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I would rather have eyes that cannot see,
A mouth that cannot speak,
Ears that cannot hear,
Than a heart that cannot love.

Omer

"What are you talking about?" Omer's voice was more bewildered than incredulous as he mouthed slowly.

His throat had suddenly dried and the eyes were narrowed, an alibi for his confused state. With mind that concentrated on the words being uttered at the other side, his eyes were fixed at the washroom's door ahead.

"I just want to meet her. Please." Her voice was desperate as she said and Omer's brows furrowed.

"Why? Wasn't it enough that I agreed to meet you?" The incredulity and boredom in his voice was back, his eyebrows arched.

"Omer, please. I will never contact you in any way ever again. Just let me meet her." Her tone turned pleading at the end and Omer closed his eyes, tired.

"I don't think that's possible. She'll never agree to meet you. And even if she does, I won't." He stated in an affirmative tone and heard Rameen breathe hard on the other side.

"Rameen, stay out of my life. I understand that you're sorry for what you did and I've forgiven you but that still doesn't change the fact that I won't allow you to come back in my life again. We are over, and the sooner you realise it, the better." His tone was unflinching but it wavered for a second at the end when he saw the door of the washroom opening and Fariya getting out.

Stepping inside the room, she smiled at Omer and moved towards the dressing table. Omer stared at the small of her back as he gulped down, his mind not registering what the woman on the line was saying for it was too occupied with the consequences of this talk.

"I'm sorry, what?" He shook his head as he lowered it, trying for a moment to deal with the situation in hand.

"I have realised it. I just want to..." She began but Omer cut her off with a sharp voice, eying Fariya who was brushing her hair.

"No, the answer is no. We can go on and on for hours and the answer will still be no. Good bye." His tone was hard enough that Fariya suddenly stopped her hand but to Omer's relief, she resumed her motion after a second.

Without waiting for the answer, he disconnected the call and placed the phone on the nightstand before placing his head in his hands, his eyes closed. He felt the bed dipping in beside him but didn't raise his head, tiredness making him do so.

"Who was it?" Fariya asked, her tone more casual than curious and Omer realised she was just trying to start a conversation.

His heart leapt to his throat as her words vibrated his ear drums, his shoulders sagging. He had just hoped that Fariya wouldn't ask that but she had and he saw no other way other than to answer her and that too, truthfully. After the consequence of the last time he had lied to her, he would give up anything not to repeat that again.

"Rameen." He whispered slowly before raising his head and turning it around to look at Fariya in the eye.

A sudden startled expression settled on her face but it was gone as soon as it came. He saw her gulping down before moistening her lips with her tongue.

"What..what did she want to talk about?" She asked slowly and Omer for a second felt bad for telling her.

"She wants to meet you." He was just playing the cards, hoping along the way that Fariya wouldn't react overwhelmingly, didn't know where his honestly will take him.

"Me? Why?" She narrowed her eyes as she asked and Omer shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. She just wants to talk to you about something." Omer bent his body forward and while placing his elbows on his knees, he turned his head around to look at her.

"And judging by the last words you said before hanging up, you declined." She stated as she placed her elbows on her knees too and turned to look at him.

"Of course I did. That wasn't even a question." He exhaled an exasperated breath as Fariya smiled and something deep within his heart sighed in relief.

"You're not mad that I talked to her?" He was surprised as well as overwhelmed.

The woman sitting beside him was no less than a mystery and everytime he thought he had completely figured her out, she reminded him of one more piece of puzzle he had not yet comprehended.

"I appreciate your honesty, Omer. I will never be mad at you for telling me the truth, no matter how painful and bitter it is. And I know that you didn't call her. She's after you." She smiled slowly and Omer's knees gave out as he straightened himself before looking at her deep in the eye, his gaze awed.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" He whispered, still completely startled as he stared at her face, his gaze that of a man who had just seen a wonder of a lifetime.

Fariya giggled before straightening too, her face beaming. Extending her hands, she pulled Omer's cheeks, who, unlike always, didn't make an annoyed face but continued staring at her, dumbstruck and smiling.

"Alright, stop with all the staring. You're making me blush." She tried to glare at him but failed when he pressed a kiss at the inside of her hand, chuckling slowly.

"Lets go, Mrs. Lashari. Ammi and Chachi must be waiting." He left her hand and stood up but Fariya was quick to grab his hand and pull him back on the bed.

"You're not going anywhere, Mr, Lashari. You need to sleep." She said authoritatively yet worriedly and Omer arched an eyebrow as he faced her.

"But I'm not tired. I definitely don't need sleep." He said casually but stopped when Fariya cocked her head to a side, her lips pressed.

"Look at yourself, Omer. Your eyes are dropping. You really think I would let you take us like this?" She said nonchalantly as she placed a hand on his cheek and ran a thumb over his rough stubble.

"I'm not..." Omer began but Fariya cut him off quickly, her tone thick.

"You slept for like three hours last night and before that you were on a business trip where you had worked so hard, irrespective of the day or night. You need to sleep." She said authoritatively and Omer sighed heavily.

"But I want to go to the doctor with you." He said tiredly and Fariya smiled slowly.

"There will be a lot of that. You can take me some other time but for now, you need to rest. Your health is more important to me." She said as she scratched his stubble, his eyed holding her in a fixed gaze.

"But..." Omer leaned his face against her hand, his eyes dropping slightly but Fariya cut him off again.

"Please. Stay at home and rest. I'll be fine." She said smilingly before getting off the bed and gestured Omer to take off his shoes.
Pushing him down the bed and adjusting the pillows beneath his head, Omer saw her covering his body with the covers and sitting beside him on the bed.

Omer stared up at her face, shining and beaming under the lights, and he admitted with a sigh that this sight was far more beautiful than all the stars and midnight skies he had ever witnessed in his life.

"You are beautiful." He whispered slowly before his lids started to drop and heard her chuckle slightly, shyly.

"You are too." Her softly mouthed whisper as she dropped a kiss on his forehead was the last thing that registered in his mind before he lost the thin thread of consciousness.

Fariya

The evening was deep and comforting the next week, the smooth breeze running through her hair as it fluttered her clothes. The sky above her head was covered with clouds, preventing the last rays of sunlight to reach the ground. Tugging her hair behind her ear every now and then, she scanned the park with smiling eyes.

The weather was finally a bit pleasant after much tiring, hot days and a stroll in the park didn't seem like an idea to ignore. Maida had insisted to come with her but Fariya preferred some time alone. Loneliness and solitude are two different things but both have remedial powers after all.

Gazing at the children playing and running around the park, her thoughts immediately went ahead to the time when she would have a baby of her own, running around the house just like these children, giggling and filling all of their hearts with euphoria.

Children complete your life in a way that nobody else can: they anchor you to the ground against the harsh winds of life; they provide you with the courage to stand up for yourself and the people you hold dear; they make you understand the meaning of unconditional love.

It felt to her that after every pain and difficulty she had passed through, this was her reward, her ultimate gift-an epitome of love and peace. Now that she thought about it, after every misery her heart had endured, she was blessed at the end with an unimaginable prize: her father died but Omer entered her life; the misunderstanding of Omer's betrayal came with the news of her pregnancy.

Allah, after all, never tests a man more than he could endure.

"Fariya? Are you Fariya?" A bewildered sound came from her right side and she turned her face in the direction, only to be stopped dead in her tracks when her eyes collided with a pair of hazel ones-just like herself.

Rameen.

Staring at those eyes from up close which had haunted a man for about half a decade sent a chilling sensation spreading through her body. They were exactly the same as hers and if Fariya didn't know better, she would have thought that she was looking at a mirror.

They were not only the same in colour, but also the edges and roundness, the size and shadows were similar. Gulping down, Fariya ran a tongue over her lips before breaking the silence.

"Yes." She nodded her head and by that time, she had completely composed herself.

"I am Rameen." The woman introduced herself and extended her hand towards Fariya which she caught after much hesitancy.

"I know." She said slowly, scanning her face-the face her husband used to die over.

"How did you know where I was?" Fariya was trying her best to keep the calmness in her voice at check.

Odd emotions were running in her heart, chaotic thoughts making her difficult to concentrate but despite all of that, her face didn't give away the hurricanes that had took refuge in her.

"It's a coincidence. It's like when you're looking for something but can't find it and as soon as you give up, the thing falls right in your lap." She said and Fariya would have believed her if Omer hadn't told her that she wanted to meet her but anyways, she nodded her head.

"Can we please sit somewhere? I want to talk to you." Her voice reached her and she pressed her lips in a thin line.

"I don't think it's a good idea." Fariya said apologetically as she glanced at the wrist watch clasped around her wrist.

"Please, it won't take much of your time." She hurriedly said and Fariya looked at her for a second before nodding her head.

Rameen smiled slightly before motioning her to sit on one of the benches and Fariya's thoughts went back to Omer and how he had denied Rameen when she had asked to meet Fariya. Omer's reaction when she would tell him about this sudden interaction was predictable and yet uncomprehending in many ways.

"What do you want to talk about?" Fariya said while staring straight ahead at the running children, hearing their laughters and shouts.

"About the only thing we have in common." She said and Fariya bit the inside of her mouth but chose not to reply.

"Omer was right, you know. You really are beautiful." She said, her voice small.

Fariya lowered her head a little, her heart smiling beautifully as Rameen's words registered in her mind. Omer had complimented her, heart and body, for so many times that she had lost count and yet hearing someone else, especially Rameen, say that Omer thinks she is beautiful sent a hundred melodies running through her heart.

"Thank you." Fariya replied slowly, still not looking at the woman sitting beside her.

"I wanted to say sorry, Fariya." She began slowly.

"You have no reason to say sorry to me. You did me no harm." Fariya said, her voice low.

"But I did harm to the man the world calls yours. So I do owe you an apology. And I think that Omer's past must have affected his relationship with you in some way. So please, forgive me." Her voice was laced with sorrows and regrets, the shadows of pain lurking in them.

"Okay. But Omer has already forgiven you so there's no need for that." Fariya kept staring ahead, her hands placed in her lap, her hair falling on the side of her face.

"You are a lucky woman, Fariya. It's not everyday that a man like Omer enters your life. It's once in a lifetime." Her tone held so much pain that Fariya's heart missed a beat.

"I know I am." Fariya's expressions softened as she answered.

"Do you know how I came to know about you?" She asked and Fariya saw through the corner of her eyes that she was staring ahead too, her hair fluttering.

"Omer told me that you saw on the Internet." Fariya replied.

"That's not exactly the truth. I did search you on the Internet but I first heard about you and your marriage like a month ago." Her voice was slow as she uttered.

"How?" Fariya asked.

"Do you know Zafar Khan?" Rameen asked and Fariya narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and was going to shake her head in denial before a thought leapt in her mind.

"Yes, I know." She answered as she thought about the man who had made six months of her university life a living hell.

"He's my cousin." She said slowly and Fariya abruptly turned her head towards her, startled.

"He was...after me.." The confusion was everywhere in her mind as she answered but Rameen cut her off.

"I know, I know. He told me." She nodded her head slightly before continuing.

"I had known about Omer's innocence for like a year now but I didn't approach him, I never even thought of meeting him again. I just didn't know how to face him. I was ashamed of myself, disgusted for how I had played with his feelings." Her voice was wavering as she began and Fariya held on to every word she mouthed.

"I never came to Islamabad after I found out the truth but my aunt insisted my mother to send me here for some time. My mother forced me so I came here, dread settling in my heart. Zafar is my aunt's son and he had always been close to me." She was saying and Fariya's heart was beating at a dangerous rate.

"One time late at night we were talking about something when he told me about a woman he used to like in his university. Her name was Fariya and she was heartbreakingly beautiful and sweet, that's what he told me." Rameen's voice had dropped to a whisper as she said, gazing straight ahead and Fariya's insides dried.

"Then he said that she slapped him once and the man in him awoke like a beast. He started spreading false rumours about her and that's when a man stepped in. The man was her husband, a rich man with power, who beat him until he bled before making the university relegate him." She said.

Omer never told her about the details of what he did to Zafar but she had guessed it must be something like that and gratitude and love for Omer increased inside her by a thousand folds.

"And then he told me the name of the man and my whole world trembled before falling apart. The man was Omer Ahmed Lashari, the man I betrayed; the man who was your husband." Her tone was laced with pain and Fariya's heart was palpitating, hard.

"Omer's marriage was no less than a shock and the revelation that he was so much protective about you that he relegated a man was an even bigger news to me. Despite everything I did to him, I still expected him to never completely forget me and the news of his marriage threw me in a sea of regrets and miseries." Fariya had pressed her lips in a thin line as she heard her words, her own mind a mess.

"It was then at that moment, listening to Zafar say his name, did I finally comprehend how much I had always loved him and what a precious man I had lost. Never in my whole life had I felt more pain than when I did that night. It was a night I'll never forget, the night on which I cried because of my love, because of my loss, because of my foolishness and most importantly, because of Omer. I felt Omer's pain that night, of what he went through on that cursed night six years ago." Fariya didn't have to turn her head towards her to feel the wetness in her voice and tears in her tone.

"And that's when I thought that I want him back in my life, no matter what it cost me. I decided to finally ask for forgiveness, genuinely, but I also wanted to see if he would ever accept me. And small part of me was hopeful because it was Omer we were talking about, the man who had always said that he loves me even more than himself." She was sobbing silently and Fariya's breath was caught.

"But God, was I wrong. His every word spoke of his concern towards you, his gratitude, respect and care towards you. He was a changed man. The man I left valued me above all and the man I met valued you above all. His unflinching loyalty towards you made me realise what a man I had lost due to my foolishness. It threw me in a pit of despair and I finally realised that Omer was no more mine, he is yours and will be, in every sense of the word." Rameen finished tearfully.

Tears were streaming down Fariya's cheeks too and she didn't know what to think. Omer was a mystery and every time she unveiled a part of it, she was left awed and startled. She had never completely realised, not up till now, what a perfect man her husband was but she could tell that she had never been more grateful than now of the time when she had said I do.

"Why...are you telling me...all of this?" Fariya sniffed and straightened her shoulders, wiping away the tears with the back of her hand.

"Because I think you deserve to know. After all, it's your husband we're talking about." She shrugged her shoulders as she wiped her tears too.

"I think I should go. It's late." Fariya ran a tongue over her lips before she stood up, closely followed by Rameen.

"Thank you for hearing me out. You don't know it but I feel a bit better now." She politely said as she extended a hand towards Fariya which Fariya caught after much reluctance.

"You're welcome." Fariya said slowly as she nodded her head.

"I know Omer will be mad that I talked to you but please tell him that I needed to do it once. For my own peace of mind." She looked at her expectantly and Fariya bit pressed her lips.

"He'll understand." She smiled before retreating her hand and taking a step back.

"You're a nice woman. Exactly the person Omer deserves." Her smile was painful, clearly visible in her hazel eyes, as she took a step back too.

"If you're truly sorry for what you did, then you are a nice person too." Fariya said slowly.

"You're kind." She remarked and Fariya smiled slowly.

"Allah Hafiz." Fariya said and when Rameen repeated the words, she turned around on her heels and started walking towards the main gate, the sky turning dark above her head, the wind gushing more fervently around her.

◇◇◇◇

"Where were you?" Omer's rough and concerned voice reached her just as she entered the room and she halted with a gasp, her hand reaching towards her heart.

"God, Omer. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" She shook her head as she placed her mobile phone on the table and went deeper inside the room towards Omer who was standing beside the bed and glaring at her with concern-studded eyes.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack." He remarked with narrowed eyes as Fariya stopped a step or two away from him.

"Why? What happened?" She asked, her eyes narrowed around the edges as she looked up at his handsome face.

"You. You happened. Why do you not listen to me? I specifically told you not to go anywhere alone and yet here you are, wandering around the city at night with my child in you!" Omer's tone was low and yet rough and despite his anger, Fariya started laughing.

Omer, on seeing that, only frowned and took a step back, his eyes roaming around her body with worry. Seeing the lines of concern embedded on his forehead, Fariya tried to cease the laughter before straightening her shoulders, her eyes twinkling merrily.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry." She said as she wiped her eyes, her face smiling as she took a step forward.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was? I was just going to go find you." He sagged his shoulders and Fariya smiled slowly.

"I'm sorry. I was at the park. I just lost the track of time." She said as she ducked her head to a side and smiled, her expressions soft.
"God. And I've lost track of how many times I've been worried for you." He shook his head for a second before stepping forward and collecting Fariya in his arms, his chin coming to rest on her head.

"I'm sorry." She said apologetically as she placed a hand on his chest, closing her eyes peacefully as wave after wave of euphoria hit her.

"Don't ever do that again. If you want to go somewhere, I'll take you there. Just please, don't go anywhere alone." He almost pleaded and Fariya heard a pure concern in his voice before she nodded her head slightly.

"Omer?" She asked as she pulled back from the loving embrace and stared up at his features.

"Yeah?" He asked as he tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear and looked at her face, his gaze questioning.

"I..I have to tell you something. But you have to promise me that you won't be mad." Fariya ran a tongue over her lips as she said, her throat going dry.

"Well, even if I will be, I won't take it out on you. That I can assure you." He joked slightly.

"No, you won't take it out on anyone. Promise me that you'll try to understand." She asked with hopeful eyes and and this time, Omer frowned.

"What happened?" He scanned her face as he asked and Fariya felt her stomach dropping.

"I..I met..Rameen in the park." She said slowly, her voice barely above a whisper and her heart constricted when she saw a dark shadow coming to rest on his face, making his sharp features stand out.

"What?" He asked, his voice low, and Fariya saw his temple vain throbbing.

"I met Ram..." She began to say again when Omer cut her off with a sharp voice.

"Why?" His tone was harder and Fariya took a step forward, her heart beating frantically in her ribcage, before placing a hand on his arm but Omer moved away as quickly as her fingers made contact with his clothes.

"She bumped into me. I didn't meet her purposely." Fariya gulped down as she spoke, her eyes widen as fear crawled inside of her.

"Did you talk to her?" He asked slowly and Fariya's heart skipped a beat.

"Omer.." She began to say but Omer cut her off with an even lower voice.

"Did you, Fariya?" He repeated and Fariya nodded her head slowly, her lips pressed.

"God dammit. Is that why you lost track of the time? Because you were talking to the one person who ruined me?" He raised his voice for the first time and Fariya flinched before abruptly taking a step back, tears accumulating in her eyes.

"I didn't intend to, Omer. She insisted to just hear her once." Fariya said and Omer turned around slightly before raking a hand through his hair.

"I can't believe it. You clearly knew what I felt about you meeting her. And you still did that?" He questioned in a drained voice.

"Omer, she almost begged. I couldn't say no." Fariya said, her voice too tired.

"I'm going to talk to her. How dare she approach you when I clearly said no when she asked." He angrily said before picking up the mobile phone from the table but Fariya quickly snatched it away from his hand.

"What are you doing?" Omer raised his eyebrows as he looked at her, his expressions unpleasant.

"You're not going to call her. I met her, she told me a bit about her side of the story and then I came back home. It's simple." Fariya remarked forcefully as she clutched Omer's phone tightly in her hands.

"Oh, darling. I wish it would have been that simple. It's Rameen we're talking about and she is not at all an easy woman to understand. I bet she had..." Omer said before Fariya cut him in mid-sentence angrily.

"Omer, please. I know it's hard for you to think of her as a good woman after what she did to you but you have to let it go. It doesn't matter if she had something in her mind or not, you and I won't let anything come between us. Her chapter is long gone and this is the last time she contacted any of us. So please, relax." What began with a hard tone, ended with softness, her expressions tender.

"How can you be so sure?" He asked after a moment and Fariya relaxed when she saw his anger melting a little.

"She said that she wanted to talk to me for her own peace of mind. After all, revenge is not at all pleasant and both parties have to bear huge losses and regrets at the end. You found me and things got easy for you but she has no one to share this burden with. So please, let it go." Fariya said forcefully at the end and by that time, Omer's gaze was dumbstruck, his anger long gone.

"I can't believe you're defending her." He said, awed, and Fariya smiled slowly before shrugging her shoulders.

"I'm not. I'm just asking you to put your past in the past and not let it come in the way of your future." She smiled her beautiful smile at him which he gladly returned.

"You're right." He said, smilingly.

"When am I not?" She squared her shoulders proudly as she bragged, her lips raised in a smile.

"Never." He said as he raised his hands in front of him and Fariya laughed slowly.

"So, are we fine?" Fariya asked after a moment and Omer closed an eye, as if in a deep thought, before chuckling slightly and nodding his head.

"Okay, we're fine. But please refrain yourself from doing that again." Omer said, sagging his shoulders, and Fariya exhaled a deep breath.

"Okay, I will." She flashed him a relaxed and beautiful smile and Omer's anger melted in no seconds.

"And please refrain from rasing your voice at me again. That would be really helpful." Fariya said, forcing the smile that threatened to escape back insied, pulling on a serious demeanour.

"When did I raise my voice at you?" He asked bewildered, his eyes smiling, and Fariya's eyes widened.

"Minutes ago!" She almost shouted and Omer didn't even try hiding the smile this time.

"Refrain from shouting, dear wife. That would be very helpful to my ears." He said, smirking, and Fariya only rolled her eyes heavenward.

"When did I shout?" Fariya arched an eyebrow, deciding to play his game on him and Omer smiled slowly.

"Did I say you shouted?" He asked, surprised, smiling.

"Omer!" Fariya frowned before hitting him on the arm and Omer burst out laughing, his hand clasping around Fariya and pulling her towards him.

"Don't play my games at me, Mrs. Lashari. You'll always lose." He smirked before placing his lips at the tip of her nose, his every feature smiling.

"Whatever." She just tilted one side of her lip up as she said and Omer smiled slowly, beautifully before bending down.

◇◇◇◇

Sweat beaded her forehead as she shifted a layer of rice to the pot, her eyes narrowed in concentration. Her one hand held the pot firm in its place while the other held the spatula with the help of which she performed the task.

Standing in the kitchen, she was up to making Chinese Rice for Omer, his favourite dish. Today was Friday and Omer was supposed to come home early so she decided to surprise him with this dish.

After pregnancy, her mother and Tayi Ammi had completely prohibited her from entering the kitchen and now that everyone with the exception of Urwa had gone to neighbours house for Mailad, she took that as an opportunity to cook for Omer.

Just when she was shifting vegetables from one pot to another, a smell of familiar cologne wafted up her nostrils and she smiled slightly, knowing perfectly well who the person was; Omer.

Not a moment later, she felt a hand coming to rest on her stomach from behind and the touch of his body sent electricity running through her body. As she closed the lid and placed the spatula on the island after lowering the gas, she felt his chin being placed on her shoulders and she leaned back against his firm body.

"Assalam-u-Alikum." Fariya said, her voice low as Omer's hot breath fanned her neck shamelessly.

"Waalikum-Assalam." He replied slowly, his voice drained.

"What are you doing here?" He asked gently as he turned her around to face him, his eyed holding her.

"I am making Chinese Rice for you." She replied with a smile but halted when a frown decorated Omer's face.

"As much beautiful and overwhelming it is to me, you shouldn't be doing this, Fari. You should be in bed, resting." His tone was sweetest as he tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear, his hand coming to rest over her cheek.

"I am tired of resting all the time, Omer. And I wanted to do something for you." She sad as she pouted slightly, her hazel eyes looking directly in his black ones.

"You being in front of me and happy is everything I've ever wanted from you. There's no need to do anything else." He gently spoke as he rubbed her temples tenderly, his voice deep.

"Why not? You do things for me all the time. I want to make you happy too." She said rather sadly and Omer bent his head as he pressed his lips against her forehead.

"You already make me the happiest man on the planet, Fariya. You've unknowingly done things for me you can't even imagine." His tone turned husky and the frown on her face turned upside down, a shy smile now resting on her face.

"See, unknowingly did things. I have never knowingly done anything for you." She said with a smile turning one side of her lip up.

"Alright, fine. Do whatever you want. When do you ever listen to me anyways?" He surrendered as he raised both of his hands in front of him, his eyes narrowed around the edges.

"I always listen to you." Fariya laughed slowly as she lowered her head, her face beaming.

"Yeah, right." Omer rolled his eyes heavenward and Fariya, on seeing that, burst out laughing, throwing her head back as her eyes closed momentarily.

"You know, women will throw themselves at you if they ever see you rolling your eyes." She was still laughing as she muttered, a joyful shadow settled in her eyes, her face shining.

"And yet my wife laughs at me." He shook his head in sadness and Fariya tried to halt her laughter but failed miserably, her lips pressed in the attempt.

"So you want your wife to throw herself at you?" She asked incredulously, though still smiling wholeheartedly.

"Oh, no. Why would I want something I already have?" Omer remarked with a corner of his lips raised and Fariya smiled sarcastically.

"In your dreams, Mr. Lashari." She squared her shoulders as she said, her face beaming with pride.

"Dreams or reality. With you, it's just the same." He said with a devilishly handsome smirk on his face as he dropped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer and goosebumps scattered all over her body.

"You are changing the subject." She said, flabbergasted as she looked right into those black orbs, their faces mere inches apart so that she could clearly see her own flushed face in his eyes.

"Because I think you like this one better." He grinned broadly, his eyes holding her in a never wavering gaze and Fariya knew that she would never be the same again.

Everytime her eyes clashed with his, a chain of sanity broke free and pleasure clouded her senses, making her mind a territory of unfinished thoughts and unspoken words. Every cell in her body wrecked havoc as the pool of black stared right into hers, every nerve ending igniting destructively, seductively.

"Fari?" Her eyes shot upon, along with Omer's, as Urwa's voice registered in her brain.

Omer's hold around her waist loosened and she hurriedly pulled back, startled. Running a hand over her dress, she looked over Omer's shoulder at Urwa who was standing by the door, all scarlet from embarrassment too. Omer had also turned his head to look at his sister before turning around and standing between the two of the most important women in his life.

"I'm sorry..I didn't know Bhai had come.." She muttered apologetically and Fariya shook her head as she moved towards her.

"It's okay. What did you want?" Fariya said as casually as she could as she stared at Urwa's flushed face.

"Nothing. I just came to help." She mumbled weakly and Fariya smiled reassuringly.

"It's done. Food will be ready in a few minutes." Fariya stated.

"Talking of which, Urwa, does Ammi know that you let Fariya cook when she wasn't home?" Omer said as he came forward to stand beside Fariya, looking straight ahead at his sister with a slow smirk.

"Bhai, do you know how stubborn your wife is?" Urwa had recovered from the embarrassment and cross questioned, a grin settled on her face.

"Oh, I know but do you know that Ammi will never listen to your excuses?" Omer shot back and by that time, Fariya was laughing as she heard the two siblings fight with words.

"But do you know..." Before Urwa could finish, Fariya cut her off laughingly.

"We wouldn't tell Tayi Ammi that I made it." Fariya said forcefully, her laugh still resonating across the room.

"Like Ammi would ever buy it. She can most definitely tell the difference between your and Urwa's cooking." Omer shook his head as he said.

"We can tell that I guided her how to make it." Fariya shrugged her shoulders and Omer stared at her with disbelief and awe.

"Oh, my. What happened to the Fariya who never lied?" Omer asked mischievously as he looked at his spouse.

"She became your wife." Fariya replied with a shurg and not a moment later, both she and Urwa were laughing wholeheartedly while Omer frowned.

"Go, get changed. Everyone must be home soon." She said to Omer who nodded his head, now smiling, before exiting the kitchen.

"Urwa, I'll call Taya Abbu and Saad and ask them to come home. Can you please turn off the gas and make salad?" Fariya asked Urwa and after receiving a nod from her, left the kitchen.

Omer

Climbing down the stairs, he rubbed his eyes with his fingers, his steps unhurried and tired. Flecks of red danced in his eyes while sleepiness found refuge in his expressions. Yawning, he made his way towards the living room from which slow noises were coming.

Stopping at the threshold, he took in the sight of his wife chatting with Urwa, Maida and Saad, all of them seated around the room on the sofas. Laughing, they hardly took notice of Omer's presence and he had to cough slightly to gain their attention.

"Good morning." Omer said slowly, his voice tired and sleepy, as he entered the room.

"Good morning." Everyone replied synchronously as they turned their heads towards him and Omer nodded before walking towards Fariya and collapsing on the sofa beside her, placing his feet on the table ahead.

"Although you should say 'Good Afternoon'. It's around 1." Saad remarked sarcastically but Omer had no energy to argue-he just placed his head at the back of the sofa and closed his eyes.

"Why are you still tired, Bhai? Didn't you sleep well last night?" Omer heard Urwa's voice before he opened his eyes.

"There was some office work that needed to be done. I slept quite late." He said as he rubbed his thumb over his temple, his eyes still closed.

"But today's Sunday." Maida said.

"There were some important files and an email was to be sent." Omer replied slowly.

"Yeah, he brings all of his work home." Fariya frowned slightly as she turned her head around to look at Omer who was sitting just a few inches away from her.

On hearing her, a small smile touched Omer's lips and he opened his eyes to look at his wife who had her lips pressed innocently. Smiling slowly, he placed an arm behind Fariya's head on the sofa and turned his head around to look ahead.

"I was thinking something." Maida uttered thoughtfully, her eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Oh, my. Dear Maida can think. I didn't know that." Saad said, bewildered and a laugh erupted inside the room on which Maida frowned angrily.

"And dear Saad always talks rubbish. But oh wait, I knew that." She raised her eyebrow as she said, her frown turned into an innocent smirk.

"What were you thinking?" Fariya asked, smiling.

"That a woman should never marry a workaholic." She talked with hands as she uttered forcefully and Omer heard the delicate sound of his wife's laughter beside him.

"I totally agree." Fariya nodded vigorously as she turned her head around to look at Omer, laughing slowly as she saw his expressions.

"Really?" Omer raised both of his eyebrows as he asked and Fariya's smile turned even bigger, followed by everyone's laughter in the room.

"Absolutely. Had I known you were a workaholic before we got married, you wouldn't be sitting here with me as your wife." Fariya's laughter had ceased and now she was smiling-a bright, enriched smile that made Omer's heart skip a beat, just like always.

"Even if you had known, you didn't have much choice when we got married. Remember?" Omer reminded her with a smirk as he threw his head at the back of the sofa while tilting his head around slightly to look directly in her eyes.

A frown broke across Fariya's face and she began to retaliate when Saad's mischievous voice halted her and she turned her head around to look at him.

"Hands down, Bhai is the clear winner here!" Saad laughed at his own joke followed by everyone including Omer who threw back his head as he laughed, his eyes closed momentarily while Fariya only frowned as she watched everyone.

"He isn't. Your Bhai just plays with words so...cunningly." It took her plenty of time to think of the right word and as soon as she said it, rather forcefully, a huge laughter rang across the room again, her face now flushed with embarrassment in no second.

"Cunning? Seriously?" Omer chuckled slightly as he asked, his expressions joyful and awed.

"Cunningly or not, he still manages to win everytime." Saad was still laughing as he said and Fariya threw the cushion at him angrily which he catched with no effort.

"Alright, I accept it, okay? He's good at manipulating situation to his benefit. He's a good businessman." Fariya shrugged her shoulders as she looked from Omer to Saad and Omer chuckled slightly before moving his hand and placing his fingers on Fariya's cheek who visibly stiffened at her place.

"That I am. But I've never used my skills on you, darling." He was still smiling as he uttered and Fariya's face turned a slight shade of scarlet and Omer saw her pupils dilating as she stared at him with slightly wide eyes.

"Anyways, will I get breakfast today or not?" Omer moved his hand away and looked ahead to see all three of them biting back their smiles.

A slow grin decorated his face too as he saw Fariya gulping down and looking anywhere but at him. He had always been surprised at how easy it was to make her blush-all it took was just one meaningful touch and all the blood in her body will rush towards her face. But nevertheless, the sight of her blushing face was worth every chaos in the world, every misery and ache.

"I'll make it." Fariya hurriedly began to get up before Omer caught her around her forearm and made her sit back.

"No, Ammi will kill me if she finds out that I asked you to make me breakfast." Omer said as he looked in her eyes.

"Allah, I'm not even two months pregnant yet. I can cook, Omer." She said, her tone laced with exasperation but Omer shook his head in denial.

"Don't even think about it. You're not going into the kitchen until the baby is born and you're completely fine." Omer said forcefully and Fariya exhaled a deep breath before giving up.

"Fine." She said as she leaned back against the sofa and crossed her arms across her chest, a frown still lowering the corner of her lips.

"You're so lucky, Fari. I wish Mama will scold me when I'll enter the kitchen and not when I don't do any work." Maida said with a sigh and Fariya smiled slowly, a sight that eased Omer's heart a bit.

"Here comes our ever lazy Maida." Saad remarked as he shook his head sadly and Maida, who was sitting beside him, slapped him on the arm.

"I'll make the breakfast." Urwa said before standing up and leaving the door, closely followed by Maida who was telling her something.

"More like lunch." Saad said loudly and Fariya and Omer laughed slightly.

"Fari?" Saad called out her name after a moment and Fariya turned her head towards him.

"Yes?" She asked.

"I was wondering if you had to..." Before he could finish his sentence, his phone started vibrating.

Picking up the mobile from the table, he glanced at it for a second before standing up.

"I'll talk to you later." He said before walking out of the room, answering the call on the way.

"So, Mrs. Lashari, why do you not listen to me?" Omer tilted his head towards her as he asked, placing his head back.

"What did I do now?" Fariya too tilted her head towards him after placing her head at the back of the sofa, a distance of mere few inches between them.

"I asked you once to never leave the room before I've seen you." Omer reminded her and Fariya chuckled softly.

"I thought you were joking." She said as she extended her hand and played with the hair that were falling on his forehead, giving his face a rough and handsome look.

"Did I look like I was joking?" Omer asked as he tried to sound hard but failed when a small smile broke across his face, Fariya's fingers still brushing his hair tenderly.

"Yes." Fariya replied laughingly before retreating her hand and placing it in her lap.

"I wasn't, Mrs. Lashari. I was very much serious." Omer said as he looked at the woman sitting beside him, the woman whose face was the most beautiful he had ever seen, whose heart was the most purified he had ever known.

"Like you are now?" Fariya pressed her lips in a line as she smiled and Omer shook his head.

"Nobody. Nobody can win from you." He said with exasperation lacing his tone and Fariya started laughing slowly.

"Saad just said otherwise a few minutes ago." Fariya reminded him and Omer's smile turned meaningful as he stared in her eyes.

"Who cares what he says? You won me, all of me, a long time ago." He said as he brought his one hand up to caress her cheek, his other hand placed above her head and playing with the silk strands of her hair.

Omer clearly saw her heating up under his intent gaze and warmth flooded inside him, his heart overcrowded with happiness and joy. Both of his hands weaved magic on her soul, both of her eyes cast shadow over his heart and together, they both dived in the sea of longing and euphoria.

"You've become good with words, Omer. I still remember when we got married how little you talked." Fariya flashed him a breathtaking smile as she said, her voice low.

"I was upset with the world at that time." He said, one corner of his lips tilted upwards in a handsome smile as his fingers reached her temple, sensually.

"I know and I'm sorry." Fariya said slowly as she stared sadly in Omer's eyes.

"Why are you sorry?" He asked, confusion lacing his voice.

"Because it wasn't just Rameen breaking your heart, Omer. It was a woman tainting other women's reputation too." Fariya said slowly and the sadness in her voice engulfed Omer's heart too.

"Fariya, that's absurd. I don't blame any woman for what she did, especially not you." Omer's voice was incredulous.

"You used to hate me just because I reminded you of her, didn't you?" Fariya aksed softly and Omer's heart stopped beating for a fraction of second.

"That was different, Fariya. I wasn't only upset with you because you had so many similarities with her but also because I was forced into this marriage." Omer said forcefully as he trailed his fingers down towards her chin and caught it between his thumb and forefinger, gently and yet authoritatively.

"Still, Omer. It's a common notion. When a woman does something bad to a man, he starts hating all the women." Fariya replied slowly.

"You're right and I would have done the same thing if I hadn't had Dado, Ammi and Urwa with me. They unknowingly stopped me from completely destroying my belief system." Omer nodded slowly as he left her chin and leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead.

"Yeah, not everyone is cut from the same cloth. You should always give a person the benefit of doubt." Fariya smiled as she ran a hand over his rough stubble, the rough hair tickling the inside of her hand.

"And yet you denied me of that when you saw me with her." Omer jokingly said as he gazed at her content face but Fariya suddenly stopped smiling.

"You're not just any person to me, Omer. You're my whole world. You have no idea how much frightened I was in those days." Omer saw Fariya gulping down and a sudden protectiveness washed over him as he looked at her-this was the woman he'll protect at any cost, from any pain, from every sadness.

"I'm so sorry for hurting you. I will never do that again and I won't let anybody hurt you. Ever." He promised slowly as he leaned forward and placed his lips at the top of her head, his voice filled with colours of vow.

"Omer, you've become so important to me that the only person who could ever hurt me now is you. No one else has that kind of power." Fariya smiled, a smile which disturbed the tunes of his heart as he gazed intently at it.

"Don't give me that kind of power then, Fariya. Don't let me control you like that." He suddenly said, his voice almost desperate and Fariya chuckled slightly and the thick tension in the room died slowly.

"You don't control me, Omer. You own me." Fariya smiled beautifully and Omer saw with wide eyes as she leaned forward and hesitantly and shyly, pressed her lips against the rough stubble on his sharp, pointed jaw.

His eyes widened for a fraction of second before a small, breathtaking smile broke across his startled face, his insides warming under the fire that had been set over his heart, his mind too euphoric and pleased.

"You surprise me everyday, darling." He said, his voice a whisper and Fariya pulled back shyly, her own face a dark shade of crimson.

Before Fariya could answer, Urwa hurriedly opened the door and entered the room, laughing and panting at the same time. Both of them turned their heads towards her and looked at her with confusion hanging in their minds.

"What happened?" Fariya asked, worriedly.

"Syra..." She was still smiling like a child as she looked at them with tearful eyes.

"What happened to her?" Omer asked in a worried tone and Urwa shook her head, laughing.

"Phoppo just called. Syra gave birth to a boy." She was smiling wholeheartedly as she broke the news.

"Oh, my God. When? How's she?" Fariya hurriedly stood up from the sofa and walked towards Urwa, excited and jovial.

"Just now and she is completely fine." Urwa informed her smilingly.

"Thank God." Fariya said as she relaxed visibly.

"We should go to the hospital." Omer came to stand beside Fariya as he said and Urwa nodded her head forcefully.

"We are. In a few minutes." She said, her whole body radiating happiness.

"Bhai, I've made your breakfast. Eat it and change your clothes. You have to take us to the hospital." Urwa coiled an arm around Omer's bicep before dragging him out of the room, followed by Fariya who was laughing.

"Alright, alright. I am." Omer's laughing voice rang across the house as Urwa made him enter the dining room.

"Be quick. You have only five minutes." Urwa warned just as Omer sat down on the chair, his laughter filling the house with merriment and content.

◇◇◇◇

The full moon shone above his head with all its splendour, the earth shining magnificently under the gentle rays of it. The wind was swift as it swirled through his dark hair, the aura beautifully pleasant. The smell of flowers enriched the air, the sight of the sky glorified the view. The night was, slowly but surely, beginning to ascend upon the elegant capital of Pakistan.

Leaning against the chair on the balcony of his room, he studied with attention the shifts in the colours of the sky, the strength of the moonlight, the wonders of the nature. The light reflected from his handsome face, his rough features standing out as he gazed upward.

The sky above his head witnessed another man stepping outside in the balcony, the resemblance in their features clearly giving them away as brothers. The wind gushed around them, its particles vibrating as the two men conversed.

"I heard somewhere that sad people like the night sky." Saad's small voice reached him and he dropped his gaze before turning his head around.

"Deep people." Omer corrected and Saad chuckled before occupying a seat beside him.

"Same thing." Saad leaned back against his chair as he gazed up too, the moonlight cascading down upon his face.

"Why are you displaying a picture of a sad soul? What happened?" Saad broke the silence after a second with his usual carefree tone and Omer chuckled, his gaze still fixed above.

"Nothing happened. I'm just appreciating the beauty of the night." Omer uttered with a smile.

"Although you should be appreciating the beauty of the woman sitting downstairs." Saad chuckled slowly at his own remark and a small smile touched Omer's lips too.

"You need not worry. I appreciate her beauty day and night." Omer said smilingly and Saad burst out laughing, closely followed by his elder brother too.

"And yet you can never do justice. She is very pretty. Masha'Allah." Saad said, serious and yet smiling at the same time.

"Masha'Allah." Omer muttered under his breath before he straightened his head and immersed himself in the deep galaxies of beauty unveiling themselves before his very eyes.

All of a sudden, Omer heard Saad chuckle and lines marked his forehead as he turned his head around to face him. Expectantly, Saad was laughing as he stared ahead, a huge grin dancing on his face.

"I'm reminded of that donkey joke." Omer's sarcastic voice put a stop to Saad's laughter but it resumed a second later when he understood his meaning.

"What?" Omer asked in an exasperated tone as he looked at his younger brother.

"I just thought of something." He said, smiling.

"And what might that be?" Omer asked as he placed his fist beneath his chin, his elbow resting upon the armrest.

"What if instead of calling you that night, Abbu had called me and I was forced to marry Fari? God, how things would have been different." Saad was laughing wholeheartedly by the end and it felt like someone barricaded the passageway of air to Omer's lungs.

"I mean, if you weren't reachable or maybe out of the country that night." Saad added and Omer gulped down heavily.

"She was meant to be my wife since the day she was born." Omer said in a low voice, his eyes startled as he stared ahead.

The thought of Fariya with anyone else, even his own brother, was nothing short than like a knife twisting in his heart. The mere possibility was absurd and yet it was so horrifying that even his mind refused to operate for a second. Fariya was his wife, in every sense of the word, and yet Saad's words disturbed some feelings in him he didn't even know he possessed.

"I didn't know that." Saad said, slightly taken aback.

"But still, what if she.." Saad's words had not yet completed when Omer cut him off quickly.

"Shut up, Saad." Omer said, slowly but authoritatively as some unnamed emotions flooded his heart.

"Oh, my. Someone's possessive." Saad's mischievous tone rang in his ears and he rolled his eyes heavenward.

"Someone's not." Omer replied, his lips pressed.

"Someone most definitely is." A huge smirk was plastered on Saad's face, his eyes twinkling with humour.

Choosing not to reply, Omer turned his head around and gazed at the wonders spread right before his eyes. The thick sheet of blue hanged above his head, very much like the clouds of emotions that covered his heart.

"Alright, I was kidding. Don't burn holes through the sky." Saad said after a while and Omer shook his head slightly as he smiled with pressed lips.

"You should be thankful to Fari." Saad said after a moment of deep silence and Omer turned towards her.

"For what?" He asked, his tone confused.

"For giving you life." Saad's voice contained seriousness and joy and Omer's heart smiled.

"Before your marriage, I still remember how little you used to smile. Laughter itself seemed an impossibility. And then she came in your life and filled it with joy and happiness. She is the miracle of your life, Bhai." Omer had never heard Saad this serious in his entire life and yet his words hit home.

Fariya was the colour that filled the canvas of his life; she was the breath that heated his heart; she was the thought that kept him awake at night; she was the dawn that ended the long spell of darkness and she was the hope that made him stay alive.

"I am. I can never truly thank her for bringing me peace, thank Allah for giving her to me." Omer said, his voice distant and husky and yet wondrous and gratifying.

"Which brings us back to what would have happened if instead of you, Abbu had called..." Omer never gave Saad the chance to finish his sentence for he threw a cushion at him-which Saad catched effortlessly while laughing.

"Your future wife's luck is damned. I already pity that lady." Omer said, shaking his head in exasperation.

"Oh, please. She will be one lucky woman." Saad squared his shoulders as he said and Omer nodded his head sarcastically.

"Yeah, right." Omer said.

"But trust me, your wife's luck is written with a gold pen. Her husband loves her so much." Saad said, laughingly and Omer's eyes widened as hos palpitating heart came to an abrupt stop.

"What?" His aghasted voice was no more than a whisper, his heart constricting in his chest cavity.

"What?" Saad's eyebrows furrowed, confusion lacing his voice.

"What did you say?" The wind gasped and stopped whirling altogether as it heard the startled voice of the handsome man.

"That Fari's luck is..." Saad began in a slow and confused voice but Omer denied with a shake of his head.

"No, after that." His tone was desperate, over the cliff, his mind blackened out.

"That you love her?" Saad asked, lines embedded on his forehead.

"How..how do you know..that I love her?" The pain and bewilderment in his tone left the moon aghasted as it peered down at the two men.

"What are you talking about? What's wrong, Bhai?" Saad asked in a worried tone and Omer leaned back a little before he ran a hand over his face.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he breathed hard to check his rapid pulse and yet the sight of the woman that appeared behind the closed curtain of his lids jolted him awake with a start. His mouth went dry as he opened his eyes and stared ahead at his brother who was looking at him with confused eyes.

"How do you know that I love her?" His voice wad composed and yet the fear that resided in it was no secret.

"Who doesn't know that?" Saad asked, incredulous.

"I don't love her." Omer told more to himself than to Saad as he fixed his gaze at his brother.

"What are you talking about? Of course you do." Saad said, exasperation lacing his tone.

"How can you be so sure?" Omer aksed after a moment, his tone containing the same emotions of disbelief and bewilderment.

"Come on, Bhai. You care so much about her, you can literally do anything for her. If that's not love, what is?" Saad questioned Omer.

"That's not love. That's my responsibility." Omer answered hesitantly and yet forcefully.

"Responsibility that you go mad when she cries? Responsibility that you can't bear the thought of her with anyone else? Responsibility that you care about her more than you've cared about anyone else in the entire world? Seriously, Bhai. Who are you kidding?" Saad's words hit home and a bucket of ice cold water fell on him but it did nothing to extinguish the fire that had been lit in his heart.

"No..." Loss of words was no longer an option, it had become a compulsion.

"I can't believe that you didn't know that. I mean..it's not rocket science, is it?" Saad chuckled after a moment but Omer was too far gone to pay any heed.

"Saad, leave me alone for some time." Omer said, his voice a whisper as he stared ahead without seeing, his mind wandering to the far off valleys.

"As you say. But know this that not appreciating your feelings is a sin in disguise." Saad said before getting up from the chair and looking down at his brother who had dumbstruck expressions settled on his face.

Hearing Saad cross the threshold and exit the room, Omer sagged his shoulders in defeat before he leaned back against the chair. The warm atmosphere around him suddenly turned cool or was it only his heart that had been reduced to ashes?

He had always known it, some part of him always knew that Fariya was no ordinary woman in his life. She came in his life for a purpose, she came to leave her mark, deep and dark. From the moment he finally accepted the marriage that was forced on him, he knew that Fariya will alter his world, turn it upside down and God, was he right.

She had reciprocated his whole belief system, the very foundation of his life. She had penetrated herself so deep in him that there was no talk about one without the other. She, indeed, was leaving marks.

And yet, despite all that, he never thought he would ever be able to love her. For him, love is deed done one time in life and his time had past. He had already given his heart to a woman before and had always believed that there was no more love left in him to give to his wife.

And before a few minutes ago, he still stuck to his faith. Fariya was his wife but she was not his love; she was many things to him but she was not the woman he loved. It was simple, all too simple.

That was before Saad threw pebbles in the stagnant water of his life.

"Saad might be wrong." A small part of him denied even the possibility of his love and yet the major part knew that there might be a chance, a tiny, timid chance.

It was not only his heart which was afraid of the possibility of falling in love again; it was his mind too which had lost sanity numerous times before. It was not only his heart which was shivering; his whole body was trembling under the force of reality that had been dawned upon him.

"But I love Rameen." He tried to argue again, not willing to surrender so easily to the feeling that had once torn him apart.

"Didn't your last meeting with her confirmed that you are no longer in love with her? That she doesn't hold any place in your wretched heart?" His heart argued back and he dropped his shoulders in defeat.

"So, I love Fariya?" He asked himself and closed his eyes, tiredly, as he heard emptiness entangled inside of him.

Emotions flooded his heart altogether and he opened his eyes to gaze at the vastness that was spread before him, at the stars the peered down at him. Omer heard their laughters, their smiles and he felt as if they were laughing at him.

"No, I don't." His mind protested, one last attempt, a feeble one.

The fear of falling in love again was far more promising than any other feeling he felt.The denial stage was going strong, the acceptance stage was not yet in sight.

"What if?" His heart decided to give the benefit of doubt and his mind knew it had lost the game.

He had always thought of his feelings towards Fariya as instinctive. He was protective about her, what husband is not? He cared about her, what husband does not do that? The thoughts in his mind never dared pass that safe zone-the area where love was nowhere and peace flooded his heart.

But the line was being crossed and he couldn't do anything but watch as life played yet another game at him, masterfully.

The feelings were more than just care and protectiveness, he had always known that but one thing was sure-it was not love. And now all of his sureties were on stake because he no longer stood in the safe zone.

"Was it always love? The feeling of immense care, of madness, of concern, of loyalty-were they always some part of the love that I had for her?" His questions left his heart wondering for a moment before it nodded its head, slowly and gracefully and Omer Ahmed Lashari lost his heart for the second time in his life.

"But..how is it possible? Love can only be done once in life." His mind argued for there was still a chance that his heart would retreat.

"But that's the point. Love can't be done twice but who says that you choose to fall in love?" His heart answered and his mind went silent, a complete silence of agreement.

In a battle between his heart and mind, his heart had flashed the flag of victory as he finally named the feeling he had always felt and yer never known-

Love.

◇◇◇◇

Minutes constituted hours but the bewilderment in his heart and mind didn't seem to vanish. Instead, with each passing second, it seemed to grow, pulling him in with a force that was taking his breath away. Of all the times the ground had been pulled from under his feet, this situation clearly took the trophy.

And yet, despite all that, relaxation was a major emotion that swirled within him. Not being able to put a name to a feeling that was rooted so deep in you is nothing short of immeasurable pain and tension. And now that the feeling has finally been named, lightness found refuge in him.

"Hello, darling." Omer felt and heard her at the same time.

Coiling her arms around his neck from behind, Fariya placed her hands on his chest as she planted her chin at the top of his head. The beautiful and innocent smell that her body radiated wafted up his nose and he sniffed, his shoulders relaxing under her gentle touch.

"You seem to be in a deep thought." Fariya's voice rang close to his ear and his heart picked a speed of its own.

Ignorance is bliss but realisation is far more beautiful for it never leads to a false sense of happiness and Omer Ahmed Lashari had finally been blessed with the truth, a kind which was all too mesmerising.

"I was." Omer said, his voice hollow, as he placed his hand on Fariya's.

"About what?" She seemed to be in a good mood as she asked cheerfully.

"About you." Omer said and heard Fariya's small laugh as she pulled back and Omer tilted his head back and stared up at her smiling face, their eyes fixed at each other.

"What about me?" She asked, and Omer felt her interest ignited.

"Umm..." He swallowed, hard, before tightening his hold around her wrist and bringing her around in front of him.

Giving her hand a little tug, he made her fall on him. Fariya gasped audibly, as she placed her hands on his chest reflexively, her eyes going slightly wide. Omer's hands instantly went around her waist as he took in the sight of her bewildered expression and smiled.

"You should really stop doing that." Fariya glared at her husband as she adjusted herself in his lap.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked, concerned but still smiling softly.

"What if I say yes?" Fariya asked, her eyebrows raised mischievously.

"Then you'll be lying." Omer stated simply and saw as Fariya rolled her eyes.

"You changed the subject." She reminded him.

"From what?" He asked as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, his eyes looking at her face with renewed emotions.

"From what you were thinking about." Fariya replied and the smile from his face vanished in a matter of few seconds.

His eyes found hers and the world went completely still around them, their hearts beating to a similar tune. The twinkle in the woman's eyes dimmed the shine of the stars above, the innocence and beauty her face radiated left no space for the moon to make its appearance known.

This was the woman he had always loved and never known, whom he had hurt numerous times and yet she had never ceased to love him. God bless the people and the differences between their actions!

He had been so sure of himself that he never even considered the possibility of falling for her and now that he had, he didn't know which path to tread on, what decision to make. History was repeating itself, love was beginning to grow in his heart again and to say that he was terrified would be an understatement.

He was trembling with the fear of what would happen to him this time.

He had no more courage left in him to be destroyed yet again by the same emotion but it was his mind which came to his rescue. It reassured him that this time, the woman was not Rameen, it was Fariya-the most kind and gentle soul he had ever had the luck to know.

She wouldn't let the history repeat itself; she would guard his heart with every fibre of her being; she would never take his love for granted.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked, confused as she placed her fingers at his sharp jaw, her touch bring him back from the reverie of thoughts.

"Like what?" He insisted as he leaned against her soft touch, his own finger playing with the end of her hair at her back.

"Like..I don't know. You've never looked at me like that before." Fariya said, her tone sprawled with wonder and thought.

"I was oblivious before." He answered, his voice softest.

"Of what?" She asked, her eyes narrowed but Omer didn't answer, only smiled.

"Omer, you're freaking me out. Are you fine?" She questioned, her tone concerned and Omer shook his head just as a thought clicked in his mind.

"Yes, I am." He said as he straightened a bit in the seat.

"You don't look..." Fariya began but Omer silenced her quickly.

"Fariya, I have to take you somewhere." Omer hurriedly said and Fariya's open mouth complimented her wide eyes.

"Where?" She asked, her eyes narrowed around the edges.

"You'll know." He chose not to reply to the answer as he helped Fariya get up from his lap.

"Omer, it's midnight." Fariya reminded him as Omer stood up too and placed his hand at her back.

"Perfect, isn't it?" He only said as he gently pushed Fariya ahead who had a frown decorating her face.

"I think we should go to a hospital. You don't look fine to me at all." Fariya said, worriedly, once they were seated inside the car and Omer was pulling it out of the garage.

"Do you have temperature?" She suddenly remembered and quickly brought her hand up to touch Omer's forehead and sighed when it didn't feel warm.

"I'm totally fine, Fariya. Stop worrying." He added with a smile and Fariya huffed.

"Then stop being so secretive." She remarked and Omer's laughter rang inside the car.

"Patience, dear wife." He said and Fariya pressed her lips in a thin line as she stared ahead at the deserted roads of Islamabad.

"Alright, lets play some game." Omer broke the silence that had spread inside.

"Grow up, dear husband." Fariya replied and Omer laughed slowly as he took a u-turn.

"Fine." She said after a while-she had obviously grown bored from tne silence.

"Which one?" Omer asked.

"Truth and Dare." Fariya hurriedly said and Omer cast her an intent stare.

"I know what you're doing here." He replied, smiling as he stared ahead at the road.

"Tell me a truth that is related to me." Fariya ignored his remark and fired a question, resulting in Omer's enriched laughter.

"I'm not an easy nut to crack, Mrs. Lashari. Besides, who said I chose truth?" His voice was laced with joy as he saw Fariya frowning.

"Who said I was playing fair?" She shrugged her shoulders as she turned around to face him who was smiling as he looked ahead.

"Alright, answer now." She said forcefully.

"You really want to know?" He asked after a moment, his voice suddenly serious.

"Of course." Omer heard her reply and smiled inwardly.

"Remember when we danced at Syra's Mehandi?" He asked as he turned around to look at her face which was glowing under the light of the moon, her black hair open as they fell on her shoulders and back softly, disturbing the tunes of his overwhelmed heart.

"Yeah?" She asked, her eyes narrowed as she looked at him.

"It wasn't Saad's idea. It was mine." He answered truthfully and Fariya's eyes widened instantly.

"Yeah, I asked Saad to call our name. I didn't know what overcame me but I just wanted to do that, once." He added and by then, Fariya was smiling softly, her eyes glassy.

"So that was the second reason?" She asked, in a trance, and Omer caught hold of her hand that was placed in her lap as he nodded.

"My, God, you're so precious." Omer heard her voice, laced with emotions and feelings and a small smile touched his face.

"So, it's your turn?" Omer asked, his one hand still holding hers.

"Dare." She said softly, long forgotten the reason she initially asked her question.

Before Omer could think of a suitable one, they reached their destination and Omer stopped the car. Fariya turned her head around to look ahead but halted with an inaudible gasp.

"Omer, what are we doing here?" She asked, her confused eyes travelling between her husband and the sight in front of her.

Omer didn't reply, only smiled at her before getting out of the car and walking briskly towards her side. Opening the door, he extended his hand which Fariya caught as she stared in his eyes, confused. Locking the car after Fariya had gotten out, he snaked an arm around Fariya's waist before pulling her close.

"Omer.." She breathed his name as she stood close to him, his hot breath fanning the top of her head and making a shiver run down the length of her spine.

"Just wait a little bit more, sweetheart." He said gently as he started moving forward, the moonlight and the light from his mobile helping them see the path.

Omer's tight hold never loosened around her waist as they treaded their path, his every attention fixed on Fariya as she carefully walked close to him. Their steps were cautious and unhurried, their eyes drawn and fixed.The moon watched with love as the two lover walked together, its light shining on their faces beautifully.

"Omer, I will kill you when we get back home." Fariya said in an exasperated tone, almost breathless and Omer suddenly stopped, bringing Fariya to a stop too.

"I'm sorry. I know you shouldn't be walking this much." He said apologetically, his voice concerned.

"It's okay." Fariya tried to smile and Omer felt the affection for her growing inside of him.

"Come, I'll pick you up." Omer began to lower himself but stopped when Fariya shook her head forcefully and slightly pulled back from the protective hold of his arm.

"No, no. It's fine. It'll be difficult for you to walk and besides, very little distance is left anyways." She answered as she smiled at Omer, the light reflecting from her face, making it even more beautiful and mesmerising.

"It won't be difficult. I didn't do all the hectic work outs in gym for nothing." Omer answered, his eyes smiling. "I'm sure you didn't work-out to carry your wife when she's pregnant." Fariya answered in the same tone, her hands placed on Omer chest as she leaned against hiw arm for support.

"No, but it's one plus point, isn't it?" He remarked with an eyebrow raised in amusement and Fariya shook her head as she laughed.

"Alright, come on." Fariya said as she resumed her pace again and Omer followed with a smile.

The land evened out beneath his feet not a moment later and once diffused rays of moonlight now striked his face mightily. With an arm still wrapped around her slender waist, he walked towards the heart of the hill and halted, Fariya coming to a stop too beside him with a confused look on her face.

The same hill they came to on their Mehandi night.

The same hill on which Fariya declared her love.

The same hill on which he uttered with such surety that he would never be able to love her.

Ah, life and the games it play at human beings.

The distant view of the lights was spread before his eyes but they were easily shadowed by the moonlight that cascaded the earth. The light was strong for the night hosted a full moon.

"Why have you brought me here?" Omer felt her eyes on him as he stared straight ahead, his heart gathering courage from the view that his eyes reflected.

Removing his arm from around her, he swallowed hard before turning around to face her completely, the sky watching intently as the confused hazel eyes clashed with the terrified black ones. The full moon peered down at the woman who overshadowed its beauty, the sky looked with awe at the man who was far more deeper.

His eyes wandered around the valleys of her face, finding renewed valour from the concern her eyes masked. Pressing her lips in a thin line, he drew in a shaky breath as he closed his eyes for a second, hiding the orbs from the world that reflected fright and joy simultaneously.

"I have to tell you something." He began and his heart knew that the moment was finally here.

"I've figured that out by now. What is it that you have to tell me?" Fariya asked as she stared in his eyes unflinchingly.

"I have no idea how you'll react." He murmured slowly and Fariya's eyes widened in bewilderment.

"Are you afraid, Omer?" She asked in an incredulous tone, slightly bemused too.

"Kind of." He answered truthfully, raking a hand through his hair.

"Wow. I'm intrigued now." Fariya smiled softly and some of the tension escaped his heart at the sight.

"Umm..I..I just realised it today." Omer began again, his heart thumping wildly in his chest.

"What?" Fariya asked, her eyes narrowed.

And the world stopped its motion, the moon lost its charm and the wind halted for the declaration of love was uttered audibly. No one existed in that moment, no one except the two and yet, that was somehow enough for either of them.

"Fariya, I love you."

Fariya

The heart stopped beating but why didn't the life end then? The blankness invaded the mind but why was the soul still inside yet? Omer Ahmed Lashari was in love with her so how was Fariya Ali Sikandar still alive?

Galaxies of emotions swirled within her, a heat which caused every nerve ending in her body to burst into flames. The lids were too startled to blink, the mind too numb to think and her heart, oh, her poor, fragile heart.

She didn't know if it came to her mouth or dropped in her ribcage, only one thing was certain-it wasn't beating nor was it ever going to be the same again. The thunder of his words that struck her had completely barricaded the naive heart of hers that bled him, blood flow constricted.

The man standing before her eyes stared at her with blissful dread and the whole foundation of her life tilted, the revelation too much for her heart and mind. The hollow of her throat went dry as the words hit her brain repeatedly, causing a quake in the heart that was all his.

She stared at his face in bewilderment under the light radiated by the moon and drank every sharp feature of his with stern attention. The way he looked at her with terrified eyes; the way he swallowed hard every now and then, his adam's apple bulging out; the way he ran a tongue over his lips or the way he didn't utter a word but kept staring at her, his eyes never once wavering from her startled face.

"What?" She finally managed to utter a word despite the garden of thorns that had grown inside her throat.

"Fariya.." The sound of her name rolling off the tip of his tongue with so much love did something strange to her heart, something it had never done before-it made her heart swell with joy as tears coated her lashes.

"Please, Fariya. Say something. Don't cry, please." Omer's desperate plea and there, her whole body was on fire.

"Omer.." She whispered his name and before tears could leave her eyes and stain the cheeks, she blinked hard and wiped them away with the back of her hand, her hazel eyes fixed on Omer.

"I love you, I've always loved you." He repeated, this time with joyous desperation and Fariya came to know one thing for sure-she would never get tired of hearing him say that in his deep, enriched voice.

"You..what?" The truth had refused to wrap around her stunned mind.

"Fariya, I..." Omer began to say again but Fariya silenced him with a soft, helpless tone.

"Don't. Don't say something you are not sure of. Don't make promises to me that you can't fulfill. Don't give me false hope, Omer." She finished, her voice hollow and saw as Omer's expressions softened.

"I'm not doing any of that. You really think I would say something as serious as that without being utterly sure?" Omer asked her in return and silence fell inside her.

"But you..you don't love me...you never had. And trust me, I'm fine with that. I've learned to value other things over love...how can you..." Omer silenced her, not with words but with actions as he took a step closer towards her and all the words died inside her.

"Fariya, time changes, people change too. That's life." He answered as he effectively stepped inside her personal space.

"Love doesn't. You love someone else." Fariya replied almost too quickly, her voice impatient and helpless.

"Loved. Past tense." He answered in the same tone, with the same speed.

"One can't just walk out of love, Omer. You yourself told me that, didn't you?" She questioned.

She was not going to let her defences down so easily, not until she has had her answers. Of all the things she knew about love, one was primary-a person can only love once in a lifetime. And Omer had already done that, a love in a lifetime.

Not that she had any problem with it now, but she still won't let him play with her emotions like this. Of all she knew, Omer might be wrong and all of this might be a huge mistake. In that case, she will not allow her heart to get broken again by the same man. She had felt that once and no pain surpassed the feeling of getting your heart broken by the man you love.

"I didn't walk out of love like in one day, Fariya. It took me more than half a decade to do that." He answered and Fariya exhaled a deep breath.

He took in a deep, shaky breath when she didn't answer before holding Fariya by the arm and making her sit on one of the large rocks beside them. Sitting beside her, he took her cold hands in his but stared straight ahead, his eyes fixed on the moon that blessed them with love and light.

"Listen to me, Fariya. And listen closely." He began and Fariya's heart started thumping wildly in her chest as she looked at him whose face looked even more beautiful like this.

"I loved Rameen; I don't deny that. Even after everything she did to me, I still thought that I was in love with her. That's what I told you, that's what I told myself. But all the confusions and lies were present only until I met her. I was myself beyond shocked that day when I realised that she didn't mean anything to me anymore, she didn't effect me like she used to.

Everytime I looked at her, I thought of you. Her eyes reminded me your innocent, beautiful ones; her tears reminded me of your laughters; her words reminded me of everything you had ever said to me; her presence made me realise how much important you've become to me.

But on that day, I realised something else too which I never dared to confess, not even to myself, until tonight. I realised but failed to appreciate that you are far more important to me than Rameen ever was, that how wrong I was when I always thought that I cared for you only because you were my wife, that you hold a place in my heart no one has ever come close to.

But tonight, all the realisations and thoughts hit me and I finally named the feeling that I had felt so deep inside me. I was wrong, always, to think that I was still in love with her when all this time, it had been you." He finished, his voice low but enriched with emotions that were now crawling inside her.

Fariya wasn't aware of the tears that cascaded down her cheeks for his beautiful words still rang around her, swelling her heart with pure bliss. The skies peered down with a smile as the man stared ahead while the woman had her eyes fixed on the man, both of their thoughts a glorious mess.

Omer's eyes only averted when she sniffed and he turned his face towards her quickly, his eyes concerned but contented. The look he gave her, the way he pressed his lips in a thin smile and shook his head slightly and the way he gently placed an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him made her cry even more, her heart overflowing with sheer happiness.

Placing her head at the side of his shoulder, she let the tears flow as she took Omer's hands in her own, her lips pressed lightly as she stared down at their entwined hands. As she sniffed, Omer's hold tightened around her but he didn't say a word to halt the tears.

"I..I never thought that I would ever see this moment in my life." She whispered after a second and felt a soft kiss at the top of her head.

"You always had such a high place in my eyes but now you are the resident of my heart too!" His softly said words laced with smiles and joy made her smile beautifully.

Raising her head, she looked up to gaze at the twinkle of black that stared back with awe and her heart stopped beating for a moment. What was in his eyes that always made her so weak that she couldn't function afterwards? What was in his smile that wrecked a havoc at her heart every single time?

"I love you." Fariya whispered as she looked up at him, their faces mere inches apart but the distance between their hearts was even less.

The love that descended in his eyes when her words hit his ears made her heart melt in no second. Gently, he leaned in and planted a kiss on her forehead, her insides burning.

"I love you too." He said in the same beautifully laid tone and Fariya's heart dropped dead.

This moment was her fantasy, her dream, her hope. Forgotten are the counts of the days she had wished to hear this one sentence from him. Though she never expected it and neither did she demand it but there was still a small part of her, a part where love first bloomed, which wanted to hear this one word, this one final declaration of love.

And now hearing it did strange things to her heart.

"I remember the day when the reality of my love dawned upon me as clear as a day. That day, that moment." She halted for a second, her head placed on Omer's chest as she stared ahead, his arm coiled around her frame.

That moment not only lifted the mist of miseries that had fallen upon my life, it also somehow compensated for the pain you had given me before. You held me that night when I was at my weakest and in return, I gave you my heart. But even at that point, I never expected you to ever love me back. Someone made me understand that a person who loves truly never want it back.

So, I gave in. I accepted reality, I accepted that I might never be fortunate enough to get your love. And, at this moment, I can't place my finger on what particular occasion was it when Allah listened to the plea of my silent heart.

"There's difference between what we ask for and what we wish for. Your love was what I never asked for, it was something I only hoped for. And I can't thank Allah enough for bestowing me with that." She finished with a small smile, her eyes swirling around the night that was descending with the moon in her hand.

"Now that I come to think about it, I realise that I had philophobia. It wasn't just the misunderstanding that I still loved Rameen that stopped me from appreciating my feelings for you, it was also the fear of getting my heart broken all over again." Omer added silently, his voice accompanied by truth and sincerity.

"You don't have that now?" Fariya raised her head to look at him as she asked, the corner of her buried in the skin.

"I am terrified at this moment, Fariya. Scared of what might happen if I allow myself to delve deeper into love again but I couldn't do wrong to you by not telling you this. And you've proved to me, more than once, what a gentle and kind soul you are. This fact calms my erratic heart a bit." He answered as he tilted his head to a side and observed her face keenly.

"I will never take your love for granted, Omer. I won't let history repeat itself. I promise you that I would protect your heart with everything I have." She said, her voice deep and hoarse as she vowed.

The softness blessed his expressions once more and he leaned forward, their foreheads touching as the thick lashes met. The moonlight deepened, penetrating their skins as they held on to each other.

"When we got married...at the hospital...I never thought that I would ever see happiness in my life again. The pain of my father's death, the pain of your harsh words, the pain of all the truths my father had kept from me, the pain of living a life where you're forced on someone-I never thought that happiness will ever find its way back to me." She began as she raised an arm and caressed Omer's rough stubble with her long fingers, their foreheads still touching.

"Sometimes when pain exceeds the limit, happiness seems a miracle away. I felt the same thing." She said while opening her eyes and raised the lashes, only to find Omer's gaze already set on her.

"That's life." He smiled and so did the moon.

"You're right. That's life. When the miseries envelope our lives, we never think that happiness will ever replace it. Just like night. When it descends, morning seems so far away that we forget for a moment that it even exists." Words were coming to her mind and rolling off her tongue swiftly.

"Sadness is like the midnight sun. People say it doesn't exist but it does. It's there and it's glorious for it teaches us so much. And when it descends in our lives, we think that is irreplaceable. But as the streaks of dawn break, so does the spell of the sadness and there's hope-for a bright future, for a life filled with love. After every midnight sun, there's a dawn and it's worth every pain." The wind dissolved her words and the moon cried silently as the lady and her man stared at each other with love and love alone.

"You've become a philosopher in my love." Omer's breathly chuckle swayed her heart away in the winds that gushed so beautifully around them.

"Not in your love, for your love." She answered with a smile.

"I love you. I always will." He said tenderly as he played with her earlobes with his lips.

A heat arose in her heart as she leaned against his touch. the moon hiding behind the clouds, its diffused, romantic rays purifying them in the waters of everlasting love.

The glorious midnight sun had vanished after giving them lessons for a lifetime!

☆☆☆☆

This is the end. Hold your breath and count to ten!

The chapter was very much delayed and yet very long. I hope it made up for that. 15,500 words are no fun!

But still, my very first story on wattpad ended and I don't know what to say. I'm first of all very thankful to all of you who have been with me in this beautiful journey. Every part of it was worth it.

And about the epilogue, it might come tomorrow, the next week or maybe the next month. So basically, this is not the end. We still have one more chapter (a short one though) about Omer and Fariya and of course, their child.

For now, I love all of you for making Glory a huge success. I can't thank all of you enough. You guys are gem!

I'll save the last words for the final author's note. *wipes my tears*

Till next time,
Salam!