Arsal.

The week after the accident was spent working with Daniyal and Affan Kareem along with my employee Shariq and another friend of mine Jamal, who is a lawyer, planning our plan of attack on Rohan Shah and his associates.

Affan was actually very helpful as he knew a lot of the higher officers in the army being from an army family and an army officer himself, he pulled a few strings and we had a very strong case made by Jamal.

Affan was certain that we could send Rohan away for a lifetime in cases of manslaughter, kidnappings and a lot of white collar crimes along with property crimes.

What I was just worried about now was Jiya and her memory. Like the doctor had said her memory was very slowly yet also very suddenly coming back.

Like when she woke up or while doing something she would remember something or some memory related to it.

But the thing she still hadn't remembered was our Nikkah or the time we had spent together in the past month.

I tried to remind her but every time she would get so flustered, frustrated and angry around me and in the end she would just run away, not listening to anything.

Maybe she was right to feel so but I wanted her to remember us. I wanted her to remember me.

I still had to have my left hand in a cast, so I was really not happy at all with the stress of Rohan and Rida and Jiya's memories when an idea struck me.

How had I not thought of it before. Dadi Jan had a whole video of mine and Jiya's Nikkah. We could just show her that to make her at least believe that I actually am her husband.

I made my way to Dadi Jan's room and knocked lightly before entering.

When I walked in I saw Jiya there sitting with Dadi Jan. She was talking but stopped upon seeing me.

I offered her a soft smile and she just bent her head and started looking at her hands in her lap. I lightly shook my head and looked at Dadi Jan, she was looking at me with an encouraging smile.

I just lightly shook my head and started. "Dadi Jan, I need to talk to you." I didn't want to say anything in front of Jiya, she might not watch it if she knew what it was.

"Yes dear, what is it?" Dadi Jan asked me while patting the bed so I would sit in front of her.

"Umm... Dadi Jan maybe.." I looked towards Jiya and then back at her telling her that I don't want to say it in front of Jiya.

She narrowed her eyes at me and then put her hand on Jiya's shoulder and very sweetly asked her. "Jiya, sweetheart can you get me a glass of water from the kitchen?" Jiya nodded and was out of the room like a bullet.

"What is it?" She asked me in a soft tone with a small smile.

"I was thinking that maybe you can show Jiya... The-the video?" I was nervous now because of what might be her reaction.

"What video?" She asked me feigning innocence.

"Dadi Jan!" I was whining now. She knew exactly what video I was talking about.

"Okay. Okay, but.." Dadi Jan stopped as Jiya came back in the room with a glass of water.

She gave it to Dadi Jan and was walking back towards the door when I turned to her.

"Jiya?" She looked like I had caught her red handed committing some crime, with wide eyes and looking everywhere except for at me.

"Dadi Jan wants to show you some thing." I softly said to her as I made my way to the door. I stopped right besides her and whispered so that only she heard me.

"Just try to remember." And I was out the door, closing it behind me.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket to see it's a call from Naina.

Just as I picked up the phone Naina started off without even a hello, hi.

"How are you? And how's Jiya? Does she remember anything else? Does she remember you? And how's your hand? And what is going on there?" I was laughing a little now, which apparently angered her.

"Arsal! I am seriously really worried here." I stopped laughing, she sounded like she was on the verge of crying.

"Okay, I will tell you everything. Everything is fine and so is everyone including me and Jiya. Don't worry just enjoy your time with Shams in Switzerland. Okay?" I tried to keep her worrying at bay.

"I just can't stop thinking about you guys." Her voice sounded tired. "It's just that the two of you were finally making some progress and now..." She trailed off at that.

I just shook my head. "I know. I know and it's a whole lot more harder for me but we can only pray to Allah that she remembers us and hope that it gets better."

"Everything will get better Arsal, InshaAllah." She told me soothingly.

"InshaAllah." I replied to her. "Anyways enjoy your time with Shams. I'll call you later." I ended the call with that.

.

Later on in the night when I wandered up to the roof there was someone standing by the railing.

When I got closer the person started speaking.

"You know I remember what you told me up here on Naina and Shams Bhai's Nikkah." I silently stood besides her, waiting for her to continue.

"You know what I can't believe?" She suddenly looked up at me.

"What?" I asked her, fearing what her answer might be.

"How I forgave you." Was her vague answer and she after that went to the chairs where she had sat that night as well.

"What do you mean?" I kneeled down in front of her, my hands on her knees.

"I mean.." She looked me in the eyes and continued. "I mean what you did was wrong even if you told her that it would go nowhere you still continued this- this thing with her." She looked frustrated now.

"I know that what I did was wrong." I shook my head and it bent on it's own accord in front of her in shame.

"And I think I've suffered the consequences. I mean for more than two years now, my life's been a living hell." My voice was cracking now the exhaustion from everything finally weighing in on me, my shoulders sagging and my eyes closed.

"You don't know what it's like looking over your shoulder all the time. Worrying about everyone even remotely related to you in anyway. And most importantly worrying about you." I looked up into her eyes at that and tried to convey as much emotions as I could to her.

"We didn't talk in those 2 years but I was always aware of everything related to you. I stayed in touch with Daniyal. He really helped me out a lot."

She shook her head eyes filled with tears. She took my face in her hands. "I have to go back to Islamabad Arsal." I immediately shook my head at that.

She soothed me and started again. "I need to go to Islamabad for my exams. It's my final year, I've already missed a lot. After that..." She trailed off at that.

"After that..?" I asked her, my helplessness showing on my face and in my eyes.

"After that... We can decide if we still want to get married." I pulled away at that hurt by her words. What does she mean if we still want to get married?

I love her, for God's sake.

"You don't-" She cut me off in the middle standing up and rubbed her eyes.

"What I mean is that by that time Rohan Shah and his sister will be long gone, I am sure that with Affan Bhai's help you will be able to do it." She took my right hand in hers and smiled a sad smile, a smile that said goodbye.

"But I want some time. I need some time. In the past month since I arrived in Karachi it has all been like a roller coaster. I want some time for all of it to sink in and focus on my studies." She bent her head and took a step closer to me.

Brought our entwined hands up so that I was looking at our hands just like she was.

"If by then you still want to marry me..." She looked me in the eyes with determination in hers. "Come to Islamabad and take me with you."

That brought a smile to my face without a second thought.

"Just until your studies are finished right?" I asked her to make sure and she nodded at me.

"Okay." I took her hands in mine and brought them up to my lips and kissed them.

"I can promise you that my decision of marrying you won't change." I told her fiercely with her hands still in mine.

She gave me a shy smile. "Then I can promise you that I won't go back on my word." I pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and in a fleeting moment kissed her forehead.

I could feel her relax under my touch and relaxed myself. She loves me as well. Even if we don't say it, we both do love each other and we don't need a verbal confirmation, at least not for the time being.

We're content. We just need a little bit of time and then we'll be together.