The Prince Of Hearts | ✓

chapter 30: bold and betrayed

"the only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion - sulaymaan." 

Faaris frustratedly turned around on his bed , trying to push away the thoughts gobbling up his peace . He had been blessed with a day off from work and was working harder than when he was at work to just fall asleep and rest .

The last few days had been very sudden and exciting at the same time with Inaya getting more closer and comfortable with him . He had not even dreamt of seeing a day where she would smile at him . Where her eyes would hold a drop of love and a dash of empathy in them .

The events of the past few days felt so much more like the visions of his thoughts that everytime he tried to brush them away , he would find himself reaching out for the pictures they had clicked together . Just so that he could be reassured .

One by one , all of the beautiful sides and the different smiles of Inaya had gotten deeply engraved in his heart . To the extent that every night he longed for her presence beside him .

He had always regarded Inaya as a capable and strong willed woman who stopped at nothing to get what she wanted . It wasn't her eyes or smile he had fallen for. Rather it was the spirit resting within the soft corners of her heart .

Earlier the other day , he had tried getting a little close to her . Mainly so that he could gaze into her eyes . But once he did that , he gripped her wrist as tight as he could , making sure to not hurt her too much . She did look like she had given up for the most part , her eyes glistening with unshed tears when her attempts to free her hand had failed .

He was devastatedly broken . For he was looking forward to a harder and powerful fight from her side . It pricked him deeply to see that she had given up rather hastily than what he had hoped for .

His grip had been still as tight around her wrist in hopeless anticipation that she would turn out to be the fire she was .

Much to his surprise , just a single jolt of her arm had made him snap his eyes up to her . She didn't hesitate even a second by pushing him away and he did pretty much topple to the other side of the couch .

Such was the art of attacking his beautiful wife . Not that he was complaining but only that he had thought she was way too weak to fight against the iron like grip of an army officer on her frail wrist .

Admittedly he diverted his gaze and found her moving along the hallway towards the kitchen . She had her back to him and was working on the counter in preparing what felt like hummus .

He was proud of her !

Proud of the woman she had built herself into .

Sarah watched Derek from a small crack in her door . She was all ready and in a matter of moments she knew she'd have to join him anyway .

Her legs were shaking . And to think she hadn't even seen him yet . All she was doing was taking a peek at him . His back was to her .

She noticed his slightly bulging muscles showing off through the shirt that was almost clinging to him . She actually wondered very  obliviously as to how their friendship had come up to such a point where she had agreed upon meeting him .

Sure she was very nervous and anxious around new people but somehow Derek seemed a different case . There was a particular aura around him that was very inviting and shouted protective and caring .

That day had arrived when she would be realistically speaking with the man she had dreamed of constantly . During the entire journey of their letters , she had learnt so much more about a personality he had kept hidden . What made her feel special was his confession that only his deceased mother acknowledged his weaknesses liberally .

He had always been a little distant from his father . They did share a pleasant relationship but he did not feel emotionally connected to him . Ever since the death of his mother , things that normally he discussed with her and sorted out had now began to toll heavily over his burdened mind . Deeply impacting his day to day activities .

In the last letter , he had mentioned that , he had found his mother's shadow in her .

A shadow that connected with his soul and interwined her strings of  words with the grooves of loneliness and isolation in his heart .