She had zipped up the bag and pushed it under the bed. The room without Sanaz felt empty. She has gone to Washington D.C. with Her cohort. Falak and Zarmina were staying back and celebrating Thanksgiving with Rayyan and his family. And Ayla flew back after staying for a week
She sighed and flopped back on the bed.
She saw a different kind of Asfandyar. The overprotective yet emotional Asfandyar Khan. The older brother of Ayla. Her arrival opened the locked part of his heart. His eyes were filled with easiness. His lips never letting go of that barely there smile.
God, he looked gorgeous. The curves of his lips taking her breath away. The moment he'd find something to smile about and then steal a glance at her. Sharing his moment of happiness with her. Running his hand through the mass of unruly hair, when their eyes would meet.
She missed him.
But there was something else that was happening. The realization was hitting her piece by piece. The puzzle completing itself with the days she spent with Ayla at his home. The days she spent in his office, staying way past her allocated hours. Sometimes just sitting there savoring the silence they shared.
She was falling. She was falling hard for him. Her heart lurching at any thought of him, finding excuses to talk to him, to go see him. His shadowy dark eyes chasing her thoughts.
The essence of him getting imprinted on her soul like the ink was tattooed on his skin.
I miss you 😐 - Lucifer
I miss my car - Rabail
She laughed at her reply, knowing ver well that it was going to annoy him.
Rude!!!! - Lucifer
I miss you too - Rabail
Come home... permanently - Lucifer.
Her heart was beating so fast and with such force that she though it might burst open. This was the second time he had said something like that. The first time she thought it was a mistake. A slip of tongue. A confession lacing with hasty emotions because he was emotional, but he brought it again.
Her phone started vibrating. She started at the screen it was him. Breathing. She calmed herself. Sliding her finger across the screen, she answered.
Holding the phone, listening to the rhythm of his breathing. She was entranced by him merely being there in silence.
"Did you mind what I said?" He voice was barely audible. Shaky.
"No." She could barley pronounce a word let alone a whole sentence. "But..."
"What is it, Rabi?"
"What is this that we have between us? I'm trying to figure it out, but I can't. Whatever we are doing." She rolled over in her bed staring at the hanging fairy lights as she ran her hand through Akira's fur.
"What we have doesn't have a name. We are not in a relationship because we can't be in one with what we believe in, but whatever this is I want it. I want to do this the right way."
"What do you want Asfandyar?"
Her eyes were closed. She was listening to each and word. The way he pronounced them. She wanted to be close to him. She wanted to put her ear against his chest. Listen to the beating heart. She wanted to trace the ink coiling around his arms and neck and ask him about the secrets they held. She wanted to run her fingers through his stubble and across his neck and feel the rumble of his throat when he quietly told her the tales of his beloved Swat.
"There are only two outcome ms either we fall apart go separate ways," he stopped as if too hard to speak. A bubble of pain burst in her even at the mention of going away from him. "Or we end up together. I want that, Rabi. I want to marry you."
A tear skipped her closed eye lid as her lips curved up a bit.
"I'm scarred." She whispered.
"I'm scarred and inked."
Her lips cracked open in a small laugh as more tears fell on the white of the pillow. For many years her pillows only had been stained with pain, torment, grief. But for the first time, these were the tears happiness.
"Rabi, Do I have your permission?"
"Come to Ripley with me tomorrow." She opened her eyes, swallowing the ball of emotions. "I give you my permission to talk to Hassan"
"Jao Apni Mohabbat mang lo us se, Asfandyar."
(Go and Ask him for my hand in marriage)
////
Falak offered to drop her to the train station, but she just hugged them and bid her good bye. He hadn't texted her back or called her since their conversation. Her eyes kept going to her phone. For anything from him, but the phone stayed quiet. Part of her was regretting. Feeling like she had crossed line, maybe it was too early to ask him to come with her.
She was going to call Uber when her phone finally flashed his name.
Come to the visitor's parking lot! - Lucifer
She pulled her bag behind her, almost tripping over her own feet, she ran to the parking. The moment she turned around the building, her feet faltered for a second.
He was standing against the car. His hair tied back today. Stubble nearly trimmed. Eyes hidden behind the aviators. Lips stretched up in a smirk. Dressed in a plain black shirt, dark jeans, completed with Army green jacket and boots. He looked like he was one hot badass mafia mobster.
Not the first look she wanted to serve her family, but then this was him in a nutshell. He accepted her with her darkness and her cuts. She extended the same courtesy to him.
"Rabi, snap out, I got a gift for you."
He pushed his aviators up and winked at her. Her jaw dropped open and then he pointed at the car and then her jaw really hit the ground.
That was her car. Her baby. Without any dents and freshly painted and bathed.
"That's my car."
She was dazed. He had fixed it without her even knowing. She had asked him many times since the car had disappeared from his drive way. He just had been stalling her.
"It is yours." He threw her the keys. She barely had the time to catch it. "Come on, lead the way."
"Asfandyar Freaking Khan"
She yelled out, emotional and barely able to speak.
"I swear to God if you started crying and made a scene here, I'm gonna go without you."
"Then stop making me cry all the time."
She rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hands. It wasn't that she got her car back, it was because he actually thought of her and did it for her. It was him being there for her without her even asking for him. That feeling of knowing if life did her wrong, he did be right there to pick her up and protect her.
She wiled the tears and walked to the car, driving down the highway to Ripley, where life wasn't as sunny as Exeter literally and figuratively.
Halfway through the four hour drive, he had taken over. She pulled out her phone and build the courage to text Hassan Bhai.
I'm coming home and I want you to meet someone. He is with me - Rabail
WHAT? A "HE"? EXCUSE ME! WHO? - Hassan Bhai
Stop being overdramatic. His name is Asfandyar Khan. Hassan... he means a lot to me. I know Mom's going to not let this go easily so Do this for me. - Rabail
Why are you scared? - Hassan Bhai
He uh he is different! - Rabail
Of course... He has to be an Alien or something I mean He likes you. He can't be normal 😈 - Hassan Bhai
Shut up! - Rabail
Does he make you happy, Kiddo? - Hassan Bhai
Yes! He makes me want to live. - Rabail
Well, then I guess the matter is setlled. Once I beat him up for daring to like my sister... rest should be fine. - Hassan Bhai
HASSANNNN... BEHAVE - Rabail
We'll see, kiddo! ;) - Hassan Bhai
She put her head against the window as the world whizzed past her. The trees shedding leaves and preparing for the next season of spring. Just like her, she was slowly shedding the darkness of her past, trying to see the colors of her future.
The car came to halt in front of a two story house in the suburbs of Ripley. She gulped down the left over water in her bottle and then swallowing the ball forming in her throat. She dared to bring him along, but how was she going to face her mother?
And then the real fear came to surface as she started at the shadows moving in the kitchen. Will they accept Asfandyar?
/////
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Propsalllll.... what do you guys think?
P.S. i love you all and you guys are so extra I love it. I read all the comments and will try to respond to as many I can. LOVE YOU GUYSSSS
Stay blessed and stay happy!