Mehr-o-Mah (مہر و ماہ) -
The sun and the moon
A collection of short stories filled with love, spice, drama and a roller coaster of emotions and of course, a huge part of my imagination.
(The second generation of Ahd-e-Vafa)...
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Darya watched the moving trees with a smile. The breeze had surrounded the place with its soothing caresses and a sigh escaped her lips. She sunk back into the love seat kept on the balcony. Her eyes glistened with tears but she held on tight on the pendant that lay gloriously around her neck.
Perhaps the only belonging that was gifted to her by him.
Four months had passed by since she got married and since she last saw or heard from him. Her heart cried everyday for a message, for a call or maybe, for his arrival at the doorstep.
The mountains he was assigned to had very bad weather throughout the year, one of the major reasons due to which the network there was worse than in the most back-class villages. Even getting a letter from him seemed impossible as the terrains were only limited to government officials and the air squad since the steepness was rough and a safe journey couldn't be guaranteed.
A soft whimper escaped her lips as she sat up straight. Her hand that had clutched the snow-flake shaped pendant didn't loosen its hold since every time she touched it, she felt his calming aura around her.
And even her eyes didn't know when tears had welled in them against her will.
*****
Darya fumbled with the ends of her veil as she sat waiting for Zamurad. The room smelt just like him, a rawness so undefined yet so tranquilizing. Her heart stilled as she heard the door knob being turned. Her once ragged breaths now came out in the most uneven of ways as she tried to pacify her heart into slowing down.
She felt the bed dip just in front of her. His knee touched hers as his deep voice broke the eerie silence around them.
"Assalamu alaikum."
His rich voice made an already nervous Darya almost have a panic attack but collecting herself, she gave out a meek reply.
And during all this, she failed to notice how dim his aura was.
She heard him take a deep breath and what felt like hours but was merely a few seconds passed by with anticipation and her veil was lifted. Zamurad almost knocked himself out cold as he looked at his wife.
A wife he thought could be anyone but her.
Oh what ways fate worked in!
His heart that was just beginning to come out of the heavy feeling of loneliness fell deeper into it as he realised what his tomorrow held.
Not a day on which he'd wake up with her in his arms, greeting her subah ba khair with wide smiles on both of their faces, their eyes gleaming with happiness but instead, he'd find himself miles away from his home and his wife in a place from where when he'd return was not certain.
Darya mustered a teeny weeny bit of courage and raised her head a little at look at him and wallah! He looked magnificent in the off-white sherwani that fit him perfectly, adding a royal touch to his enthralling self. His hair was dishevelled but what alarmed her was the look of distress in his eyes.
