Farmeed / One-shot Series

~ happy anniversary ~

Farjaad opened the door of the house and it was eerily quiet. He was expecting a big party with both the families, like it had been the case the last two years. The families loved celebrating their love with all splendour. Three years had passed in a blink of an eye. Yet, simultaneously, Farjaad had never as calm as he had in these three years. His life had always been a non-stop grind. He never allowed himself the luxury of pausing and taking a breath. 

Umeed forced him to breathe. 

Every day, every moment that he spent with her, there was a unique passion for living to the fullest and enjoying all the beautiful gifts life had to give. Farjaad hadn't felt at peace the way he did ever since Umeed entered his life. All their loved ones saw that too. Everyone could see how these two were the last pieces of each other's jigsaw puzzles - fitting perfectly and completing the picture.

Umeed had added colors into his life. She had shown him that there was so much worth living for. She made him understand how life may take something away, but give so much more in return. She had shown him how good it felt to give yourself a break and allow yourself the margin of being human, of erring, of enjoying and of learning. 

While Farjaad added a unique stability into Umeed's life. She had always been a smart girl with a solution to every problem. All she needed was some support and a proper direction. Farjaad provided her with just that. He always gave her the support she needed in her decisions - silent and vocal. Rather than brushing her ideas away, he would always sit down with her and work them out perfectly to make them possible. 

They completed each other's life. 

Farjaad kept peeping into the rooms as he walked toward the living room. He was expecting everyone to be here, waiting for him like they always did, but he did not see anyone. 

Once he reached the living room, he saw the dimmed lights and the cake on the centre table, surrounded by petals. Candles were nicely arranged around the cake. Smiling, he walked towards the table. 

His eyebrows scrunched up seeing an simply decorated envelope placed right next to the cake.  Umeed had a habit of placing cute notes around. She had a way with words, which Farjaad found very amusing. She would often leave him tiny messages on his bed side table or under his perfume bottles when she wanted him to fulfil a wish, or she wanted to apologise without actually having to say it out loud. He found it endearing. 

As he opened the envelope and pulled the paper out, his heart momentarily stopped beating. His breath was caught in his throat and he felt the earth beneath his feet disappear.

He read it once. 

Then he read it again. 

He kept reading it over and over again till his eyes welled up with tears.

He looked up and saw that Umeed had entered the living room and was observing his reaction with a faint smile on her face. Her round eyes staring at him intently, and the moment they met with his, she began crying too. 

Farjaad took small steps towards her. It all felt like a dream. He thought he would wake up any moment. He was scared if he moved too fast or made one wrong move, it would all vanish. 

He stood right in front of her, she was staring up at him with tear-filled, hopeful eyes. She waited for him to say something, not realising that he was at a loss for words. 

He raised the paper in front of her. 

"Umeed, ye sach hai?"

He gulped. As if a part of him feared that it would be a prank she had pulled. His voice was low and cautious - like he wasn't allowing himself be overwhelmed by emotion just yet.