ishq lost & found

56; Almost There

The night passed by in a breeze, the joy around them distracting the pair from their reality for a bit. Saad was skeptical, but ended up enjoying himself thoroughly, even momentarily forgetting that Ranya was still upset with him.

After most of the guests departed, the rest of her family and some extended but close cousins decided to stay later. It had been a while since they had caught up with Ranya, and hearing she was married and having her walima here was quite the shock.

"So when did you guys meet?" Walid asked Saad as the family congregated in the family room, the soft hum of the TV on in the background and multiple other conversations surrounding them.

"When we were kids. Our parents are friends." He told him, growing tired of this question but knowing it was one he'd be answering for the rest of eternity.

"Wow that's crazy! When'd you realise she was the one?" Walid asked, taking a sip of his chai as Saad contemplated his answer.

"Well... I don't know." He began, earning furrowed brows from Walid. "I guess I just always liked her. I always wanted her to be the one." Saad told him, keeping that part quiet in case Ranya hears because he was telling the truth about them for once. It was refreshing to be honest instead of worrying their scheme would fall apart.

Ranya, sitting across from them, a bit of a distance away, feigning interest in the conversation she was immersed in. Somehow she had ended up being the next victim of her eldest cousins incessant praise of her own kids, telling people stories they didn't want to hear.

Glancing towards Saad every once in a while, she wondered what they could possibly be talking about, especially since she wanted the story she told her cousin to match the story he hold her husband.

"He sounds so smart doesn't he?" She gushed, beaming while oblivious that Ranya had checked out of this conversation long ago.

"Oh, yeah! Totally." Ranya agreed, whipping her head towards his cousin before turning back to Saad as slyly as possible.

"They're getting along pretty well." She chimed, following Ranya's gaze which she quickly averted upon getting caught.

Clearing her throat, an attempt to play off her embarrassment she nodded, "Yeah. Surprisingly. Why don't we join them?" She suggested, walking towards them before her cousin could object or agree.

Taking a seat near by, confusing her cousin quite a lot, Ranya tried her best to tune out the chatter around them. Nothing will make sense, no matter how much she tries to listen in, it's impossible when his back is turned to her. What does help any more, is her cousins 4 year old crawling into her lap.

Eventually, giving up, Ranya dodges any question that may not match up with Saad's and focuses on her cousins life instead, having to go through the same conversation about each one of her kids. But at least Saad seemed to be having a good time getting along with her husband.

There was something about being in Pakistan with him that made her feel so weird. Maybe it was the fact that him meeting her extended family meant their relationship status was way more serious that she had thought, or the fact that that he was willing to drop everything for her sake that made her heart beat faster around him. But there was always something clawing at her, something holding her back.

Everything had been fine for a majority of the day, from the beginning it seemed like things were going back to normal and that maybe there was some hope for them. Especially after the night that he was sick. But, while she'd been finishing up the final touches of her look, of course something had to shake the security she felt lately.

Salman had found ways to relentlessly torture her, from calling her at work, at home, to texting her whenever and however he could. She had blocked countless accounts, countless numbers, and countless requests so many times that she had been contemplating telling his parents, but even they may fail to put a stop to it. She could handle it most of the time, especially because it was always something along the lines of, "Ranya let me talk to you.", or "I miss you. Pick up.".