The moment of silence was difficult to adjust with for Ahsan. The male voice on Inaya's phone struck him even when it was only a "hello" and they didn't continue talking. Before one of the two could speak further, Ahsan heard a familiar voice in the background: "here's the coffee Matt, did you check my phone who called?"
Matt cancelled the call to avoid more awkwardness and on answering Inaya's question he claimed that he didn't know who called as no one spoke from the other end so he ended the call. "I couldn't hear anyone from the other side. Who knows who was it!"
"Ah, maybe a wrong number then. Anyways enjoy the coffee. I have tried making it with a different flare this time."
"Miss Qadir can never go wrong, I admit!"
"Thankyou Matt!"
"Please pass me my phone, let's have a look who called."
"Do it some other time, right now its our time."
Inaya shot him one of her most confused looks. Matt was never like this, he never tried to overpower her friendship but she felt as if he tried to do that just now. For that moment, she compromised and avoided it.
"Yeah okay!"
*********
'How come she forgot me so soon? Does she not even remember me as a friend anymore? 2 years and how far she has moved on that now she has another man in her life who she priortises over everything else.' Ahsan was cursing himself for the way he always kept a part of his heart for Inaya that now when he knows she has so moved on, he is shattered again. He felt as if his little final bit of hope of reconciliation has broken into tiny pieces too. A drop of tear fell off his eye and he was quick to wipe it off to gain back his strength.
"If she is over me, then I am over her too! Inaya was once part of my life." He said to himself in annoyance and grief. I have my life and I am now going to prioritise it."
His phone rang with an upcoming call and to much of his surprise, it was Inaya's number. She was calling in to check who it was. Ahsan couldn't decide whether to take the call but his anger had done the damage. He left the phone ringing in his room and went out to take his father for a walk.
"Baba let's go for a walk! Its been a while since I took you out."
"Is everything okay? How come so sudden?"
"Colonel Hussain, you and I need a breath of fresh air! No more ifs and buts and hows and whats, lets go for a walk. Okay Colonel?" He passed a teasing smile to his aging father.
Colonel smiled back and said "Roger Boss! Let's go!"
*********
Inaya kept trying to call back at that unknown number trying to figure out who had called. But Ahsan deliberately ignored her. For a few days Inaya left the matter but then she tried calling again and again. For some reason her heart wasn't at peace knowing someone called and now she can't reach that person in any way. Many unknown calls would come, she would avoid or miss many but she wouldn't care. Missing this one was making her feel restless. When she was at work all day, when she was trying to sleep or when she was meeting Matt, her mind constantly fell back on the phone call and that unknown number and Matt's confused face when he called off. It was annoying her that she is unable to reach that person.
Who was it? Why did Matt seem so panicked and confused when he ended the call as I entered. What made him do it?
These thoughts kept crossing her mind. She couldn't just get over them and it was now beginning to frustrate her.
********
Four weeks later
"Right, I know whoever this person is, I have bombarded them with phone calls few weeks ago but in the past few weeks I didn't call once. Now I will try it for the last time and if they don't respond then whoever he/she is, I will block them!"
"If they haven't responded before, they won't respond now. Just let it be Inaya!"
"No Matt but let me try once!"
"Inaya! Just leave it! Lets go for lunch, I am so hungry." Matt was quick to interrupt and divert her attention.
"Fine."
********
"Hi is this Ahsan?"
"Yes?"
"I am Matthew, well you may know me from Matt. You don't know much about me but I know a lot about you. Ahsan, I am sure you know Inaya has been in Canada for over 2 years now and she has moved on with her life so I don't see why suddenly you are trying to be in contact with her when clearly she doesn't even remember you. We are happily dating and I would like you to not contact her again please. She ha settled after alot of difficulty, please don't drag her past back."
Ahsan was silent and numb hearing his words. But this wasn't all to struck him. What hit him hard was his words he said afterwards: "She loves me and she is happy with me so please, let her be!"
He had no clue what to say, he was speechless and his mind wasn't comprehending what he just heard. His eyes were wide open with shock and stillness. The empty silence was then filled up with Matt's final words: "hope you understand me Ahsan, I don't have anything against you but clearly you can see Inaya is happy with me. I am sure you won't let me repeat this to you. Take care. Goodbye".
Ahsan was trying to gain control of himself but as tears dropped from his eyes and he felt emotionally vulnerable, he started to have flashbacks of all the time he had spent with Inaya. It was not the first time he imagined those times again but now when he was imagining them, it was hurting him, it was paining him and it was also angering him.
Not knowing what to do, Ahsan sat on the floor at the hidden corner of his room and cried so his heart could find the peace he longed for. He felt as if nothing in this world was meant to be for him. He began to blame himself and his imperfections for not being able to find happiness and relationships.
********
"Hi Aliya, how are you?"
"I am good, glad you called. Its been a few weeks since we last talked. How's everything?"
"It's all been good. Really good. How's your studies? Coping well? I am sure you will do great!"
"Thankyou Inaya. I appreciate the support."
"Inaya lets go, we are getting late!" A manly voice came from the back and Aliya was able to hear it but she didn't say anything.
"Yeah I am coming, was just talking to Aliya. Give me a minute. Okay Aliya, I will catch up with you soon, I am heading out now, take care of yourself."
"You too. Bye."
Why did Inaya never tell me about Matt? They seem to be so close why did she never mention him to me? Aliya was confused at to why Inaya never mentioned Matt to her when they had been in frequent contact throughout Inaya's time in Canada. Aliya then brushed off the thought believing maybe Inaya didn't want to reveal it to her and she didn't mind that.
********
"Inaya I mean I don't think your contact with Aliya is needed now. She is not even of your age, you and Ahsan are not in contact either so why his sister? I don't like the idea to be very honest."
Inaya wasn't pleased with what Matt said and she shot down his idea right away. "Aliya is not Ahsan. She was my friend even before I got to know Ahsan fully. Yes she is his sister but she is my friend too. Matt don't expect me to end or start relationships and friendships the way you want me to. She is not harming our relationship in anyway so you shouldn't try and undermine our friendship. I would like to not repeat this, please understand!"
Matt nodded in displeasure but he remained silent.
********
"Stop using your sister as a scapegoat to reach Inaya. What did I say to you the other day Ahsan? I said just let Inaya be the way she wants to be. Stop sneaking into her life again. She is happy without you. Stop your sister from contacting her. She is just like you, an attention seeker! I know Inaya won't stop it herself so its best you ask your sister to end all contacts from my fiancé. Thankyou very much!"
This text straight away angered Ahsan not because his words were hurting him but because he was questioning his sister, Aliya. Before anything else, for Ahsan, his family is the dearest especially Aliya. He was impulsive and quick to dial Inaya's number to tell her everything Matt had been doing behind her back. He didn't care what it would result in but this time his sister was being criticised and he was not willing to take it.
Inaya was with Matt but this time she managed to take the call.
"Inaya, Its me Ahsan." His Voice wasn't soft, he wasn't gentle nor did he sound calm, his voice was thundering and was also frightening Inaya. The man she has not been in contact with over 2 years suddenly called her and that too in angst with an annoyed tone.
"Ahsan? Are you okay? What's happened?" Her voice trembled.
"Listen Inaya, I don't care that you date Matt or not. I don't care that you love someone else and I bloody don't care that you have not bothered to look back at those who you left stranded with no hope. But I care about my sister. If it will come against my family, I will not take it one bit."
"Ahsan, wait what are you saying? I honestly don't know what you are talking about? But why would he insult Aliya? I am sure you are misunderstanding!"
********