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In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.

Three Years Later

Omer

The night was beautiful, more beautiful than it had been in many weeks with the full moon blessing the inhabitants of the earth with its view, the light breeze soothing. The night was ascending but the movements inside the house said otherwise. With the spectral view of lights coupled with noises from all around, the house sizzled energy.

The wind whirled around the man who was standing in the porch, a black shalwar qameez adding enigma to his handsome face. Ordering directions here and there, he seemed well occupied with the preparations of the lawn, his black eyes attentive.

"Set the flowers on the right side of the stage and..." Omer's voice was surrounded with plenty more, loud noises coming from all around the house.

"Bhai! Bhai!" Saad's loud voice halted Omer's arm that was extended in the air and pointing something to one of the workers.

Omer turned around to face Saad who was emerging from the main door, a frown decorating his voice. Swiftly, he made his way towards his elder brother and with each passing step, the lines on his forehead stood out.

From him, Omer's gaze went to his daughter, Mashal, who was crying loudly in the circle of Saad's arms. As soon as the girl's eyes landed on her father, her cry ceased, now being replaced by an innocent pout. Not a second later, she extended her small arms towards her father, hurrying to get out of her uncle's hold.

"Here, take her!" Saad extended Mashal towards Omer and he smiled wholeheartedly before he collected his daughter from Saad's hold.

"Why is my baby crying?" Omer asked smilingly as he bent forward and kissed his daughter on the cheek.

"Your baby just woke up and she has been crying for her father ever since." Saad informed him annoyingly and Omer's heart swelled as he wiped Mashal's face and kissed her again.

"Where is Fariya?" Omer asked as he patted his daughter's head gently.

"She is with Urwa and Maida." Saad informed and Omer nodded his head before turning his attention towards his daughter.

"Baba, Mathal was looking fol you evelywhele." Mashal rubbed her sleepy eyes as she addressed her father in her childish tone and Omer pulled on a serious expressions, his still still twinkling though. (Baba, Mashal was looking for you everywhere.)

"Baba was outside working, sweetheart." Omer replied as he saw his daughter looking at him with upset shadowing her eyes.

Mashal was a copy of Omer, except her eyes which bore resemblance to her mother's hazel ones. People always said she was Omer's younger version and nothing ever used to make him more happy than this remark.

"What wolk, Baba? And who all theje people?" Mashal roamed her eyes over the people working to set lawn up and brought them back to her father, her hazel eyes still red and sleepy. (What work, Baba? And who are these people?)

"These are workers, sweetheart. They have come to prepare the lawn." Omer told his daughter while looking at her small, angelic face.

"But whele will Mathal play then?" A new concern arose in Mashal's heart and she asked her father in panic. (But where will Mashal play then?)

"Ahh, she really is your daughter." Saad, who was observing the father-daughter's conversation, remarked laughingly and Omer only blessed him with a glare before turning his attention back to his daughter.

"The lawn will be the same in two days, sweetheart. Then Mashal and Baba will play there." Omer pinched her round cheeks slightly before looking over her head to the workers.

"Set the chairs. I'll be back." He said, rather lowly considering Mashal who was in his arms.

"Why aren't you ready yet?" Omer asked Saad as they began to move towards the main door.

"Come on, Bhai. The groom should always be late." Saad shook his head over his brother's little knowledge and Omer only rolled his eyes as he stepped inside the house.

"I highly disagree. It's your Nikah and you should be ready soon." Omer said, Mashal now playing with buttons of his Qameez.

"And I highly disagree with your philosophy." Saad shrugged his shoulders and Omer shook his head as he saw Saad bending towards Mashal to kiss her but she hid her face in her father's neck, crying loudly.

"What does your daughter have with me? I'm her father's only brother!" Saad straightened and asked, his eyes looking at Mashal who was now looking at him with angry eyes.

"Allah is finally making you pay for all the times you teased her and her parents." Omer smirked before walking towards the stairs.

"She is Fari's daughter! I can win her over with chocolates." Omer heard Saad's voice from behind and laughed.

"She is my daughter too. It won't be that easy to convince her." Omer replied as he climbed the stairs and heard Saad's bark of laughter from behind.

"What ij gloom, Baba?" Mashal asked as he walked towards the living room and Omer stopped for a second before laughing. (What is groom, Baba?)

"Groom is the man getting married, darling." Omer said as he reached the top of the staircase and started to make his way towards Maida's room.

"Saad Chacho ij the gloom?" She fixed her innocent eyes at Omer as she asked and Omer nodded his head while smiling. (Saad Chacho is the groom?)

"Yes, child." Omer answered and as he neared Maida's room, he saw the door opening and Fariya getting out of it.

"Oh, there you are. I was coming to look for you." Fariya said just as her eyes landed on both of them and quickly made her way towards them.

"Mama, you plomised Mathal you won't go anywhele while she sleepsh." Mathal quickly pouted as she addressed her mother. (Mama, you promised Mashal you won't go anywhere while she sleeps.)

Fariya pulled on a sad expression as she extended her arms towards Mashal but she only coiled her small arms around Omer's neck and leaned into him. Omer and Fariya both smiled at the gesture, knowing clearly well that Mashal was a hundred times more attached to her father than her mother.

"Mama is very sorry but she had some work, honey. You know, Maida Khala is getting married." Fariya pinched her cheeks as she said.

"Maida Khala ij the gloom?" Mashal questioned her father with innocent, confused eyes and Omer started laughing remembering Mashal's previous questions. (Maida Khala is the groom?)

"No, she's the bride. Saad Chacho is the groom." Omer answered as he kissed her cheek and Mashal giggled.

"Omer, I placed your clothes on the bed. Why are you not ready yet?" Fariya asked as all three of them made their way towards their room.

"I was busy with the arrangements. Besides, I hardly take more than 10 minutes to get dressed. It's you who should be worried. The guests will be arriving at any time now." Omer said laughingly as he opened the door of his room and stepped in, succeeding Fariya.

"Had I not known you, I would have melted at this concern." Fariya laughed as she took Mashal from Omer's arms after pampering her a little.

"Mashal has to get ready for the function, doesn't she? Mama will make her wear her new dress." Fariya said and Mashal leaped into her arms hurriedly.

"Yesh, Mathal will weal a new dless." She cried softly and Fariya laughed before taking her in the washroom. (Yes, Mashal will wear a new dress.)

Few minutes later, she got out of the washroom, holding Mashal who was wrapped inside the towel, her black hair glistening with water. Omer saw as Fariya lowered her on the bed and turned towards the closet. Turning back with a pink and black frock in her hands and after picking major accessories from the dressing table, she walked towards the bed.

"Omer, stop staring. Go and get ready." Fariya's words pulled him out of the reverie of thoughts which were roaming around his wife and daughter.

How blessed he was to have both of them in his life!

Sadness is a phase, it does not make a permanent residence in our hearts. Luckily for him, that phase had passed and what remained behind was nothing short of immeasurable happiness and contentment.

On hearing Fariya, Omer laughed before shaking his head. Picking his own clothes from the bed which Fariya had chosen for him, he walked towards the washroom, hearing Mashal's cute talks as she conversed with her mother.

Fariya

The knee length embroidered shirt added elegance to her figure as she watched her reflection in the mirror. Even with light make-up and minimal jewellery, she dressed to ruin hearts. The wrist watch clasped around her wrist indicated that time was running short and the hurry in her movements was an alibi.

Giving herself a final glance and adjusting her hair for the last time, she picked up her dopatta from the bed and stepped into the golden heels, her gait hurried. Turning off the lights, she stepped out of her room and hurriedly walked towards the staircase, her eyes fixed ahead as she saw Urwa approaching from Maida's room at the other side.

"Maida's ready?" Fariya asked as she stepped closer.

"The beautician is just giving the final touches." Urwa informed her as both of them started descending the stairs.

"Where's my niece?" Urwa asked joyfully as she turned her head around towards her sister-in-law.

"She went downstairs with Omer. I have no where she is now." Fariya laughed as she reached the bottom of the stairs but stopped when her eyes landed on Omer who was standing by the door.

His eyes found her, instinctively, and his movement halted abruptly. Appreciation clouded his vision as he roamed his eyes over her body. The way his hand stopped in mid-air, the way a startled expression descended on his face followed by a small smile told her much more than words ever could. Omer didn't need to say she looked beautiful, his eyes did the task for him.

Smiling, he made his way towards her, his eyes never once wavering from her beautiful face. Urwa, who had seen Omer's expressions passed Fariya a meaningful look before walking towards the Lounge.

"You look...breathtaking." He said after having a good look at her from up close.

"Your eyes are very talkative, no?" Fariya smiled shyly, softly as she looked at him.

"Only for you, darling. Only for you." He said with a toe-curling smile fixated on his handsome face.

If only, Omer had grown more handsome over the years. The roughness in his features that she had always fallen for had only intensified, pulling Fariya in with a force she could not resist. She had long forgotten the count of the times she had frozen on her place just on seeing him.

"Your eyes are too, Fari." He laughed after a moment and Fariya lowered her face, smiling while blushing.

"Where's Mashal?" Fariya asked once she was again able to talk.

Four years with this man and yet her heart hadn't learned to control itself when he is around!

"She is with Ammi and Chachi in the lounge." Omer smiled as he looked at her, his eyes soft.

"I'll check on her. Are all the preparations done?" She said as both of them walked towards the TV Lounge together.

"Yeah. All done." Omer said as he opened the door of the lounge and stopped for a second as Fariya stepped in first.

"Fari child, you look beautiful." Tayi Ammi said and Fariya smiled shyly before walking towards her.

Mashal was sitting in her Dado's lap, her small fingers playing with the embroidery at the borders of her shirt. On seeing her parents, she extended her hands towards Omer who picked her up from his mother's lap before sitting on the sofa too.

"Omer, is Saad ready?" Fariya's mother asked as she looked ahead at her son-in-law.

"He isn't yet. He says that the groom should always be late." Omer told while laughing, his eyes moving between Mashal and Fariya's mother.

"Oh, my. What will I do with this man?" Omer's mother shook her head, exasperated.

"Relax, Ammi. Maida will handle him." Urwa said jokingly and a laughter rang around the room.

"Dado, Mathal wansh to see Maida Khala." Mashal said and all eyes turned towards her, all faces smiling. (Dado, Mashal wants to see Maida Khala.)

"You will, child. In a while." She said smilingly as she bent ahead slightly and Mashal giggled happily.

"Ammi, you all should go outside. The guests will be coming..." Omer had not yet completed his sentence before the door of the room opened and in stepped his father.

"Momina and Salaar's family have arrived. Come outside!" He said hurriedly as he entered the room and everyone stood up hurriedly, leaving the room to welcome the guests.

"Dada Abbu!" Mashal said loudly as everyone was going out and Omer's father stopped.

"Yes, my child?" He said softly as he stopped beside his son.

She extended her arms towards him and he smiled before taking her from Omer. The only person Mashal was more attached to than her father was her grandfather. The bond that they shared was one Fariya had never witnessed before.

"Syla pho-pho hash come?" She asked as Taya Abbu carried her outside, Fariya and Omer walking behind him. (Syra Phoppo has come?)

"Yes and Mashal's friends had also come." He kissed her on the cheek as they stepped out in the night.

"Umail and Ha-adia?" She asked excitedly and Taya Abbu nodded his head. (Umair and Hadia?)

Syra and Salaar had two kids, Umair and Hadia. Umair was only 7 months older than Mashal and Hadia was a year old. All three of them were exceptionally close to each other.

"Assalam-u-Alikum!" Syra's voice made her turn her look ahead and she smiled wholeheartedly before engulfing her in a hug.

"Waalikum-Assalam." Fariya said as she pulled back from the hug and now greeted Salaar who was standing beside his wife.

"How's Maida doing?" Syra asked just as Omer came to stand beside her and greeted Salaar.

"Oh, she's nervous. I've never seen her like this in my entire life." Fariya remarked while laughing, closely followed by everyone.

"She's getting married to Saad. It's normal to be nervous." Omer said jokingly and a laughter rang around the lawn once again.

"I agree. Poor girl does not know what she's getting herself into." Salaar said smilingly and Fariya laughed, throwing back her head.

Saad and Maida's marriage was not even in anybody's mind until one day, her class fellow's proposal came for her. Everyone thought it was a perfect proposal, everyone but Saad. He didn't say anything but his actions were loud enough to compensate for his unsaid words. He turned so serious those days, hardly talking, and it was his mother who first understood. She talked to everyone and tonight, they were going to get tied in a knot.

"I never thought they'd end up together. They always used to fight so much." Fariya said laughingly.

"I did." Syra remarked followed by everyone's laughter.

"I'll go meet Phoppo." Fariya excused herself after a minute as she went to find her Phoppo.

Spotting her with her mother and Tayi Ammi, Fariya made her way towards them. On the way, she looked around to catch the sight of Mashal and saw her playing with Umair and Hadia in the middle of the lawn.

"Assalam-u-Alikum, Phoppo." Fariya said energetically and her Phoppo turned towards her before engulfing her in a hug.

"Waalikum-Assalam, child." She said as she patted Fariya's head a little.

"How are you?" She asked.

"I am fine, child. Age is taking its toll but I'm fine." She said and Fariya shook her head.

"Oh, no, Phoppo. You're still young." Fariya side hugged her and everyone laughed.

"I wish Ammi was here." Phoppo remarked after a moment, sadly, and a sudden silence fell on them.

Dado passed away a year ago but it still felt like it was yesterday. For Fariya, it was like losing her father all over again and the pain was sometimes breathtaking. If it hadn't been for Taya Abbu and her mother, she would have completely lost it.

"She is here. And she must have been so happy to see her grandchildren getting married." Tayi Ammi said and Fariya nodded her head slightly.

An hour later, the lawn was filled with people and the moon saw as a woman walked down the lawn towards the stage, her sisters beside her. The woman was elegantly dressed. Her dress was not heavy but her lashes were, descending with the strength of shyness.

Fariya and Urwa made Maida sit on the sofa beside Saad, who was smiling wholeheartedly as he took in the sight of her. After adjusting her dopatta and reassuring her again, she went to a side and stood beside Omer just as Molvi Sahab stepped on the stage.

Molvi started the ceremony and Fariya's chain of thoughts went back to her own Nikkah ceremony and a small smile played with her lips. Omer was standing beside her, Mashal in his arms, and she didn't know if she could get more happy than this.

All the broken pieces of life had fallen back in its place, all the mysteries were revealed and yet, this was not the end. Life still had a stock full of surprises for her but this time, she knew she wouldn't have to go through them alone.

She had her Omer with her, she had Mashal and she had her family. No matter what curve ball life might throw at her, she knew she would have the energy to face it with everyone by her side. That's life, it never ceases to surprise you but that's family too, it never ceases to protect you.

Just as Maida's shy words of I do reverberated her ears, she slipped her hand in Omer's and held on to them tightly. Omer turned his head towards her with a beautiful smile lifting the corner of his lips and Fariya knew that she was going to he fine.

As long as he was with her, she would always be fine.

The night sky spread its wings over the couple who gazed at each other, an ocean of love settled in their eyes.

☆☆☆☆

The end, the official one.

I can't believe it ended. My very first story and it was such a huge success. How will I ever pay all of you back for your never ending appreciation? You all are gem!

I love all and every one of you!

Till next time,
Salam!