Sparks of Love ☑

Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

"I'm at the corner of Mesa and 17th," Abdur Rehman whispered into the phone.

"I'm on my way," Rafa whispered back excitedly, throwing her bag in the backseat of the car and getting into the front.

An eagerness to reach her destination seemed to burst out of her. After what felt like forever, but was barely a week, she and Abdur Rehman were taking off early from work to have a proper date.

There's going to be him, me, and the beautiful scenery of the botanical garden.

It was already making her recall her beautiful wedding amongst nature and her loved ones. She couldn't wait to refresh the experience by visiting the gardens again.

Besides, the fresh oxygen would do them both some good. Things at home had been stagnant lately; awkward, the tension as dense as corn syrup. Tayyaba wasn't talking to her, which wasn't a problem itself, because neither did she wanted to talk to Tayyaba after the hurtful words, but at the same time, the normalness, the comfort one felt at home was absent. She only felt like herself in the bedroom, but that too was limited somehow. One way or another, every time she was alone with her husband, her mother-in-law would find ways to hijack her precious son.

My phone's not charging. Come look at this bulb, it keeps flickering. Can you take me to the store? Abdur Rehman spend time with your poor mother!

The chance to be alone with her husband, and that too in secret was exhilarating.

Rafa drummed her fingers over the steering wheel as she exited the freeway and pulled towards the wide parking lot leading into the park. The sun was raining down its warm rays in all its wonderful glory, while the fragrant breeze was spraying flowers all over her path. A fond grin graced her velvet lips, dancing like two petite ballerinas as she recalled lovely memories from her own botanical garden wedding; the floral scented air, the vivid greens, and the tranquility of a pleasant afternoon.

Her heart bloomed like a rose as soon as her azura eyes fell on the only man who could make her feel like she could walk on clouds.

She skipped towards him, while he took long strides towards her, quickly closing the distance between each other. He grabbed hold of her hands as soon as they stopped; looking at her bashful face, the spark in her eyes, he was left in the trance. The nature around them was splendid but the beauty his hands held was far greater in comparison to any of the worldly luxuries.

"Gosh! I needed this," she smiled warmly, lighting up his heart with the curve of her lips.

"Mm-hmm!" Abdur Rehman mumbled, before he got lost in the cuteness of his wife, he thought of distracting himself with the scenery. Slipping off his coat, he let it rest on his arm.

They made their way across the bridge and sat on a rickety old bench overlooking the lake. Swans littered over the dark waters swam merrily across the niche, contrasting and casting vivid shadows in their pure white coats of feathers. The occasional croak of a frog filled the tranquil silence.

"Wherever you go, you don't leave your looks behind," Rafa teasingly said, staring at the angular outlines of her husband's face.

"I was born beautiful," Abdur Rehman smirked, putting his hand over Rafa's shoulder and pulling her close.

"I meant your office looks." Rafa stuck her tongue out of her mouth childishly.

Hearing that, his face lowered to see his gray pants and light blue shirt still crisp and intact while his coat rested on his lap. "Should I be sorry?"

"Nah!" She dismissed, "We used to call you Sherlock."

"Sherlock?"

"Yup! Me and Yahya code named you as Sherlock Holmes." Rafa laughed.