Eternal Souls

A flame rekindled.

Halima sat on the porch swing, her fingers gently griping the chains. She can't help but be captivated by the night sky. The velvety darkness was adorned with a tapestry of stars, twinkling like diamonds scattered across a black canvas. Each flicker of light seems to whisper a story of its own, reminding her of the vastness of the universe and the possibilities it holds.

Lost in her thoughts, she pondered the twists and turns her life had taken ever since her marriage. The swing gently swayed back and forth, mirroring the ebb and flow of her emotions.

She remembered the days when laughter and love filled the air when the future felt like an open book waiting to be written by her.

But as time passed, the pages of that book became stained with tears and shattered dreams. The weight of disappointment settled upon her, and she found herself questioning the choices that had led her to this point.

How had the marriage life she once imagined to be amazing and beautiful transformed into something unrecognizable?

It's been a month now, and all she can say is, Alhamdulillah.

Nothing changed between her husband and her. She'll wake up in the morning and prepare breakfast with the help of Anna, set the table, and leave for her room. When it was time for lunch to be made, she'd go down again and prepare it, on days she felt energetic and full of life, she'd bake random things, package some, and send it to the orphanage. They have dinner together with Arshad some days and he always starts up a conversation which she always willingly cut by saying she was sleepy.

Just when she thought she was alone in her contemplation, Arshad emerged from the shadows, his presence a silent reassurance. He settled down beside her on the swing, their bodies barely touching, but a shared warmth radiating between them.

She didn't have the strength to leave or ask him to leave like she always does, so she let him be. And to him, that meant one thing, Progress.

She glanced at him, and his gaze was fixed on the sky too.

In the stillness of the night, he broke the silence.

"Hey."

He almost gave up when she spoke.

"Hello." Silence took over again.

"I'm sorry." His words, like delicate petals carried by a gentle breeze, reached his wife's ears and stirred something deep within her. The sincerity in his voice tugged at her heart, and she felt a flicker of hope ignite within her.

Her gaze was still fixed on the sky, "Those two words? Those two words won't change the fact that you did what you did." She said, calmly.

"I know. I am sorry for the way I've let you down. I know I haven't been there for you like a husband should be for his wife, and I can't imagine how much it must have hurt. I want you to know that I take full responsibility for my actions, or rather, my lack of action."

Silence.

"I know I should have been by your side from the moment we got married, I  just thought maybe you'd want space. I let the weight of societal expectations overshadow the commitment and responsibility I have to you. I can't change the past, but I can promise you this; from this moment forward, I will do everything in my power to make it up to you."

"I promise." He added.

Silence.

She chuckled, looking everywhere but at him. She could feel his intense gaze on her, and she tried as much as she could to not meet his shimmering eyes.

"You're so good with your words, you used that to deceive my parents days back, Mr. Fatash."

"I know it will take time for you to trust me, but I hope you can find it in your heart to give me a chance. I am truly sorry, and I genuinely want to make amends."