• n o o r •
I took the boy with me in search of his parents. People were leaving the place one by one and it was getting very deserted in here. Whenever we passed by someone, I would ask the boy if these are his parents and he would say no in return.
It has been ten minutes now, of us idly wandering in the place but all in vain. By now, I was also getting terrified for the boy. What if he doesn't find his parents? Worse, what if something bad had happened to them? Why else would they still be missing?
"Jackson!" A loud voice echoed around us and we both turned to the sound of the voice.
"Mummy." The boy, whose name was apparently Jackson, called out.
The woman who called him rushed towards us in full speed. Behind him was a man, running just as hard as her. Once they both reached us, the woman bent to hug the kid while the mam suspiciously assessed me.
"I was just helping him look for you." I cleared. "You can ask him."
"Yes, Mummy." The boy said.
"Thank you." The woman stood up and held my hands, her eyes brimming with gratitude. "Thank you so much."
"My pleasure." I said.
Once they had made sure their son was good, they left for their home, leaving me alone in now almost empty park.
"Well, time to call husband dearest." I said and looked for my phone. And that's when I realized, I forgot my purse back where I was sitting.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
What have I done?
With fear and adrenaline pumping through my veins, I started running back towards that bench. I was new in this place and had no idea which way to go. I didn't even know the address of our apartment to tell the cab, neither did I know Faaris' number by heart. What am I going to do?
It took me half the time to go back to that spot. There, I looked for my purse but nothing was to be found. I searched everywhere but there was no sign of my purse or Faaris.
"Excuse me, did you see a tall man here, with dark hair?" I asked the ice-cream vendor standing at a distance.
"Yeah, he was looking for someone. He went that way." He pointed towards the road to my right.
"Oh okay." I said. I was breathless due to all the running but it didn't matter. I needed to find him or else, I would get lost in this unfamiliar place.
I went to the lonely road to my right, where Faaris had apparently gone to find me. My heart was pounding against my ribcage. If it was Lahore, I would have been to my house in no time but this is a different city, a different country, a different continent. I didn't know anybody here.
I took slow steps forwards, looking all around me for any hint of Faaris. The only thing I found was stray dogs or couples looking for some 'quiet time'.
"Where are you, Faaris?" I asked to nobody in particular. "Where are you?" I was desperate, just for a small sight of him. No matter how aloof things were between us, having him around me was a big comfort. Just his presence was enough for me to feel safe. And now when he wasn't around me, I was alone and helpless.
"Faaris." I said. I was on the verge of bursting into tears.
°°°°°°°°°°°
• f a a r i s •
"Noor!" I called her name in agitation.
She was lost, all alone, in this unfamiliar place. Oh God! She must be so scared.
"Where are you, Noor?" I called her name again.
I had asked almost every passer-by about her but nobody had seen her. Where could she do all of sudden?
I was getting frustrated with every passing minute. I was scared--- no, petrified. She was my responsibility and I left her alone. I should have taken her with me, damn it.
"Noor!" I groaned, looking all around.
I had searched the whole place for her and yet, I couldn't find her. At the end, I didn't have any option other than going back and find some other way. Dejected and disappointed in myself for not being able to take care of her, I cursed myself under my breath. What a loser!
If her parents got to know she was lost, they would kill me. Hell, I don't even care what they would think. But if she had even one scratch on her, I would never be able to forgive myself.
With my heart beating harder than it should, I reached the bench and slumped on it. And that's when I heard it, her voice and her soft whimpers.
I looked towards the source of the voice and there she was, sitting at another bench, trying to muffle her sobs by hiding her face in between her hands.
"Ya Allah!" I muttered under my breath and made my way to her. "Noor?" I said as I walked to her side.
She finally lifted her head and pure shook appeared on her face, followed by apparent relief. "Faaris." She said and rushed towards me. As soon as we reached each other, I pulled her towards my chest in a tight hug. She responded my hug and wrapped her arms around me.
"Thank God, you are still here." She said, fear apparent in her voice.
"Of course I am." I said and kissed her forehead.
I stayed in this position for a long moment, committing her presence to my memory. I had underestimated her importance in my life. The last half an hour was very agonizing and if that's how losing Noor would feel, I wish I die before going through it.
Once the initial shock dissipated and the reality set in, we both slowly pulled away. That's when I realized what I just did; I kissed her, even if it's just on the forehead. I freaking kissed her. By the look on her face and the blush on her cheeks, she realized it too.
"Let's go." I said, wrapping my arm around her waist. I wanted to be as close to her as possible. The thought of losing her was terrifying and I didn't want to think about it anymore. To my relief, she didn't protest. Instead, she leaned more into my chest.
We silently walked back to my car. I knew she was still scared and to be honest, so was I. I needed to have a formal talk to her about her safety, and how to react if she is stuck in similar situation in future. But that could wait. Right now, we needed to go home.
The car ride was silent but as soon as we finally entered the apartment after the whole day, she broke into tears.
"Noor?"
"I... I'm sorry." She said and rushed up the stairs.
"Noor!" I called her name and rushed behind her. "What happened?"
"Nothing." She said and sat down on the bed, hiding her face once again in between her palms.
I reached the bed and kneeled in front of her. "Did something happen? Did someone say something to you?" I asked.
"No." She said, still hiding her face.
"Then why are you crying?" I asked in the most gentle tone possible at this moment.
"I don't know. I..." She hiccuped. "I got really scared. I thought I won't find you and---"
I pulled her hands away from her face and laced my fingers with her. "I would have found you Noor, even if you were lost in another country. Trust me."
"I... I didn't want to give you stress. I just--- I should have---"
"It's not your fault. I should have told you precautionary measures." I said, staring into her dark eyes. After saying that, I stood up and took the seat beside her.
I didn't have to do anything this time. She herself leaned her head against my shoulder. There was something deeply comforting about this moment, but it was also creating a havoc inside me. I know I shouldn't think anything about this as she is scared and is just trying to find some comfort. But I can't help but imagine keep holding her like this for the rest of my life.
"Mom and Dad are coming on Sunday." I informed her to divert her mind.
"Oh." She parted away. "We should plan a dinner for them. Or better, we should spend the day with them and help them settle." It worked, her mood changed.
"Yeah, we'll discuss this later. You are tired. Freshen up and go to sleep." I said, missing the feeling of her head on my shoulder.
"Okay." She said and made her way to the bathroom.
By the time she returned, I had made myself comfortable under the blanket. She had changed into her pink night dress, her hair tied on top of her head in a messy bun. She was a ray of light in my dull life and even though it had been just few weeks, I can't imagine my life without her now.
She turned off the lights and lay down beside me. Right now, I was too tired to even move. My whole body was aching due to the busy day so I immediately dozed off. Only few minutes must have passed when I heard Noor's voice.
"Faaris," she said.
"Hmm." I mumbled in sleep..
"I can't sleep. My mind is full of bad thoughts like what had happened if I---"
She kept on talking and talking but in my sleepy state, I couldn't understand anything.
"Come here." I said.
"What?" She asked.
"Just come close." I said, opening my eyes to small slits.
Once she slid closer, I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her close to me in a way that we were now practically glued together.
"You will feel better now, believe me." I said.
"But---"
"Ssshhh. Close your eyes." I said.
"But---" She hesitated.
"Close your eyes." I repeated.
She nodded and closed her eyes, resting her head on my arm. I smiled at her innocent face and tried to go back to sleep. She was warm and soft at all the right places and I knew beforehand it was going to be the best sleep I have ever had.
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You guys deserved some nice cuddles after waiting for this chapter for so long. 🥺🥺🥺