Gurya (Doll)

Episode 90

I had said that I will try to update by the end of July but it won't be double or long. So I had this written and decided to go ahead with it because I will be having exams at the end of july so I will be busy <3. ALSO I COULD NOT STOP FROM SHARING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He took off his helmet and handed it to her with a smile. After a few moments of looking at him questioningly, she took the helmet and put it on. They both walked towards the bike parked outside. Hassan had a passion for bikes, although at the moment he couldn't afford to buy a sports bike as they were very expensive. He sat in the front while Raima sat behind him. It was ten o'clock at night. Hassan had casually offered her a ride on the bike, not expecting her to accept, but she did. Now, they were riding through the streets of Lahore on their bike in the dark night. At that time, the roads in Lahore were busy. Lahoris didn't sleep early.

"Mujhe sahi se pakar lena. Gir mat jana."

(Hold on to me properly. Don't fall off.)

She had her hands on his shoulders, sitting in the same manner as him. She couldn't risk breaking her limbs by sitting "like women." After riding around for a while, Hassan stopped the bike in front of an ice cream shop. They stood there eating ice cream and chatting a bit. They had bought cones from the machine outside Raheem Store.

"Zindagi kitni bhi mushkil ho jaye, halaat kitne hi kharab kyun na ho jayein, kitne hi azeez log zindagi se kyun na nikal jayein, khud ko aur zindagi ko hamesha ek mauqa zaroor dena. Sumaira Hameed kehti hain muskurao ke rone ke liye koi din nahi bana."

She was lost in thought, looking at the children passing by. She turned her face towards him upon hearing his voice. He wasn't looking at her; he was looking at the sky.

(No matter how difficult life gets, no matter how bad the situation becomes, no matter how many dear ones leave your life, always give yourself and life a chance. Sumaira Hameed said, " Smile because no day is made for crying".)

A bit of the sky was visible through the electric wires.

Why did he feel the need to say this at that moment? Raima let the thought remain a thought. She didn't try to ask. She rarely asked anyway. Most questions only formed in her mind; she didn't allow them to come to her lips. Hassan reached into his pocket and took out the key. He had just said it casually. He felt like it. For some reason, he felt that she didn't give herself a chance, that she punished herself. The wounds on her wrists were practical evidence of the punishments she inflicted on herself. Or maybe... he wanted to say in hidden words that she should give him a chance... give this relationship a chance. If the same thing was said directly every time, it would lose its significance. So now he started saying it indirectly. The background of every conversation was a desire, a request for a chance.

And whether it was because of that conversation or his efforts, the next few days went well for them. Almost every other night, they spent time eating and drinking while roaming the streets of Lahore. They couldn't afford to go to five-star restaurants every day, so sometimes they would eat a little from a roadside stall or a food cart. The truly valuable thing was their "companionship." When she was with him, who needed a five-star restaurant? Even a food cart at the corner of the street felt like a five-star experience. They might have been doing childish things these days, but whatever they did, they were happy. At night, they would make iced coffee, grab their cups, and go for a walk in the streets. When the streetlight shone on their faces, it was clear how happy they were. Life felt good with each other's company. Raima rarely laughed. She still laughed sparingly, but the difference now was that he was among those who made her laugh. He made her laugh. The time spent with him was now memorable. Instead of dwelling on the past, she lived in the present, and the future seemed beautiful. And for him... life couldn't get any more beautiful. He had found this girl's company. She had become a part of his life.