Whispers of Love

Chapter 3

Roshni POV:

I watched until Saad's car disappeared down the road, a small smile on my lips as he peeked back and gave me a faint, warm grin. With the rain still lightly drizzling, I finally turned and headed home.

Once I got there, I dropped onto the living room couch, exhausted.

Ammi entered with a glass of water, her concerned eyes softening as she asked, "Aaj zyada kaam tha kya cafe mein? Itni thaki hui lagrahi ho" (Was there a lot of work at the cafe today? You look so tired).

"Haan, us admi ki wajah se mera kaam badgaya aaj" (Yes, my work increased today because of that man), I muttered under my breath.

Ammi frowned. "Kya?" she asked, not hearing me clearly.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that with all the rain, some customers came in soaked and ended up making the cafe a little messy," I replied, my voice hoarse from the day.

She looked concerned again. "Oh acha. Waise tumhari awaz aisi kyun hai rukhi-sukhi si?" (Oh, I see. But why is your voice so rough and dry?)

"Woh, kal raat maine bohat saari ice-cream khayi thi toh" (Well, I ate a lot of ice cream last night), I admitted sheepishly, my hand slipping behind my neck as I remembered how she'd warned me against it. A mischievous grin tugged at my lips. "Can you make honey ginger tea for me to fix my throat?"

With a playful sigh, she replied, "I warned you before not to eat ice cream, but you didn't listen. Ab ye bhi mein hi banau? Aage jaake kya hoga tera, Roshni? Kuch toh kaam khud kar le" (And now I'm the one who has to make your tea too? What will happen to you in the future, Roshni? At least do some work on your own).

Laughing, I teased back, "Mein apne shohar se saare kaam karwaungi, Ammi" (I'll make my husband do all the work, Ammi), grinning proudly.

She chuckled and shook her head as she left to prepare my tea. I made my way to my room to freshen up, and shortly after, she brought my tea in. 

Settling onto my bed, I took a sip, enjoying the soothing warmth, and decided to call Ezzeh, eager to share the day's events—especially about that man.

Author's POV: 

Meanwhile, Saad had returned home, but his mind was still lost in thoughts of Roshni: her name, her hazel-green eyes, and that rose fragrance that lingered in his memory.

He went straight to his room to freshen up, and after dinner, he called Asad, wanting to share the details of his day—and of her.

"Assalamualaikum, Asad," Saad greeted in a soft tone.

"Walaikumassalam, Saad. How come you remembered me out of the blue?" Asad teased.

"Well, actually, I wanted to share something with you," Saad admitted, a bit nervously.

"Oh wow! I'm all ears—start," Asad replied eagerly.

Saad hesitated but then launched into the story. "Today, I got caught in the rain and ended up at this small cafe-bookstore. There, I saw... her—a woman in a sky-blue suit with hazel-green eyes I just got lost in. Her rose scent filled the air around her. She was breathtakingly beautiful." He paused, feeling his cheeks warm. "She yelled at me for tracking mud into her bookstore, and I just stood there, smiling like an idiot. But, you know what the most surprising part was?"

"Oh wow! Bhabhi milgaye!" Asad laughed. "My best friend's finally fallen for someone! So what happened next?"

"Well, she handed me a mop and asked me to clean up the mess," Saad replied, his tone sheepish.