Of Broken Hearts

seven

Life is a balance of holding on and letting go.

***

Faik and Humera were so disappointed when they learnt that it was Agha Jaan, because of whom all the chaos has taken place in their children's lives. They didn't realize that a person could stoop so low as to do something as cheap as that until Basheer Qureshi has proved them wrong.

"Why didn't you tell us earlier, Leila?" Faik asked his daughter with a frown, he was seriously regretting not digging the matters deeper, if not for the promise he has made to her, then he'd have definitely found out who has dared to do such things to his only daughter.

"I knew you all would hate him and there would be such a big rift in the families, I just know." Leila cried in her mother's arms, who stroked her hair lovingly; trying to pacify her daughter.

"He didn't deserve to be loved anyway, I'm ashamed that he's my father," Faik muttered in a disgust filled voice.

Leila didn't have anything to say after that. She knew that things would get worse if they came to know about the reality. She didn't want to be the reason for wreaking such a big family and begged her father to let that matter go, he gave up as she swore on her life and took that damn promise from him.

"I don't want to talk about that horrifying day anymore. I want to let it go, let everything go so that I can start afresh, please ammi and abbu, we are not going to make any fuss out of this, okay?" Leila asked as she glanced at both of them with tired eyes. They nodded in agreement and after that day, nobody ever spoke of that night.

Days passed in a blur and just like that Leila has now graduated with her master's degree. No one in the family spoke with Basheer Qureshi anymore and slowly he stopped coming out of his room. His own wife was so disgusted by his actions that she sleeps in the guest room. The family was now back to how they used to be a year ago when all of this nonsense didn't take place. They were happy. Alhamdulillah!

Sheryaar and Leila had a silent agreement of taking things slow.

He respected her opinions and gave her the space that she wanted. But he didn't just fade away, he stayed around this time. Subtly stuck with her to prove that he won't be leaving her anytime soon. He used to always try and get her into any type of conversation with him. At first, it was awkward but things changed slowly. He even gifted her a cat on her twenty-second birthday as a sorry-for-everything type of gift and she could swear that it was the best ever gift. She loved cats and he was so using that. He did everything in him to woo her back, Leila did notice all of that and honestly, it was all she needed. To be assured that he wouldn't leave her and his every action was melting her like butter.

It was true that he didn't trust her, enough. Nor did she gave him a valid explanation. But nothing could be changed about that and they let it go. Mistakes were a part of a human anyway.

Slowly but steadily she has begun to warm up to him. They now talk with each other without that damn discomfort lingering in some corner and it was such a big process that everyone noticed. The elders were so happy for them both and all they ever pray was for Leila and Shehryaar to be happy again. In all the chaos, it was them who suffered the most for no fault of theirs and they both deserved nothing but happiness.

It was just another lazy day for Leila as she sat in the living room and munched on her favourite pakora, prepared by her ammi dearest. She has taken a year gap to take some much-needed rest and then she'd join in some job, that's what she has planned.

"Assalamualaikum." her head snapped at the tired voice of Shehryaar and a smile tugged at her lips involuntarily.

"Walaikum Aslam, busy day?" standing up from the sofa, she came forward whilst picking the mug of water and came towards him; who lazily fell on the sofa opposite to the one which she sat. Looking at the water in her hands, Shehryaar smiled gladly as he took it from her and gulped it in a go.