Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in.

- Isaac Asimov

Fariya

The sky above her head mourned, the black hues absorbing in her breaking soul as she walked past him and entered the room. Tears knew no boundaries as they cascaded down her flushed cheeks; lips trembling as she bit on to it to keep the tears at bay.

Fariya all but fell on the bed once she reached it-the confrontation had devoid her of all of her energy. Closing her eyes, she threw her aching head in her hands, her elbows pressed against her knees.

With her body shaking like an autumn leaf, she shrank in her place when she heard the movements inside the room and finally the bed dipping in beside her. She visibly stiffened and moved away from him, without even raising her head. She heard Omer suck in a harsh breath beside her and his hand, which was coming to rest on her shoulder, halted in air.

"Fariya, won't you let me expl..." Omer began, his tone breaking into a million pieces and more as he moved towards her a little but Fariya's sudden action stopped him.

All the things that followed occurred in a matter of few seconds.

Instantly, she clasped her hand on her mouth, her eyes wide open as she stared right ahead and the next moment, she was rushing towards the washroom, her hand still tighlty pressed against her mouth. She made her way inside the washroom hurriedly before throwing up in the toilet. Her throat burned and her eyes swelled as she threw up the little food that she had an hour ago.

Suddenly, she felt an arm snaking around her waist while a hand pulled back her hair from her face. Flushing due to embarrassment and pain simultaneously, she got rid of the last content of food inside of her before falling back on the cold floor.

Her eyes were closed, her body devoid of all the energy, as she leaned against Omer's firm body, both of them sitting on the hard floor. She didn't know how many minutes passed for her mind was completely blank of all the thoughts but her eyes fluttered open when she sensed Omer's movement behind her and the next moment, he was helping her stand up, his one arm tightly wound around her slender waist.

Slowly and painfully, she stood up to her height, her body leaning against Omer's while he held both of her hands in a deadly grasp. After flushing the toilet, Omer helped her walk towards the sink before turning the water tap and letting the water flow.

Fariya extended her arms and a cold gush of water fell on her hand, soothing her burning nerves. Collecting the water in her hand, she washed her face with it, her body bent over the sink.

"Are you fine?" Omer whispered behind her and Fariya raised her hand and saw his worried face in the mirror.

Lines of concern were etched across his forehead, a frown playing on his handsome face. Worry was evident in his eyes and Fariya, for the first time after two days, saw her old Omer again.

Nodding slightly, she lowered her head and turned off the tap before turning around in her place to face Omer, her front almost touching him and Omer's arms instantly went around her waist.

Fariya raised her head and Omer stared in her hazel eyes for a long time before bringing his hand up and caressing her cheeks with as much gentleness as humanly possible. The smell of his cologne played with her mind, wafting up her nose and sending a shiver down her spine.

"Come, I'll take you to the doctor." He caressed with words and Fariya let out a deep breath, both of them still staring right in each other's eyes.

His eyes had so many emotions hidden in them and Fariya's head started aching as she started unveiling every single one of them. Pain, confusion, incredulity, helplessness but worry and concern overshadowed every other emotion.

"Not now. It's quite late. I'll go in the morning." She replied in a low voice, her eyes not wavering from his.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Fariya wiggled in his arms after coming back in her senses and fortunately or unfortunately, Omer instantly ler her go, removing his one arm from around her waist and stopping the movement of the other hand which was rubbing random patterns across her cheek.

Omer moved back slightly and Fariya exhaled a deep breath as she slowly made her way out of the washroom. Just when she thought that she would successfully reach the bed without his help, darkness invaded her vision and her steps faltered.

Omer's arm was around her waist again in a matter of seconds and Fariya closed her eyes to regain her tired senses and gather the little courage left in her.

But strength was of no avail because a second passed and she was in Omer's arms, his arms around her waist and knees as he carried her to the bed. Lowering her weak body to the bed, he sat beside her and took her cold hands in his.

"When did you eat last time?" He asked in a angry but gentle tone once Fariya was leaning against the headboard in a relaxed position.

"An hour ago." Fariya whispered as she stared at her small hands which were safely grasped in his big ones.

"What did you eat?" He asked as he gazed at her lowered head, his tone gentle than the softest of the flower.

"Sandwich." Fariya finally raised her head to look in his black eyes and saw as his eyes narrowed around the edges.

"Just that?." He asked incredulously, his tone laced with pure concern and sharpness.

"And before that?" He asked again when Fariya didn't respond but kept staring in his eyes unashamedly.

"Yesterday morning." She whispered the truth slowly and saw as Omer's eyes widened instantly. His hold on her hand tightened and a wave of anger and worry flashed before his eyes.

"What are you doing to yourself?" His exasperated tone made her pull away her hand but he only tightened his hold.

"You are angry at me, I understand that. But you have no right to punish yourself like that." He said after taking a deep breath and tears again started forming in her eyes, drenching the corners of it.

"Why do you care?" She tried to say in a loud voice but unfortunately for her, her voice broke at the end and tears started cascading down her cheeks slowly.

"Fariya.." He whispered her name like an addiction and Fariya's heart faltered.

"I care about you more than I've cared about anyone else in the world. How can you question my concern towards you?" He said in a slow voice, close to breaking but it broke something in her heart with a thud.

"You made me do that. You forced me to question every single word you said to me, every promise you made, every thing that we had and built together. Don't you dare blame me on this." Fariya's voice was low but it was harsh, nearing the edge.

Omer's hold on her hand weakened and Fariya took that as an opportunity to free her hand, ignoring the way a wave of pain hit him on his face.

"You didn't let me explain." He whispered after a moment, his lips pressed in a thin line as he tried to check the pain which engulfed his heart.

"I will... but not tonight. Anything you say tonight will only make the matters worse because I just won't understand...I need some time." She said as she lowered her head again, no longer having the energy to see the painful expression that had descended on his handsome features.

"If that's what you want." He said after a moment and Fariya smiled heartbreakingly.

"That's not what I wanted. I never wanted to be in this position and I would give up anything just to get out of it." She scratched the blanket with her nails, a sign of agitation Omer was well familiar with as he took hold of her hand again and this time, Fariya didn't make an effort to pull them away.

"I would never betray..." Omer began in a soft tone but Fariya cut him off with a shaking voice.

"Omer..not tonight..no..it will ruin me." She bit her lips fiercely, trying to stop her tears which didn't seem to end tonight.

"Okay, okay. Fine. Relax." He soothed as he extended his one arm towards her face and wiped away her tears with his thumb, slowly and gently.

His thumb found a way towards her lips and he rubbed her upper lip softly for the lower one was facing the consequence of her tears. Not only Fariya's tears, her whole body froze at its place as she stared at his face, dumbstruck.

Slowly, she released her lower lip, stopping the painful grasp of her teeth on it. As soon as Omer saw her releasing her lip, he pulled back his hand and Fariya's breath resumed.

"What do you want to eat?" He asked tenderly and Fariya shook her head as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Nothing." She slowly said and Omer's brows furrowed.

"Fariya, you are not sleeping without eating something. Tell me what you want to eat and I'll bring it for you." Omer emphatically said and Fariya pressed her lips in a thin line before answering.

"What I want right now is to sleep." She crossed her arms across her chest while answering.

"Well, you're not getting that until you eat something. You're not fine." He said, his eyes narrowed.

"By the way, what did the doctor say to you?" He asked and colours left Fariya's face.

Her eyes which were crashing with the walls of the room fell right back on Omer who clearly saw her changing expressions and was now frowning.

"Is everything alright?" He asked again and Fariya nodded her head with difficulty.

She was pregnant, she had almost forgotten that.

The previous, horrible confrontation with Omer, nausea and now with Omer sitting this close to her, she had forgotten the main reason she decided to confront him in the first place.

"You're worrying me. Tell me what's wrong." Omer desperately asked and Fariya ran her tongue over her lips.

"It's stress. That's why I was feeling down." She lied after much reluctance, not knowing why she was delaying the time when she would finally have to tell him.

The child was as much his as it was hers and denying him of the news was a betrayal in disguise but Fariya didn't have the heart to tell him yet.

"I don't believe...I'll bring you something to eat. Don't fall asleep." He started to cross question her but considering her tired eyes and deteriorating health, gave up the subject for now and stood up.

Fariya instantly felt cold as she looked up at him.

"I don't understand. Why are you doing this? You don't have to do any of this. You can just leave me and go back to her." She said, her voice low and saw as am exhausted expression drowned his face.

"And I don't understand you. At one place, you're not letting me explain and then you're also accusing me." He said, tiringly but Fariya only averted her eyes and lowered her head, refusing to look at him.

"Don't fall asleep." He said gently when he didn't get a respond from her before leaving the room and a lone tear escaped her eyes. She leaned against the headboard and closed her eyes, trying to make all the tears fall inside rather than outside.

With tears falling on her heart, her lashes started to get heavy and she didn't know when the angel of sleep engulfed her in its wings.

◇◇◇◇

The two men stood in front of her, both of them dressed in black, the very same colour which surrounded them but miraculously, she could see them. She could see as their eyes lit up when they gazed at her or the way a smile touched their lips when she walked towards them.

"Fari, Baba's life!" The elder man exclaimed jovially before walking towards her daughter.

"Baba, here! Omer is teasing me." Fariya pouted as she pointed towards the younger man who was grinning devilishly.

"Omer, you dare tease my daughter?" The elder one side-hugged her daughter and looked at the other man with fake anger who burst out laughing.

"Baba, you have teamed up with him." Fariya said angrily but the words in her throat died when her father suddenly pulled away from her, resulting in her fall on the cold floor.

"Baba!" She shouted, startled when he fell beside her on his back and looked at his daughter.

"You...are...my...strength..." The scene suddenly shifted and his words were said with much difficulty as Fariya bent over his body, only to come face to face with a dead body, the eyes of which burned her nerves.

The pleasant atmosphere had taken such a drastic turn that she couldn't help but grasp for air and energy.

"Fariya!" She heard a familiar voice and raised her head to look at the direction of the source but gasped audibly when she saw Omer standing with Rameen, their fingers entwined in a tight hold.

Fariya's eyes moved from their fused hands towards Omer's face and she bit back the cry as she sensed what was about to come in a matter of few seconds.

"Fariya, I divorce you. I divorce you. I divorce you." Her lids froze, too stunned to widen and the pain never left her as she saw him turning on his heels and moving away from her.

With a pain piercing in through her soul, she turned her head around to look at the dead body of her father and didn't know what to mourn at: at the sudden death of her father or at the betrayal of her husband.

~~

"Fariya! Fariya!" The worried voice of Omer brought her back from the pit of darkness she had fallen in, setting up her heart on fire every time he said her name.

"Wake up..it was just a dream... Fariya!" He patted her cheeks, slightly but hurriedly and Fariya's eyes fluttered open when the words finally registered in her mind.

With tears falling on her face and her eyes wide with shock, she stared at Omer for a second before throwing herself at him.

"Omer!" She cried as she buried her face in the crook of his neck, finding peace in the loving embrace he provided.

"Baba.. you.. Rameen.. divorce.." Her words made no sense as she uttered them, pressing her body tightly against his. Her words, just like her thoughts, were a mess and her emotions, just like her nightmares, were heart wrenching.

"Hush... it's fine... I'm here..." He rubbed her back gently and let Fariya cry as much as she wanted.

"Fariya, it was just a dream. A bad one. It's over." Omer whispered in her ear as he drew circles on her back and felt after a few minutes that her sobs began to cease.

With glassy eyes and aching heart, she pulled back from his comforting hold and wiped her face with the back of her hand, her heart still shaking at the memories of the nightmare.

"You're fine now?" He asked as he gave her a glass of water from the nightstand and Fariya gulped it down swiftly, not answering Omer's question, his hands placed on her shoulders.

"More?" He asked tenderly and Fariya shook her head in denial.

"I told you not to sleep." He said lowly but his voice was still loud in the deadly silence that had fallen upon them.

Fariya, remembering the words he had just said to her a few minutes ago in her nightmare, gulped heavily before looking at him, a wave of fear hitting her for the first time in reality.

"I don't want to eat right now." She shook her head forcefully as she saw him picking up the tray from the nightstand and placing it in front of her.

"You have to.." Omer began to say but Fariya was quick to cut him off.

"Not now. I just want to sleep." Her tone was low but it was harsh as she moved the tray away from her.

"Fariya..." Omer again tried but Fariya shook her head.

"Omer, please not now. I'll throw up again. I'll eat in the morning. Please" She said each word slowly and forcefully before picking up the tray and placing it on the nightstand and laid back on the bed, Omer still sitting at the bed.

Her insides churned with fear of her future as she closed her eyes tightly, the memories of the nightmare freezing her very bones. The confusion and dilemma had been a part of her life for a long time now but none more devastating than this one had attacked her before. She was fearful that Omer would leave her but at the same time, she was repelled by the care he was showing towards her.

It was as if she were hanging in mid air, the wind gushing around her and ripping her heart into pieces. After what seemed like an eternity, she felt Omer getting up from the bed and walking towards his side.

Fariya saw with half opened eyes as he laid back on the bed, his hands placed on his chest as he stared above at the ceiling. With pressed lips and fearful heart, she saw him turning off the table lamp and a sudden darkness fell in the room, very much like the one that had fallen in their lives.

Omer

The sunlight peering in through the glass window fell on his handsome face, his rigid expressions standing out under the gentle rays of the glorious sun.

With his body leaning against the leather chair, his one arm rested over the table while the other laid over the armrest in as casual manner as possible, his eyes closed as his lashes cast a dense shadow over his cheeks.

His posture was that of a wounded man, his muscles tensed, his jaws clenched fiercely. But all of the tense aura outside was nothing compared to the battles going on inside of him. His mind, a resthouse of thoughts from all valleys, was a mess of unfinished thoughts and loud whispers. The chaos inside was tearing him apart, piece by piece, until nothing was to be left but ashes of unsaid words and heartbreaking apologies.

This was the second time of his life when even vulnerability managed to overshadow him, making him its inferior until he was left aghasted. Fariya's words still rang in his ears, loud and clear. Her flushed cheeks, trembling lips, swollen eyes, scarlet nose. Her every single feature was filled with pain and all of them cursed him synchronously for not being a man of his words.

"I loved you...for heaven's sake!"

A memory of the words she said last night flashed behind the closed curtain of his eyes and his fist clenched in a deadly manner, a thunderous expression descending on his face.

Every word that Fariya had said while her body was shaking with the force of her tears was like an arrow aimed specifically at his heart. She was breaking and he could not do anything but stare at her crumble right before his very eyes and Omer was positive that he had never witnessed a more tragic or painful moment in his life before.

Every word that she uttered, every tear that she shed made him hate himself even more. It was him who had made her cry-the woman he had promised never to hurt even in the slightest of ways and yet here she was; hurting and crying all because of him.

His thoughts went back to the nightmare she had last night, the first one she had after so many months, and a fresh wave of self loathe hit him. Her cries, her stuttering still shook him whenever he thought about them.

Divorce.

That was the word that tilted his word upside down, the word she mumbled during her breakdown, the word which still robbed the very breath out of him whenever he thought about it.

"That is how much troubled she is? That she is thinking that I would divorce her?" He thought with a pain searing in through his chest, his mind too numb after the realisation.

"Only if I had told her the truth." He cursed himself as he thought, his eyes still closed as memories of last night flashed before the closed lids.

Only if he had come clean with her, things wouldn't have gotten this messy. She gave him a chance to say the truth, not once but two times, and he threw them down the drain, taking them for granted just like the way he had taken her for granted.

But the havoc that had been wrecked inside of him since the past two days, his disturbed thoughts and confused heart had played a key role in stopping him from telling the truth.

Rameen's sudden reappearance in his life had not only left him bewildered but also befuddled. She stepped out of thin air and entered his life again, disturbing the peaceful waves of blissful reality spread around him. Just when he thought he was starting to forget her, she comes back in his life, reminding him of everything he went through more than half a decade ago.

Life was playing a nasty game on him and he was losing, and that too very badly. His mind still roamed around the two ladies that ever came in his life when a knock sounded at the door and he opened his eyes.

"Come in." He said, his voice low but authoritative.

"Yes, Miss. Khan?" He asked in a professional manner as he raised his face and spared his secretary a glance.

"Sir, I came to remind you of your flight tonight." She said and Omer shot his head up towards her.

With so many things happening, he completely forgot about his flight to Dubai tonight for an important project. The visit was important but considering the troubles in his life right now, it was not an ideal time to leave for Dubai.

"Cancel the flight. I'm not going." He said, his mind astray.

"But sir, the meeting is important. You have been waiting for it for the past few months." She said, her tone slightly loud and hurried but Omer didn't raise his head to look at her.

Meeting was important, yes. But Fariya was more important than any other thing in the world.

"Postpone the meeting." He replied nonchalantly, like millions weren't on stake here.

"Sir, it can't be postponed. If you don't show there yourself, they'll hand over the project to some other company. They said it quite clearly." She replied, worry in her tone as she clearly knew the sum of money on stake.

"I'm not going there and that's final. I'll ask someone else to cover my space." He just shrugged his shoulders as he raised his head to look at his secretary's worried face.

"Sir, but the board members demanded your presence there." She reminded him and Omer closed his eyes in tiredness as he leaned back against the chair and rocked it back and forth.

"And sir, it's just for two days." She said and this time, Omer opened his eyes.

"Two days?" He asked thoughtfully and the woman nodded her head energetically.

"Yes, sir. Two days." She informed and Omer nodded his head.

"Okay, I'll go. But book two tickets, not one." He said as he picked up his mobile phone from the table while adjusting his collar.

"Two?" She asked, her eyes narrowed in question and Omer just spared her a hard glance and she straightened in her place immediately.

"You can leave, Miss. Khan." He said before averting his eyes to the mobile phone.

As he searched for Fariya's number in his phone, a thought struck his mind and he shook his head slowly before turning off the phone and standing up.

Rolling the sleeves of his white crisp shirt, he picked up the suit jacket from behind the chair and hanged it on his one arm and with the other hand holding the phone and the key chain, he walked out of his office.

The drive home took the usual fifteen minutes and he stepped out of the car after parking it in the garage. Walking inside the house, his gait tired but determined, he made his way to the staircase that would lead him to his room when the voice of Maida stopped him.

"Salam, Bhai." She said smilingly and Omer politely returned the greetings.

"You came home early today?" She asked as she walked towards him.

"Yeah, there wasn't much work." He lied while remembering the pile of work he just had abandoned only to talk to his wife.

"Do you need anything? Tea or coffee?" She asked and Omer nodded his head gratefully.

"Tea will do." He said before turning around and walking up the stairs when the voice of Maida again halted his steps.

"Bhai, I need to talk to you about Fari." She said abruptly and Omer's brows furrowed.

"What about her?" He asked as he scanned Maida's hesitant face.

"She seems a bit down these days. She's not her usual self. Is something wrong between the two of you?" She asked quite shyly and Omer shook his head before saying.

"Did she say anything to you?" Omer asked, slight bit of fear in his voice and relaxed visibly when Maida shook her head sadly.

"That's the thing. She doesn't say anything, not even to me. Is everything fine?" She mouthed rather gloomily and Omer forced a slight chuckle.

"Everything is fine, child. She had temperature so maybe that's why she is like this. She'll be fine." Omer reassured smilingly and Maida relaxed slightly.

"Are you sure? This is the only reason?" She asked and Omer smiled, this time genuinely, over her concern.

"Yes. I'll talk to her." He said as he patted her cheeks gently.

"Where is she, by the way?" He asked as he roamed his eyes around the house but found no sign of her.

"She's in her room. She hardly gets out of there now." She replied with pressed lips and a pang of regret hit him.

Omer just nodded his head as he turned around and walked up the stairs and towards his room. Opening the door slowly, he entered the room and closed it shut behind him as his eyes landed on Fariya who was lying on the double sofa, her feet hanging out of it, her back facing him as she turned to one side.

Omer smiled to himself as he saw his wife who looked just like a child while lying on the sofa, her one arm beneath her head. Slowly, he made his way towards the sofa and sat at the corner of the table in front of it. Bending his body towards her slightly, he placed his one hand on her waist to turn her around but Fariya jerked his hand away forcefully.

"I'm not sleeping." She said rather angrily, her face pressed against the cushions, and Omer smiled with pressed lips.

"Then why are you lying here?" He asked as he straightened his body and loosened his tie, his eyes fixed on her back.

"I will lie wherever I like." She said forcefully and Omer would have laughed had he not sensed the wetness in her voice.

"Fariya? You're still crying?" He asked gently as he bent towards her slightly.

"No. I'm not." She said softly, her voice not more than a whisper and lines of worry decorated Omer's forehead.

"Get up. Go and get fresh." He said, his tone gentle but authoritative but expectantly, Fariya didn't move an inch.

"Fariya, are you even listening to what I'm saying?" He softly shook her shoulder as he asked, his tone helpless. He looked at the back of her head, his eyes narrowed, his lips pressed.

"Far..." He began to shake her again but Fariya cut him off with a harsh sound.

"Leave me alone. I don't want to hear anything." She said rather angrily as she pressed her face deeper into the cushion and Omer raked a desperate hand through his hair, his eyes closed momentarily.

"I left you alone last night when you asked me to. I'm not leaving you now." He said forcefully and that's when Fariya finally turned her head around and looked straight up in his eyes.

Omer's heart stopped for a fraction of second as he gazed at her face-that beautiful, flushed face. Thank fully, she was not crying and a part of him relaxed visibly.

"You have left me alone." She said as she collected her legs from the sofa and straightened her posture, now facing Omer who was sitting in front of her.

"You didn't let me explain. How can you say that then?" He asked, desperation in his tone and saw as Fariya crossed her arms across her chest, the lose strands of hair falling on the either side of her face, disturbing some unknown emotions in his heart.

"Was the woman not Rameen?" She asked crossly and Omer instantly straightened as he answered.

"Yes, she was but.." He said, their eyes locked.

"Would you have told me about everything If I had never questioned you?" She asked, her arms crossed across her chest and Omer dropped his head tiringly.

"To be very honest, no. I know how you feel about her and I wouldn't have told you anything." He replied honestly and saw as a hurt expression crossed her face.

"You keep things from me. How can ever I trust you again?" She asked quite helplessly, her brows furrowed.

"I don't keep things from you, Fariya. Just this time and that too so you don't have to go through everything that you're feeling right now."

"You lied to me too." She remarked, edge in her voice and Omer ran a hand over his rough stubble as he closed his eyes for a second.

"I had my reasons." He replied, his tone low and apologetic.

"What reasons?" She never once wavered her eyes away from his face and continued looking at his face.

"I was trying to protect you." He said with pressed lips and Fariya forced a humourless chuckle as she rolled her eyes.

"Lying to me on my face doesn't protect me, Mr. Husband. It betrays me." Fariya said, all the harshness of the world in her voice.

"I know and I'm desperately sorry." He placed his elbows on his knees as he bent towards her and took her hands in his.

Fariya seemed to be taken aback at his words and actions as she looked at their entwined hands and then back at him before trying to pull her hand away but Omer only tightened his hold as he gave her arm a shake.

Fariya stopped struggling altogether and her breath hitched in her throat as he saw Omer closing the gap between them. Omer saw her face, now flushed for all the different reasons, before gently touching her forehead with his and dropping his lids tiringly.

"Words can't express how sorry I am for lying to you. If I could go back in time and change that, I would do that at any cost. I was just trying to protect you, in my own selfish ways. And I definitely didn't expect you to question me last night. You took me by surprise and I just said what I could think of at that time. I'm sorry, I'll forever be." He finished with a sigh, his tone the gentlest and softest she had ever heard.

A heavy but meaningful silence fell between them, the kind for which you can die. The silence said what the words had failed to, the closed lids conveyed what the eyes had refused to.

"Am I forgiven?" Omer's whisper broke the magnificent aura of peacefulness spread around them as he leaned back a little and looked straight in her hazel eyes.

Fariya's tears halted not only his motion but her heart too and a realisation hit him out of nowhere: of all the heart aching things he had witnessed in his life, this took the lead.

"Not yet. You still have things to answer." She said as he saw her gulping down the saliva to control her tears, her lips pressed in a thin line.

Omer smiled sadly before leaning back down and pressing his lips on her forehead. Fariya trembled under the intent gaze of his eyes and Omer smiled slightly before pulling back and straightening his spine.2

"I will answer..." Omer began to say when the sound of his phone call interrupted them.

Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, he picked up the phone from the table and answered the call.

"Yes?" He asked, his tone formal but irritated.

"Sir, there weren't two tickets available in the plane. So I rescheduled your flight." His secretary answered from the other side and he heaved an annoyed breath.

"When is it?" He questioned, his eyes never leaving Fariya's face who had lowered her face thoughtfully.

"In two hours, sir. That was the only one I got." She replied hurriedly and Omer ran a hand through his face as he answered.

"Fine." That was all he said before hanging up.

"I'm going to Dubai." He said as soon as he ended the call and placed the mobile phone on the table. Fariya shot her head up towards him, her eyes widened slightly.

"You're going?" She asked incredulously and Omer smiled slightly.

"We are going." He answered as he nodded his head and Fariya frowned.

"We?" She questioned as she scanned his face, confusion hanging in her eyes.

"You and me." He shrugged his shoulders and Fariya pressed her lips in a thin line as she cocked her head to a side.

"I know what we means. My question is, what do you mean by we are going? I am not going anywhere." Fariya asked.

"That's why I came home early. I can't leave you alone here with all the differences prevailing between us and let distance and communication gap ruin our relationship even more. So, I'm taking you with me." He answered her quite seriously but Fariya shook her head in negation.

"I don't want to go, Omer. I'm fine here." She answered hurriedly but Omer shook his head.

"I know you'll be fine here. But we, our relationship, will not be fine here." He answered, his tone all serious and authoritative and Fariya dropped her head before asking.

"How many days?" She looked up at him.

"Two." Omer answered and Fariya narrowed her eyes.

"Two days is not a long time, Omer. It won't do anything to us. And besides, it's a business trip. I'll only get bored there." She tried to reason.

"And Omer, I'm not...fine. I'm not feeling well so I should stay back home." She gave excuses and Omer sagged his shoulders helplessly as he listened to her.

"I can't leave you here." He said slowly.

"I'll be fine. It's just for two days anyways." Fariya said, a bit softly this time.

"But..." He began again but Fariya cut him off gently.

"Please."

All it took was her one word and all words of opposition died inside of him as he lowered his head and shook it helplessly.

"Fine." He answered as he pressed his lips in a thin line and stood up from the table.

"You'll stay here but we'll be in contact. Promise me." He said forcefully and saw as Fariya nodded her head without a second thought.

◇◇◇◇

It was a starry night. The wind gushed around but it did little to lower the warmth that had descended upon the City of Dubai. The clouds were a forgotten sight, the blazing sun was a permanent one.

With his body leaning against the recliner, he had his eyes closed as he massaged his temples with his thumb, a tired expression settled on his face.

After landing at the soil of Dubai, he had gone straight to the head office to attend a meeting before heading to the hotel four hours later. His body oozed tiredness as he sprawled his feet on the table in front, his head thrown back at the headrest.

Few minutes dragged by with a deadly silence surrounding the room before he opened his eyes and picked up the mobile phone from the side. He had already informed his mother when he reached Dubai and now his fingers pressed the number of his spouse on his phone. Fariya didn't make him wait for too long and answered his call after the third bell.

"Salam." She said, her voice low and polite-just like always.

"Wassalam. How are you?" He asked as he closed his eyes and leaned back again.

"I'm fine. You?" She asked and Omer smiled slightly.

"Me too." He replied slowly.

"How was your day?" She asked.

"Tiring." He replied as a ghost of frown decorated his face.

"Did you eat?" She asked hurriedly, out of concern, and Omer smiled, his frown dissolving.

"I..didn't get time. But I will eat now." He said as he scratched his stubble and heard as Fariya huffed in annoyance.

"You taunt me all the time for not eating when it should be me doing that." She said angrily and Omer chuckled slightly.

An instant silence fell on the other side of the line and Omer reduced his chuckle to a smile.

"I ordered food, darling. It will come any minute. Unlike you, I do know how to take care of myself so I should be the only one to taunt here." He said, a broad grin dancing merrily on his face.

"Yeah, right." Fariya huffed and this time Omer started laughing slowly.

"Did you eat?" He asked in between the smiles.

"Yes. Unlike you, I eat on time." She replied crossly and Omer burst out laughing.

"Oh, my. My Fariya is all feisty right now." He replied laughingly and relaxed visibly when he heard her soft laugh at the other side of the line.

How many days had passed since he last heard that breathtaking laughter? Peacefulness rushed inside of him and he smiled to himself as he heard her laughing at the other side of the call.

"I'm going to sleep now, Omer. Allah Hafiz." Fariya said tiringly after a moment and Omer smiled slowly.

"Okay, Allah Hafiz." He replied slowly before waiting for her to hang up the call which she did shortly afterwards.

Heaving a deep breath, he placed the phone beside him, a small smile still playing on his lips. Just talking to her for five minutes had lifted his mood to an unimaginable extent and there she was, talking about leaving her.

Never in a million years!

Fariya had become so important to him over the past few months that he couldn't even imagine his life without her-leaving her for a woman who didn't respect his feelings was not only an idiotic act but also out of question.

Fariya had loved him so unconditionally that at times, he felt regretful that he couldn't reciprocate her feelings. She was understanding, generous and kind-unlike the previous woman that he had in his life and there was no way on earth that he would ever choose Rameen over Fariya.

Fariya had won in a battle she didn't even fight.

Time ticked by and moved ahead while the messed up thoughts in his mind went back and halted at the day which proved to be a blessing hidden in the covers of painful past.

Two Days Ago

The day had proved to be a far busy and tiring one than he had anticipated, the work taking its toll on him. With a file opened before him on the table, he had bent his head as his eyes roamed over the context.

With his one hand holding the file's corner and the other a pen, he tapped the wooden table with the pen, his eyes narrowed as he tried to concentrate. The shiny wrist watch on his left hand was indicating 1pm when his phone vibrated, indicating a call.

He didn't even raise his head as he picked up the phone from the table and answered the call, without even seeing the caller ID, his eyes still fixed on the file.

He waited for the greeting to come but when it didn't reach him even after a few seconds, he frowned slightly.

"Hello?" He said formally, his mind still on the words his eyes went over.

"Is anyone here?" He asked again when he didn't hear a reply and checked the called ID-unknown number.

Shaking his head, he was about to cut the call when a voice finally came, making his whole world come to an abrupt stop. His eyes widened momentarily as he froze at his place, his limbs too bewildered to move.

"Omer!" It was the same voice which had haunted him in his nightmares, the same voice which had kept him awake for uncountable nights.

"Omer?" She repeated his name and he closed his eyes painfully, his jaws clenched fiercely, his mind gone blank for a moment.

Was it his world that seemed to have stopped moving or was it just his heart that had forgotten its function?

Memories, so many and so painful, hit him synchronously and he almost doubled over. With his face turning pale and lips pressed so hard that they started to lose their colour, he pulled the phone from his ear but her voice stopped his motion in mid air.

"Omer, please don't cut the call." Her desperate voice reached him and it loosened the one shackle of his past bounded around his heart.

"Yes?" He gritted, his voice laced with such coldness that even his own heart cowered in fear.

Opening his eyes, he stood up from the chair, his hand clenched by his side. Omer heard her sigh in relief on the other side of the line, after snatching his relief in a matter of few seconds. Ironic

"Salam." She said softly and Omer face turned even more impassive.

"Why did you call?" He emphasised each word as he asked, his tone composed but devoid of any emotion.

"I want to meet you." She said, her voice still soft.

"No." He didn't take more than a second to reply and something devilish inside of him smiled when she instantly quietened.

"Gone are the days when I rushed to meet you at your one call." He thought to himself, his posture stiff and rigid.

"Please. Just once. I won't take much of your time." She hurriedly said and Omer glared at the city of Islamabad as visible through the glass window of his office.

"There is no need to meet. And from where did you get my number?" His voice was the deadliest it had ever been and Rameen too sensed it for she stopped talking for a second.

"It's not difficult to find the number of a person as well known as you. But anyways, I want to clear some things. Please, Omer." Her voice was rushed and worried and Omer slightly shook his head with exasperation.

"What things? There are no things." His voice was hard as he pronounced his words, not letting the woman know for a second what thunderstorms were erupting in his heart right now.

"Don't you want to clear everything between us?" She asked desperately and Omer gritted his teeth as he mouthed.

"The time for clearing things is over. And so are you and me." His voice was ice, his words stone.

When she didn't reply immediately like she was doing before, he relaxed and began to cut the call when her voice came in through the phone again.

"For the sake of Fariya!" She abruptly said and for the second time in one day, he froze at his place.

She knew about Fariya?

"Of course she knows. If she could get your number, she most definitely could have found out about Fariya." His mind answered.

But that still didn't change the fact that hearing the sound of Fariya's name from her mouth was as strange as anything-it was nothing short of the strangest emotion he had ever felt.

"This is between you and me. Don't bring my wife in this." He said through gritted teeth, emphasising on the word wife.

"I'm not bringing her anywhere. Just meet me once, please. I have to talk to you." She said helplessly and Omer closed his eyes again, this time in defeat.

"Fine." After telling her the name of the restaurant, he didn't wait for her to reply before ending the call.

Sagging his shoulders in defeat, he pressed his forehead against the glass in front and peered down at the running traffic. His lips were pressed in a thin line, his face white and expressionless as he gazed outside.

The moment had finally arrived, the moment he knew would come one day or another, and yet he was not prepared. All the nights of thinking of how would he respond to her if she ever came back in his life were forgotten the moment she said his name on the phone.

Life was finally beginning to make sense and for the first time in all these years, he was contented. He had finally found refuge in the gleeful laughters of Fariya, found peace in those sparkling hazel orbs of her and just when he thought that the waves of his life were finally going to settle, life had again thrown his past at him, the past which was his biggest nightmare, his only weak point.

After taking a deep breath, he pulled back and checked his mobile phone which indicated Fariya's call a few minutes ago and then her message which said that she was going out for shopping with friend. The moment he got the message he decided to call her but thought otherwise.

Fariya would clearly read the tension in his voice and storms in his mind. Thinking that there was no need to worry her for this, he decided to leave her a message before shoving his phone in the pocket and picking up his car keys from the table.

After ten minutes, he was getting out of his car, sunglasses placed elegantly in front of his eyes, hiding those black, cold orbs he was famous for.

Locking the car with the keys, he stopped for a fraction of second before making his way towards the entrance. It didn't take him more than a few seconds to spot her and all the memories that he had shared with her came crashing down on him.

The talks, the whispers, the promises-everything played before his eyes as he walked towards the table, his steps slow.

"I love you." Her lies that were said with so many emotions replayed in his mind and his heart shook as he neared her.

"I hate you." Her truths said with so many hatred knocked at his mind and his steps faltered.

He stopped just two steps behind her seat, his body stiff. Running away was an option but this was the conversation he had waited for so long.

Coughing slowly, he made his presence known and the effect was instant. The woman instantly turned her head around before standing up, her eyes slightly wide.

The first thing Omer's eyes landed on was her eyes and knots tightened in his stomach as he continued looking. The same hazel coloured eyes he had fallen in love with, the same that had held nothing but hatred for him when they last met, the same that were looking at him now with bewilderment.

It was her eyes everytime that woke him up from his nightmares, those eyes that didn't let him rest in the first place. But strangely, they didn't have the same pull on him as thet once did. Her eyes were once the gravity of his life but now they were nothing but an ordinary round balls filled with hues of hazel and brown.

But that was because another set of eyes had caught him in its spell now, much more innocent, much more beautiful.

Another shackle of his past broke and breath finally started to come.

Omer shook himself inwardly before tearing his gaze away, the picture of quite similar eye flashing before his eyes and he smiled inwardly.

Walking past her, he sat on the chair in front of her as he placed his arms on the table and entwined his fingers and looked straight ahead, his eyes never moving away from her face but the look in them went right through Rameen's soul.

"How do you know my wife?" Omer sensed her penetrative gaze on his face as he asked, his tone formal.

"We are meeting after six years and the first thing you ask me is that how do I know..Fariya?" She purposely avoided using the word wife and Omer's subconscious shook his head as it smirked, clearly understanding her hesitancy.

Another chain broke and freed his heart a little more.

"That's not answering my question." He replied crossly and Rameen stopped for a second.

"I saw it on the Internet. There was news about your marriage." She replied slowly and Omer nodded his head, accepting her explanation.

"So, how are you?" She tried to start a conversation, her eyes never leaving his handsome face.

"We are not here to chat, woman. You wanted to say something and I'm here to listen." He said rather forcefully and saw as colours left her face.

"I wanted to clear things between us." She said after a moment but Omer's face remained impassive as he stared at her.

"First of all, there is nothing between us. And secondly, there is no us." He replied as he leaned back against the chair.

"Omer, why are you making it so hard for me? I'm trying to apologise here." She asked helplessly and Omer pressed his lips in a thin line.

"You don't look like you're apologising." He stated simply and Rameen pressed her lips in a thin line.

"I am sorry. For what I did that night. For everything." She said slowly, her voice a whisper but not even a slightest bit of expression crossed Omer's face but the woman in front didn't know how his heart dropped in his ribcage when her words vibrated his eardrums.

Another restraint fell free.

"Why? Someone proved that I didn't do what you were accusing me of or is this some other plan of yours?" He asked, his eyebrow raised and Rameen lowered her head.

"Last year, I met an old friend of mine. She was Alia's friend too and she was there too when...when everything happened. She told me all about it." She said and Omer could clearly hear the emotions swirling in her voice.

"What did she tell?" He asked, his voice low.

"That you weren't even there when everything happened!" She said as her voice broke at the end and Omer saw her tears falling at the table, her head lowered.

A wave of realisation hit him and he almost smiled. Her tears, for which he could turn the world upside down at some point of his life, didn't effect him anymore. There was a time when madness found refuge in him whenever she cried and this time, it was nothingness. No emotion arose in him as he saw her crying, no feeling of pain and his gratitude for his wife increased by a thousand folds.

Another barrier moved away to give way to a fresh start.

"You said that her friends told you that I did that to her." Omer questioned, his mind quizzical but his tone smooth and rigid.

"People hear what they want to hear, Omer. They did tell me that the boys humiliated her because of you but they never said that you were present their either. I was mad at that time, broken and angry. I understood what my heart guided me to. I hated you too much at that time to think rationally." She finished and raised her head and Omer saw her tear soaked face and pressed his lips in a thin line.

"You won't say anything?" She asked softly after a long silence as she wiped her face with the back of her hand.

"I knew what happened to that girl but I never got to know that it was because of me. I didn't even know her." He replied and Rameen nodded her head as she pressed her lips in a thin line.

"I'm sorry, Omer." She said after much reluctance but Omer didn't show any expression, although his insides were tearing apart with the force of words she had just said.

"I forgave you a long time ago." He replied slowly and Rameen raised her eyebrows, startled.

"When?" She asked, hopeful and surprised.

"When I got married." Omer replied lowly and confessed more to himself than to her and the hope vanished from her eyes almost instantly.

Another shackle got destroyed.

"Congratulations on that, though." She said after a minute and Omer nodded his head stiffly.

"How's she?" She asked reluctantly.

"She is perfect." Omer didn't even lie as he answered her question.

Fariya was indeed perfect and he didn't know what he ever did in his life to deserve her. She was an answer to the prayer he never made, a gift which he did not even deserve.

Just when Rameen began to say something, his phone vibrated. He picked up the phone and glanced at it which showed Fariya's incoming call. Deciding not to answer the call now and talk to her as soon as he got out of this mess, he cut the call.

As soon as he placed the phone on the table and began to say his final greetings, the phone again vibrated and he saw Fariya's name.

He hesitated for a moment-he didn't want to answer her call in front of Rameen and yet his worry as to why she was calling again and again made him do that.

"Fariya?" He asked, his tone all gentle but concerned too.

"Omer." She said his name in a whisper and Omer frowned slightly.

"Is everything okay?" He asked as he rubbed his neck, Fariya's words having all of his attention.

"Yes." She replied, her tone a bit odd but Omer associated it with the flu she had some days ago.

"Where are you?" She asked, her tone casual and Omer stiffened at his place as he glanced at the woman sitting in front of her.

"I'm at the office." He lied after a minute and a pang of guilt attacked him the moment those words left his mouth.

He had never lied to her about anything-this was the first. But what other choice did he have? He knew how sensitive she was about his past-telling her about everything was going to be one hell of a task which he would have to do being all careful amd cautious and now was just not the time.

"I'll talk to you in home." She said hurriedly before ending the call.

Omer shook his head slightly before placing the phone back on the table.

"I should be going now." He remarked, the coldness back in his voice.

"Why did you lie to your wife? You haven't told her about me?" She asked casually but Omer could clearly hear the curiosity in her voice.

"Because protecting her from sadness is a priority I always hold dear. And yes, she knows about you. I don't think there's anything to hide." He replied emphatically and Rameen shrank in her place.

"Lying to a person doesn't protect them." She said after a minute and Omer smiled slightly.

"Lying is a small thing. Even if I had to kill someone to protect her, I wouldn't hesitate for even a second." Omer replied forcefully, his tone protective and possessive.

"She must mean a lot to you." She remarked sadly and Omer shrugged his shoulders.

"She is my wife. What else do you expect?" He said nonchalantly.

"You finally replaced me with someone." She said with pressed lips and Omer forced a chuckle.

"She didn't replace you. She is much more worthy than just being a replacement." He said before picking his mobile phone and keys from the table.

"Is she more pretty than me?" She asked, tears now accumulating in her eyes and Omer halted.

"You are asking that from me, her husband who has nothing more precious in his life than her. Of course she is. She is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Inside, out." He emphasised at the end, trying to make a point which Rameen got instantly.

Another chain undid itself slowly.

"I was blinded by revenge!" She said, tears now falling down her cheeks.

"That's no reason to make fun of a person's feelings. You toyed with my emotions just to make yourself contented." He said, his lips pressed, his words hard.

"And I've apologised for that." She said, sniffing.

"Apologies are for mistakes, not for sins. For sins, there are compensations."

"What compensation do you need?" She asked helplessly.

"None. It doesn't matter to me anymore." He said slowly and Rameen hiccuped, drawing the attention of many people towards her but did she care?

Another shackle freed itself.

"Omer...please...can't...can't we go back to where we were?" She said the most idiotic thing Omer had ever heard and he almost chuckled.

"Where we were? Like my heart in your feet and you stepping over it?" Ironically, he was smiling but his tone was thick with coldness.

"You loved me! You can't just undo love!" She said and Omer stopped moving for a second.

"With burning, harsh words
With deadly, cold hands
Oh look, you lost my love
Look you killed my love!"

His tone was low as he recited the verse and Rameen's limbs froze, Omer shaking his head sadly, his lips pressed.

Another restraint tore free.

"You..don't..." She stuttered painfully.

"I don't know. But you don't mean anything to me now. That's the only truth I know." He said and stood up from the table.

Another one loosened.

"I should be going now. We cleared everything and I've forgiven you." He said before getting up from the chair swiftly, not failing to notice the way her face turned dark.

"And yeah, thank you." He suddenly remembered the changes that had been going on in his heart since the moment he got her call as he began to cross her and stopped for a moment, looking down at her drenched, ashen face.

"For what?" She asked, her voice a mere whisper.

"For freeing me." He smiled at her, this time a genuine one, before walking ahead, leaving a startled Rameen behind.

The final shackle dropped dead and his heart finally breathed after six years.

Present Day

The watch coiled around his wrist indicated that the time was passing by but the expressions in his eyes confirmed that the motion was too slow. Outside, the night was descending gloriously upon the city of Dubai but inside the room, it was his thoughts.

Rameen and Fariya.

The two women that ever came in his life-the two who occupied his mind; slowly but surely. The similarities that they had often left him startled but the differences were alone capable of making him smile.

If Rameen was manipulative and selfish, Fariya had always proved to him that she cared more about the people she loved than herself. If Rameen was a storm, Fariya was a breeze-tender and soothing.

And the last conversation that he had with either of them just reinforced his judgment. Fariya, despite being right in this scenario, cared about him in her own ways. And Rameen, despite being the wrong one here, cared about herself.

The moment Rameen asked, begged, him to take her back in his life, he lost all the little respect that he had for her then and there. She was the one who had caused him more pain than any other person, who had destroyed five precious years of his life and if not for Fariya coming into his life a year ago, he still would have been at the same place-aching and breaking.

And yet the moment Fariya stepped in his miserable life, everything started to fall back in its place, the broken pieces began to get adhered, the numb mind started absorbing heat, the broken heart started to heal.

The respect that he felt towards her was immense, more pressing than any other thing. And he smiled to himself while thinking that it was her who made him realise that sometimes love is not what what makes you stay; sometimes respect is enough to build a home.

And the respect that he had for her cursed him for lying to her, for breaking the heart of a woman he had vowed to protect. He had his reasons for denying her the truth but every explanation lost its meaning when her eyes shed countless tears while thinking of his lies.

Shielding her from harm had always been his priority but what good was it if that ended up with her being heartbroken? Telling her lies for her own good was a generous act but a selfish one too, he had realised it the hard way.

If Fariya had heard everything from his mouth, she wouldn't have crumbled like this neither would she have distanced herself from him. She was an understanding woman, he had always known that and yet in this situation, he didn't even give her a chance to understand him.

The way he lied to her, twice, must have left a gaping hole in her heart. And above all, the night on which she needed him the most-the night following the day on which she saw him with Rameen, he had abandoned her.

He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't even talk to her, her flushed face and glassy eyes had hid behind the curtains of the disturbance around him. That was the night on which she needed him more than ever and that was the same night on which he didn't even acknowledge her presence.

And if now Fariya was not giving him a chance to explain himself, it wasn't quite unexpected. If he were in her place, he wouldn't have even talked to her and yet here she was, talking to him politely and caring about him.

But that was the difference between him and Fariya.

He was the night, cold and dark but she was the dawn, bright and hopeful.

☆☆☆☆

10,500 words. Where is my award?

Omer's point of view is here and I want to know what you guys are feeling! Comment, lovelies.

Who's your favorite? Omer or Fariya? Or maybe Rameen?

AND, I have my exams going on so the next update will take some time. So, excuse me till forever (no kiddings) and keep patience!

Till next time,
Salam!