Complications of Heart

3

"So you wished and asked for it?" He opened the topic as their train had stopped in its tracks. Apparently, some issues in the knobs or turns caused one of the front compartments to slip away and stand still on its track. Quite literally. Now, they were in the middle of the field, where the sky is going to turn in a shade of navy blue, sketching the sky slowly towards its path to the night.

Sabiha was quiet, a contrast to her battling mind. Should she tell or just let it be at its place?

After mulling over each of the prospects, one thing was clear. Doing either of them won't make much of a difference. What was to happen did. Whatever was to be pinned down by fate was penned.

"You could say that." With this, she started seeing the panoramic pictures of her saga. A saga of one night, a few hours, and two strangers. Or not so much of a stranger.

"So, kya hua?" Samir asked.

(So, what happened?)

"Do you want the short or long version?" Folding her legs she scooted further into her seat in a more comfortable position. It seemed like it would take a while. A while to get the train started and surely a great lot of time to say.

"Whatever floats your boat." he chipped in as his face was holding onto a small smile of encouragement and amusement.

Nodding to his words, she turned the wheels of memories. Her mind was gathering the bits, pieces, and in-betweens to show what she asked for and why. A few more minutes, and she found her beginning.

"Do you remember my wedding?"

"You mean, the one you planned to escape from but never even took place?"

As her lips quivered with a mischievous smile, Samir was wondering where this was headed.

"Oh well. I did escape."

"Huh? But you said that the wedding didn't happen."

"Now, shush and listen"

--

Pacing fast towards the forest behind their house, she pulled her bag to her shoulder. Climbing down from her room was another tale of its own. The constant fear of bedsheets and dupattas tearing and her landing head on the group made her climb down fast.

She didn't want to do this, but her Dada was adamant. Why? Well, this goes way before any of us were born- a long time ago, her grandfather gave word to his friend of getting their daughter and son married one day, which clearly failed as both had a bulk of sons. So now, Sabiha Iftekhar, the youngest of the eldest son of her Dada was to get tied to his friend's eldest son's younger lad. Sounds weird, right? So did it for Sabiha- the opinionated, independent, and definitely pampered girl of the Iftikhar.

She had clear goals- get her degree and get affiliated with human rights NGOs to help refugees with their mental state of mind. She has big plans, but marriage was not one of them. At least not now, when it is just the starting point of her life. Her dream.

So alas, even after trying to get things through her Dada's head, she couldn't stop the wedding. Everyone praised her man, or would-to-be one. She knew her family could never go wrong, but the timing was not right either.

With just a few hours left for the mehndi ceremony and the inevitable nikkah after that, she has turned to that one option left. Elopement.

But as all say, fate is a tricky affair and the humans entangled in this are the trickiest beings giving rise to more climaxes than written in their share.

Just a few steps and she will enter the forest. The fear of getting lost was irrelevant as she spent her childhood running, hiding, and exploring this junction of their property. Crossing it will take her to the stoned walls that separated their villa on a slightly raised hill and the tarred road. Finding a ride will be easy as buses are always taking trips to and fro the city.

"Maar gaya yaar!" Picking up a light grumble from her left, she stilled. Her mind did an overturn and panic set in. If anyone sees her, she is dead meat. No doubt about that.

(It's killing me!)

Gulping down, Sabiha coursed herself slowly to the sounds. Her mind was telling her to run away, but curiosity got the better of her.

Grumbling, groans, and muttering were getting louder by decibels. Heavy steps could be heard as if one was trying to drag himself. The man grunted out as his left hand held onto his right shoulder. Her eyes took his back as she maneuvered towards him.

Charcoal-shaded hoodie and black jeans, she registered when just a meter or two away from him. His light hissing was not missed as he tried to work out his shoulder to relieve the pain. He was tall, at least a foot taller than her.

She stopped at a distance of about 7 steps away from his back. And suddenly he turned his neck and then his whole form. Maybe he did as he sensed her presence or the slight lavender perfume she never forgets to put on, or that his back burned due to her stare.

What she noticed first, in the blurry rays of moonlight entering through the canopy, were caved in cheeks which sharpened his chiseled jawlines. Then, slowly to the brown orbs which widened with each second, forehead seemingly disappearing as his brows shot up in surprise and thin alluring lips which parted.

Finding another living being in this forest was not in her plan.. She could feel her nerves tearing as they tried to hold her eyeballs in their socket while her jaw gave up its hold.

"Shit!" He said as her mind screamed the same.