"You think you love me but the truth is you are just infatuated with me."
●○●
The Next Day
"Baba... you scared me so much. I thought you'd leave me like mama."
Sitting beside Mr. Quraish, Azeen said while sniffing whereas Fawad stood behind her.
Today morning by the grace of Allah, Mr. Quraish regained consciousness. Although he was still weak, he was a lot better than before.
"I kept on recalling the hurtful words I told you."
She further said,
"You know I ... I didn't mean them. Whatever I said... about hating you, I didn't mean them. I was just angry and-"
"Azeen! You don't need to say anything, I know you didn't mean them."
Squeezing her hand, Mr. Quraish said.
"And my daughter, don't blame yourself for my condition. Whatever happened it wasn't your fault. In fact, I'm glad that you opened up to me."
"Still I-"
Azeen was cut off by her father.
"I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry for not understanding you, for not being there for you. I'm sorry for everything."
Gulping slowly, he said as his eyes began to get teary.
"Baba, don't cry."
She said as her own eyes began to get teary.
"I'm sorry for not being the father you deserve."
Looking at her eyes he said guiltily.
"Don't say that. I didn't do anything to deserve to call your daughter."
Her chin trembled as she tried to fight back the tears.
Her father was about to deny it but she stopped him before continuing.
"Let bygones be bygones. You are here... with me. And that's all that matters."
"I love you, my precious daughter. I always have."
It was the first time Mr. Quraish expressed himself in front of her.
Azeen let out a sob. Leaning in she put her arms around him before whispering,
"I love you too, Baba."
Mr. Quraish put his arms around her as Azeen rests her head on his shoulder. Both cried as they continued to hold each other.
The last time Mr. Quraish hugged his daughter was when she was little and she came to him asking him to put her to sleep.
It was ironic that he felt the exact same way. It felt like little Azeen had a bad dream and she came to him asking her to put her to sleep.
Azeen didn't realize how much she missed her father until he held her. As she felt her father kissing the top of her head she realized that she might just have got her father back.
Giving space to reconcile the father-daughter Fawad went out of the room.
●○●
A few minutes later, Azeen got out of Mr. Quraish's room and went towards Fawad who was waiting for her.
"Do you want to stay or do you want to go home, freshen up and then come back?"
Fawad asked.
"I think I'll freshen up from home and then will come back."
Azeen replied. She hadn't left the hospital since yesterday.
"Okay then. Let's go."
Fawad was about to start walking when Azeen held his arm.
"Actually..."
He looked at her questionably.
"Baba wants to talk with you."
"With me?"
Fawad was surprised.
"Why?"
"I don't know. He told me to call you. Seems like he wants to talk with you alone."
"Alone?"
This time Fawad inaudibly gulped.
Reluctantly Azeen nodded. She was also surprised when Mr. Quraish demanded to talk with Fawad.
"Do you know what it is about?"
Fawad asked.
Azeen shook her head.
"Um... okay then... I'll go inside."
Slowly he said and then went inside.
A few minutes later
Being curious about what her father and husband were talking about, Azeen was thinking of eavesdropping when she spotted Imraan.
"Why are you sitting outside?"
Going towards her, Imraan asked.
"Baba is talking with Fawad."
She replied.
"Fawad? Alone?"
"Hmm."
"Woah. That's... surprising."
Imraan said before sitting beside Azeen.
"I know right. I wonder what they are talking about."
Azeen said, looking at the closed door.
"I wonder too."
Following her gaze, he said.
Both continued to sit quietly before Azeen decided to break the silence.
"Wanna grab some coffee?"
"Sure."
●○●
Closing the door behind him softly, Fawad went inside the room. With sweaty hands, he stood beside Mr. Quraish's bed. Although the sick man was half sitting on the bed looking weak and fragile, still Fawad couldn't help but quiver under his gaze. The intimidating aura of Mr. Quraish is something that will make anyone nervous. And Fawad was no exception.
With his hand, Mr. Quraish gestured to Fawad to sit on the nearby chair. Mumbling a small thanks, Fawad sat on the chair making sure to be as far as possible from Mr. Quraish.
"Are you scared of me?"
With his scrutinizing gaze, Mr. Quraish asked.
"N-no."
Clearing his throat, Fawad replied this time as confidently as possible.
"No. Of course not."
"Then why are you sitting that far?"
"I-"
"I won't hit you. Don't worry."
With his intimidating voice, Mr. Quraish said.
Silently, dragging the chair, Fawad sat beside Mr. Quraish's bed as sweat poured down his body.
A few seconds passed as Mr. Quraish continued to look at Fawad like a hawk who awkwardly continued to stay still as possible looking anywhere but at him.
"Look, Fawad, I am a man of few words. So without beating around the bush, I'll directly come to the point."
Looking at Fawad, Mr. Quraish said.
"Our first meeting wasn't that pleasant. And for that none but I'm to be blamed. I admit, using your family to convince you in agreeing to the marriage was shallow of me. That time my stubbornness, my pride got the better of me. It might sound like an excuse but that time I was so blind with my ego that instead of correcting my daughter, I cornered her and left her with no choice but to..."
Mr. Quraish stopped.
Taking a breath, he continued,
"I apologize. I apologize for all the things that you and your family had to go through because of me, because of my daughter. Azeen isn't to be blamed. It is I who is to be blamed. If only I act rationally. If only. I'm sorry for everything. I truly am."
Seeing the old man, desperately asking for his forgiveness, Fawad spoke,
"Sir. Please don't embarrass me by apologizing again and again. I admit whatever happened in the past, it shouldn't have happened. Nevertheless, it happened. And no matter what we do or say it won't change. So instead of regretting it, we should forget about the bitter memories and continue to move on."
'Maybe I was too quick to judge you.'
Impressed with him, Mr. Quraish thought.
"Still. I need to take responsibility for my actions. If you want I can apologize to your parents-"
"No! It's-It's not needed."
Fawad replied rather too quickly, making Mr. Quraish raise his eyebrow at him.
"You haven't told your parents yet?"
Fawad looked away.
"I don't mean to interfere but I would suggest you tell your parents instead of keeping them in the dark. If you are reluctant then I can disclose it to them. Of course, if only you want."
"No. It's ok. I appreciate your help but for now, I would like to keep things the way it is. Once the right time comes I'll disclose it to them."
Mr. Quraish nodded in understanding.
After a moment of silence, Fawad spoke.
"If you don't mind then can I ask you something?"
Mr. Quraish nodded, indicating Fawad to ask.
"You knew, didn't you?"
Seeing Mr. Quraish confused, Fawad elaborated indicating about the day they were married.
"You knew that she lied about us."
"Yes. I knew."
Looking down shamefully, Mr. Quraish replied.
"Then why? Why didn't you stop her?"
"As I said, my ego got the best of me. I became too blind in wanting not to lose that I ended up losing my daughter. I thought if I cornered her, then she would admit and come back but I guess I forgot."
Humorlessly, Mr. Quraish chuckled.
"She is after all my blood, my daughter. She is just as stubborn as me."
"Why... why did you force her to get married?"
Fawad asked the question he always wanted to ask.
"I'm a businessman, Fawad. Just as I have friends, business partners, similarly I have enemies, competitors around me who want to snatch my position. Even if it means using my family, my daughter."
With a sigh, Mr. Quraish said.
"Azeen... She's like a child. Too innocent and gullible. She hasn't seen the world the way I saw. She hasn't experienced the harsh reality that I have faced. I was afraid of people using her to get back to me. I was afraid of her getting hurt by others."
Mr. Quraish paused a bit.
"Imraan... he is competent, mature and most importantly I have seen him grow in front of me. With him, I could trust my daughter without any fear of getting her hurt. I was so engrossed in wanting to save her from getting hurt by others, that I ended up hurting her. Breaking her heart."
"I wish Azeen could get a better father. She deserves a better father not an incompetent and egoist father like me."
Mr. Quraish laughed bitterly.
Silently Fawad kept on looking at Mr. Quraish. He can see that Mr. Quraish is aware of the wrongdoings he did to Azeen. He did make mistakes but it's only to protect her. He might not be expressive but Fawad could clearly see how much he loved his daughter. It's just his way of expressing love was different.
"I don't think Azeen would agree with you. Despite everything, she loves you. You are her father. She'll always look upon you. Moreover, parents are irreplaceable."
Looking straight at Mr. Quraish's eyes, Fawad said.
Mr. Quraish looked at him before speaking,
"I think I might grow on you."
Fawad couldn't help but smile at it.
'Maybe Mr. Quraish wasn't that bad as he assumed him to be.'
●○●
Passing Azeen a cup of coffee, Imraan sat beside her with his cup of coffee. Currently, they were sitting on a bench under the tree in the hospital park.
Thanking him, Azeen took the coffee and then suddenly remembered something and started to laugh, making Imraan look at her confusedly.
"What's so funny?"
Shipping his coffee, Imraan asked.
"You remember the first time I prepared coffee."
Looking at him, she said.
"Of course. How can I forget that! It was the most ridiculous and weird coffee I ever had."
Imraan said with a disgusted look thinking about the time Azeen made coffee with salt instead of sugar.
"I was only twelve then."
In her defense, Azeen said with a smile.
"It was the worst coffee I ever had."
"I still remember the look you gave me after drinking it. God! It was hilarious."
Azeen said, chuckling.
"Please. Don't remind me of those horrible days. You used to experiment with recipes and made me taste them. I felt like a lab rat."
Imraan made a face making Azeen burst into laughter.
"You remember the time you asked me to teach you to ride a bicycle."
Once Azeen stopped laughing, Imraan spoke.
"Of course. You were such a traitor back then."
This time Azeen said with a glare remembering the time she got hurt while riding a bicycle. Despite forbidding it, Imraan told it to her Chachi and she got scolded for being clumsy.
"Oh hello! You were practically bleeding so of course, I had to tell Maa. Moreover, you forbade me to tell it to uncle, not to Maa."
Grinning Imraan said.
"Whatever. Traitor!"
Rolling her eyes, she said with a smile.
"Gosh, I miss those days. We were so happy back then."
After a while Imraan said,
"I wish we could time travel and go back in time."
"I don't."
"What?"
"I don't want to time travel. I'm happy with the way things are now. In fact, I think I'm more happy now as-"
Looking straight at him, she said.
"-as I have Fawad with me now."
"Right. Fawad."
Looking on the other side, Imraan repeated.
It hurted.
"Yeah. Marrying Fawad was the best decision of my life. He is like the sunlight that keeps my heart going."
Imraan closes his eyes painfully as she continued,
"He is the perfect life partner. He is everything a girl wishes for. I'm so fortunate that I got a husband like him. I-"
"Can you... Can you please stop?!"
Cutting her off, Imraan said harshly. Taking a breath, he said,
"I mean... Can we talk about something else?"
"Why?"
She looked at him with an unreadable expression.
"Because..."
Looking back at her, he replied honestly,
"Because it hurts me hearing you talking about him all the time."
"Then stop getting hurt."
Looking at him, she said.
"It's... it's not easy."
Looking away, he said.
"It is. You just need to move on."
"It's easier said than done."
"It is easier to do it too. If only the person is willing to move on. If the person forgets the other person, they'll move on."
"Really? Then what if I tell you to move on from Fawad? Will you be able to forget him?"
Azeen silently looked down, making him smile bitterly.
"See. You can't forget him. No matter what you do, you can't move on from him. So how do you expect me to move on?"
"Yes. You are right. No matter what I do, I can't forget or move on from him."
Looking up straight in his eyes, she said,
"I can't forget him because I love him. But you... you can move on. Because you don't love me."
"What?"
"Why? Am I saying something wrong? You don't love me, Imraan. You think you love me but the truth is you are just infatuated with me. You mistook your infatuation with love. You-"
"Shut up! Just shut up."
Harshly he cut her off.
"You might not reciprocate my feelings but..."
"...You have no right to insult them. I know what my feelings are. I don't need you to judge them."
Getting up he was about to take a step away when she spoke,
"It's uncomfortable."
"What?"
"Your feelings... they make me uncomfortable."
'Lies! No matter what happens Imraan can never make her uncomfortable.'
"Uncomfortable?"
"After Baba becomes a bit more stable, I'll start coming into the office, company. How do you expect me to be at ease knowing that you have feelings for me?"
"Don't worry. I won't do or say anything to make you uncomfortable. You have my word."
Getting frustrated at him, she said,
"Why can't you just move on? Why do you keep on holding those feelings for me? Why? Is it because... deep down inside your heart you have this hope that someday I'll leave Fawad and come back, huh?"
"You think I'm that low? Shallow?"
He looked at her hurt.
"I never will wish bad for you. Never. I can't believe even after knowing me, being friends with me for more than 15 years, you think like that about me."
Ignoring his words, she continued,
"If you don't wish it then what's your reason for rejecting the proposals? I heard you got quite a few marriage proposals. Chachi, herself selected a few decent girls for you. Why are you not meeting them? If you don't have feelings for me then why are you rejecting them?"
Imraan snickers before looking at her seriously,
"Me getting married or not, that's none of your business."
"It is! If your rejection has something to do with me then it IS my business."
Taking a breath, she spoke,
"If you want to prove me wrong then do it."
"Do what?"
"Get married. Be happy in your life and prove me wrong."
"You are... sick! Marriage must be a game to you but for me, it is a lifetime commitment. And I definitely won't marry just to prove you wrong."
Saying he was about to go but then looked back and said,
"About me making you uncomfortable, I'm sorry. Don't worry, Ms. Quraish- oh sorry Mrs. Ahmed, from now on I'll make sure that you won't feel uncomfortable for me. You have my word."
Saying he went away.
As soon as he left, Azeen sat down as the tears she was trying to stop started falling on the ground like a painting.
'Forgive me. Forgive me for hurting you. But it was needed. You always waited for me. But now you don't have to. Hate me. Hate me to an extent that you forgot about me and move on in life.'
●○●
While going out Imraan bumped into Fawad.
"Hey! Have you seen Aze-"
Imraan wanted to yell, curse at him out loud. But he stopped himself. Whatever happened, it was not Fawad's fault. Calming himself, without replying, Imraan brushed past him.
Frowning at such unusual behavior of Imraan's, Fawad headed towards the park only to see Azeen sitting on a bench with tears. Hurriedly he went to her.
"Hey! What happened? Why are you crying?"
Kneeling, he asked worriedly.
Without replying, Azeen continued to weep.
"Did Imraan say anything to you?
Recalling Imraan's pissed-off mood Fawad asked.
Azeen shook her head.
"He didn't... do anything. I... did everything."
Hiccuping she said.
"What did you do?"
Fawad asked softly while brushing the tears from her face.
"Nothing. Gosh! Why are these damn tears not stopping?"
Azeen frustratingly wiped her tears.
"Stop! You are gonna hurt yourself."
Fawad held her hand.
'She wished someone would hold her right now. Someone to hold her ...while she cries. Great. Now she is getting dramatic.'
As if hearing her thoughts, Fawad said,
"You can..."
Clearing his throat, Fawad looked away.
"I can... lend you my shoulder. Just for today."
Azeen couldn't help but smile with tears. Only he can make her laugh while she is in tears.
"Think carefully. What if you regret lending me your shoulder."
Wiping her tears, she teased.
"I won't."
Without looking at her, he mumbled.
A few seconds later, he felt a weight on his shoulder. Looking down, he saw her head resting on his shoulder.
They continued to sit like this until she whispered,
"Fawad?"
"Hmm."
"Why do I always end up hurting everyone?"
"Whom did you hurt?"
Without replying she snuggled to him.
"What did Baba talk with you about?"
A few minutes later, she asked.
"Stuff."
"What stuff?"
With her head on his shoulder, she looked up.
"Well ... just like you won't say what made you so sad, I also won't say what your father and I talked about."
Fawad said slowly as if he was talking to a child.
"Fair enough."
Azeen chuckled.
"Fawad."
Azeen called him again.
"Hmm."
Looking up at him, she said innocently,
"You are really the best thing that happened in my life."
And that's when it happened.
For the very first time, his heart skipped a beat.
For her.
●○●
Assalamualaikum! Hi, lovely readers! 👋
Hope all of you are doing well.
I'm sooo sorryyy for not being active and for not updating in a while. Life's been pretty hectic that I barely got time for myself let alone to write.😔
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