Retrouvailles

In B/W 5 (vii)

NOTE: Yes this chapter was published a few hours ago and then some editing issues happened but now all is fine and it is republished.

"First things first - Amna is not in the picture and she will never be." he tapped the table between them as a word of finality. "if you want I can swear on Anaya." 

her face went blank hearing his offer."no need and please let us not come to the point of swearing on our daughter...please." she requested him.

"Yes, I also felt so," he replied taking a glance at the small human sleeping in the middle of the bed.

" coming to the next point - whenever we feel something is bothering us about each other, we'll discuss it right away but if one of us needs time then we'll wait and not make assumptions." he narrowed his eyes at her reminding her of the two days she had purposely avoided him.

" you ran away, Fakhir. And I gave you enough time to come and talk with me so now don't expect me...

" and I am sorry you felt that way," his eyes were honest and the words felt genuine. " but from, now on we will wait for each other...okay!" he waited.

"Hmm." she could not help thinking how it was not just the Amna thing but he still had not talked to her about whatever it was concerning her father, Habeeb. But she wanted to give him the time as he asked just now."just don't take too long to clarify things, you know me, and you know how I grew wary of Baba just because he hid so many things from Amma among other things he did to her." she gave him the hint and prayed he tell her whatever it was about the man who had wrecked their lives all these years and thanks to him she will always be on her haunches about and around Fakhir.

"Yes, that is right, actually there are a few things we need to discuss other than this but those things can wait." he thought about the plans he had for them he had discussed with Samina this night but he knew those plans needed to wait until Annie trusted him enough to let him make decisions for them.

His words relieved her though they were both unaware of the expectations they had of each other."Do you trust me, Annie?" he asked her suddenly and it caught her off guard because she was still deep in her thoughts so she took some time to understand why he would ask her this question when the answer was clear.

 "of course why would you," he shrugged with a half smile and proceeded to say something else when she touched his arm. 

"I do, you are a good human Fakhir, yes you made mistakes and so many but you are trying to take your responsibilities, you are already a lovely father to our daughter and you know how much it means to me...Yes, I trust you but we both know we need so much time as a couple to understand our issues and our personalities and then there is a husband I have seen Amma deal with all her life so I keep trying to wash that image whenever it starts shadowing your picture and this thing, this worry I have is deep... you would become the best human possible still I would stop breathing in so many future moments because I would always be afraid you would make the same mistakes my father made." she was honest about her feelings just like she always has been.

 "We have discussed already this is the reason I didn't want us to continue this relationship." she could not look into his eyes now because she was imagining an imaginary scenario where he did all he could and she still did not trust that he was genuine, he was only hers.

"Yeah, I know that and these are the challenges we have to win over... just one request Annie, never make assumptions based on anything you didn't fully know. I know you are intelligent, but at the same time some things make both of us vulnerable, I told you mine and you know very well about yours but again we have to learn to trust each other," he told her turning her hand that covered his so that now he was holding her hand.