LOVE TRIALS

xix

The more you love
the more you suffer.

Vincent Van Gogh

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Hold tight! :(

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Several weeks, later Sophia visited Hamza at his office with lunch.

He watched her stroll into his workspace with a lazy smile on his lips and then, he switched his gaze to concentrate on the sheets of paper spread on his desk.

Sophia clicked her tongue, undoing her niqab and loosened her scarf, she loosely draped it over her head. The lovely curls in her hair sprang to life as she waited patiently for Hamza to go sit by her side.

"Come on, aren't you hungry?" Sophia beckoned him when he didn't immediately come, opening the lunch box with some kebabs, salad and roti.

Much like her parents, most would despise her for doing so- for returning to him after everything he had put her through but so what. She would rather be with him than without him.

"Another-" Hamza shut his mouth and quickly closed the dossier he'd been working on when the delicious smell of his wife's cooking wafted in his nose.

"Did you send the driver to pick Ardashir from school?" He inquired, glancing at the clock.

Sophia shook her head in an affirmative, watching him walk up to her, favouring his right leg. He didn't bring his cane with him.

"Mehboob will bring him, here. I packed lunch for the both of you."

Hamza dropped a kiss on her forehead before taking his place beside her and began to narrate the activities of the half-day he had to spend at work as Sophia served him lunch. At least, he was trying to do that.

"Why aren't you eating?" He frowned.

"I am not hungry. Don't you get distracted in the middle of the story," Sophia rebuked, she earned a throaty chuckle from Hamza in return. Hamza happily resumed telling her about his day, he was also quite pleased to see the silver earrings he had gifted, dangling in her ears when she nodded her head at him.

Sophia listened to him, attentively with a small smile playing on her lips. Nothing eclipsed it, anymore. Her hand rested on his knee, kneading it, soothing the ache there.

"Sophia, the kebabs are delicious," Hamza complimented, licking his fingers. He sneaked another morsel into her mouth despite her declaration.

Sophia clasped her hands in her lap. Brilliant tears shone in her eyes, she chewed with difficulty for a cotton ball was stuck in her throat.

"You're going to be a father, Hamza," Sophia spilt, heedlessly with her mouth full and her heart fuller.

Hamza stilled, he had been closing the lid of the container when she broke the news to him.

"What?" Hamza had stilled.

"I am expecting," Sophia repeated. She smiled, nervously.

"I am going to be a father? Truly?" Hamza asked, he shifted to face her completely with an ear to ear grin splitting his lips as the lid of the container lay bereft on the centre table. "How many weeks?"

"Five weeks," Sophia held up a hand and beamed at him with a sweet blush even as tears fell down her cheeks.

"When did you learn?"