Just a promise between us,
To never give up on one another no matter what.

______________________

"Promise me fatima you will never get yourself involved with boyfriend and have a love marriage. I do not want you to spoil your life, just like your sister did. You will definitely see my dead body if I get to know of any such thing"

Typical desi mom's dialogue.

But this one sentence was a heartbreak to Fatima. Though she did not get involved in having boy friends and all but she had a crush on her mom's friends son, who was also their neighbour. She didn't know when that mere crush turned into love. It was even more hard for her when he also shared the same feelings towards her.

They had been childhood friends and he was her first best friend. Though with time they had shifted a little far but they knew they had a special bond between them.

Nobody apart from Fatima's friend Sana knew about her crush. Not even her elder sister.

Her elder sister had a love marriage. Both of them were not close like the other girl siblings. Her sister would always ignore her saying she was busy. She had fallen in love with a guy and after a year of convincing, she got married to that guy. But he wasn't stable and both of them had faced a lot of financial problems.

Her mother in law and her 5 sisters-in-law had made her life a living hell. He had too much on his platter and couldn't afford to take his wife away from the torture of his family. She had faced a lot of problems and would always be hypertensive and in depression. She even got a lot of health issues.

Her mother would always feel sad for the elder daughter as she had spoilt her life from her own hands. After 3 years of marriage, her sister regretted going against the family and getting married to her lover. Her mother had chosen another person for marriage and he was very much stable and self-employed and living his best life and she always wanted to get her elder daughter married to her but faith had its own game.

This was the reason her mom wanted Fatima to have a good and healthy relationship without being burdened with situations in life.

✿*:･ﾟﾟ･:*✿

"Sana today is the get together at home and his family is invited. I do not know how will I ever face him after breaking his heart. I told him I cannot get married to him and it would be very difficult to please mom. It's almost two months since I saw him after that incident. I do not want to hurt my mom Sana" she met her friend in college and explained the situation to her friend and started crying hysterically.

She knew she couldn't control her feelings and had fallen miserably at it. Her heart was not in control, how much ever her mind had scolded it.

"Fatima he is your neighbour and obviously he will be invited. just talk to your mom and I know she will understand. Remember when you told, that she had liked him since both of you grew up together?"

"Yeah. She liked him since he was a kid and our neighbour but that doesn't mean she will give away her daughter to get married to him"

"Why do you have such negative thinking? I've known aunty and she doesn't look like that. It's all in your hands to convince her Fatima. What if she agrees?" her friend asked her quizzically.

"No Sana you don't understand. She will never agree to it. Not after what aapi did"

She was breaking from inside but she would be more broken if anything happens to her mother. She couldn't risk it.

She had a hard time making a friend or two in school and since then her mother was her best friend.

"Only if you talk to her she will understand right? It's just that you have to try"

"I will try but it's not that easy. I can't see my mom hurt. She is my best friend. I can't see the hurt and painful look in her eyes" Sana hugged her trying to console her.

"Anyways I'll see you at the party. Come soon and don't make me and Ahmed wait" Sana gave her a horrified look.

✿*:･ﾟﾟ･:*✿

After finishing college she reached home and did not have any mood for the get-together but her mom was really excited for the get-together and she also informed her that they would be having some other guests as well.

She hated to meet new people but she could do anything for her mother's happiness.

She went to bedroom and offered her asr salah and started to get ready. She wore a simple black lawn suit and wore black metal bangles and earrings. She had worn a simple chain with a small black pendant. She always loved getting ready.

She went downstairs and noticed that guests had started to come in. She was looking for her mom and she noticed a pair of deep brown eyes looking at her. Her face lowered and she turned a bright shade of pink. It was Sharafat. He was here and now she was nervous to go in front of him.

The last time she had met him, she had broken a part of him. She had crushed his heart into millions of pieces. Even when he told her he would talk to her mother, she had refused him. She diverted her gaze and started looking for her mom again.

She found her mother and went to greet the guests along with her mother. She greeted them and noticed a woman of her mom's age and a man 3-4 years elder to her. She avoided meeting his gaze and the woman gave her a once-over look. She felt a bit shy and excused herself.

She was walking to meet her sister when someone called her. It was his mother. She took on a sharp breathe and put on a smiling face and went to greet her. That woman was like a second mother to her as she did not have my khala, his mother being her mom's best friend had taken the role of being her khala.

"Assalamu alaikum Shehnaaz aunty" she hugged his mother. She hugged her for a little too long. As if her life depended on her and she would help her out of the trouble.

✿*:･ﾟﾟ･:*✿

"Sharafat I think you shouldn't go to the get-together today. You will see Fatima and start sulking" Ahmed his friend was trying his best. They had been neighbours and had become best friends from childhood.

Ahmed knew that Sharafat had a liking for Fatima and was dying inside. He wanted to just help his friend somehow but he knew if sharafat was adamant on something, then he would not listen to anyone. So he had left it long ago. But now he did not want his friend to go the get-together and face her.

"I can't say no to Mumma, Ahmed and for god's sake I won't be sulking but I want to see her one last time. One last time before I shift to Saudi Arabia"

"What do you mean by shift to Saudi Arabia? Are you moving out? Like forever?" Sharafat nodded his head.

You can't do that to yourself just for some girl Sharafat.

"You won't understand Ahmed. Not, everyone, have a happy go lucky life like you and Sana. It's not like I'm jealous of you both but I cannot stay here. It really hurts to see her every single time"

Ahmed was his neighbour and his family had liked Sana when she had come to visit Fatima and had asked for her alliance. The engagement was done.

He excused himself and went home. He got ready and left with his Mumma when it was time to go to the party.

"Mumma Aap Jao. I'll wait for Ahmed" he informed his mother while waiting for Ahmed outside her house. They had been neighbours since childhood and had a good friendship but as they grew they maintained their distance from each other. But his heart has always pulled a string whenever he would be around her.

"Oh, Romeo chalein ander?" Ahmed pulled him inside her house. Sharafat added him a death glare and walked inside.
(Oh Romeo shall we go inside the house?)

They went inside and he was bored because he couldn't find anyone to talk to and also he couldn't find her. After about 10 minutes she came down in a black and white dress and he was stunned to see the beauty in front of his eyes. She looked very pretty and black always complimented her white skin. He noticed as soon as her eyes had met his, she diverted her gaze and looked down. He did not miss the blush on her face.

He had avoided meeting her for two months and seeing her after two whole months had his heartbeat race. He immediately regretted seeing her as he knew he wouldn't have her as his life partner and that hurts him more. He took a sharp intake of breath and diverted his gaze.

But he didn't know why his eyes followed her every move. He noticed how her mother's friends were looking at her. He even knew they would ask for her hand in marriage. He was glad when she excused herself and was walking and his mother had called her. He also noticed that she hugged his mother.

He couldn't take it anymore and excused himself and went to the lawn area.

Fatima spoke to his mother for some more time and she noticed her phone went off. It was Sana. She picked up the call and spoke to Sana. Sana was waiting outside and was scared to walk in alone, so she rang up Fatima and waited outside. Fatima excused herself and went outside, only to come face to face with Sharafat.

Both of them were trying to avoid each other and now they were standing face to face with the other.

"How are you?" he asked her.

"I'm fine" she whispered.

"How do you do it?"

"How do I do what?" she blinked not understanding his question.

"Pretend that you are Okay."

A long beat of silence passed. She could see he had an intense look on his face.

"I'm not pretending" she said looking down.

"Yes you are, every single day. and it breaks my heart! And now you're avoiding my gaze"

"No, I'm not Sharafat. And how have you been?" she gathered all her strength and asked him.

"I'm.. It's it's just like torture" his voice was strained, hardly even a whisper. "I think I'm losing it... I don't know what's happening or what happened but I look at you. I look at you, and I love you so much. Not because of anything you've said, or done, or anything at all. I look at you and I just love you, and it terrifies me. It terrifies me what I would do for you. Please you have to tell me... you have to tell me...tell me I'm not crazy. Please just look at me"

She knew her world would break apart if she looked at him. She knew she couldn't handle herself and the promise she made to her mother. She knew if she looked up, it would all be over. But she did that mistake and looked up only to see bloodshot eyes.

"I'm sorry... I'm really sorry. Please excuse me"

"That is what you've been doing. You always run away Fatima"

She didn't listen to him and went to meet Sana. She had tears in her eyes and she was trying her best to hide them from everyone

✿*:･ﾟﾟ･:*✿

She met Sana near the gate and the tears automatically came out once she saw her best friend.

"Hey what happened why are you crying?" Sana patted her back. She knew it must be related to sharafat. Sana had enough of it and pulled away.

"Fatima I'm going in right now and talking to aunty. I can't see you crying like this every single time"

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Assalamu alaikum everyone🙈

This was supposed to be a one-shot but I think it will have two parts. I'll update the second part tomr in shaa Allah.

How was it? let me know what do you think will happen next.

Also, I already got Sana and Ahmed engaged bcoz I know most of you will request their story in the future and I know I will not be able to write anything🙊🤧

~Zoe.