Believe! [Completed]

Chapter 20 [Last]

Life works in unpredictable ways. Things that you never imagine happening to you, happen and take you by surprise. Living a life of simplicity, doing what one does best and not liking any sort of change that disturbs the normalcy are the most common ways of people living. She had lived in the same way. She had made peace with the fact that her life was going to run according to the wishes of others. She didn't know if it were her prayers or her shed tears at times of difficulty that God sent Aariz in her life who gave her everything that she had stopped hoping for.

The realisation that there is that one person in your life who loves you, someone who would always have your back, who would always hold your hand if you were trembling and who would always return to you at the end of the day even if you had a fight with them.

The feeling that despite having minor differences or disagreements with that person, you still manage to find a ground that is workable to both of you is an achievement in itself. Some call it compromises and some call it loves to make the relationship survive. But it was the kind of compromise that you don't make with a heavy heart, it's the one that gives you happiness because the gain from one understanding gesture of yours could save so much. So much that you hold dear.

Aariz was that someone for Minaal. In the seven years of their marriage, they had their fair share of love and understanding, but with ease, they also had their trials when there were days when they had arguments, had made mistakes but then apologised. Despite the trials and the ease, Aariz and Minaal found a new reason every day to be grateful for each other's presence in their lives. Sometimes by looking at their two daughters and sometimes by just looking at each other.

Her eyes let few lone tears roll down her cheeks as she gazed at the family photographs hanged on the wall perfectly portraying their journey from two to four people. Alizey Wali Khan and Zara Wali Khan were born three years apart were the joy of the house.

Minaal kept on looking at the photo frames lost in her own world, when she felt a tug on her shirt, when she looked down, she found her two-year old Zara smiling at her. She picked her up in her arms and caressed her soft black hair. Her eyes were brown, just like Aariz. Every time she smiled, Minaal would see a complete resemblance to Aariz smiling at her.

Bringing her to the main living room, Minaal put Zara on the carpeted floor so she could play with her new toys that her father had just brought from his business tour. Alizey on the other hand was busy colouring the book and was being helped by Aariz himself. When Aariz's eyes fell on Zara and Minaal, he gave Alizey a pat on the back and went and sat next to Minaal who was now engrossed with Zara and her toys.

"Begum, mana ap ki dono best friends apko kafi busy rakhti hain magar kabhi hamare liye bhi time nikal liya karein."

Minaal rolled her eyes at his dramatic comment and passed Zara another small toy.

"Drama hi rehna tum hamesha, ab toh baray hojao!"

"Tum baat ko cover na karo, sab jaanta hun mein. Tum bhool gai ho mujhe."

"Acha, Islamabad se sabke liye gifts aye sawae tumhari 'begum' kay aur keh rae ho mein bhool gai hun. Wow, I like this."

Aariz's lips curled into a soft smile seeing her complain. Just a minute ago she was telling him to grow up and now she was getting upset of not getting any presents. Even in a grown up, mature woman who was now a wife and a mother, there remained a child in Minaal and Aariz loved it.