*Flashback are in bold

The car stopped in the porch making Waniya jerk out of her thoughts. Her head shot up towards the house which was the same as she had left it. The same house which was hers for almost an year now. But this was different. From now on wards this place would not be that.

Not home.

Home is where your heart belongs to and she didn't feel her heart belong there anymore.

Her side of door was opened and before she could move Ahmer had placed his arm under her legs and picked her in his arms. His eyes ran over her swollen feet and then rested at the path ahead. She hadn't said anything. She didn't want to say anything. All these gestures of his were making her heart pain some more. How ignorant he was towards her in the past few weeks. He had always showered his love on her and his love came with a softness which wasn't expected out of a man like him. But it was reserved for her. She had never come across his side which was for strangers. Indifferent and cold. He had showed her that as well.

The side of his which she hated the most.

The side of his which was etched on her memory.

And now he was back to being the lover that he was with gentleness which was tenfold greater than before.

Was she a doll? When he wanted to, he played with her and then threw her away as if she had no value in his life.

Sobs were constricting her throat. She looked away not being able to control her emotions anymore. She was already feeling low all thanks to her pregnancy and on top of all these heart wrenching thoughts were taking a toll on her.

She clutched the lapel of his shirt when his eyes fell on her.

"Waniya..."

She looked at him with half closed lids and before he could call her once again her head rested in the cocoon of his neck.

"No..No!"

He rushed towards his room and called the doctor immediately.

One look at her and he slumped down at foot of the bed.

He deserved it. Not her.

__________________

An year passed sooner than Waniya had imagined. Ahmer was very much in contact with her over the phone and internet. They both had just told each other their feelings when he had to leave for the USA and she hadn't seen him in person after that. But he hadn't forgotten her. No matter how busy he was, he'd always managed to be in touch with her and this always put a smile on her face. There weren't any promises. But they knew they needed this. Each other and the connection forming between them.

But god knows why for last week he hadn't made a single phone call which had her worried. It had never happened before. Waniya adjusted her shawl around her shoulders while playing with her long hair. There was a gathering arranged by Ahmer's parents and along with Alishba and Hayam, they all were invited. She fastened the bracelet and picking up the phone came to the balcony of her room.

"The number you are trying, is currently unreachable. Please try again later."

She sighed pushing it in her purse.

"God, Why he isn't picking up my calls! Not one reply to my texts. I just hope he is alright."

She prayed silently when Alishba called her as they were ready to leave.

"Coming!"

Waniya made her way towards the stairs still worried.

_______________________

Ahsan and Yumna welcomed them with warm smiles. Ahsan Daud was a calm and easy going man with a family he loved dearly. Alishba had gotten her sweet nature from her father. While Yumna Ahsan was a woman of class and not everyone got to her. She had an unseen boundary around her aura and not everyone was allowed to cross it. Everyone knew from where Ahmer had gotten his attitude problem. Waniya greeted the couple in her usual way, earning a fatherly pat on her head from Ahsan and a simple curt nod from Yumna. After the preliminary greetings, she stood in a corner still trying to contact Ahmer. She was worried for him and at this moment nothing was making her forget it. Not even this lavish party.

She made a face seeing her phone screen blank. Where the hell this man was sleeping? He was supposed to text her and update her on his semester break which wasn't far. With a huff she folded her arms on her chest when her phone had started ringing. It was an unknown number. Whoever this moron was, a deserving scolding was coming his or her way.

"Hello?"

Her sharp tone was enough to tell she wasn't in mood of handling wrong numbers.

"Well, I prefer red but have to admit black also looks good on you."

"What? Ahmer? What the hell!"

She exclaimed when realization hit her.

"How do you know I'm wearing black? Where are you?"

She pulled her phone down to check the caller ID once more when a hand reached for her hand and pulled her around.

"Surprise!"

He arched an eyebrow and then winked at her. She kept on looking at him with exhilaration and surprise.

"You! Here? When? How! Why I didn't know about it? It means you were deliberately ignoring my calls! So mean, and everyone else knows you are here except me. You were playing all this while!"

He shook his head.

"You won't ever stop blabbering won't you?"

"Blabbering? You were fooling m..."

But her words died in her throat as he had hugged her.

She had missed this. There was just one time he had hugged her before but that had made her realize how it felt to be in the arms of someone you have in your heart. Closing her eyes she let a tear roll down her cheeks.

"Damn, I missed you."

He whispered hitting his forehead with hers.

"Doesn't beat me. You don't have any clue how much I missed you."

He had smiled.

"Alright, can we please stop the PDA now before people start noticing?"

Alishba cleared her throat making them chuckle.

"Bhabhi!"

Waniya whined with a red hue spread over her face.

"That's what I would be calling you in few months. By the way how was the surprise?"

She asked quirking an eye brow. Waniya looked at both of them and almost ran away from there.

_________________________________

"Stress is taking a toll on her, Alishba. She is already weak and this is not proving any good to her and baby's health. Just try to keep her stress free. I'll have to take few tests so bring her to my clinic soon."

Doctor Riffat picked up her bag glancing at Waniya's sleeping form. She was Yumna's close friend and had a clue what havoc last few months proved on her best friend and her family.

Alishba sighed and held her hand.

"Thank you, auntie. Just pray things get sorted out in our life.

"They will. You too take rest. I know things are difficult now, but they will not remain the same, Alishba. Just don't lose hope. I have seen how brave and courageous you are. Just put yourself and your family together. You all need each other at the moment."

"I know, And I'm trying my best."

She sighed and giving an assuring smile to Alishba walked towards door. She hadn't asked to see Yumna because everyone knew how unhappy with the turn of events Yumna Ahsan was.

_____________________

These days Waniya was feeling the luckiest girl on the face of this planet. An year of distance had made both of them realize how strong their feelings were for each other. It had been few days since he came back. He had started handling office matters to get the needed experience as he was supposed to do that as soon as he was done with his studies. Ahsan was amazed at Ahmer's broad vision and ideas and was more than willing to let him lead the company from in future.

Seeing the world from a broad perspective had changed his outlook towards life a bit. His professionalism was admired by everyone but around his loved ones he was the same Ahmer. At time jolly, other times grumpy and most of the times just smiling and not saying much.

Waniya had known him for some two years now. She knew he was very protective of his loved ones and now she was also in the list. He was demanding but never ever he tried imposing anything on her. They were riding on a clear road where there not much bumps and even if there were, they knew how to tackle them. Together. Her Degree was almost complete and her father wanted her to come back home to him. But she knew going back meant setting for a job and position which wasn't quite a match with her degree. She wanted to stay here and was trying to make her father see her point of view as well. A few firms were already offering her for internship and she didn't want to lose the chances coming her way. Her career was settled here. Ahmer was here. There was no point in leaving this city.

The family of her uncle had always made her feel at home. Ihtasham uncle was also trying to convince his younger brother to listen to his daughter and shift his business to the city. Rehana auntie wasn't very fond of the idea but she wasn't someone Waniya was worried about. Once her father decided to shift here, she'd live in a separate house with him so there was nothing to fret about. Hareem and Hayyam both were more siblings than cousins to her and Alishba bhabhi was the sweetest person she'd ever met. Life was going according to what she had always wanted.

This was her constant. And with Ahmer's arrival into it, it became all the more beautiful.

So real.

So hers.

___________________

He came out of his room and stood facing the garden looking at nothing in particular. Life had played a nasty game with him and he being the hot headed man he was, like always had done few grave mistakes.

How he wished things would be different. How he wished destiny was a little merciful on him. On Waniya.

But this regret won't give him anything now. It was all in the past now. And no matter how much he wished, he couldn't change it.

"Ahmer."

He heard his Dadi's voice and turned around. She wiped her tears and opened her arms for him and soon he hugged her. She was the only person who didn't try to impose anything own him. When his own mother had refused to understand him, only his Dadi and sister were standing with him.

"Everything will be fine. I know things are looking messed up right now but they will change for sure."

"Waniya will forgive me, right?"

Mrs Inam smiled sadly. He was not exactly wrong but his actions were done at wrong time which made him a culprit in his own eyes when he wasn't the one.

"As far as I know her, she will."

He took a deep breath looking back at the starry sky. The dawn would be here. It had to be.

________________________

"Time flies. Feels like you had gotten back just yesterday."

Waniya said placing her head on his shoulder as they looked at the city lights from their spot. Ahmer was quiet. His break was ending in about two weeks and he wasn't ready to go back.

"But It's okay. We survived the last time. We'll do it again this time around. Just one more year and then you'll be back permanently. I'm convincing Baba to shift here as well. It's going be so okay."

She had tried making it sound easy but her own heart wasn't at peace thinking how she was going spent another year without him. They were in love. There was no denying. But their relation had no name. Just two people who was each other's big life part. Only Alishba knew about them. Waniya had never thought about future much. There was no pint fretting over something which was yet to happen but still she didn't know if they were in for the long run. He was in this with her but for how long they'd last? She had no idea. There were no promises. No typical stuff couples do.

"Waniya.."

"Hun?..."

"Your thoughts on going official?"

"What?"

She looked up at him with surprise.

"What if I go home and talk about us with my family. Before going back, we get at least Nikkah done?"

"You aren't serious, are you?"

He gave her a look full of seriousness.

"I want this. I want us to be something. In a proper way. I think the families will not be difficult to get on board."

His face covered with the yellow hue of setting sun was shining. Waniya felt this was unreal. Just now she was thinking about not having a long run with him and here he was making sure they last and last they were going to.

"Can we do this?"

"Do you think we can't?"

She shook her head while a smile reached her lips.

"We can! We will."

The same smile reached his lips as well. They were going to do this. Yes.

_______________________

"Waniya?"

Mrs Inam looked at her grandson who had just dropped the bomb. He had straight come to her out of his habit. Before his parents, he'd come to her whenever there was something he needed to be done.

"Yes, the one and only."

The wrinkled face of Mrs Inam formed into an expression of deep thought.

"I have to admit the girl is very nice. Very lovely and what not."

"So what are we waiting for? Can you talk to mom and dad please? Aapa knows already."

"This is good. After pulling a full fledged love, here you are fulfilling the formality with your Dadi."

"Come on, Dadi. You know only you can make this happen."

"Can't deny. I know only I can."

And she had proved she could. Her grandson was dear to him and she'd been seeing Waniya for a long time. That girl had a way of making people her pals. So Mrs Inam was no exception. She had conveyed the idea to her son and daughter in law. As expected Ahsan had no issue regarding this. He was ready to talk to Ihtasham and Moeez and ask for Waniya's hand for Ahmer but the real resistance came in from Yumna's side.

"You all are not getting my point. I have nothing against Waniya. She's a wonderful girl. I've been seeing her and there is nothing in her I dislike. But double relationship can prove a disaster, Amma. You should know it better than me. Also It's early for us to think of getting Ahmer settle down. He's still studying."

She had put across her point if view to both her mother in law and husband.

"I also know we'll be getting into a double relationship with Ihtasham's family but Waniya isn't Hayam's sister. No matter how close they are but she's a cousin only. I do think few problems can arise here and there but your son likes her, Yumna. If we negate his feelings, he'll be heartbroken. I don't want to see him in that state. He's in love and if we should let him have his love story. "

"Of all the people he'd had to fall in love with Waniya? This is not a good idea. We can at least wait for him to complete his studies."

"He's not forcing us for a quick marriage. Just Nikkah. Giving a well acceptable name to his and Waniya's relation. Making it halal which is a very good thinking in my opinion."

Both Mrs Inam and Yumna were right at their place. Yumna was thinking more on practical lines while Mrs Inam was thinking of her grandson's happiness.

But in Waniya's house, things were kind of different.

"Why Waniya? Why not my Hareem? She should be the one getting a proposal from that family."

Rehana wasn't happy with this new development. Her husband was ecstatic when Ahsan had put across the proposal in front of him. He had always loved his niece and seeing her getting settled in a household they knew was ideal, he couldn't be happier.

" Because Ahmer wants it with Waniya. All our lives we have loved and brought up this girl because somewhere we all knew how deprived she was because of Sara's untimely death and Moeez's inclination towards his business. We have always considered her our daughter. Let's not negate it when it's time to be responsible of the biggest decision in her life."

"I brought her up not for her to snatch what should've been my daughter's right."

"Just because Hayam's married to Alishba and Hareem is Hayam's sister, doesn't give us any right to demand this. They have asked for Waniya and we should really consider it."

Rehana wasn't one to be convinced easily but in front of her husband and brother in law she had no other choice then to relent.

After few days of persuasion and families thinking things through, at last the Nikkah was decided. Waniya and Ahmer were going to get their happy ever after. It hadn't been easy but it could have been way more difficult. Rehana and Yumna were not entirely satisfied but everyone thought they'd be. With the passage of time.

But they didn't. Ahmer and Waniya started their relationship with two people who were not at all happy with it and not now, but in near future they'd know how massive of an impact it was going to have on them.

___________________

Her bright eyes were shining with the newly found happiness. The hand clutching onto his coat lapel was covered with henna. It had been almost three days to their Nikkah but it still felt like just now they had covered a milestone in their relation.

"Are you going to leave me?"

She just shook her head.

"The second announcement is about to be made."

"So?"

He shook his head chuckling softly.

"Waniya, It's time. "

Waniya inhaled sharply.

"I know. I wish you could stay."

How he wished he could. But the main obstacle was not there in their path anymore. They were married and after an year the Rukhsati will also be done.

"So this going to be our thing? Saying goodbyes on airports?"

He held her hand in his.

"This the last goodbye. After that there will be just the two of us and a forever I've promised you and you've promised me."

Waniya just hugged him with tears getting absorbed into his sweater. The said announcement was made and giving her a last glance he had walked away towards the terminal.

Waniya stood there.

Last time he had gone away as lover.

This time he was going away as a husband.

But she was sure this was it. This was the last time he was going away.

But she had no clue that there would come a point when he'd go away as a stranger.

_______________________

She opened her eyes slowly and sat on the bed. Her head was still spinning a bit but she had to change into her warm clothes. Pushing the duvet aside she looked around to find her bag. Her shawl was inside. Taking it out, she turned around when her eyes fell on him who was standing in the door. She looked away clutching it to her chest.

"Are you okay now?"

He had asked coming close to her. She tried stopping her tears but when she had a control over them when this man was concerned.

"Waniya..I....."

"I don't want to talk to you."

She said in a firm voice and walked towards the dressing room when she felt a gentle tug at her elbow and soon he was standing in front of her. His bloodshed eyes were filled with so many emotions. Regret being the most evident.

"I'm sorry, Waniya. Please..."

_________________