Fruit of Passion

In Retrospect

Wania had come back to Ghani mansion after the event at the orphanage. She didn't feel like staying alone at her penthouse mainly because of the overwhelming mix of emotions. So, she tagged along with her mother. But as the day went by she realized that her mother was also in her own zone and a little bit jittery, she assumed it was because of the encounter with her father and mentally cursed herself for not informing her beforehand about Irfan Raza's arrival. After the strange and unexpected encounter with Arsalan she felt jittery herself and decided she needed to take a day off to recollect her thoughts and get her treacherous heart back into her control.

There wasn't much talking later that day as both Alya and Wania avoided looking in to each other's eyes and dwelling in to any kind of conversation that will land them in a difficult position. So, after the dinner they both retired to their rooms early. Now, Wania was lying on her bed and doing exactly what she came here to avoid. Think about Arsalan and their almost kiss. It was a stolen moment of connection, now etched in Wania's soul, haunting her dreams, and leaving her yearning for a taste of the intoxicating feeling she dared not fully embrace.

Wania was internally blaming herself to get carried away. She had never done it before and that had served her well in the past. She had had peaceful nights and levelled heartbeats, both things absent now. Wania couldn't help but wonder about Arsalan's feelings and what he must have been thinking now, or if he was thinking about it at all. Did that incident matter to him as much as it mattered to her and on top of it all....why had he done it?

Arsalan had been a constant presence in her life for the past two and a half months. Always around with his annoying straightforwardness and uncomplicated self making her undergo some really complicated feelings every time they are together. She felt silly at her teenage-hormonal reaction to him and now she was trying to make a strategy which will enable her to keep her distance from him for some time as well as stay true to their contract. She briefly imagined having a relationship with Arsalan too, which was undeniably an exciting prospect, but then realized that she was not meant for a long term relationship and sooner or later she would walk out leaving a painful and awkward mess that would proliferate in to their personal and professional lives. No! that is not gonna happen, Wania decided as she stood up and walked out of her room to treat herself with a mid-night snack.

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Alya twisted and turned in her bed unable to take Fakhir's word out of her head. He had walked straight out after he professed his desire to be with her leaving her shocked to the core and a little light-headed. Why? When? How? Alya's mind was filled with questions and a little something else. A feeling, long forgotten, almost forbidden for her at this age, seeped through her and warmed her body. She wasn't sure how was she supposed to feel because this whole situation is so out of the bounds of reality that she lived in. Should she be angry at being told that she was desired so blatantly by a man? The modest upbringing and social parameters urge her to be offended by this outrageous proposition but for whatever odd reason she wasn't and just this fact made her feel a bit embarrassed.  

Alya, in her darkened room, alone and isolated, had to admit to herself that she, in fact, felt excited by the idea of being desired by a man. A feeling so alien to her that it tilted her whole world. She was married to a man for twenty-nine years and yet she never felt that she was being fancied, up until this day and that wasn't by her decades-old husband. It was too much for her fragile mind to deal with. Her thoughts, her feelings, her insecurities and her desires were all suddenly thrown into a maddening disarray of emotions that oscillate between excitement and despair.

Alya realized sleep was unlikely to come tonight so, she stood up and walked out of her room. Her feet mindlessly brought her into the kitchen, probably because this was the place she felt most comfortable in. Alya knew she needed something to soothe her restless soul. As she stood before the open freezer, the cool air embraced her like a comforting hug. Amidst the array of frozen delights, her eyes settled on a half-empty tub of her favourite ice cream, the sweet indulgence she hadn't savoured in a while. 

Just as Alya was beginning to find a sliver of comfort in the icy sweetness, a soft gasp echoed behind her. Turning swiftly, she faced her daughter, Wania, standing at the kitchen entrance, eyes wide with surprise and concern.

"Mama, are you okay?" Wania asked gently, stepping closer to her mother.

Caught red-handed, Alya cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and vulnerability. 

"I....I just couldn't sleep." Alya explained sheepishly

"Me too" Wania replied simply

What happened beta? Is everything alright" Alya momentarily forgot all her worries as concern for her daughter took over her emotions?

"I suppose so...What about you?  A midnight ice cream adventure doesn't sound like you. Something must be up" Wania was eyeing Alya strangely. Her mother is not herself since they came back from the event, something had triggered this response and she wanted to know what that was.

"I couldn't sleep" Alya repeated lamely.

"You told me that, my question is why?" Wania pushed a little harder, knowing her mother was never good at sharing her feelings openly.

"You first?" Alya had a sudden change in her demeanour as she threw the ball in Wania's court, giving her a pointed look. She knew her daughter's face too well to know something is bothering her.

"Well...you have to promise you wouldn't judge. In fact, I need you to be my therapist right now. Objective and unjudgmental" Wania finally said, hesitation evident on her face.

"Promise. I need you to do the same." Alya was on the same page as her. Both the mother and daughter nodded in agreement.

There was silence in the kitchen for a couple of moments and then they both spoke at the same time,

"Arsalan and I almost kissed"

"Fakhir proposed to me"

"What??" 

Their combined voices echoed through the empty kitchen in the middle of the night.

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Dear Readers!

At this point I really need your feedback. So, there are some points I need your opinion on,

1- How is the pace of the story? Is it going too fast or too slow or is it just right?

2- Do the developing feelings between Arsalan and Wania as well as Fakhir an Alya make sense to you?

3- Is there a particular interaction that you specifically liked reading?

Thanks!

Love you all!