ASSALAMUALAIKUM!!
Unedited chapter*
I would like to dedicate this chapter to __VeiledMuslimahh 😘😘
I just want to thank you for encouraging me and supporting me with your wonderful comments and votes in every single chapter of DID. You have been with me from the start and it really really means a lot to me. May Allah bless with everything you want for yourself and for everybody else in this world and hereafter. Ameen!
And again, Thank you. I love you and I mean it. Ummaaah😘😘😘
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Aariz was at a fully furnished ultra luxury apartment on the 11th floor of a newly constructed building, which, his father was planning on gifting it to Zeeshan on his wedding. The thing was, Zeeshan was never planning on living separately. He didn't say that to his father though, for he was already done with the papers and payments. Telling him would have disheartened him and he didn't want to do that to his father right then. Moreover, it was a gift and Aariz supposed Zeeshan would respect it and would possibly change his mind.
Beside, the apartment was much nicer than what he had expected it to be.
Standing in the living room, with his left hand jammed inside his pants pocket, Aariz was immensely impressed. A quarter section of the right side wall was wholly turned into a magnificent inbuilt aquarium. He took a step forward towards it and placed his palm flat on the cold glass wall, mesmerised by the view of multiple fishes, of every kind and size, floating and flaunting inside the water. He leaned, bringing his face closer to the glass as he watched with keen fascination, his eyes glistening against the reflected light emitting from the inbuilt aquarium. A small smile creeped upto his face while he continued to gaze at the fishes, his eyes following them everywhere they swam. He bit his smile, feeling bliss and a sense of solace just by watching them. He always had a thing for aquariums but the scenario in front of him was entirely different. It was like a segment of ocean directly brought to home, imprisoned on the other side of the wall. The background, the colour of the water, that glittery white sand at the bottom mixed with pebbles and stones, all those lightings and all those colourful fishes were just amazingly, astonishingly, breath-taking beautiful.
"You like it?" Faheem Othman queried, walking and standing beside his son, watching his beautiful face glow like a moon against the lightings.
Aariz tore his eyes off of it to look at his father , "I love it, Dad." He confessed with a grin on his face, emphasising the word 'love'. "It's, no doubt, so far the best part in the whole apartment." He added with joyful voice, taking a step backward with his arms spread out in the air.
Faheem Othman chuckled, glad to see his son smiling like old times. It wasn't everyday he got to see him happy. It was heart-warming and time-stopping view for him. "Come on, there's something I want to show you." He beckoned, gesturing with his hand to follow him as he manoeuvred out of the living room.
Aariz obliged with a nod, his eyes taking in the entire apartment as he walked behind his father. They entered the dinning area and walked across the dinning table, passing the open kitchen and towards the balcony. He halted behind his father as the servant opened the sliding doors for them, unraveling the outstanding view of the balcony.
"Wow." He breathed out, stepping inside after his father. He wheeled around the furniture and stood by the balustrade, never once blinking. Fresh, cold breeze fanned his face as he gripped the metal railing, completely in a state of trance. The landscape of Dehradun he was envisioning from that balcony was nothing he had seen before. It wasn't the usual buzzing, hustling of the populated city he was so used to experience everyday. It was completely opposite, like he was looking at the other side of the city all together. He knew Dehradun was beautiful but to this extent? He didn't, until then.
He inhaled the fresh air and hugged himself, "This is just...amazing." He shook his head, looking at the greenery, camouflaging the city like a blanket as far his eyes could take him.
Faheem Othman smiled, lowering himself on one of the wooden, cushioned chairs surrounding a tiny circular coffee table, never taking his eyes off of Aariz. Studying him and taking great pride in his son's appearance. Wide, lustrous ash-grey eyes, perfectly contorted nose and lips, strong, prominent jaws and well built body and that smile he was wearing on himself was making him look hundred times better than he already was.
Feeling eyes on him, Aariz turned and smiled at his father, "What are you looking at?" He asked, amused by the way his father was looking at him. As if he was the only thing he could see.
Faheem Othman smiled a sad, longing smile, "You have grown." He stated, his voice cracking a bit at the end.
Aariz only stared at him in silence. He exhaled, his hands leaving the metal railing as he dropped himself on the wooden chair near him. He scratched his right eyebrow with his index finger as he asked, "What is it, Dad?" He looked up with both of eyebrows arched, questioningly. He knew there was more to his father, merely bringing him there to share his plans.
Faheem Othman pressed his lips and shook his head, "Nothing." He muttered, looking away. "Nothing."
Aariz narrowed his eyes at him, skeptically. Faheem Othman appeared bothered from a few days and even though Aariz noticed it, he never gathered courage to know why. It wasn't like he didn't want to, he did wanted to know the reason but things weren't normal between them. It never had and it never was and he wasn't sure if that was ever going to change. They lived under the same roof but they hardly acknowledged each other. They run a company together but they merely associate for the sake of business. Yet, there was that invisible bond between them that no matter how fragile, showed up at some point of their lives.
Faheem Othman saw the creases on Aariz's forehead and hurriedly diverted the topic. "Let's get ourselves to the office now. It's getting late." He informed, checking his watch. "Yusuf must be wondering why I'm not yet there." He added as he stood up, buttoning up his suit jacket.
Aariz sighed, letting it pass.
"Prepared for the presentation?" He heard his father ask.
"Kind of." Aariz leaned forward and dropped his car keys on the table, "I want to stay here for a while. I hope you wouldn't mind driving yourself to the office." He looked at his father expectantly as he said it.
Faheem Othman narrowed his eyes at him, "You have a conference to attend, Aariz."
Aariz dropped his head in his hands and rubbed his face up and down. "I know, Dad." His voice came out muffled as his face was still pressed against his hands. "It's only after lunch. I'll be there, don't worry." He convinced him.
"Alright!" Faheem Othman picked up the keys, "Don't be late." He said it as a request and walked away.
Soon after his father left, Aariz cellphone vibrated in his pocket. He fished it out and picked up the call, "You got my text?" He asked, leaning his head back on the sofa and placing his hand over his forehead, relaxingly.
'Yeah!' Agreed Mr.Shah, 'Just now.'
"Cool. Grab me some coffee on your way."
'Sure. Anything else?'
"Nope, just be here."
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In the Ahmed Residence, Laiba, Sarah and Haider Ahmed were in the study room, seated down in a circle on the fully carpeted floor. Haider Ahmed had a note pad in his hands and he was busy writing down something on it. Laiba and Sarah were surrounded by invitation cards along with calligraphic pens, stamps and ribbons scattered around them. "Are you girls done with it?" Haider Ahmed queried, looking at both of them from above his glasses as he dropped his pen and note pad on his lap.
"Almost done." Laiba answered, gathering the cards on her left which was all ready to be stamped. "Here." She pushed them a little towards Haider Ahmed and placed her elbows above her knees, exhaling a wearisome breath. "I seriously don't understand what's the need to invite so many people to a RECEPTION. If Uncle Yusuf was generous enough to send you hundred cards, it doesn't mean we are to invite that much people." She complained. "And not to mention, I don't know even a single person that would be attending my wedding reception."
Haider Ahmed rolled his eyes, "That is why we invited no one to your Nikâh. Just you, me and Sarah from our side and all the Othmans from theirs" He stood up, straightening his kurta. "We are not even announcing your Nikâh before Areesha's wedding." He explained, looking down at her. "Because if we do, some people might show up at that time. But once we make it official, everyone will expect us to invite them to the reception at least. We tried to minimise the guests as much as possible but this is all that we can do. You better know how vast mine and Yusuf network is in the business world."
"I know, Abi." Laiba huffed, "It's just that..." She pouted, "I'm sorry." She apologised, sighing out loud in defeat.
Haider Ahmed smiled, "It's okay, Habibti. May Allah bless you with abundance of happiness and protect you from the evil eyes." He patted her head and walked away.
Laiba closed her eyes and mumbled, "Ameen." When she opened her eyes, she saw Sarah glaring at her intently, "What?" She asked.
"What is this I'm seeing?" Sarah brought up a wedding card and held it between them.
Laiba narrowed her eyes and read the name printed on it.
Mr.Hayat Hussain.
Sarah didn't wait for her reaction and started bawling at her, "You're inviting him?" She titled, "Don't be so stupid, Laiba. What are you expecting from him after all that he has ever done to you?"
Laiba sighed, her shoulders slumping. "You don't get it." She shook her head with pressed lips, "He is my father, Sarah. The only blood relation left in this entire world. How would l not invite him?"
Sarah rolled her eyes, "Could you just keep all your emotions aside and rethink what you are doing to yourself?" She questioned, glowering at her. When Laiba didn't say anything, she continued, "He'll ruin everything, Laiba." She pronounced the words low and pointedly, hoping she understands.
"I'm not afraid of him." Laiba gulped, "Nobody can ruin what has already been decreed for me." She looked back at her, met her gaze and mimicked the same tone as said, "And if ruination is what is written for me, then so be it." With that, she stood up and walked out of the study room.
Sarah watched her go in silence and then at the card in her hands. Suddenly, she realised there was only four days left for Nikâh and the invitation cards were merely for the reception. They won't post the cards before Areesha's wedding and if that's the case, then there was little Laiba's father could go about it. That thought calmed down her a bit but she was still getting bad vibes about it.
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"Laiba Hayat Hussain," Mr.Shah moved the file towards Aariz, "Born in a middle class family in a town 100kms away from Dehradun. The only daughter of her father's second wife, who passed away when she was merely twelve." He titled his head towards the file, "These are some copies of the certificates that I thought might help."
Aariz grabbed the file in one hand while holding the cup in the other. "Certificates?" He repeated, taking sip of his coffee, placing his leg on the other. "You carry on," He opened it and saw a copy of Laiba's birth certificate. He glanced at the information and chuckled, shaking his head.
Mr.Shah raised his eyebrows at him and Aariz waved a hand, asking him to continue.
"So the rest of the story goes like that of Cinderella's." He shrugged, "Step mother, step sister and an ignorant father except there was no prince."
Aariz rolled his eyes, "Dude, forget it. I don't wanna hear any of it anymore." He said him in a bored tone, throwing the file on the coffee table, "And this file is totally irrelevant to what I'm looking for." He pointed a finger at it, "I already feel like stupid doing this." He mumbled.
Mr.Shah squirmed in his seat, "Well, tell me what you want to know about her and I'll see if I can help."
He stared at his cup for a while and then glanced up, "Why am I even doing this?" He questioned more to himself. It was a sudden thought, without any trigger, like realisation hitting him right on his face. "Arghh." He groaned and clenched his hair in a fist, actually not believing he stalked her last time and made someone run a background check on her.
"Um, I don't know." Mr.Shah was hesitating. "You tell me."
Aariz face palmed himself, "Take all this bullshit away from me, dump it somewhere and forget I ever asked you for anything." He ordered, hands still pressed against his face in embarrassment.
"Yeah, okay, sure." Mr.Shah stood up and started picking up the file.When he lifted the folder, a photo slipped out of it and landed square on the table.
Aariz saw it unmistakably and something just clicked in his mind right at that moment. He took the picture in his hand and stared at it, wheels slowly turning in his head. The Laiba in the picture looked different. Lean, unhealthy with a scowl on her face but that was not what that caught his eyes, it was the picture in itself. He ran his fingers through his hair and cursed under his breath. That was the picture, where he thought he saw Laiba but the question was, where did he saw the picture?
He closed his eyes and tried to get through the memory lapse in his head. If he was having a memory lapse, it meant, he was inebriated at that time. And the last time he was drunk?
It was his anniversary.
He winced at the thought but pushed it at the back of his head, focusing back on the photo in his hand.
The images of that night were vague and a bit hazy but it still existed in his brain. He tried to remember everything about that night. From the start, till the end. He was at some pub, he got drank, he called up Zeeshan. Zeeshan picked him up, he took him home, to his room and to his bed and then Aariz snapped his eyes open, "Zeeshan's cellphone." He said out loud, looking nowhere in particular.
Mr.Shah stood there looking at him a little perplexed.
"But what the hell was her picture doing in his cellphone?" He stood up, massaging his temples as he tried to decipher everything. He paced back and forth uneasily but halted at once, everything making sense to him. "Oh shit! Don't tell me she is the same Laiba." He snapped his head towards a clueless Mr.Shah with wide eyes, who only blinked in response.
Then he cursed out loud.
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Sorry for the mistakes. I was in a hurry to update today.
And if you haven't noticed, I have unpublished the cast part from my story. It's because I wasn't satisfied with it. I decided I don't want to give a face to my characters myself and let everyone just image them.
Cause, imagination is beautiful than reality.
Right? And thanks for everyone who voted and commented on the previous chapter.
I love you all :) You all are my fam❤️
Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter?
Sorry for keep you waiting.
Vote and comments,
Bye.
Allah Hafiz :)