Few Months Later*

The starry wind chime chimed with the sweetest melody as a gentle breeze stirred it and went on. The auditory sensation of it, soothing Noorie's heart as her eyes looked at the wind chime with affectionate eyes. The wind chime consisted of crystal stars hanging upon small crystalline beads and the sound was from a cylindrical shaped silver polished metal surrounded by eight layers of crystal stars. It looked lovely and sounded wonderful.

One of the particular crsytal star of the wind chime reminded Noorie of her star. And its music was playing havoc with her emotions, making her feel nostalgic about her star.

Her star.

She missed watching it, talking to it or simply gazing at it. She could do all that again, but after that disastrous day, she changed and gave up on a few of her interests. Particularly the one that were affiliated with her past.

She was passing by the streets when she saw this wind chime hanging from the display window of this gift shop. She couldn't resist checking it out.  She felt something deep in her heart as she heard its melodious sound.  It was like her star was calling for her. She cannot fight this feeling. How does one fight the feeling that they had been running away from, once they caught you and doesn't let you go? She cannot do it. So, she planned to buy it.

As Noorie entered the shop, she had a Deja Vu sort of feeling. Like she had not come here herself, but was brought by some force. Her heart was charging up with sensations that was playing riot with her mind. Thinking it all to be silly, she pushed her thoughts away and went ahead to the window shelf to have a look at that wind chime. But, before she could put her hands on it, a man who was blocking her way, took hold of it.

Her heart sighed foretelling that she lost it, but before she could react to it, the voice of the man made her heart do a flip and those sensations she tried to ignore, began to surface, making her feel nervous.

"He took it from me, so I came down to get another one," The man said in a deep voice, looking at the salesman.

From their conversation, Noorie gathered that he has bought one of the same wind chime yesterday, which his son took to hang in his room and so he is buying the other one for himself. She loved it at first sight as well and wanted to buy it. Perhaps they have another of the same kind. She walks around other sections , checking out stuffs, hoping for the man to move away so that she can inquire the salesman regarding it.

The man was taking a hell of time as he inspected the starry wind chime. He was asking questions which she could hear, and his voice was hitting her brains to remember something.

She felt certain that she had heard this voice somewhere. But, where...?

Standing at the shelf nearby, she took a look of him, trying to see his face, but couldn't. His back was facing her. Although, from his personality, Noorie was sure that he was a good looking man, well-built and athletic, with jet black semi-straight hair crowning his head and some hanging on his temple. She could say that because she noticed the man trying to push them back once. Also, from his manner of dealing with the salesman she concluded that he is quite a gentleman. She was listening to their conversation when the shopkeeper shot her a look, to check if she needed something. At that same moment, the man turned around and met her eyes. She was taken off guard and her expression changed from sober to horrified, as if she has seen a ghost.

It could have been better meeting a ghost than this man, Noorie thought as she saw the smirk on the man's face. He was gloating at her reaction. She wanted to say something, but pretended that she didn't recognize him.

Him.

It was Him.

Aftab Ali Khan.

She never forgot about him... or his voice.

How could she ever forget him. The man had impacted her life with just one brief conversation she had with him, months ago. She was certain, she would never meet him, so all the fears of being found out and be judged over what she has done, subsided with time. Only if fate understood reasons and let things be.

Today, after meeting him again, she is not as sure. The thought was making her uneasy.

Aftab was surprised as well, but not much. As if he expected to meet her again. His smile confirmed her fears and his gaze made her feel panicky. He was delightfully gazing at her from head to toe, expecting her to be as beautiful as he had last seen her and had imagined in his thoughts. She looked cool and attractive and the fact that she is standing right in front of her made everything too exciting for him.

Noorie lowered her gaze. For the way he stared at her, she felt that she was in two-piece and not the modestly adorned black shalwar suit, she choose to wear today.

It was the salesman who broke the awkward silence, as he looked at her and inquired, "How can I help you, Mam?"

Her gaze shifted from Aftab to the shopkeeper, but she was still blushing badly, feeling his eyes on her. She thought she lost her voice because she opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it. Everything was so embarrassing because he caught her checking him out and was still looking at her as surprise as her with this second un-planned meeting. She knew he must be preparing to bombard her with questions, but she did her best to pretend she has not recognized him by looking away from him and at the shopkeeper.

She strained to avoid his stares and clearing her throat addressed the shopkeeper, "Umm.. Actually, I saw this wind chimes on display and came inside to purchase it. You have another of the same? It's okay, if you don't." She just rushed into saying it all together without waiting for his reply. Gosh, she is talking like a babbling teenager, she thought disgustedly. Only if Aftab moves away and stop looking at her.

The shopkeeper said apologetically, "Sorry, Mam. It's already been taken."

Noorie jumped in saying, "Oh... It's okay..." She said, deflecting Aftab's gaze who by now had understood that Noorie is purposely avoiding his presence. It made him feel quite bad because he had been happy to have met her again and was intending to talk to her, but her ignorance stopped him. He saw her giving one look to the wind chime in his hand as she continued saying, "I was wondering if you had another one of the same?"

He wanted to offer her the one he bought the shopkeeper began explaining, "Sorry again, Mam. I just had a pair of these kind of wind chime and Sir had already taken one yesterday."

She wondered if the kid who he had mentioned was his own and if he is married and then cursed herself for being concerned about his personal life. What's got over her, she thought irritated at herself.

"It's okay, nevermind," she said to the shopkeeper and immediately turned away to head out.

She didn't gave him a look or do a formal bye. He was not willing to accept that she had forgotten him. Her behavior and action spoke a lot. He knew, she was keeping to the words she said on their last meeting that they will never meet or talk again and will strangers to each other. But he wanted to offer her the windchime she so wanted. And, so he said, "You can have it if you want it."

Noorie turned to look at him with disbelieving eyes, feeling irritated inside with why he could not pretend to be a stranger, as planned between them. This was what she had been resting of - of meeting him again and her secret coming out.  Then she thought, she as being unreasonable. He wouldn't begin discussing her past here. She looked up to his face to say something and caught him smiling.

His smile. She still remembered that magical smile. It had consumed most of her thoughts, for a longer time than she had expected.

She shook herself out of her thoughts and feeling pleased with his generosity stated gently,"No, Thank you." She said and without giving him a chance to respond, turned about heading towards the door of the shop.

"I insist," He said gently, making her stop on her way.
Exactly, like how it was in their first meeting. Both remembered how insistent he had been back then too.

Noorie gave him an impatient look as she turned to face him, wondering why is he doing this. They decided to never cross paths again, but even if destiny made them meet again, he should just ignore her.

"I am sorry, I cannot...," She said catching hold of his gaze as his name slipped out of her mouth in a very smooth flow,"... Aftab Ali Khan." Her own voice shocked her. Without giving much thought to any of it, she pushed open the shop's gate and moved out in a rush, before giving the wind chime, Aftab was holding in his hand, one last look.

The shopkeeper and Aftab, both gaped at her as she walked out of the road in haste.

So, she did remember him after all, Aftab was relieved to know. From the strange way she reacted, He had begun to believe she had blanked out entirely about him. Though his first thoughts were that she had been avoiding him because she never intended to meet him again so as to keep their first meeting a secret. He understood that much so even though he felt the urge to find out about her, he resisted, to honor their pact of never trying to find out about the other.

How he had regretted making that promise!

He wanted to talk to her now, but everything happened so fast that he didn't get the chance to talk to her. Or Perhaps, he could have, but he was so busy admiring her – rather her eyes that had kept him awake many a nights. She had one of those rare kind of eyes that are so unforgettably beautiful. They still looked sad yet were smiling with pure spirit, he thought as he made the payment and headed out of the store, with the intention of following her and holding the wind chime as if his life now depended upon it.

The shopkeeper could only smile at what he just witnessed. He had named his store "Dreamer's Heaven" - A place where you get what you need."

Once outside, Aftab leaped toward the path, he had seen Noorie walked towards.  Their pact was over. He did not searched her because he was afraid of being directed by Fitna. But that was just an excuse to keep the promise he made to her. In his heart, he knew that he wants to know more about her because with that little time he had spent with her and came to understand her, he found her intriguing. And to be honest, he had even wished to seek her out and know her more to offer her marriage. His intentions had been very pure, yet he didn't do so because of the promise he made to her. He didn't wanted her to take him for a shallow man and regret sharing and trusting him. But, now destiny had made them meet again. It means Allah wants him to pursue for her. He had seemed his guidance to help him out and though it was answered late but he believes in Allah's plan and that everything takes shape in the appointed time. Maybe he was delayed in replying because Noorie needed time to move on. And now that he has found her again, he is not going to miss this opportunity of knowing her. He will pursue her, even if she minds it. He has to try at least once.

That fateful day at the park, when he met her, he did not know that she would become so important for her thoughts that they would unravel his peace, if he did not seek her. He didn't and for that he had been through torture – a pleasurable one, for her thoughts immersed him into the sea of feelings which he had never experienced. They were intoxicating, yet a torture because she was having this strong feeling that she is the one for him. Love at first sight can happen. It's nothing unreal or unheard of. But he does not want to have an affair with her, he wants to honour this feeling in his heart with a Nikaah, once he gets to know her. She could have at least told him his name, but she didn't. She had it her way back then, and now she has to give him a chance to listen to what he has to offer to her.

He maintained his promise to never find out about her. As if he could, when he hadn't even known his name. But he didn't know the moment he was making that promise, that he will regret it later.

His regretting days are over. Destiny has given him another chance and he would not let it slip away.

Determinedly and with hope, he followed the route he saw her take, looking at every corner for her sight.

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