Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha

Ch. 16: Seafood Boil

Alizey's P.O.V.

The tall flames of the sparkler danced between Fawad and I.

My smile faltered when one did not form on his lips. His eyes lifted from the cake to the decorations behind me. There was a 'Happy Birthday' banner hanging across the room with metallic spiral streamers dangling from the ceiling around it. I'd blown up some balloons, taping some against the wall while also covering the floors with it. There was also a gift bag on our bed.

I bolstered my smile wearily, wishing him again, "Happy birthday."

He looked at me then down at the cake. "Thank you," he answered quietly in his baritone voice.

There was an awkward silence, his expression grim.

"I don't think you can blow it out haha," I glanced down at the thick candle, "It stops on its own." I moved away and set the cake on the dining table, trying my hardest to remain optimistic. I hadn't expected this reaction.

He trailed in slowly, the balloons skipping away from his feet with each step.

He cleared his throat, taking in all the decorations. His hand reached up, his fingers brushing against a streamer, "Did you do all of this yourself?"

I turned around and nodded at him with a small smile.

"When?"

"While you were at work."

"You took the day off?"

"Yes. I wanted to surprise you."

The streamer dropped from the ceiling due to the flimsy tape and into his hand. "You shouldn't have," he murmured.

"I wanted to. You're my best friend," I professed. "I wanted to do something special for you."

He stared at the reflective spiral in his hand, "I don't like celebrating my birthday, Alizey."

"Why?" I nearly whispered, moving closer to him while my eyebrows tugged together with concern.

He kept silent, though his eyes were saying a million words that I couldn't read as they peered at the streamer.

I took his free hand, intertwining our fingers. "Fawad..."

"Please take it all down, Alizey," he murmured. "I don't like it."

"But why, Fawad?" I searched his face. "Please tell me."

"Those... those who used to celebrate it with me aren't here anymore.... and I don't deserve it," his fingers curled around the streamer, crushing it.

My eyes filled with tears.

"I don't deserve it," his stated under his breath, his voice shaky.

I wrapped him in a tight hug, an arm across his shoulders and the other wounded around his back. "You deserve it." I shook my head as my lips trembled, "You absolutely deserve it."

His arms lifted around me firmly, and it felt like I was in a cocoon, like I was home.

"You deserve to be celebrated. You make me so happy. You're my best friend. You mean so much to me. I couldn't imagine my life without you."

His grip around me tightened as mine did the same.

"I thanked Allah SWT so much today that you were born, that we met. I asked that he gives you a healthy, long happy life."

I felt his chest vibrate erratically as he suppressed his tears, and it only made me cry even more. He moved away and took my arms, sitting me down at the end of the bed. He kneeled in front of me and stared up at me with his wet eyes.