𝐀𝐘𝐀𝐓: 𝐀 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐐𝐮𝐫'𝐚𝐧

chapter 24

She was still sitting on the swing, feeling good after her conversation with Ashar. As she gazed at the sky with satisfied eyes, blinking slowly, she drifted into her thoughts. Meanwhile, someone else in his home's open area was looking at the sky with hope in his eyes. A sad smile crept onto his lips, and he lowered his head as a tear fell from his eyes. His lips began to tremble, and his chin twitched.

Next Morning:

“Ammi, I’m going to university,” she announced as she hurried downstairs. Her pain from the surgery was almost gone, with only a slight discomfort at the stitch site.

“But beta, why university?” Salma asked from the kitchen, where she was making breakfast.

“Actually, Sidra wants to meet me. With Ramadan coming up, we won’t be able to see each other, so that’s why,” Ayat explained as she took a seat at the dining table. Salma came in with her favorite peanut poha.

“Hmm, okay... and here is your favorite peanut poha!” Salma said with a wide smile, and Ayat returned the smile.

“Thank you, Ammi!” she replied happily. Salma nodded and went back inside. By the time Ayat finished her meal, took her medicine, and put on her veil, she picked up her mobile and headed out.

××××××××××××××××××

Standing at the university gate, Ayat looked around, taking a deep breath and feeling nostalgic after being away for so long. Then her gaze landed on Sidra, who was approaching with a bag slung over her shoulder, wearing a long kurti, loose jeans, a hijab, and sneakers. Ayat thought she looked great. Sidra waved at her as she got closer.

“Oh madam, where are you lost, huh?” Sidra teased, and Ayat managed a tight smile under her veil.

“Just admiring your beauty. You really are beautiful, Sidra!” Ayat said honestly. Sidra’s smile widened, her chubby cheeks rising as her lips stretched into a grin.

“Thank you! But why this sudden praise?” Sidra asked, folding her arms across her chest.

“Huh? Can’t I praise your beauty, huh?” Ayat scoffed playfully, and Sidra straightened her posture with a nod.

“Let’s go inside,” Ayat suggested. Sidra looked at her.

“Let’s go to the library; we can talk there, and I need to borrow some books,” Sidra proposed. Ayat nodded, and they both headed toward the library.

When they entered, not many students were present.

“Let me grab some books, and then we can chat, okay?” Sidra said and wandered off in search of her reading material. Ayat stood there, bored, until a thought crossed her mind.

“Let’s look for that black book,” she said to herself, recalling Seher’s book. She wasn’t sure why she was interested in it, but she moved toward the bookshelves while Sidra continued her search.

As Ayat inspected the books, taking each one in hand to check its contents, she moved to another shelf. Standing in front of a tall bookshelf, she started pulling books out to see if any might be what she needed. Then, her eyes caught sight of someone through the gaps in the shelves. Bending down slightly, she looked carefully to identify the person. It was Ayaan, who was standing with the librarian, seemingly handing over some books. She thought, “It’s Ayaan,” just before he turned in her direction. Noticing him, she hurried over to Sidra without knowing why, causing Sidra to flinch.

“What happened?” Sidra asked, glancing in the direction Ayat had just looked. Her eyes widened in disbelief at seeing Ayaan after months. Sidra shrugged off Ayat’s hand and approached him, while Ayat watched in disbelief but eventually resumed her search for the book.