You Will Always be Mine

Chapter # 23

For a few moments Ahad stared at his best friend along with the other boys but none of them said a single word. This side of Arsalan was unknown to everyone except Ahad.

"Are we going to play or should we head back our way home?" A boy asked looking at others.

"Oaky? Where should we start?" Arsalan quickly got up and pick the lights from the footpath.

"Let's start with corner house." Said a boy and going towards the end of the street, followed by Arsalan. Slowly all boys start working, someone brought cricket bat and the other one starts setting the wicket. Almost after an hour, Arsalan was standing on the doorstep of Mahnoor's house with Ahad. He pushed Ahad in front to ring the doorbell, while he combed his hairs with fingers.

"You're not going to your in-laws." Said Ahad.

"Strange, you are saying this while standing on their door beside me." Arslan smirked, fixing his glasses on the nose and pushed Ahad away, "Move from my way."

"And what if Hammad opened the door?" Ahad scoffed.

"Then, I will tell him to step aside so I could go to hang the lights and while my way in, I will Salam Aunty and Uncle and of course, Mahnoor will be there too. And I will tell my Saale Sahab (brother-in-law) not to come between me and my destiny or I will kill him." He whispered the last part.

"Keep dreaming."

"You, just shut up, or-" Before Arsalan could finish the sentence the door opened and Mahnoor's father came out.

"Assalam o Allaikum Uncle." Both Arsalan and Ahad said in Unison.

"Wallaikum Assalam. Looks like you are planning to play a street match tonight." He said looking at wires and lights in Arsalan hand.

"Yes, Uncle."

"Good good, such activities are good for young people. Come on in, I am alone in the house. Hammad took everyone to watch a movie. So, both of you can go upstairs on your own." He said going inside and Ahad starts laughing behind Arsalan.

"Is Saale ki to main...."*

He said like cursing Hammad for taking Mahnoor away.

"Come, let's set the light." Ahad patted his back.

~*~

Looking out the window, Ahad spins the ball in his hand, while his mind kept repeating every single minute he spent with Arsalan in his last few months. The reason why all those memories kept coming back to him was unknown to him, as well as the emotional turmoil he was facing right now. The thoughts and feelings which bottled up deep inside him for this long were about to open up. The grief, the pain, the anger, the madness which he felt on his best friend's death. All of a sudden Ahad feel drained, like no more energy left in his body. He leaned against the shelf near him and closed his eyes.

"Ahad Bhai." A male voice came with a light knock on the door.

"Yes?"

"Kanwal Bhabi is looking for you."

"Hm?...Kanwal?"

"Yes."

"I am coming. Don't let Kanwal come this way. And how is Hammad condition?"

"He gains consciousness. The bullet had not damaged his bone."

"Okay, keep me update on his condition." The man nodded and left. Ahad carefully put the ball back on the shelve and make his way to the outside.

~*~

"What did you talk to Mahnoor?" Was the first thing Ahad asked Kanwal after coming home from work.