10. Clear Waters

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Pulling the curtains aside Safwa opened the window and let the gentle breeze into her room. The drizzling had stopped awhile back and only lingering remnants of the rain were the smell of the damp soil and the feeling of something which was still engraved on Safwa's mind.

The wind was nice but it could never give her the comfort those thirty minutes sitting on Izaan Shoaib's bike had given. Even that wind was different or it felt like it, she couldn't decide.

But with comfort another feeling was raising its head in her heart. Longing. Unexplained, profound yet welcoming.

She had come out of her room and was now descending the stairs to go to the dinning area of the Kirmani house. Bisma, who was busy in a call with Hesham hadn't noticed when Safwa reached there and took her chair. She was way too busy and Safwa was way too preoccupied.

But for how long could she stay like this? Her Phupho's laughter had her coming out of her thoughts.

Bisma was telling something to Safwa when the call was still on. Hesham's voice could be heard from the speaker as well.

This was her life. These were her people.

Then why she was missing something she couldn't even pinpoint? She wasn't sure what it was but she could tell with conviction it was not in her reach. Then what was the point of it all?

She gave a faint smile to her Phupho and tucking her hair behind her ears tried brushing off her troubled thoughts. Thoughts which were wandering in wrong lanes. Touching the unknown. Knocking at the gates of something out of her reach.

Nusrat Aapa had set the table. Safwa had composed herself. Bisma was still on the phone. Hesham's talks hadn't stopped.

Everything was in place yet everything had changed.

Sitting in the lounge of his house, looking at nothing in particular, tuning out the commotion around him, Izaan Shoaib could related to this feeling as well. He hadn't taken part in the conversation when his brothers had gotten home from their trip, hadn't sat down with his family and listened to the stories of the travel from the twins. His eyes were focused on the folded rain coat on the table. The drizzling had stopped for quite some time now but he could still feel the after affects of it.

He hadn't gotten drenched. But he still felt like the drizzling was meant just for him.

And he didn't want it. But he still needed it.

There was so much going on in his mind. So much coiling, jumbling up and so much uncoiling, getting undone.

Delving on this alien feeling meant trouble and he had always been good at avoiding it. Good at being the responsible one.

But even the good ones have their weird days. Even the sorted ones sometimes can't sort their own feelings out and maybe that's okay.

Memoona had come to him. He saw her sitting on the couch and then asking him if he was okay. He nodded absentmindedly. She was saying something more and the twins had also started beckoning both of them towards where everyone else was seated.

This was his life. These were his people.

Then why suddenly it felt it wasn't enough? Something was amiss. Something which was there but now wasn't.

Ishq Kinara[Love Ashore] CompleteWhere stories live. Discover now