Scented Roads

(23) Observations

Ala

When you are love sick, you forget all rationality. But when that phase passes, you finally start asking the real questions. Ala and Ayaan hung out a lot this past few months. They met in the summers and it is winter now. Two seasons have passed by so quickly, that Ala couldn't even register it when she saw the date on the calendar. It is October now. And it's starting to get really cold in the evenings.

Ala has had the time of her life hanging out with Ayaan. They have been to beautiful place, beautiful restaurants, and have had the sweetest moments she could imagine. Ala did a lot of the things she had imagined to do with her lover. She went on rides with him in early mornings, watched the sunset with him on beautiful beaches, made him lunchboxes... her life started to revolve around Ayaan.

Yet, she realised today, they had never talked about their relationship. 

They laughed together, complimented each other, Ala had told Ayaan she liked him, Ayaan had told Ala he liked her, yet they never spoke about what they are and what they will be in the future. Ala realised how careless she had become ever since she met Ayaan. She was never one to get into something without knowing for sure it would lead to marriage. Sure, she is a carefree and spontaneous person, but never one to fall in love without keeping marriage in mind. That's just not how she has been raised.

Ala dressed up today, determined to talk to Ayaan of the future. She wanted to make it islamically right for them as soon as possible. She had let herself slip, because she was moving through emotions she had never experienced before, but it's never too late to stand back up and put things at the right place. 

She rushed to meet Ayaan after work. Ayaan and Ala had promised to meet at a park near Ayaan's workplace today. Ayaan came twenty minutes late but managed to find Ala in the park, waiting for him. He smiled widely when he looked at his pretty friend.

"Hey", he said, running until he reached Ala.

"Hey" Ala smiled back at Ayaan, just as widely as he did

"How do I always find you so easily?", Ayaan asks. He always spots Ala as soon as he reaches the place they decide to meet at. Even if they were to meet at an amusement park, he always spots Ala easily.

Ala just laughs at his question and shrugs. They decide to take a walk then. 

The weather is peaceful, cold but not bothersome. They walk around the park talking about their day and so on. After they have spoken enough about all random things, Ala decides to talk about what has been troubling her today.

"What are we Ayaan?", she asks. It takes a lot of strength to utter these words, all too much for Ala as she never imagined to ask such a thing to a boy before this. Yet, here she is, by her own choice, asking someone she likes about their own relationship.

"Lovers?", Ayaan says laughing, clearly surprised by the question but not too shocked.

"Lovers?", Ala repeats confused "that's no answer Ayaan. I want to know where we stand in this relationship and what our future is."

Ayaan halts, making Ala stop in her footsteps. He turns towards Ala and stares at her. This question confuses him. The future? What did she mean? He thinks about it for a few minutes and then answers her, "We will be what you want us to be." He says then. 

Ayaan has never been too immersed in his religion. He knows the basics and he sticks to the basics but that's all. Marriage before love, he would have never accepted it, let alone think of it. But now he's in love and if he has to, he doesn't mind taking the next step for his loved one.

Ala. The girl that stole his heart ever since their first meeting. He wanted to give her everything he had to offer. And if she wanted to move this relationship further, he would have no problem at all.

"Then let's be husband and wife." Ala says, shaking with emotion but standing strong "Let's get married Ayaan."

"Alright." He says as swiftly as he would agree to anything else in life. He smiles at Ala as she musters the courage to look him in the eye and smile, for her heart would not have allowed her to even stand straight at this moment. After a few sweet moments of looking at each other, smiling, and feeling as if it was all to unreal, the couple continue to walk around the park. When they get tired, they sit in the shade of a tree and rest there eyes. Then, they bid farewell and leave for there houses.

Ala gets herself mentally ready to talk to her parents about Ayaan, and Ayaan talks to his parents the very same day. Ala admires how easy Ayaan makes things for himself, yet could not muster the courage to tell her parents until the day Ayaan's parents came over to ask her hand in marriage. It was a shock to the family to see that Ala had already given her heart away to a person. They were so surprised that they felt a mixture of confusion, yet they were happy the kids had not continued a haram relationship. 

Ayesha walked in her room, troubled. She trusted Ala to have not made the wrong decision, yet she knew children will not always choose in their best interest. She knew how at the age Ala is in, Ala would not be able to see anything beyond a person's exterior. She knew well her child, so she knew it is right for her to worry. However, because it is the matter of Ala's future, she decides to give Ayaan a chance. She decides to meet the man herself and find about him what she can. 

Ayesha had been immensely upset when she found out that the kids had been meeting each other, but there is nothing she could do now. At least, she thinks, At least they brought it to the elders and didn't take this relationship too far. 

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What do you think? Is everything making sense in the story?