Wanting Her(#1)

15

Fateh was awake a long time in the dark--for two hours, thinking and not thinking, in that barren state which is not sleep, nor yet full wakefulness, and that is a painful strain. He tossed and turned but just couldn't find the right position.

A lingering haze of sleep sat somewhere at the back of his mind but was too far away to reach, floating in the pool of his memories.

Icy discomfort blossomed in his chest and made it difficult for him to breathe. Trying to make himself fall into slumber, He took as deep breaths as he could, but many just get caught in his throat, like an icy wind had blown down there and managed to freeze the air solid. At that moment, He knew this was going to be a long night.

He could not shake of the anxiousness that lay in the depth of his mind, the silence and darkness was becoming more difficult to hack.

His mind was constantly regurgitating the worries of the day, the worries of tomorrow, the worries of yesteryear. Yet he had no new or brilliant solutions to offer, he can only do what he have always done- drown alone in his misery.

When Alhaji ceded his condition, he knew that was the least he could do for the girl, proper marriage rituals, as her father demanded but his sanity couldn't help but be threatened by it. That condition was enough to put him between the devil and the deep blue sea.

True, he had no one to call his own , his father was long gone both in his life and the world entirely, leaving him with no one and nothing but a deadly world crammed with pernicious people and crunch of peace.

The sole reason for his sleeplessness turns out to be his last resort but that also is an arduous task, he doubt if she will ever want to lay her eyes on his face again, let alone be benevolent enough to render help to him, not after what transpired years ago between them.

The last formidable glare she sent his way at their last encounter , along with the message her glistening eyes were conveying , relived in his mind, the mere thought of that made Fateh shudder, and begin to subconsciously wipe the precipitation that was pooling on his forehead with the aid of the back of his hand.

If ever she is to heed to his request then there's only one person that can maneuver her to even look at him even after all that he had done to her.

He could not wait for dawn to come, there's a call he has to make, no , the call he 'must' make, one that was long overdue.

With that thought in mind, sleep creeped into his room and stealthily took him away to the deepest slumber he has had in weeks.

Noor stayed back at the garden for longer than an hour even when her father, Alhaji Ismail, left her there some minutes ago, only for him to come back and ushered her in for breakfast.

She gave him her ever sweet smile that never reached her eyes and declined politely saying she's not hungry, knowing his daughter, Alhaji had no option but to bring  the food to her new found solitude.

She forced the third spoon of food into her mouth, her throat was stuffed with bolus and choking on air, her mind was rejuvenating the dogs life she had lead, that gets her lachrymose every time.

The mantra she kept chanting to herself to be strong has evaporated from her mind as her floodgates exploded and she burst into tears.

Noor knew that at some point she had to let it out, she cant deny herself of her feelings even though she is hellbent on not allowing them surface, what she didn't know was for the breakdown to be this soon.

Her throat contracted, with the painful forced stifle, she swallowed the lump in her throat.

She knew a life in fool's paradise awaits her when she gave her consent to swallow the bail,in this case, the tycoons' proposal.