Believe! [Completed]

Chapter 10

A bouquet of flowers, a gift bag, a birthday cake and one man who did it all for her. Minaal wasn't fond of celebrating extravagant birthdays simply because she was never allowed by her father and he never celebrated her day with her ever. Only Faiz or her mother treated it as an important day and tried to make her feel special. Aariz was the third person in the list. Sometimes the least you expect something, the more you get it and that too in the best form possible. Days were only getting better for Minaal with Aariz around and everyday she was learning to acknowledge this new truth of her life. The smile on her face didn't leave for even the tiniest second because of everything he did.

She was still with him. They had come to Hyde Park for a walk when Aariz disclosed her the news she wasn't fully ready to hear.

"Next week, mein Pakistan wapis ja raha hoon. Harris is struggling alone so he needs me there. Yahan ke contracts toh baad mein bhi kar sakte hain. So yeah. You are the first one to know by the way."

A sudden sadness had appeared on Minaal's face. She was clueless at first and had given no response, no expression whatsoever. She dropped her head and looked away when he spoke again to get her attention.

"Minaal, meri taraf deikho."

She had looked straight in his eyes now.

"Tum nahi chahti ke mein wapis jaoun."

"Nahi."

He had asked so bluntly. She had answered so abruptly. They weren't entirely sure of what they were saying to each other but perhaps their hearts had taken over their capability to be careful with words. Whatever they felt was coming on their lips so simply despite how hard both of them were trying to keep it to them.

"Lekin jana toh hai. Wahan itna kaam para hai karne wala."

Aariz had tried to cover up the tension.

She had stayed quiet. Words were lost somewhere, and she didn't have the energy to find them. Tears were making their way to her eyes in full force. Fighting them back went in vain. She was on the verge of breakdown on the very day she started to feel that things were working out in her life. He stared at her and then spoke again.

"Kia kehna chahti ho Minaal?"

"Mat jao."

She had mumbled as her sobs did the job for her. She hadn't looked at him because she couldn't face him. She didn't want him to find emptiness in her eyes that was going to stay once he leaves for good. But he was no naive. He could see it all.

Before they could say anything, Minaal's phone rang demanding her attention. Seeing the caller ID, she didn't pick the call for a few seconds because tears had formed in her eyes. Ami Jaan. She had excused herself and had walked to a side to take the call but Aariz could see the struggle in Minaal's eyes though he decided to stay silent. He was blaming himself for this.

"Assalam o Alaikum, Ami Jaan."

"Walaikum Assalam, Salgirah Mubarak meri jaan."

A small grin appeared on Minaal's lips.

"Thank you, Ami Jaan. Ap kaisi hain? Baba Jaan kaise hain?"