Finding Love

Chapter 1

The sunlight peeked through the slightly ajar curtains, reflecting its rays on the massive brass vase, in the right corner, and onto the chandelier, throwing a surreal glow into the huge living room.
The room, was set with deep crimson couches against a backdrop of light cream walls-a crimson Afghani rug, running across the floor. Drenched in the hues of dawn, was a painting poised on the wall behind the four seater couch.

Sitting on one of the couches, with the newspaper in his hand, and a cup of steaming hot ginger tea on the teapoy, was Amaar Abdullah. This, was what the Abdullah household typically was, every morning.

As his son raced down the humongous stairway, engaged in a furious conversation on the phone, Amaar just had to look up from his new paper, to know what was wrong.

"This is the last time I'll be tolerating this, Mr. Caplan! And I assume, you do realise that last means last, this time!"
Sighing, Amaar set the news paper down, as Saif made his way to the living room, and onto the couch opposite his father. Eyeing his son in silence, Amaar waited in patience, for his son's anger to fade.

"Caplan messed up the records once again, dad. And this time around, pretty badly. He's misplaced the files even after Kabir specifically told him to be cautious with them", Saif said to his father, letting out a shaky breath.
Amaar was listening in rapt attention, to his son's rant about all that was going wrong in their company, with a nod every now and then, to acknowledge Saif's statements.

As Saif stormed out of the house, Amaar couldn't help but compare how his two sons were just polar opposites to each other.

While Saif was the hauty, short tempered, head strong, expressive one, who kept yelling at everyone around him at the slightest of glitch, Kabir, on the contrary, was the soft spoken one, who rarely expressed his emotions, leading people to believe he was a social recluse.
His eyes were not just ice blue, they were cold. Emotionless and just, cold. Saif, on the contrary, had inherited his maternal genes, as far as his orbs were concerned. He had warm brown eyes, which almost held the glint of a smile, which rarely graced his face though.

Kabir Abdullah, 25 years old, going on to be 26 soon. A perfect bachelor, as many thought of him, thanks to his looks, lineage, and... well, persona!
The authority that he exuded, in every word and every glance, was well known of.

Unlike Saif, he never yelled, unless compelled to, but, his coldness was something most people were aware of.

He did come off to many as rude, and sarcastic, because that's what he wanted the world to know of him. The newspapers and magazines, flashed with his photographs at times, where he masked his cold heart with that fake smile. And Kabir, never spoke much. At least, not after ....

Delving deep into this thought, it took Amaar quite a few minutes, to brush off the agonising flash of memories, and compose himself. He took a deep breath, before resuming his daily routine, of newspaper and tea.

But the mind can never be in peace for far too long, as soon, Kabir descended down the stairs, and into the living room, occupying the exact same couch that Saif had, a few minutes ago.
The minute Amaar's eyes landed on his younger son, he sensed something was wrong, and his mind was instantly clouded with worry, as he was unable to decipher what had gone awry. Surely, it was not Caplan that Kabir was troubled about. Not this time around.

"Noorie has met with an accident. She's critical, and under observance", Kabir said, after a good five minutes, his gaze downcast, at his palms.

Amaar froze, shocked at what he just heard. Lunging forward, he hugged his son tightly, and managed to whisper, "She'll be fine. Come", before heading out, to the garage, and into his car. Slamming the door shut, he raced through the city, to Saint Bartholomew's Hospital...

***************

"She's my daughter, Ayat", Razaak introduced his beloved daughter to his guests. The family of three, smiled a formality at Ayat, as she took her seat, next to her father, after serving the guests their cup of tea, and a plate full of biscuits laden with bits of tootifruit, and cashews.
Eyes cast down and dressed in the mundane shalwar kameez, she resembled the typical desi girl, whose future in-laws had come to pay her family a formal visit, and talk of how her match would be, for their beloved son.

"Razaak Bhai, we'd love to have Ayat as our daughter-in-law. She, is just perfect for our Asif."

Fate was sealed, and life was caged. But opinions, didn't matter, in this mystic city of magic, for it was families and their honour, that matter more than love, life, peace, and, happiness....

*A/N: Indeed, a short chapter. The ones ahead too will be a little short. They're all the introduction of characters. Please bear with me!