◇◇◇

"What did Syra say? Tell me!" Maida asked irritatingly.

A whole day had passed and Fariya still haven't uttered a word.

"Fariya, tell me or else I'm going to ask her myself."

Maida threatened and when she saw her threat going in vain, she angrily stood up from the bed and moved towards the door.

"He doesn't love her."

Fariya's low voice rang in the room and it stopped the lady who had reached the door.

"What?" Maida asked as she turned around quickly.

"He doesn't love her? I told you!"

Maida said as she flipped her hair but her smile died when she saw Fariya shooting daggers at her.

"What's the problem, then?" Maida questioned confusingly.

"Syra loves him, Maida. Madly. Unconditionally. And if there's one thing I've learnt in my life, it is that you should fear people who love unconditionally. They will never ask for their right, they will never raise their voice but their aching heart and tearful eyes have the power to turn your world upside down." Fariya said mournfully.

"Fariya, come on. Syra will never say anything bad about you." Maida tried to make her sister understand.

"That's the problem. She doesn't say anything. I went to her home in order to convince her that she should confess her love to Omer but she doesn't want to do that at all. It seems like she has happily given me the love of her life."

Maida placed her hand on Fariya's shoulder.

"Why would she do that? He's your husband. It was stupid of you to go to her and ask her for this in the first place."

The brown-eyed woman uttered the words.

"Maida, how can I build my own house of love on someone else's shattered dreams and broken heart? How can that home even survive whose foundation is filled up with someone's tears?"

Fariya painfully asked and Maida was left speechless.

"Fariya, just forget everything. Start your life again. Start going to the university and forget all of this mess."

Maida said the only thing she could think of. And Fariya only nodded her head as she placed her head on the headboard and closed her eyes dejectedly.

◇◇◇◇

"Tayi Ammi, where's Taya Abbu?"

Fariya asked as she entered the living room and was met with the sight of her Tayi Ammi sitting alone in the room.

"He's in the Study, my child."

Tayi Ammi smilingly answered and went back to pray on her Tasbeeh. Instead of turning back, Fariya moved forward and sat with her on the sofa.

Tayi Ammi opened her eyes to look at her but closed them again after passing Fariya a smile. Few seconds passed when she opened her eyes and after placing her Tasbeeh on the table in front of the sofa, turned her head towards Fariya and blew tenderly on her face. Fariya's eyes fluttered but a bright smile made its way across the corner of her lips.

"Is everything okay?"

Tayi Ammi asked, her attention fully directed towards Fariya.

"Yes, Tayi Ammi. Perfectly fine."

Fariya smoothly lied as she plastered a smile on her face.

"That's good. Why are you looking for your Taya Abbu?"

Tayi Ammi gently asked. Fariya had begun to admire her Tayi Ammi; she was very sweet, showering love and care everywhere. Even though Fariya's father rejected her sister and got married to Fariya's mother, she was still very polite and nice to all of them. And this fact made Fariya marvel at her even more.

"Actually, Maida and I have decided to start going to the university again. I wanted to talk to him about that."

Fariya answered to which she earned a very bright smile from her Tayi Ammi.

"Perfect. I'm so happy to hear that."

Tayi Ammi said as she placed her hand on Fariya's hand.

"When are you planning to start?" Tayi Ammi asked.

"Tomorrow." Fariya politely replied as she smiled at her.

"Both of you can go with Urwa."

Tayi Ammi solved her transport problem in a blink of eye.

"But.."

Fariya began to say something when Tayi Ammi cut her in mid-sentence.

"No ifs and buts, Fari. That's settled. You two are my daughters too."

Tayi Ammi's commanding voice swelled her heart with happiness.

What did she ever do to deserve a family like this?

"Thank you, Tayi Ammi." The hazel-eyed woman thanked as she stood up from her seat.

"I'll go and tell Maida."

And when she saw her Tayi Ammi nodding her head, Fariya turned around and moved forward to leave the room.

◇◇◇◇

The clouds promised rain and the wind showed its power as it roamed around the people gleefully. Fariya Ali Sikandar walked beneath the afternoon sky which was a mix of blue and black.

The smile never left her face as she looked at her friend, excitedly talking with her about the Batch Party which was to be held next month.

They had just reached the exit gate of their university when the clouds roared before fulfilling their promise-the rain had started.

Gaping, Fariya and Sana rushed towards the shade just outside their university.

"My Goodness!"

Sana exclaimed jovially as she stretched out her hand before her, the rain drops falling on her open palm, continuously and randomly.

Fariya only managed a smile before looking around, searching for any sign of her cousin. But unfortunately, she didn't find any. Her disappointed gaze came crashing back and landed on her friend standing beside her.

At the same moment, Sana yelled over the voice of the rain drops falling mercilessly on the barren land.

"The driver has come. I'll get going. Come on, I'll drop you."

Fariya only shook her head as she yelled back.

"Saad must be on his way."

The driver had gone to his village for the weekend so it was Saad who dropped her to the university in the morning. Maida and Urwa had taken the advantage of the pleasant weather and did not go to their university. It was only Fariya who went to the university for she had an important assignment to submit.

And now, as she was waiting there for Saad standing under the shade, she cursed herself for delaying the assignment till the last date.

It had been 20 minutes since Sana had gone and she was standing there, waiting. She glanced at her wrist watch again and again, hoping that when she would raise her head this time, Saad would be in front of her, sitting in the car and calling out her name.

But every time she looked up, a wave of disappointment hit her and her eyes would come back, empty. Taking a deep breath, she checked the time-25 minutes had passed. Shaking her head in slight anger, she pulled out her phone from her bag and dialed Saad's number. Her call was picked up on the second ring.

"Hello cousin."

Saad voice was as cheerful as ever and it made Fariya fume with anger.

"Where are you?" Fariya yelled.

"I'm at hom.. oh, my. Fariya, I'm so sorry. I forgot to pick you up.. oh, my God."

Fariya only clenched her teeth as she heard Saad apologising.

"Come right away, Saad. I'm standing outside the university." Fariya said, her voice louder and impatient.

"Fariya, it's heavily raining and the car is not at home. How can I come?"

For the first time in her life, Fariya heard Saad's serious voice.

"What should I do then? Sleep here?"

Fariya angrily asked as she eyed the rain with hopelessness.

"Fariya, call Bhai. He's in the office. He'll come...."

Saad's voice suddenly died at the other end and Fariya's eyes narrowed a little. She checked her phone and her heart dropped in her chest when she saw a black screen-the battery had died.

She tried to turn on the phone but in vain. The phone was her only way to contact Omer and now it was dead, just like Fariya's luck. The hopeless woman placed her phone in her bag angrily and looked around her-she couldn't see a single person.

It was Friday so majority of the students had already went home. The only person Fariya could see was the watchman who was standing under the shade at the other side. The watchman was at the far end of the gate but what help could Fariya get from him?

Even if he gave Fariya his phone, who would she call? She only remembered two numbers- her own and her father's. As she thought about her father, tears started to fall from her eyes. They were not only the tears of hopelessness but of grief, misery and what not.

She felt all door closing in on her as time went by, each second throwing her in the ocean of despair. She didn't know how she would reach the Lashari House but she knew one thing, if she continued to stand here in the rain, she would end up losing every ounce of strength left in her body.

☆☆☆☆☆

A very long chapter! It's an eid gift and I hope that this chapter is good enough to make your eid even more better.

And please VOTE. It won't cost you a thing. But will definitely make my day. Please, be kind!

Point out any mistakes and I'll get to them as soon as I can.

EID MUBARAK! May this eid fills your life with pure happiness and bliss.

Till next time,
Salam!