𝗠𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹-𝗲-𝗠𝗮𝗵𝘁𝗮𝗮𝗯

غمِ عشق ۱۳۔

Main toh iss waaste chup hun ke tamasha nah lage
Tu smajhta hai mujhe tujhse gila kuch bhi nahi~

I stay silent for this reason, so that it doesn't become a spectacle.
You think I have no complaint against you~

In a matter of minutes, they found themselves seated across from each other in a fancy restaurant. Soft music filled the air as Airah quietly savored her food, keeping to herself. Suddenly, the serene atmosphere was disrupted by the sound of Hamza dropping his fork on the plate. Annoyed, Airah looked up to see him staring, seemingly stunned.

Following his gaze, she noticed a woman standing there, equally taken aback. The woman's captivating presence demanded attention; her beauty was impossible to ignore. Airah, perplexed, turned her gaze back to Hamza, who whispered to himself,

"Zarish?"

Airah's eyes widened in shock as a flood of memories rushed back to Hamza. Memories that would haunt him endlessly. Despite his fervent prayers to never encounter her again, as he had witnessed her nikkah, fate betrayed him. She now stood just a few feet away from their table – so close, yet painfully distant.

As Airah witnessed the scene, the very air seemed to thin around her. Her hand, gripping the fork, turned white from the intensity of her hold. A disquiet settled within her as she observed Hamza's reaction to his stunned ex. Searching his murky brown eyes for any hint of resurfacing emotions, Airah was met with disappointment; they were as cold as the winter mornings whose sun had risen only to be concealed behind seemingly eternal clouds.

The 25 seconds of eye contact drilled numerous holes into Airah's heart. Once, she had loved the man across from her with all of her heart, and now he sat, gazing at the woman he had once loved with all of his heart. She couldn't blame him; love, after all, is an unexpected bullshit. It disregards who is on the other side; it simply unfolds when it is bound to do so.

Shortly, a man joined the woman, placing an arm around her waist and cradling a baby in the other. He gently guided them out of the restaurant, and the woman visibly relaxed in response to his touch. Upon seeing the man, Hamza averted his gaze from the woman, taking a breath of indifference as he resumed eating his meal. Amidst this brief commotion, he glanced at Airah for the first time in a while. His eyes communicated a gesture, urging her to eat, and surprisingly, his eyes held warmth.The nothingness and coldness from a few minutes ago had dissipated, revealing the caring Hamza of a few months prior.

Airah found it impossible to take another bite. Something within her twisted at the thought of him being hurt in that moment. Surely, he would be hurt – who wouldn't be? Encountering an ex, now a stranger forced upon by a past breakup, is far from ecstatic; it's nothing less than a heartbreak. Earth-shattering.

As they settled into the car, a profound and somewhat uncomfortable silence enveloped the atmosphere, particularly for Airah. In that private part of the heart, usually kept to oneself, she felt a bit relieved seeing the woman with another man. Despite this, a twinge of hurt lingered for the man seated just inches away. His pain mirrored hers, a shared understanding deeply rooted since childhood.

_________

He closed his eyes, immersed in profound contemplation. His mind was burdened with many thoughts that left him drained. Today, he had realized something important – Perhaps something that could potentially alter his life.

Beyond the prayers and reflections, he had pondered on the possibility of encountering Zarish again. How would he react? Would his heart race as it did in the past? Could he find joy in seeing her after nearly a decade? The immense love he once had for her, would it reduce him to ashes upon witnessing her with another man?