Saad's pov:

Completing the dua, I opened my eyes to look around the small mosque and a smile immediately graced my lips when I noticed a few kids playing at the back.

It reminded me of my childhood days when going to the mosque meant meeting my friends and planning to do something after prayers. Most probably playing hide and seek or cricket. And then heading to the stalls to get cold drinks or snacks, depending on our moods. Those were some of the best days of my life. And it was during one of those days when I met Ali and we immediately clicked together. We had the same amount of mischievousness and innocence in us, making us stick together with each other till now.

I was brought out of my revival when a kid rushed towards me to pick up his ball. Ruffling his hair with a small smile, I stood up. Giving me a shy smile, the kid ran back to his group of friends as they giggled together at something.

Shaking my head, I looked away, trying to find the driver. Unable to find him anywhere in the mosque, a frown formed on my face. Where could he have gone? Heading out, I decided to check around before calling him, a series of questions running through my mind.

My gaze roamed around as I wore my shoes, trying to find him among the small crowd present there. Although I couldn't spot him anywhere, there were, surprisingly, a lot of kids around the mosque and almost all of them had a backpack swung on their shoulders. Was there any school around here? 

They looked cute in their little uniforms with their backpacks as they talked animatedly among themselves or to their siblings or parents. Smiling slightly, I walked down the steps, wanting to follow them as they scattered around. 

Heaving a sigh, I turned my gaze around once again, hoping to spot the driver. But it seemed like he had just vanished somewhere!

Running a hand through my hair, I took out my mobile to dial his number while walking on the sidewalk, deciding to head to where the car was parked. I could wait for him there.

Turning into one of the alleyways from where we came to the mosque while still trying to find his number, a nostalgically familiar scent hit my nostrils before I accidentally bumped into someone, making my mobile slip from my hand as I squeezed my eyes shut. God, I should've watched where I was going! What was I even thinking?! 

I quickly moved back a few steps realising it was a girl. I hadn't looked up to know who it was, but men definitely don't wear black abayas now, do they?

And that faintly familiar scent, I wondered where that was coming from… I had smelled it before, it was… it was her scent. It was the same citrus scent which I fell in love with the moment I came to know who it belonged to. It was Atifa's homely signature scent. But it couldn't be! I- how could I have smelled it here? Was she, by any chance, around here? Or maybe living here? God, was she really here? Was the girl who bumped into me her? No, it couldn't be!

'But why?! Why couldn't it be her? You wanted her, didn't you? You were finding her, weren't you? So what's the matter now? Why have you suddenly gone numb? Why are you suddenly not ready to accept her if she's here?' My mind jumbled up, trying to make sense of whatever was happening.

It wasn't that I wasn't ready to accept her. It was just that I- I didn't know how to face her… How would I answer her? What would I say if she asks me where have I been all this while? What will happen once I find her? Will ammi let her stay with me or will I have to face heartbreak again?

It was these questions which were scaring me, making me numb. I didn't know their answers and I was scared to find out. What if… what if  I find her only to lose her once again? Will I be able to take the hurt, the pain, the heartbreak this time too? Or will I just let everything go?

"Your mobile." A soft voice brought me out of my thoughts, her hand extended towards me.

Without looking up, I quickly grabbed it from her and started walking away. I- I wasn't ready to face anyone. At least not now. Not yet. I had to sort out my mind, my mess first before anything else!

"Did you not recognize me or are you ignoring me purposefully?" I had only taken a few steps when I heard her voice low, quiet, just a breath of whisper, but enough to halt me in my steps and make my breath hitch.

A part of me wanted to ignore her, ignore her words and just walk away, pretending that I didn't hear her. But another part of me, the rationale part, wanted to turn back and look at her, embrace her in my arms, hide her from anything and everything and never let go.

I had envisioned meeting her a thousand times, telling her what I felt a thousand times, all of them in a thousand different scenarios but none of them could be compared to what I felt at that moment. Or what I was contemplating at that time. Never even in my wildest imagination did I ever think that there would come a time when I would be in front of her and yet would not want to meet her or talk to her just because of my own insecurities or mess.

Heaving a sigh, I closed my eyes to control my tumbling thoughts. Maybe she didn't say anything and it was all my imagination? Without even thinking about anything else, I walked away, leaving my heart, my hope, with her.

._._._.

Regret; that's all I felt. How could I just-?! Whyyy?! Why did I even listen to my mind? Why did I walk away despite wanting to meet her all this while?! Why was I so dumb?! Why didn't I look up to confirm my suspicions? Why did I not even reply to her? Why did I stand there like a statue when she called me? And just walked away like a madman?! Why didn't I at least tell her that everything was going to be fine now, that everything was going to be okay? Why? Why? Whyyy?!

Running a hand through my hair, I heaved a long sigh. My regret wasn't going to solve anything, it wouldn't bring back those moments or turn back time.

"Come on, let's go man! Our work here is finally done!" Without even knocking on the door, Ali entered the room, which I was supposed to share with him but he decided to book another room claiming that he wanted privacy and I wouldn't give him that.

A gasp echoed in the room, making me finally turn my gaze to him. With an open mouth, he stood by the door, looking shocked as ever. I raised a brow, not really in the mood to talk to anyone.

"What the hell man?! What happened to you?! Why do you look like a- uh.. sorry to say but- why do you look like a runaway ape who has just landed here from the jungle?! And why the hell haven't you packed any of your luggage yet?! WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING ALL THIS WHILE?! MR. PERFECT, IF YOU FORGOT THEN LET ME REMIND YOU, WE HAVE A FLIGHT TO CATCH IN WHAT-" Looking at his watch, he continued to yell in shock. "IN ABOUT SIX HOURS! AND IT TAKES US THREE HOURS ALONE TO FREAKING REACH THE AIRPORT!"

"Oh." Realising that it was morning already, I moved away from the window, only now noticing the sharp sun rays entering the room. "What's the time?" Walking towards the bed, I inquired quietly.

"Are you serious right now?" Looking at me incredulously, he came closer to me, touching my forehead. "No actually, are you okay? What happened?"

"Just answer me man!" Moving my face back, I grumbled in annoyance. 

"Uh… it's 9:30 right now." Looking at me skeptically, he replied with a confused look.

"Oh. Cancel my ticket, I won't be coming with you guys. I have some work to attend to here." Making my bed, I wondered about how to find her again.

"What? But why? What happened? And which work do you have here now?" He came in front of me, a frown adorning his face.

"I met Atifa here yesterday." Flashbacks of yesterday's events crossed my mind once again.

"What? Are- are you sure? You weren't imagining anything, right?"

"Yeah. I'm sure it was her. She recognised me and even spoke to me." Frowning, I muttered with uncertainty lacing my voice.

"Then WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU STAY WITH HER?! OR BETTER YET, BROUGHT HER HERE WITH YOU?!" He suddenly yelled, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"I thought it was my imagination and left her standing there." Glancing at him, I looked away, embarrassed.

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Shocked, he shook his head in worry. "Oh my God, Ya Allah! What will I do with this guy! He can't even distinguish between his imagination and reality! THEN WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING SINCE THEN? WHY DIDN'T YOU GO AND BRING HER AFTER REALISING YOUR MISTAKE?!"

"I… Uh… I don't know where she lives… And please, stop shouting, I'm already having a headache." Rubbing two fingers on my forehead, I muttered.

"Then where did you even meet her? And why the hell do you have dark circles under your eyes?! Please tell me you at least slept at night?" Coming closer and inspecting my face, he begged.

"I couldn't."

"Ya Allah, what do I do about this guy?!" He plopped down on the bed behind me in frustration.

"Nothing, just be quiet." Getting annoyed, I sat down too.

"Okay come on, let's have breakfast first, then we will see what to do." He patted my back.

"Just cancel my ticket, no need to do anything else." Dropping my face in my hands, I grumbled. 

"Okay fine. Now let's have breakfast, we can think later."

"I'm not hungry."

"You think you will be able to do anything with an empty stomach? If you don't have breakfast, how will you even find Atifa? Do you want to get sick on our way? If you get sick then we will come back to the hotel and you won't be able to find her." Shrugging his shoulder, he replied nonchalantly.

"Are you blackmailing me?" Peeking at him through my hands, I quirked a brow.

"This isn't blackmailing Mister, this is called whitemailing. Now the decision is entirely yours!" He looked at me mischievously, mirth dancing in his orbs.

"Okay fine, I'm coming." Grumbling under my breath with a scowl, I stood up. This guy was going to be the death of me! Always making me do things which I didn't want to do!

._._._.

"Why did you force me to sleep?!" Grumbling under my breath through a clenched jaw, I tapped my finger on the car door impatiently.

"Do you think you would have been able to find her sleep deprived? And don't fuss too much, you only slept for two hours!" Narrowing his eyes at me, he waved my question away nonchalantly.

"You are saying as if two hours isn't enough."

"Considering your state right now, it isn't." Sighing, he looked out of the window.

"Shut up and let me concentrate! And why didn't you leave with the others?" I turned to glare at him. It was past Zuhr and we were heading to the area where I saw her yesterday.

"You asked me to shut up just now." Without meeting my gaze, he replied.

"But I asked you a question so answer me!"

"You won't like my answer." Shrugging his shoulders, he looked at me.

"God, stop talking in riddles and just answer me!" I ran a hand through my hair in annoyance.

"Don't tell me anything after hearing my reply."

"Ali!" I warned, getting enough of his antics.

"You would have gotten lonely without me so I thought of giving you some company." He replied so quickly that I almost couldn't catch him. Almost.

"Yaar, ye cringe baate na sirf apne partner ke saath acchi lagti hai, kisi aur ke saath nahi." I scowled.

(Man, these cringy talks only sound good with your partner, not with everyone.)

"Haa to tum ho na mere best friend, mere partner." He grinned happily.

(Yeah so aren't you my best friend, my partner?)

"God!" 

"I already told you you won't like my reply, but you didn't listen to me." Shrugging his shoulders, he retorted.

"Okay it's my fault. Now get out of the car." Reaching our destination, I looked out of the window.

"But why? Yaar I didn't expect this from you. Matlab ke meri baat acchi nahi lagi to tum mujhe gaadi se hi nikal rahe ho? Ye kya baat hui?!"

(But why? Man, I didn't expect this from you. Just because you didn't like whatever I said, you are kicking me out? What's this?)

"Agar tum apna dimag chalane ke bajae jitna kaha jaye utna karo to zyada behtar hoga."

(If instead of thinking, you do as you are told, it will be much better.)

With a scowl already forming on his face, he interrupted. "Lekin-"

(But-)

Before he could whine anymore, I stepped out of the car and looked at the mosque in front of me, annoyed. Why did he stay back? To eat my brain? Couldn't he have left with others? He didn't even have any other work here! God! I hope he wouldn't keep getting on my nerves or I would just send him back without even listening to him!

"Oh, hum masjid ke paas pahunch gaye!" Coming out of the car, he mumbled.

(Oh, we reached our destination!)

Humming in response, I asked the driver to wait for us. We were going to check around, trying to find Atifa, Amira or Ammi. Honestly, I had no idea how we would be able to find them. We couldn't go to each house, knock on the door and ask for them. But at least I could show them Amira's picture to ask about her. 'Hopefully we will be lucky enough to find them, or find someone who might know them.’

"I sent you Amira's picture, right?" Turning to look at Ali, I quirked a brow.

"Yeah. But I don't know this place, I'm going to get lost here." He looked around with a frown.

"It will be better if you do." Muttering under my breath, I shook my head.

"What?!" He narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously.

"You are talking as if you don't have a mobile." I replied in an obvious voice.

"Oh- Uh yeah." Rubbing the nape of his neck, he mumbled.

"Then let's start working. You go in that direction while I will go where I met her yesterday." 

"But yaar, isse to tumhe bhabi ke milne ke chances zyada hai." He whined like a kid, making me look at him incredulously.

(But this would mean that there are more chances of you finding Atifa than me.)

"Kyu, tumhe tumhari bhabi se pehle milna hai kya?" I raised a brow inquisitively.

(Why, do you want to meet Atifa first?)

"Nahi, lekin agar aisa hua to mera dhundna aur na dhundna barabar hoga na. Chalo, mai bhi tumhare saath hi chalta hu."

(No, but if that's the case then it wouldn't matter if I try to find her or not. Let me come with you.)

"God Ali! Nahi. You will go that side and I will go this side. No more arguments. Even if there are less chances of finding Atifa there, they still are. I don't want to take any chances. Who knows she might be living there but came here for a walk? Anything can happen man, we could meet them anywhere!" Rubbing my face in frustration, I replied sternly.

(No.)

"Yeah. True that." With a thoughtful look on his face, he murmured.

"Yeah. So let's get to work. If you find them, call me and bring them to our car." 

"And you?"

"I will try the same. But if I don't answer your calls, then you can come here to find me." Wetting my lips, I replied thoughtfully. What if she refused to come with me? What would I do then? No. No that won't happen so I should just stop thinking about it. No negative thoughts at this moment. Not when I have come so far already.

"What do you mean by I will try the same. Even if you meet Atifa, you aren't sure if you will bring her here? You mean I won't be able to meet her this time either?" He frowned, his voice turning into a murmur by the end.

"You seem very eager to meet your sister-in-law!" I quirked a brow at him inquisitively.

"Yeah she is my sister-in-law, I have a right to meet her! And I haven't been able to meet her until now so you can't blame me." Shrugging his shoulders, he looked away.

"Kuch zyada hi dilchaspi nahi ho rahi hai tumhe?" I narrowed my gaze at him.

(Aren't you quite interested?)

"Mujhe to nahi lagta."

(I don't think so.)

"Accha." I shook my head while checking the time on my wrist watch. "Khair chalo ab kaam par lag jao."

(I see.)
(Okay let's get to work now.)

Sighing in dejection, he moved towards the left side while I headed towards the right, asking anyone and everyone on the way about them, but with no luck.

Some did recognise Amira, making me hopeful and then hopeless, because they couldn't tell me where she lived, claiming that they had only seen her in her school or with their kids.

It was like I saw an oasis, and just as I started running towards it, it vanished, leaving me stranded at my place, making me realise that it was just my illusion.

Feeling dejected and frustrated with myself, running a hand through my hair, I entered another street. Squinting my eyes at the glaring sun, I looked ahead at the almost empty street.

'Time for another hunt!' I started walking by the sidewalk, feeling tiredness getting the best of me. Heading towards a house, I knocked on the door and waited for a while for someone to open the door. But getting no response, I moved ahead, noticing a guy heading towards his car.

Jogging towards him, thankfully able to stop him before he could enter his car, I quickly showed him Amira's picture and inquired, but with no luck.

Feeling my back ache, I cracked my neck and headed towards a boy leaning on a bicycle, using his phone. He would definitely fall if he leaned back a little more. Shaking my head, I braced myself for disappointment once again even before asking him anything.

"Hey, have you seen her anywhere?" I showed him Amira’s picture on my mobile.

Leaning forward, he squinted at the screen before looking up at me with a frown. "Yeah, she usually plays with my sister. But what happened? And who might you be?"

"I'm her brother. I- Do you, by any chance, know where she lives or where she might be?" With rising heart beat, I inquired for the upteenth time, internally praying to find at least some clue about them or where they lived.

"Yeah! They- look, there she is!" Looking behind me, he pointed towards something.

Quickly turning to look at wherever he was pointing, I held my breath as finally who I was trying to find for so long came into my line of vision.

There they were, both the sister's wearing an abaya and walking side by side as Amira blabbered away something to her sister with her arms flailing around and Atifa listening to her keenly while nodding her head, a paper bag held in her hand as they walked towards me, still unaware of me.

While me? Holding my breath, I just watched them coming closer to me, waiting for them to notice me. I needed someone to pinch me, to let me know that I wasn't dreaming, that this wasn't my imagination, this was real. It was actually happening.

Unable to believe myself, reluctantly I looked away and blinked my eyes. When I still found them there, this time rooted in their places while looking at me, I exhaled loudly, feeling my blood rushing extremely fast.

I didn't know what to do after facing her though. It was like at that moment, all the words, all the questions, all my thoughts decided to finally take a break, leaving me in a shamble of emotions unknown to me. I didn't even know how to voice out my emotions, feelings or anything at that moment. Why was my mind doing this with me? 

Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I found her enchanting orbs, thousands of emotions swirling in them. Oh how could I have forgotten their beauty and their charm! It had really been a long time, hadn't it?!

I couldn't believe I finally found them. Found her.

There was still a good four meters distance between us, which forced me to take a few steps towards her. I couldn't take my eyes off her, it was like my duas were finally answered. Maybe they actually were.

Wearing a black abaya with a niqab covering her face, only revealing her eyes, she looked so… so breathtaking? So vulnerable? So conflicted? I didn't know. She looked everything, all at the same time. 

._._._. 

• So they finally met again. What do you think will happen now?

._._._.