Another Forever

2 9 | a f r a i d

"Where are you, Noor?" I called her name again.

I had asked almost every passer-by about her but nobody had seen her. Where could she do all of sudden?

I was getting frustrated with every passing minute. I was scared--- no, petrified. She was my responsibility and I left her alone. I should have taken her with me, damn it.

"Noor!" I groaned, looking all around.

I had searched the whole place for her and yet, I couldn't find her. At the end, I didn't have any option other than going back and find some other way. Dejected and disappointed in myself for not being able to take care of her, I cursed myself under my breath. What a loser!

If her parents got to know she was lost, they would kill me. Hell, I don't even care what they would think. But if she had even one scratch on her, I would never be able to forgive myself.

With my heart beating harder than it should, I reached the bench and slumped on it. And that's when I heard it, her voice and her soft whimpers.

I looked towards the source of the voice and there she was, sitting at another bench, trying to muffle her sobs by hiding her face in between her hands.

"Ya Allah!" I muttered under my breath and made my way to her. "Noor?" I said as I walked to her side.

She finally lifted her head and pure shook appeared on her face, followed by apparent relief. "Faaris." She said and rushed towards me. As soon as we reached each other, I pulled her towards my chest in a tight hug. She responded my hug and wrapped her arms around me.

"Thank God, you are still here." She said, fear apparent in her voice.

"Of course I am." I said and kissed her forehead.

I stayed in this position for a long moment, committing her presence to my memory. I had underestimated her importance in my life. The last half an hour was very agonizing and if that's how losing Noor would feel, I wish I die before going through it.

Once the initial shock dissipated and the reality set in, we both slowly pulled away. That's when I realized what I just did; I kissed her, even if it's just on the forehead. I freaking kissed her. By the look on her face and the blush on her cheeks, she realized it too.

"Let's go." I said, wrapping my arm around her waist. I wanted to be as close to her as possible. The thought of losing her was terrifying and I didn't want to think about it anymore. To my relief, she didn't protest. Instead, she leaned more into my chest.

We silently walked back to my car. I knew she was still scared and to be honest, so was I. I needed to have a formal talk to her about her safety, and how to react if she is stuck in similar situation in future. But that could wait. Right now, we needed to go home.

The car ride was silent but as soon as we finally entered the apartment after the whole day, she broke into tears.

"Noor?"

"I... I'm sorry." She said and rushed up the stairs.

"Noor!" I called her name and rushed behind her. "What happened?"

"Nothing." She said and sat down on the bed, hiding her face once again in between her palms.

I reached the bed and kneeled in front of her. "Did something happen? Did someone say something to you?" I asked.

"No." She said, still hiding her face.

"Then why are you crying?" I asked in the most gentle tone possible at this moment.

"I don't know. I..." She hiccuped. "I got really scared. I thought I won't find you and---"

I pulled her hands away from her face and laced my fingers with her. "I would have found you Noor, even if you were lost in another country. Trust me."

"I... I didn't want to give you stress. I just--- I should have---"

"It's not your fault. I should have told you precautionary measures." I said, staring into her dark eyes. After saying that, I stood up and took the seat beside her.

I didn't have to do anything this time. She herself leaned her head against my shoulder. There was something deeply comforting about this moment, but it was also creating a havoc inside me. I know I shouldn't think anything about this as she is scared and is just trying to find some comfort. But I can't help but imagine keep holding her like this for the rest of my life.

"Mom and Dad are coming on Sunday." I informed her to divert her mind.

"Oh." She parted away. "We should plan a dinner for them. Or better, we should spend the day with them and help them settle." It worked, her mood changed.

"Yeah, we'll discuss this later. You are tired. Freshen up and go to sleep." I said, missing the feeling of her head on my shoulder.

"Okay." She said and made her way to the bathroom.

By the time she returned, I had made myself comfortable under the blanket. She had changed into her pink night dress, her hair tied on top of her head in a messy bun. She was a ray of light in my dull life and even though it had been just few weeks, I can't imagine my life without her now.

She turned off the lights and lay down beside me. Right now, I was too tired to even move. My whole body was aching due to the busy day so I immediately dozed off. Only few minutes must have passed when I heard Noor's voice.

"Faaris," she said.

"Hmm." I mumbled in sleep..

"I can't sleep. My mind is full of bad thoughts like what had happened if I---"

She kept on talking and talking but in my sleepy state, I couldn't understand anything.

"Come here." I said.

"What?" She asked.

"Just come close." I said, opening my eyes to small slits.

Once she slid closer, I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her close to me in a way that we were now practically glued together.

"You will feel better now, believe me." I said.

"But---"

"Ssshhh. Close your eyes." I said.

"But---" She hesitated.

"Close your eyes." I repeated.

She nodded and closed her eyes, resting her head on my arm. I smiled at her innocent face and tried to go back to sleep. She was warm and soft at all the right places and I knew beforehand it was going to be the best sleep I have ever had.

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You guys deserved some nice cuddles after waiting for this chapter for so long. 🥺🥺🥺