CHAPTER 46- FRIENDS AND REVELATIONS ~ Ayesha 💕

A Y E S H A :-

"I could feel my seasonal depression going away." Sakina sighs taking a sip from her strawberry lemonade.

"Exactly, that's why I updated my Facebook status to 'the sun is out and so am I'" Safa says looking around the sun glimmering on the cobblestone of the cafe,

"I kind of liked winter." Sania pouts looking at the sun, "The hot chocolates, the warm blankets, god I need winter back."

I chuckle, "And freeze to death? No ma'am."

Finally winter is gone and spring has arrived, and so have we friends got to meet each other after so long.

Sania is about to start her nursing internship this summer and Safa is going to start her wedding shopping, Sakina has decided to do creative writing course this summer and well I am going to write my semester finals this summer so that I could finally graduate, so before we all could get busy, we decided to meet today.

"Okay my ladies," Sakina wiggles her eyebrows, "How's the married life going?"

Me and Sania shake our head before replying,

"Good Alhumdulliah." We replied the same and I chuckle giving her a high-five.

"So when are you giving us the good news? I am desperate to become the cool aunt." Sakina asks and I shake my head.

"Cool down, you will become one when it is time, but not right now, can't talk about Sania tho." I tease her bumping my shoulder with her.

"Oh god, no. Not right now." Sania chuckles.

"Bummer." Sakina pouts, she turns to look at me, "So how was your trip to Istanbul?"

I place my raspberry drink down, "Istanbul is magic!" I sigh remembering the magical city.

"I know right! I remember we used to live there, I was small but I still can't forget the charm of the city." Safa gushes excitedly.

"Is Istanbul really that amazing?" Sakina asks intrigued,

"Yes it is," I nod, "There isn't a single corner of the city where you won't feel like a main character."

"Uff now you are tempting me to take a trip to Istanbul." Sania sighs dreamily, "Does the dramas do justice?"

"Not entirely no, that city is a separate love story." I reminisce the moments spent in that city, "Two months weren't enough for me."

"Imagine working over there!" Sakina exclaims excitedly.

"Ahh the feels." Safa gushes. "Murat told you all even went to Izmir, how was that?"

My smile falter, my hand unconsciously went up to my neck, I clear my throat, "It was alright."

"What's with the change in tone?" Sakina raises her eyebrows.

"Nothing.." I sigh, "Farhan's relatives over there are just ain't it, you know."

Sakina nods in understanding, "Got it, the ultimate family drama."

"They are the worst I know." Sania sighs, and rubs my shoulder, "Everything is okay now, right?"

I nod, "Kind of, we didn't stayed there for long, but my father in law did planned a short two days resort trip near Izmir's outskirts. It was went good,"

After the encounter in Durrani villa, as per plan we went to the resort, but everyone's mood was still sore, it was kind of good for some lone time.

We got back from Istanbul two weeks back and I already miss my family over there.

"Safa what's your shopping plans?" I snap out of my thoughts, when I heard Sania,

"I have already started the tiny things I need, the wedding dresses shopping I would do with my mom, my mother in law and my cutest sister in law." Safa replies smiling at me.

"I still can't we are going to be related." I chuckle.

"I feel like a proud mother, looking at my kids all grown up and married," Sakina wipes her fake tears, "My little babies."

"Aw come on, Sakina now don't be so emotional." Sania coos patting her hand,

"Now that Sakina mentioned, it is kind of emotional how we were just sitting in our college cafeteria and now look at us," she looks around her eyes glistening, "About to go to our jobs, graduated, married."

"Aw, Safa," Sakina pouts throwing her arm around safa's shoulder.

"Well I still didn't graduate." I count in, trying light up the atmosphere.

"And I am technically unemployed." Sakina says and we all chuckle.

We all talk for a while, enjoying our brunch when Sakina clears her throat,

"So," she starts, "I-"

"-found a boyfriend?" Safa gasps,

"What?" Sakina scrunches her nose, "Ew no. I was about to ask an opinion."

"Sorry my bad." Safa nodded going back to eat her pasta,

"Okay so," sakina says catching our attention, "I need you all's opinion, you know how I choose the creative writing course in our last semester?"

We look at each and nod, urging her to continue.

"And after my summer courses, I am thinking of applying for jobs.."

"That's great." Sania smiles,

Sakina looks at me, "In Istanbul."

Safa's fork fall down on her plate and she looks at Sakina,

"You are thinking of shifting to Istanbul?" I ask excitedly,

"Yes," Sakina says unsurely, "But I am not sure of going alone."

"First of all," safa starts, "Girl I suggest you to take the first chance and run away from here."

"Safa is right," Sania agrees, "As much we love our city, Istanbul has more job offers than here, besides you are so talented, Inshallah you will get more job offers."

Sakina tucks her curly hair behind her ear, "Would it be selfish of me to go alone, to leave my family here, you all here."

"Absolutely not." I assure her, "Look we all are in that point of our life, where we know one day we all are not going to be in the same city, life changes, marriages, job opportunities, many things await for us, we have to leave something behind to start something new."

Sania nods, "She is right, it does not makes you selfish, you are living your dream, listening to your heart, how is that selfish? Take that opportunity, when you dreamed of flying then be afraid to fall?"

Sakina nods her eyes filled with tears, "You guys are amazing."

Safa sniffles, throwing her arms around Sakina, "Who will pick and drop me now in this lonely city."

"Safa," Sakina chuckles, "Baba you are getting married, you will have a husband."

"But no husband will be like you." She says hugging Sakina closer.

Sakina looks around the cafe, feeling eyes on her and tries to push away Safa,

"It's okay Safa, leave me now," she chuckles,

"Aw we will miss you Sakina." I coo getting up and going to hug her from behind.

Sania chuckles walking around the table and joins the hug, Sakina kept mumbling about the public staring, but we all just squished her closer, in the end making her laugh.

***

"Thank you my driver." I say as Sakina parks her car in front of the gates of my house.

"Your welcome, someone has to be a responsible mother for you spoil brats." She chuckles removing her sunglasses.

Sakina decided to carpool today and picked and dropped all of us today for our little catch up. I was the last one to drop off, seeing I only lived few blocks away from Sakina.

"Come in," I say, "Let's have a coffee together." I offer.

She shakes her head, "Another time, I promise. I have to take my sisters to get them some new art supplies."

"How are they?" I chuckle remembering her little sisters,

"Mischievous as hell." Sakina rolls her eyes, "But if I ever go to Istanbul, I am going to miss them a lot." She sighs tapping on the steering wheel.

I grab her arm, "You are not selfish Sakina, get that out of your mind, whatever you are doing, you are doing for them, your family. You are not sacrificing anyone's happiness,"

She nods, looking ahead, "I know, it's just that I don't want to leave them alone, and make them think I never cared for them. Seeing our financial conditions, I really want to do something about it, I am thinking of their future."

"Your thoughts and doubts are valid, but to do something we need to take that step, right? Besides you are just five hours drive away and I would be visiting Istanbul more than often after you shift." I smile bumping her shoulder,

She chuckles, "Alright then," she nods, "Let's plan Istanbul."

"That's the spirit." I cheer, we both chuckle before bidding her goodbye, I climb out of her car and enter inside the gates.

"Honey, I am home!" I call out closing the main door behind me.

I place my set on the key holder above the shoe rack and remove my sandals,

The house was silent, I told aunty Meryem and Julia to leave early, seeing I was out and Farhan wouldn't home till three, and I thought maybe I could prepare something special for dinner.

Noticing the door of the study open, I walk towards it, and was about to enter inside, when I heard Farhan's voice through the door,

"Make sure all the plans are set in Bilal."

I frowned, what kind of plans? Thinking it might be work related I was about to leave, when a name caught my interest,

"After that there should be no trace of Emir Gerdezi left on this country."

This name sounds familiar, where have I-

"He challenged me big time by attacking my wife, now I have more of revenge to take."

My eyes widen, is he talking about the mall incident and did he said revenge?

"You are right, I am going to kill emir the same way he did to my brother, have to give him a taste of his own medicine."

I grab the doorframe, Farhan was going to kill someone?

"Inshallah you are right, the next time we meet, we will have Emir's blood in our hands." He chuckles.

Not knowing what to do, I ran away from there, and climb the stairs to my room and shut the door behind me.

Agitatedly, I open my hijab and threw it across the bed,

Farhan is going to kill someone?

..we will have Emir's blood in our hands..

I couldn't escape the creepy sensation crawling my skin, he wants to take revenge of his brother, that I could understand but I couldn't fathom the idea of Farhan killing someone, have blood on his hand.

He might be a criminal, but I don't want Farhan's hands to be in his blood, for him to do something he has never done.

I flinch when the bedroom door open and Farhan walks in, he looks up from his phone and smile when he sees me seated on the bed.

"Hey! When did you got back?" He asks walking towards me,

I smile forcefully and stand up from the bed,

"Just now."

Farhan swoops me in a hug and pulls me closer, caressing my hairs, "I missed you."

I wrap my hands around his torso, keeping my head on his shoulder, "Where were you?" I ask,

"On phone with Bilal," he says pulling from the hug, he tucks a strand of my hair back, his one hand on my waist, "How was your brunch?"

"Great." I reply, distractedly playing with the button of his shoulder,

I felt his hand on my chin, lifting it up, "Everything good?"

"Yeah," I nod, "Just tired." I hold his face in my hand, and he leans on my touch, "I was thinking of making us dinner tonight, any ideas?"

He frowns, "If you are tired you don't need to, we will order something."

I shook my head, "Nothing a little nap could do, how about we both make dinner together?"

He shrugs, "Alright with me, I just don't want you to stress yourself."

"You won't." I say moving his hair away from his eyes, not being able to resist, I pull him into another hug,

I just don't want him to lose his innocence and humanity, he already lost a lot.

"I feel special." Farhan sings when I pull away from the hug,

I tap his nose, "Cause you are." He brings my hand upto his mouth and gives my palm a kiss.

"All because of you." He says sincerely,

Just be my special person forever, nothing else.

***

Farhan groans plopping down on the couch, "I didn't knew the food made by own tastes so good."

I chuckle passing him a bowl of brownie vanilla ice cream scoop, "You sure on the own part?"

"Fine," he takes a bite, "With a little help."

I take a bite from mine ice cream and shake my head, "Sure."

"Movie?" Farhan asks pointing at the tv, I nod and he puts up a bollywood movie.

Farhan dim the lights of the living room and sits beside me on the couch again, as the introduction starts to play, I felt my leg shaking anxiously.

The anxiety churning in my stomach made my favourite ice cream flavour sour.

I pick up Farhan's empty bowl and mine melted ice cream bowl and go back to place it in the kitchen. I came back on the couch with constant anxious thoughts,

How do I talk to him? Should I even talk to him? What if it escalates and we return to square one? We were doing just so good.

"Alright," Farhan picks up the remote and pause the movie, "What's bothering you?"

"Huh?" I yelped, feeling like a deer caught in headlights, "N-Nothing."

"Come on," Farhan sighs, "I know you very well now, I can tell when you are happy, sad and anxious," he grabs my hand turning me to him, "Tell me what is it?"

I bit my lip looking around, after many contemplations I say hesitantly, "Today um I-I heart your conversation with Bilal bhai."

The soft look in his look disappeared, his features now blank, "What did you heard?"

I wring my hands nervously, "About...um Emir Gerdezi and you a-are a-re..."

"Going to kill him?" He completes, my heart beat dangerously when his face remained blank.

"Are you?" I ask hesitantly,

He doesn't miss a beat, "Yes, Yes I am going kill him."

"Why Farhan?" I ask helplessly,

"What do you mean by why?" He scoffs, "He killed my brother, Ayesha. He tried to harm you, what gave you the idea I won't fucking kill him?"

I flinch, I lean forward to grab his hand, my heart shattered when he moved away from my touch,

"I am just trying to say that maybe blood is not always the answer." I say carefully.

He chuckles getting up from the couch, "How can you say that? Ayesha I told you everything, I poured my heart out to you, you know how they murdered my brother and you are trying to say I don't even have the right to kill him?"

I get up from the couch, rushing towards him, "I am not insulting your feelings, what I am trying to say is you don't have to kill him."

Farhan looks at me in surprise, "Are you listening to yourself?"

"I am," I nod, "Don't kill him, I don't want you to become a killer, I don't want blood on your hands."

He looks around before scoffing in disbelief, "So you are trying to say is, I don't kill my brother's murderer and set him free?"

I shake my head tiredly, "I am not saying that, all I want is my Farhan to be the innocent and carefree man."

"News flash," Farhan tutts mockingly, "He lost all of it years ago."

"Don't you think I know that?" I plead, "I want to protect you from evil."

Farhan pinches the bridge of his nose, "What's your point?"

"It's simple!" I exclaim, "Don't kill Emir!"

"Why!" Farhan yells, "Do you not know what he did?"

"That's why I am telling you to leave him, he will get what he deserves in the after world by Allah, he got defamed in this world as a criminal, think what is going to happen him there?" I exclaim, my nose itching.

"Islam also says blood for blood." He states, staring me with his eyes filled with anger.

"But Allah also loves who forgives!" I point back,

"How do I make you understand, I cannot forgive him!" Farhan exclaims angrily kicking the couch in anger.

"Then try to Farhan!" I cry out, "Your anger, your revenge will only destroy you, no one else. You will kill him, years later his son will come to harm you! And then your son will kill him, this circle will never stop! Lives will be sacrificed always and many families will suffer!"

I walk towards him, holding his arm, "I didn't forget your pain, your loss, but this isn't the way. You are not a killer Farhan, you don't hate everyone, you hate the way your feelings were mishandled, you are angry because your brother was murdered, and he didn't got any justice."

He tugged his hand away from my grip, "Look, you don't know what I've been through and what have I planned since four years, I won't stay back now."

I sigh tiredly, pushing my hair back, "Fine, for instance think you killed your enemy, the same way he did to your brother, what after that then?"

He looks at me silently, "I will get what I planned for."

"No." I reply, "You won't get anything, after you kill him, you couldn't sit in peace because you've never killed someone, in your four years of training, you might've hurt many but never killed them, but after you'd kill Emir, you won't look yourself the same.

"After killing Emir, your brother won't be back, getting blood on your hands is not worth, leave everything on Allah, trust his plan. He never leaves any person with injustice. If not here, then in the biggest court in front of Allah, infront of many witnesses, Emir will be punished for his sins. And your brother will be in a higher rank in paradise, you will be rewarded for your patience."

He stares at me with hard eyes, tears evident in them, "Why are you not understanding? This is what I've planned for, I've put my blood and sweat all these years to locate him, to plan with my team to kill him, if you can't support me atleast don't discourage me."

"Your team has done many other amazing things through this mission, you all could continue doing it. Farhan, this fire of revenge is very dangerous, you want to your enemy to die in that fire, but it will only destroy you. Have you seen at your parents? Haven't they lost enough? Your brother's life was an example, today you are here, tomorrow you might die in your revenges." I grab his arm forcefully and turn him towards me,

"Please think about what I said. I don't want you regret anything, when you will realise what I am trying to say, you will remember me at that time." I hold his face in hand, "I don't want to lose my Farhan, please don't do anything that will make you regret, please."

He looks at me, as tears fall down my face, he grabs my wrist and moves it away from his face,

"I am sorry, I can't do this now." He whispers before walking away from me.

"Farhan!" I call him, watching him grab his car keys and walking out of the main door.

I run after him and hold the door open, he opens his car door and drive away from the porch, leaving me crying and alone on the doorstep.

I close the door and run to the living room, finding my phone, I kept dialling Farhan's number, to which he kept going on voicemail.

While I was walking back and forth in the living room, my eyes catch a glint, I look below the remote table to see Farhan's phone lying below.

Great, he doesn't even have his phone now.

Defeatedly I sit back on the couch, holding my head in my hands.

I think I shouldn't have said all of that. I went a little over board with my emotions.

I smack my knees in agitation, this is all my fault.

If something happens to Farhan, I won't be able to forgive myself.

What should I do now? Should I go after him?

But I don't know where he went.

"It's all my fault." I sob silently, "I am sorry Farhan, please come back."

I flinch when I realise, I am all alone in this dark living room, I didn't dared to switch of the tv or get up to open the lights.

I lean my head back on the sofa and cry silently, "Allah please keep him safe."

"Please come back Farhan." I sobbed, sitting alone in our home.

I don't know how much time have passed since I waited for my husband to come back, I kept laying on the couch, my eyes on the main door, awaiting for him.

After the clock hit twelve, I started pacing around the foyer, eagerly waiting for the sound of car, but I didn't heard any.

I sat back on the couch, where just a few hours we were sitting peacefully, I think came off to strong on him.

I kept fighting sleep, until almost late at night, I felt fingers caressing my face, alarmed, I instantly sat straighter, looking around the dark hall, my heart pounding dangerously.

"Shh, it's me." I blink my sleep away when I see Farhan standing near the couch.

"Farhan," I whisper hoarsely, "Where did you go?" Tears fall down my eyes, he immediately sits down on the couch beside me, swooping me in a hug. "I am sorry." I whisper, hugging closer to his chest. "Don't ever leave me like that again."

He kisses on top of my head, "Please stop crying," he whispers, holding my face in his hands, "I am sorry I shouldn't have yelled at you. I shouldn't have left like that."

"Never leave me like that please." I plead, placing my head on his shoulder, "You don't know how much that scared me."

"I am sorry my love." He apologises, holding me closer to him, "Never again."

"Where did you go?" I ask, my voice muffled on his shoulder,

"No where, I just sat in the car, near our gate, after I realised I have no special spot here," he says lifting his hand up to wipe my tears, "I realised my special spot here is only you and I couldn't run from you."

"Don't you dare run away from me." I warn him.

"I won't." He assures, "Let's go to sleep, it's been a long day."

Before I could get up, Farhan stood up from the couch and lift me up in his arms, "A little compensation?"

I chuckle wrapping my hands around his neck, as he starts walking up the stairs, "I am not angry with you." I say softly.

"And never be please," he teases, but I could see the vulnerability in his eyes.

I place my hand on his cheek, "I just want you to live a normal life nothing else. I am not your enemy Farhan." I say hiding my face in his neck,

"I know." He sighs, as he reaches our room, "It's a very sensitive topic for me, but let's not discuss it now, I don't want to talk about it."

He opens the door and walks in our room, and places me on the bed.

"Alright." I say laying on the bed, I watch as Farhan removes his shirt and climbs in the bed beside me.

He lays down and doesn't reach out for me like he usually does,

Deciding to give him some space and time, I dim my side of the lamp, and lay on my right side,

Few minutes later, when I was about to fall asleep, I felt his arm sliding across my torso and pulling me back to him.

I smile faintly and grab his hand which was on my stomach and intwine our fingers together.

He kissed on the back of my head and pulled me closer to his chest.

I turn towards him, and place my hands on his jaw. He tightened his arms around my waist and I laid my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeats.

I don't want him to change, just be my Farhan forever.

*****

A/N :-

Dayum.

Real drama is bout to start.

Anddd I just realised WE ARE NEARING THE END OF THIS STORY?!!!

GUYS THERE IS LITERALLY LIKE SIX TO SEVEN MORE CHAPTERS

I AM SORRY WHAT? I AM NOT PREPARED YOU ALL!😭

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