In the streets of PAKISTAN

Chapter-2

"Feeling lost and hopeless, but remember, love's spark can still brighten your journey ahead."

Sherlin's PoV :
**************

Tiredness stuck to me like a heavy coat as I got back to the hotel, still clueless about where Arhaan went. Karachi, Pakistan, felt strange, and finding him seemed like a big, tough job. I sighed and took a short nap to shake off my tiredness.

After a quick shower, I sat alone in the hotel's dining area. A basic French toast comforted me a bit amid all the chaos in my head. I opened my laptop, hoping the internet could help me find Arhaan.

Checking Arhaan's social media hit me hard emotionally. Memories and sadness mixed up as I scrolled through him old Instagram and Facebook stuff. In that sea of memories, I found pictures hinting at familiar places – cafes, malls, theaters, and restaurants.

An idea sparked, a little hope in all the confusion. I thought of using Arhaan's picture as a lifeline,
hoping someone in the city might recognize him. With the pic on my phone, I took a cab into the busy streets of Karachi.

The cab dropped me in Gulistan-e-Johar, a lively area with lots of restaurants and cafes. Stepping out, I couldn't escape curious looks following my every move. It felt like their stares marked me as an outsider, a feeling I didn't expect.

Ignoring the attention, I stuck to my mission. Yet, the huge difference between New York and Karachi hit me. The colors, the people, the clothes – everything screamed a culture very different from what I knew. To fit in, I decided to buy a loose garment called a kaftan, following the local dress code. Wearing this new outfit, I started my quest to find Arhaan in this crowd of unfamiliar faces.

The busy streets of Gulistan-e-Johar echoed with a language I didn't fully understand, making me feel even more alone. Every step felt like a careful balance between staying determined and feeling hopeless. The city seemed to swallow me, and my mission's weight got heavier in this unknown place.

As I walked through the lively markets, I saw a mix of people, each with their own stories. The smell of street food mixed with the noise of voices in a strange but sort of beautiful way.

Drawn by the beautiful singing, I followed the sound and found a little boy donned in a grey long shirt and loose pants, wearing a netted head cap, holding a book. His voice was so soothing that I couldn't resist recording it. It made me feel something deep, different from anything I'd felt before. Love used to be the biggest emotion for me, but in that moment, my heart sank, and tears were on the edge.

I sat down close to him, noticing other girls covering their heads. I did the same. Right then, I broke down again, feeling the weight of all the losses I've had, especially Arhaan. I covered my mouth and silently cried. A girl, a bit older than me or same age as I mine, came over and gave me a comforting pat on my back.

"It's okay. Allah hears everyone, even what's buried deep in your heart," she said softly.

I stopped crying, her words hitting me. I looked up and saw a beautiful woman with hazel eyes and fair skin, her cheeks a little pink. She smiled at me.

"Hey," I said, wiping my nose and eyes with wipes I had because the place was so humid.

She kept smiling, so I mustered the courage to ask, "What's the name of the song he's singing?" pointing to the little boy.

She explained kindly, "It's not a song; it's the Quran verse. It's the word of God." Her calm words amazed me. "And what's your name?" she asked.

"Sherlin," I answered, still trying to calm down.

"I'm Mehreen," she said. Our conversation made me feel a bit better in this strange place. Little did I know, this meeting would play a big part in finding Arhaan.

It felt heartening to be treated as a fellow human by Mehreen. Despite my initial assumption about the cafe and chai, Mehreen proved stereotypes wrong. As we shared a warm cup of chai, I opened up about the reason for my presence in the streets of Pakistan.

"I didn't even doubt him for a second, and that led me here," I confessed to this stranger, recounting my story on the streets of a foreign land.

Mehreen interrupted with a concerned look, "Wait, calm down, Sherlin... So, you just randomly decided to date someone online and ended up marrying him within three months?" She eyed me, uncertain about my mental state.

"It just happened," I replied, deciding to withhold further details. I shifted the conversation, asking her to show me around to gain a better understanding of the area. Later, she recommended a local dining spot for dinner before I headed back to my hotel.

As we continued our conversation, Mehreen and I exchanged contact information. Surprisingly, Mehreen offered to meet up and help me in my search for Arhaan. Although hesitant at first, I realized that two heads were better than one. Mehreen asked for a promise that, once comfortable, I would share the details about Arhaan and me. I agreed, acknowledging the support and friendship that was slowly blossoming in this street of Pakistan.