LOVE TRIALS

iv

Each time my intention
is something other
than You,
My cells rejoice in despair.

●

"Sophia, Can you hand me the towel?" Hamza hollered through the ajar door. He regretted deliberately leaving it behind in the room, she hadn't spoken a word to him since last night and he had wanted to see if she would react. He expected it to be along the lines of 'get it yourself' or ... something.

Hamza nearly turned into an ice sculpture while waiting for her but she didn't come, he came out of the bathroom to find her gone, his messy bed made especially when he had left her in front of the vanity to dress up as he went to shower. Sabeeha- Women took longer to dress up, it was baffling to think she was done in measly twenty minutes.

His cheeks and ears tinged red, goosebumps erupted on every inch of his naked flesh in the cold room, he was surprised to find his kurta shalwar laid out on the bed beside her wedding dress causing him to remember it's only been a day since his marriage. Despite her refusal to speak to him, her kindness warmed his heart.

Hamza wore the set of clothes without wasting another second appreciating the grey colour she had chosen for him. He combed his fingers in his stubble, walking out of his room. He was a married man for the second time in his miserable life, he stretched his left hand eyeing the glinting metal band on his ring finger, cool against his warm skin as he stopped short at the threshold hearing the sweet cackle of his nephews.

He squeezed his eyes and schooled his features. A soft smile was plastered on his face when he entered the living room.

"Assalamualaikum," His loud voice interrupted the easy banter as he walked up to his mother in law and bowed his head for blessings, greeted his sister and forced his eyes to skip his wife.

He heard his sister,"About time, you showed up, brother."

He had been rolling the sleeves of his kameez, moving to pick his little nephew, he hadn't learnt to differentiate Anaam from Amaan who had wobbled to Sophia on his tiny feet.

It's then he made the mistake of looking up, the sound of tinkling bangles had drawn his scattered attention to his newly wedded wife sitting beside his sister on the ottoman as she picked one of his nephews and settled him in her lap, allowing the curious kid a closer inspection of her golden bangles-

اور وہ تھم سا گیا-

He halted in his steps, time paused with him.

وقت دوست تھا-

Purple was absolute- without a shadow of doubt Sophia's colour, he thought- almost said it aloud. No one, not even Sabeeha had made him breathless, speechless with a mere sight before as she had. He saw her hair loose and almost believed his wish had come true, heavy earrings dangled in her small ears. He found himself admiring her dainty, henna painted hands holding the dupatta draped over her head before his eyes rose to appreciate the beauty her face was. Pert nose, the perfect set of lips set in a straight line, she didn't make an effort to speak to him.

He didn't, either not when the reality of her was better than any fantasy he's ever had- only she had the propensity of robbing his senses. She made him mentally deficient, he was unable to string a single coherent sentence.