𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟒𝟒

FAIZAN

“What are you doing here?” I ask Farhan, who is sitting in his office when he should be at home resting.

“Well, if you must know, I also own this company. Therefore, my attendance is needed.” he says and grins.

“You need rest.”

“No, I don’t. I’m fine.”

“Farhan-”

“I can’t stay in the house. The silence is painful.” he confesses.

I release a sigh, “what happened? Don’t try to avoid this topic. You and I both know, your ‘accidents’ aren’t coincidental.”

Farhan drags a hand across his face and sighs, hanging his head between his shoulders, “I lost the lead. Again.”

I pause then say, “You’re getting obsessive with this.”

He lifts his head, frowning at me in disbelief, “are you kidding me? You’re saying that? Would you give up on Arzo?-”

“You’re not listening.” I grit out, “if you keep going on your little adventure over the slightest mistake, you’ll find yourself unable to do anything at all. Do you want that?”

He goes quiet.

“Think through it. Again. You can’t keep losing yourself over a mishap.”

“Fine.” he says, quietly, looking down like a guilty child, “Stop acting like my father.”

“You’re a manchild.”

Farhan makes a face at me, proving my point.

“By the way, did you hear?” he asks. Both of us are aware of what he’s talking about.

The recent news that broke out.

“Yes.”

“You feeling okay?”

“Yes. There isn’t anything to feel about it.”

“Okay. Good, then.”

I nod and turn to leave.

“I’m sorry for yesterday.” he says as I reach the door, “You always clean my mess. I’m grateful for that.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m gonna help you as long as I can.” I say as I open the door, “Keep in mind, I’m not always going to be there.” I exit the room.

The next few hours go by easily. Farhan barges into my office like always to eat the food his bhabhi packed for him and we have lunch together while he talks about Allah knows what.

Farhan and I leave the building around the same time. He goes home while I go to pick up my wife from university. I make sure to get flowers on the way.

I stand outside the university, by my car, for a few minutes before Arzo exits the building.

As soon as our eyes lock, her face breaks into a huge smile and she rushes to me.

I will never get tired of that smile. It brings a whole kind of comfort to me.

“Assalamu Alaikum,” I greet her, handing her the bouquet of lilies.

Her smile widens and she signs, “Wale Kum Assalam,” before pecking my cheeks.

I hold the door for her and wait for her to go in before I round the car to get in the driver’s seat.

I look at Arzo when she taps my shoulder.

“Can we go visit a store nearby? I want to buy few stationeries.” she signs.

“Of course.” I say and she smiles.

I start the car and drive away from the university building to go to a stationary shop.

Arzo brings her bag and flowers with her into the store. I grab a basket from the bundle of baskets sitting by the entrance then follow Arzo.

She picks out a few pens, a sketchbook, markers and thin brushes, dropping them in the basket one by one.

She picks up two notebooks, checking both of them turns towards me, holding them out for me to choose one.

“Both.” I say.

She gives me a ‘are you serious?’ look, dropping her arms.

“Here, let me help.” I take the notebooks from her hands and drop them in the basket, “There.”

She tries to take one of the notebooks out but I grab her hand and turn her around, gently pushing her forward.

“Pick the next item, amar.”

She scrunches her nose at me over her shoulder before she continues picking out rest of the necessities.

“All done?” I ask. She nods.

I hold her hand and walk towards the check out. I put the basket up as the cashier starts scanning the products.

I gently pull Arzo so that she’s standing in front of me, my arm around her waist.

I pay for the items and take the bag before Arzo can take it. I hold her hand, walking out of the shop.

She stops walking halfway towards the car, making me halt in my step and turn to her.

“I want to go get something. I’ll meet you at the car.” she signs.

“Get what?”

“Something. Go.” she pushes me towards the car- or tries to- then walks away towards one of the shops and I go to the car, waiting for her.

She returns with a bouquet of flowers, wearing a huge grin almost hopping as she reaches me and pulls out the bouquet for me to hold.

Not being able to contain my smile at her happiness and gesture, I take the bouquet and pull her closer by her waist, capturing her lips in a soft and quick kiss.

“What did I do to deserve such a beautiful soul like you?” I ask after we pull away.

“A very good deed, I assume.” she signs with a smile.

I chuckle and kiss her cheeks before we get in the car and go home.

ᯓᡣ𐭩

I had never liked the idea of just laying on the bed and doing nothing since I learnt how to control my life. I started preparing schedules to get a better hold of my life. When Zahid found one of my journals when we were young, he looked at me like I was an alien.

Apparently, a 7 year old owning a journal filled with proper daily schedules is hard to believe.

There were many things I was worried about when I considered asking Arzo’s hand in marriage and one of them was that I wouldn’t be able to give her time. That she and I were too different and it would put a dent in our marriage.

Turns out, I was worrying for nothing. Because since Arzo and I have gotten married, being away from her is the hardest thing to do.

I’ve started coming home earlier than I am supposed to- don’t tell her or else I’m in trouble.

She’s more strict than I thought. She doesn’t let me stay home from work without a ‘real’ reason.

In her words, “not being able to stay away from your wife,” is not a practical reason.

I’d like to differ.

Every moment spent with her is beautiful. The best is when I can touch or hold her.

Like right now.

We’re laying on our bed, her head resting on my chest, my fingers lost in her hair. The silence in our room, comfortable and soothing.

She turns her head to look up at me. Our eyes lock, instantly. My hand going to her face, caressing her cheeks.

She sits up to sign, “what’s on your mind?”

“You.”

She tries to hide her smile, “Aside from me.” she signs, “Something is bothering you.”

I hum and sit up, “there’s news about my father..”

She straightens, knowing who I’m talking about.

“What news?”

“His company went bankrupt and…” I release a heavy sigh, dragging a hand through my hair as I say, “and he’s sick.”

The news came out this morning when I went to work. I don’t know how many times I reread the article but the words were clear.

My father is sick and getting backlash from people for going bankrupt. The press is all over this topic, spreading rumors after rumors.

“How.. how are you feeling?”

“I don’t know.” I admit, “It feels weird. My chest feels weird whenever I think about it. It shouldn’t affect me, right? He was such a horrible father. And still… I can’t put my finger on this feeling.”

I sigh and drag my hand through my hair again, frustrated as the tugging feeling returns in my chest, blocking any air to leave my lungs.

The faded scars on my back start to burn, the pain rushing through my veins, the broken cries of the little boy starting to echo in my ear-

A sense of comfort starts to pass through my body when Arzo places her hands on my face. She straddles my lap and wraps her arms around my neck, hugging me. Air rushes out of my lungs, the scars on my back stop burning using Arzo’s touch as a bandage.

I wrap my arms around her waist, burying my face into her neck. I release a heavy sigh, my body relaxing against her touch.

I thought I’d never find the cure to stop my scars from burning in the silence. But I did. The cure is in the form of a beautiful woman who loves to paint and be clingy- although she would never admit it.

She pulls away after a while and places a soft kiss on my lips before signing, “it’s okay for you to feel like this. It’s probably because you didn’t get any closure when you were young.”

“How am I going to get closure now?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t want you to go meet him because I don't want that interaction to trigger something in you.”

I hum,, “we have to find another way. Till then,” I kiss her jawline, “I’d like my wife to stay with me. She stops all the chaos in my head.”

She smiles, “I never said I was going anywhere. Not without my husband.”

I smile and let her capture my lips with hers.