Holding on and Letting go [Complete]

18) She didn't remember his face.

As the days rolled by multiplying into weeks, so did Sabeen and Zeliha's meet ups. In a span of just few weeks, they had become really good friends. Zeliha's behavior toward Ayat had also changed a lot. Mainly, because she helped her, and also because Ayat never actually gave her anything to be mad at but to say there was something else cooking in her head, too, wouldn't be an overstatement.

Being a fashion freak as she once was, Ayat abandoned that part of hers and started saving money. Her only aim, now, was to save as much money as she could for the NGO she'd build one day. The day she got her first salary, her first wage pure out of her hard work and sweat, she was over the moon. For a formality of course, she handed each and every penny over to Sabeen and once she had devoured the feeling of giving her first income to her parent, she took it back. Just for her own fun, at first, Sabeen refused to give it back and after having a good laugh at Ayat's scared expression, she returned it, just as fresh as it was given to her which was a proof she never really touched her money.

The first thing Ayat did with it was; she went to a nearby mosque and put a few bunches out there in the donation box. And after buying a dress for Sabeen, submitted the rest in her account abstaining to buy anything for herself. She already had everything she needed. If only she could get that watch back, but she knew it wasn't possible.

Working on one task after another, her theoretical and analytical skills had quite heightened and being absorbed in her work all the time, she wouldn't get any spare time to brood over matters that only caused her pain and nothing else.

After that day, Sabeen had stopped extending the conversation on the matter of her marriage but there was something in her stance that didn't pass unnoticed by Ayat. She wanted to figure out what was brewing in her head but as she wasn't familiar with any incantation to get inside Sabeen's head, she dropped the idea and got herself busy in work. Also, she knew Sabeen well enough to know she'd definitely come to her and spill out everything only if it concerned her happiness.

Anointing her eyes with the back of her hands, she sat up on her bed and extending both her arms up on either side of her head, curled her fingers to her palms, stretching for a good whole minute. It had been a while since she had gotten such a peaceful and deep slumber. Work had taken a toll on her and as yesterday, the load slipped off of everyone's shoulders including hers with the next product finally being sold, she slept whole night like a baby without any care in the world. And as it was Saturday she woke up at twelve o'clock.

Pushing the quilt off of her torso, she slipped her feet into her slippers, and walking toward the window, drew the curtains open. The weather was good and so was her mood. Kids and adults were out there in the streets and terraces, decorating every nook with paper flags in celebrations of independence-day that was just around the corner.

It was so soothing to see everyone, regardless of their age, take part in the activity. This is the beauty of our people. We may always obsess and even throw expletives at the condition of our country but when it comes to love, it always exceeds and succeeds.

As the kids ran here and there, holding the ropes to hang paper flags from, adults huddled around in fixing the halyard on a huge flag pole for hoisting the flag up on the sound of national anthem on 14th August.

The echoes of national songs were also wrapping up the premises in its envelop as everyone sang along in synchronization while completely engrossed in the task each was assigned to. Each and every house was embellished with fairy lights strategically dangling from terraces and windows which, right now, were switched off. Just last night, she also went up to the roof and strung the railings with them with Sabeen's help and put up a flag pole which she could still feel fluttering above her window in rhythm with the wind.