Unexpected it had been, Saad and Mahjabeen.
"Saad?" She peeked out of the novel she had been reading to look at him.
"Haan Saad ki jaan!" He said keeping aside the documents he had been working on. She rolled her eyes and replied, "Saad!, Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm amazing"
He grinned, bowing to her, "Why? Thank me, my lady, for the kind words of praise."
"Bas stop, come sit with me, Saad..." She said, smiling. Thumping the space beside her.
He grinned wider. "As you wish, my lady!" he said with a twinkle in his eye as he sat down beside her.
"Can we go out to eat ice cream?"She said with a pout. He laughed and shook his head. " So all of a sudden at midnight, you are asking me to take you outside to have some ice cream?" She put her hands on her sides and gave him a stern look. "What's wrong with that?" she said. "I want it and you have to take me now".
He sighed, looking at her with a fond smile. " Well, I will but only if you tell me about what you were reading."
She smiled, holding up the book she was reading. "This one? It's a story of a boy and a girl and their ice cream connection".
He gave an amused look and thought that was this the reason she had the urge to eat ice cream and shook his head. "It sounds interesting. What's it about?"
Her expression changed into excitement and she wriggled closer to him. She looked at him and started "You'll have to listen to it carefully then?" She said urging him to nod. He nodded and with the perfect smile of hers she continued
"Once upon a time, there was a small boy and a girl who were somehow destined to meet in a chance encounter. It all started when they both reached for the same ice cream cone in the shop. Instead of fighting, they decided to share it. They laughed and talked, and soon, they were fast friends. At the same shop and sharing ice cream, they continued to meet every day.
Soon, they began to see each other regularly. As they got to know each other, their bond strengthened. They would walk through the fields, buy ice cream from the other side and then would sit by the nearby lake and enjoy it in the open incarceration of the sky and beautiful essence.
As time passed, they grew older but their love never wilted. Someday, they got married, and had kids and also when they had disagreements, they still had funny banter over ice cream. Each special moment of theirs would be celebrated with ice cream. Even after years of marriage, they still shared a scoop of ice cream whenever they were together. Whenever they had a contention, it was solved over a bowl of ice cream.
You know even on his deathbed, the husband asked his wife to eat ice cream with him one last time. Even in their last moments, they still shared joy and love.
Their love story became a testament to the power of true love, and its moments and traces will stay in the cosmos forever. Even though they're no longer together, their story will live on in the ice cream parlour where it all began." She finished narrating the story.
The story brought a big smile to Saad's face. From the time they got married, Mahjabeen was the source of that smile. He looked at her but got shocked when he saw tears trailing down her face. Saad quickly put his arm around her and asked her what was wrong. Mahjabeen tried to wipe away the tears, but more kept coming.
She looked into Saad's eyes and with an adorable pout and said, "I am so emotional right now Saad...why did he have to die in the story? He left his wife behind."
Saad could see that she was truly upset and he put his arm around her and said, "It's ok, it's just a story. He will be alive in her and our hearts forever." She nodded in the accord but still had a sad expression and they both sat in silence.
She gently laid her head against his chest, her emotions still raw, and whispered, "Sometimes stories can be too real." He kissed her forehead and gently replied, "Yes, but that doesn't mean they can't be beautiful." He paused, holding her close. "And that doesn't mean they can't end happily. Life is full circle Mahjabeen. It can be sad and happy, but we can learn from it." He ran his fingers through her hair, ruffling it to which Mahjabeen scooted further and kissed his heart. He relaxed and kissed her forehead in return.
"You can have a beautiful life and a beautiful story and remember Allah has given you this creative mind where you can just imagine they lived happily ever after.
He said pointing at her forehead. "That's where all your power lies," he said, his finger still indicating at her forehead.
She looked at him with a radiant smile and hid in his arms. He kissed her forehead and said, "So now you don't want to have the ice cream you were desperately craving a few minutes back?" She shook her head and snuggled closer to him. "I want it but now I don't want to go outside and have it," she said. " It would be so nice if we could eat the ice cream under the stars on the patio." He smiled and nodded in agreement.
He stood up and took her hand, leading her to the terrace. They sat there, waiting for the delivery boy to deliver the ice cream he had ordered.
As they waited, the two of them admired the night sky, the stars twinkling like diamonds against the inky blackness. They watched in awe as the moonlight cast its silvery glow, illuminating the stars and creating an ethereal atmosphere that seemed almost magical.
******
It was a night of perfect beauty. The stars shone like diamonds in the night sky, and the moon glowed with a gentle radiance. The air was still and everything seemed to be bathed in a peaceful, serene light. The world seemed to be in harmony, and the beauty of the night was awe-inspiring. They sat on the patio, looking up at the stars in awe.
Both of them were enjoying the ice cream they had just ordered.
"I can't believe how gorgeous it is up here," Mahjabeen said. "The stars look so close, I could reach out and touch them!" She stood up trying to touch the sky with her delicate fingers. Saad pulled her down and gathered her in his arms. She laughed and said, "It's like the universe is talking to us." Then she closed her eyes and breathed for the moment.
Saad chuckled. "It's like something out of a dream," he replied.
After carefully observing the sky, he gestured to it with a knowing smile. "Do you see that cluster of stars?" he asked. "It's called the Pleiades. It's said that if you make a wish while looking at it, it will come true."
She stared at the stars for a moment, then smiled back at him. "What should I wish for?" she asked.
He thought for a moment, then said, "Wish for something that will make you happy." She wished silently to herself, that she could find lasting happiness with him.
She looked at the night sky and he looked at her. Her gaze seemed to reflect the stars in the night sky, while he held silent admiration.
Saad couldn't help but look away from his wife, captivated by her beauty. Her velvety, dark twirly hair was cascading down her back in the moonlight, and her eyes were twinkling with delight.
He reached out and gently touched her arm, and she looked back at him with a smile. He smiled back as he continued to stare at her, feeling an ardent connection between them. The stars seemed to dance around them, and he felt like he could stay there forever.
He was entranced by her charm and purity, and the moment that brought them together came back to him in vivid detail. He felt overwhelmed by the surprise of it all, and the beauty of the moment lingered in his mind.
Saad felt like he was walking on the stars as he thought about how he had met Mahjabeen after his heartbreak. She had been a beacon of light in his life, illuminating the darkness that had been shrouding him. He had been so lost and disheartened, but she had come in and saved him, like a blanket of stars in the night sky.
He could still remember the moment he had first seen her, her eyes filled with a warmth that he had not felt in a long time. She had a way of looking at him that made him feel like he was the only one in the world. The way she smiled expansively with her pearly teeth on display after everything she spoke. Her eyes glinted with joy, her laughter ringing out like the sound of chimes. She had a contagious energy that made everyone in her presence feel warm and welcome.
He could still remember the moment he had first seen her. Her eyes filled with warmth despite the fact that she herself was rejected by someone. His sudden arrival at her house and then the instant decision. He had asked her hand, not because he/she was helpless but because the only thought that came to his mind upon seeing her was this.
He held her gaze, and time seemed to stand still. The air around them was electric, an affinity that transcended time and space. Though the moment was meant to be brief, it felt like the world around them had stopped spinning. A soft breeze blew around them, lifting her hair and caressing his skin. It was as if the galaxy itself embraced the two of them in its gentle embrace.
The two were suspended in a perfect moment of stillness, the only thing that counted was each other. At that beat, nothing else seemed to exist, the world had become blissfully hushed and all that was left was the beauty of the moment. The two star-crossed halves were in awe of the perfect stillness that had been granted to them. They stayed in that moment for as long as possible, letting the sensation of being one with the world wash over them.
So I have been thinking of writing this from the time Saad's life started taking a very depressing turn in the drama. Is there anything more beautiful than him having Mahjabeen in his life, a burst of true sunshine? So this crossover of both characters came to my mind and I thought to pen down a tale about them. After a lot of thought, I decided to write a story of hope and love, where Saad and Mahjabeen could find solace in each other's company. I wanted to portray a world where love was the answer to any problem, no matter how substantial or small. I wanted to create a story that would bring a smile to people's faces and obviously our heartthrob Saad's face. So the prologue is up. Share your reviews and thoughts guys on whether they are good for each other and whether the story is interesting enough to continue.
Until Ramadan, I'll be working on this and the other book. Velvet in the Inferno will be updated after Ramadan insha'Allah.