You Will Always be Mine

Chapter # 25

"Nida?" Kanwal stared at the girl standing before her with her eyes wide open.

"Assalam o Allaikum, Kanwal." Nida gave her a sweet smile.

"What are you doing here?" Asked Kanwal, striding towards her.

"I am here to deliver you to someone." She laughed embracing her, "It's good to see you."

Kanwal was taken aback by her behaviour. She was the other girl aside Kanwal, who was chosen by the Black Eagles on the convocation day. They were classmates and had many formal chats but wasn't close enough to exchange such greetings. Perhaps the solitude from everyone from her previous life changed her and when Kanwal thought about it this way, she found her situation relatable.

Kanwal patted her back, "It's good to see you too."

"Come, she is waiting for you." Nida quickly apart herself from Kanwal and started to drag her to the back of the house.

"Madam, you are not allowed to take Bhabi there." A guard came running towards them.

"I was asked to take her there by Auntie." Nida said to the guard and he silently stepped aside.

"I don't understand why Ahad Bhai doesn't want Auntie to meet you." She kept mumbling in irritation while marching towards the door.

Kanwal was hearing the words reaching her ears but her attention was on the path which was leading them to the garage. She was surprised thinking that the entrance of the other side was from the garage. She has been in this area but it was obvious that she never approached it. 

Now when Kanwal realized that this part of the house is intended to be hidden from everyone. Therefore, she was memorizing every single detail of it. They were walking on a small passage and across from it was a house. Kanwal stared at the house for quite a long time, trying to recall some memories which were long forgotten.

 "I don't know why this house looks familiar" Kanwal murmured unintentionally. 

"It was Arsalan's house. Ahad Bhai's best friend. Do you remember?"

As soon as Kanwal's mind registers the words Nida spoke, every memory regarding Arsalan started to play in her mind like a film. The guy named Arsalan, with the same built as Ahad, straight dark brown hair, average complexion, glasses on nose, covering the eyes which were full of life. He was Ahad's best friend since college and he used to call him 'Jiggar'. Arsalan lived on the last street of Shareefabad and he died in a car accident. How can she forget about him? She still remembered how Ahad isolated himself from the world after his death.

Suddenly it all clicked. Spontaneously, she turned her head to take a look at the place where she was standing, "Thi-this is really Arsalan's house?" Her eyes went wide, "Then the lady inside is his mother?" Kanwal asked Nida and she nodded in response.

With a loud gasp, Kanwal covered her mouth, thinking the pitiful state of a widow who lost her only son. She remembered her mother going to Arsalan's funeral and she was very depressed after coming back home. She told her that Arsalan's father passed away when he was a little kid, his mother never remarried and gave her entire attention to Arsalan, who also ended up leaving her at the age where every parent needs their child. It was hard for Kanwal to imagine the pain of Arsalan's mother, but when she saw her own mother tearing up on just telling about it, she sensed the intense feeling of motherhood.

Kanwal often thought of how his mother would be able to live her life when the only source of her life was gone. Being a soft-hearted person, she always prayed that no mother has to face such fate.