From Pain to Paradise

CHAPTER 9

As Hannah reached Faris' house, she felt a wave of nervousness wash over her. She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and knocked on the door. Faris' mother, Anisa, opened the door with a warm smile. "Assalamualaikum, Aunty," Hannah said, trying to sound calm.

Anisa's face lit up with happiness. "Walaikum salam, beta!" she exclaimed, embracing Hannah tightly. "Come in, come in!"

As they entered the house, Hannah met Faris' father, who greeted her warmly. Anisa then asked her to sit while she called Faris. "Faris, come downstairs! Hannah is here!"

After a moment, Faris appeared, descending the stairs with a slow smile. But as he approached Hannah, he seemed to become lost in her beauty. He stood before her, frozen, his eyes fixed on her face.

Hannah smiled, but Faris didn't seem to notice. It wasn't until Sarim, his younger brother, waved his hand in front of Faris' face that he snapped back to reality.

"Hey, sorry about that," Faris said, greeting Hannah belatedly. "This is my younger brother, Sarim."

Sarim grinned at Hannah. "Finally, I get to meet you! Bhai hasn't stopped talking about you, and Ammi is really impressed by you."

Hannah was taken aback by the warm welcome, but she smiled and tried to play along. They chatted for a while until Anisa called them to the dinner table.

"Come, beta, dinner is ready!" she said, beckoning them to follow her.

As they made their way to the table, Hannah couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder at the warm and loving atmosphere of Faris' home. She felt grateful to be included, and her nerves began to settle.

As they sat around the dinner table, Faris' father, Jahangir, turned to Hannah and asked, "So, Hannah, what do you study?"

Hannah smiled and replied, "I'm a literature major, sir. I love reading and writing, and I'm hoping to become a writer one day."

His face lit up with interest. "That's fascinating! What's your plan after university?"

Hannah thought for a moment before responding, "I'm not entirely sure yet, sir. I'm still exploring my options."

Just then, Faris' younger brother, Sarim, piped up and said, "Hey, Hannah, why did the writer bring a ladder to the party?"

Hannah laughed and played along. "I don't know, why?"

Sarim grinned mischievously. "Because he wanted to take his writing to new heights!"

Faris rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Sarim, you're such a dork."

But Hannah just laughed and said, "That's actually kind of clever!"

As the conversation continued, Faris couldn't help but be obsessed with Hannah. He couldn't take his eyes off her, and he found himself hanging on her every word. He loved the way she laughed, the way she smiled, and the way she made him feel like he was the only person in the room.

After dinner, Faris offered to drive Hannah home. As they reached her house, Faris stopped the car and turned off the engine. He turned to Hannah, his eyes shining with emotion.

"Hannah, I wanted to say something to you before I drop you off," he said, his voice low and husky.

Hannah's heart skipped a beat as she wondered what he was going to say.

"I'm going back to London tomorrow," Faris said, his words hitting Hannah like a ton of bricks. Her heart fell, thinking that she would never see him again.

But then Faris continued, "I wanted to say something before I leave tomorrow. Actually, I wanted to say it from the moment I met you at the cafe."

Hannah's curiosity was piqued. "I fell in love with you at first sight, Hannah," Faris confessed, his eyes locked on hers. "I know it sounds crazy, but I couldn't help the way I felt. Every moment I spent with you, I fell deeper and deeper in love."