House of Perfidy

Chapter 3 : Her eyes

Aftaab's POV

It was the same day I guess the time I saw her for the first time.

All I could ever see was her eyes.

I woke up from the same dream again breathing frantically.

All I see is her eyes
I can't see her face I don't know why but I can't.
but in my dreams her eyes are not as beautiful as they were when I saw them for the first time.

I shrugged all my thoughts about the dream
I changed my attire to decent formals
I am above 50 years old now so I can't dress up like a sexy man anymore.

I see Aamaal sitting at the dinning table,
I walk towards her kiss her forehead she smiles and says "Asalamalaikum Abba I hope you had a good night."
I smiled at her not wanting reply to that question.
It's been 35 years since I couldn't sleep properly first all the years before gazala now the years after gazala.

My mistakes.
I think of them all everyday
Everyday.
It feels like all of it just happened yesterday.

I was thinking about all of this while Jacob my driver said
" Sir , we have reached at the office."
I replied instantly fresh out of thoughts
" Yes, thank you Jacob."

I walked towards the gate and see akhlaq that handsome little boy always smiling,
He is too good for this world people would use him and he won't even know about it.

He walked towards me and said
" Asalamalaikum Aftaab uncle "
And hugged me out of excitement,
I chuckled at his innocence.
I walked him towards Aamaal cabin.

I was about to leave when
Akhlaq said while I was walking towards my cabin, facing my back towards him.
" Aftaab uncle, my Abba is waiting for you in your cabin". I stopped in the middle of my path.
I replied him " Okay " without turning towards him.
I hope that he didn't feel i was rude being towards him.
But Its better than him seeing my annoyed face.

I entered my cabin and see maqsood sitting on the chair that is placed right opposite to my chair, He knew I entered the cabin still he didn't move a inch.
"What are you doing here maqsood?"
He didn't reply to that, because even I knew the answer to that question he was here to check up on me.
He walked towards the big window,
Watching the view.

After a few minutes of silence he said
" did you sleep well tonight affu ?"
I replied "No" Maqsood and I have known each other since school days thanks to that we would know each other's problem without even saying it.

He says "ALLAH does not burden a soul
Beyond it can bear , affu. "
He continues after taking along breath.
" you never told gazala about her,did you ?"

I replied to him in a soft tone "No , its better she doesn't know if she knows about her she will not love me".

He replies instantly
"she doesn't love you anymore, it was all over when she got to know about Safina."

"Safina wasn't a mistake, I am the mistake."

Maqsood turned towards me and said in a frustrating tone.
"When are you gonna accept that it is your fault, Aftaab? "

"I am accepting everything I did maqsood but,never blame Safina and My Son Kaif for my bad deeds."
I replied in a serious tone emphasising each and every word that I said while looking in his eyes.

He walked out of cabin in frustration
Yet another day of us behaving like we are still in college atleast we would talk to each other in college the next day
We were bestfriends after all.

I rested my head back on my chair.
I started thinking about the day
When I met Safina.

In the past
29 years ago :