آ تجھے لیکے چلوں جہاں چلے
سب جگ سوئے ہم جاگیں تاروں سے کریں باتیں
aa tujhe leke chaloon jahaan chale
sab jag soye ham jaagen taaron se karen baaten
Come let me take you wherever your heart says
All the world sleeps, but we lie awake talking to the stars
[chapter inspired by @ayemaaaaaan she uses the best quotes for her chapters, made me fall in love with some which I wanted to include myself 🤩]
~~~
That night at the dining table, amidst all the chatter, Ayla constantly felt a heavy gaze settle upon her. She didn't have to look up to know who it was, she was always aware of Adeel's burning gaze.
Just his gaze made her fumble with her hands in nervousness and her knees tremble,
Feeling flustered and incredibly nervous, Ayla finished her food as quickly yet decently as possible and excused herself with the reason of being tired and retiring to bed.
'if it's just his eyes that have so much of an effect on me, his touch would probably drive me crazy',
the thought made a tinge of red creep up Ayla's neck and soon, she could feel her face heat up with the rush of blood
Adeel's gaze was trained on her form as she almost ran out of the dining room. When she was gone, he noticed that she had left her phone behind and slyly, without catching anybody's attention, he wrapped his hands around it and swept it into the pocket of his jeans.
'Finally,' he thought,
Adeel finally got an excuse to interact with the shy young girl again
He finished his food and made a few halfhearted comments to contribute to the conversation that had been going around the dining table. However, his focus and attention was with someone else.
Waiting a further 15 minutes as to not seem suspicious, Adeel too excused himself and hurried into his room.
The shadow of a smirk occupied his features as he plopped onto his bed, making him look slightly dark and dangerous yet all the more heavenly.
He whipped the phone out of his pocket and was surprised to see that she didn't have a lock on it.
Adeel didn't feel ashamed, he didn't care that he was trespassing or invading her privacy -he had just one purpose, to find out why this girl had such an effect on him and how he would get closer to her.
Normally, women didn't catch his attention and he was known for disregarding even the most inviting and beautiful women without much of a glance.
The truth was, he was never the kind of man who would run after a woman, he didn't wear his heart on his sleeve -unlike the boys he was friends with, who would get into multiple relationships and call girls names such as 'sweetheart' and 'darling' as if it was their birth right.
Instead, he was a man who carried an aura of true 'mardaangi'
(Manliness)
Aik aisa Mard, jis ki nazar me ghussa aur awaaz me hamesha Roab hota hai
(A man, who's gaze carries hints of anger and voice carries notes of assertance and power)
His heart was only capable of being softened or melted by one girl.
He scrolled through her photographs, finding himself enraptured by her angelic beauty, soft, subtle.
He couldn't believe himself, he couldn't believe the effect that this 18 year old girl had on him. Yet whatever it was, he liked it very much.
Stopping himself from going any further, Adeel went into her contacts and noted down her number, saving it into his own phone.
Adeel knew he would have to be very cautious and slow with her, that she had most likely never experienced the closeness of a man -just the mere sight of her all flustered and red before him confirmed that.
Knowing what he had to do next, Adeel left his room. Checking the corridors, he snuck into the room occupied by the two sisters, knowing that Sherbano was still downstairs in the living room with the rest of his family.
As he closed the door of her room behind him, he saw Ayla sitting on the seat near the window, her arms flat against the window sill, head resting upon them as she stared up at the moon.
A sharp intake of breath followed on Adeel's part. Ayla was still unaware of his presence, her hair tied in a loose chignon, a few strands framing her face.
Her dupata was perched upon the arm chair near the bed and for the first time, Adeel caught a glimpse of the curve and bow of her uncovered neck.
The tight material of her blush pink chikan shalwar kameez clung onto her, accentuating the swell of her breasts and dip of her waist, the curve of her back and Adeel had never thought he could feel jealous of an item of clothing.
The back of her kameez scooped low enough for him to catch sight of her bare neck and a slight glimpse of where her neck and back met. A thin gold chain adorning her neck, resting delicately upon her collarbones
Adeel was breathless, now she did not look so little to him.
Not being able to take it any more, he cleared his throat, alerting her of his presence. Ayla was taken off guard as she jumped in her seat slightly, scrambling to cover herself with the dupata.
The action made Adeel bite back on his smile, gaze still trained on her, he neared her, making her breathing hitch in her throat.
Adeel stopped only mere inches away from her, at a distance where their rapid breathing interlaced, merging with one another, her eyes downcast as his were still trained on her,
'Staring shamelessly, as always,'
even when she could not think straight, the thought managed to pop up in Ayla's head, making her heart palpitate faster
Adeel caught hold of her hand and raised it upwards with his own, making Ayla's eyes shutter closed in response.
Knowing that someone could barge in on them any second and that he had to hurry, Adeel placed the phone in her hands and before she could regulate her breathing or even open her eyes, she heard the sound of the door closing.
'He's gone!' Her brain signaled, willing her to finally comprehend the situation
'He's gone...' her heart whispered in utter disappointment and dismay
When she regained her senses, she saw that he had returned her phone -which she hadn't realised up until now was missing.
She flushed immediately,
'What if he went through my embarrassing photographs,' she was completely horrified
'No, no, he certainly wouldn't do that...right?' She tried to calm herself but when the realisation dawned, all she could do was lay down with her head in her hands
'Of course he would do that'
It was an hour and a half later that Sherbano came into the room and avoiding Ayla's eye, stalked into the washroom with a flushed face. Coming back, she murmured a "goodnight" and hid under the comforter. Ayla knew something was up but didn't question it,
'maybe she had an encounter with Zaryab Bhai', she smiled at how cute the two were but her thoughts were interrupted by the pinging of her phone, indicating a text message.
'Tomorrow, meet me at the back garden. I better see you there at midnight."
Her breathing once again faltered, it was from an unknown number, but Ayla had a pretty good idea who the text was from.
'A man of few words'
She turned the phone off and placed it back on the side table, her eyes fluttered closed as her hand caressed the palm that he had held a while ago, when he placed the phone into her hands.
she didn't know whether it was even possible but Ayla could still feel his gentle yet rugged, warm yet cold caress on her hand, the feeling lingered way longer than it should have.
She couldn't understand how she could have mixed feelings, such paradoxical thoughts about ones touch, but after all, this man was Adeel.
Coaxing herself to sleep, she fell into the depths of the void night
~~~~~
The next day went by quick, in the same routine.
Ayla shying from Adeels heated stares at breakfast and Sherbano sharing eye contact with Zaryab. Farhat watched as Zaryab and Sherbano sneaked glances at each other, the small smile on his face and the shy one threatening to spread on Sherbano's, made Farhat shake her head with a smile of her own adorning her features.
'Why does he stare at me like he has to give an exam about how I look,'
Ayla couldn't stop the thought but pursed her lips as it threatened to escape in the form of words
Soon after breakfast, the entire family piled into their cars to make a visit to the hospital.
The uplift in Haris Malik's mood could clearly be seen from a distance.
Ahmed and Farhat Khan sat on the sofa reading today's newspaper as Sherbano and Ayla stood in the kitchen area of the hospital room to prepare some tea.
The walls of the room echoed with their father's laughter at Sheheryar and Ali's comments. Adeel sat on the chair next to Haris's bed while Zaryab sat on the bed near his feet.
"Uncle, waisay just asking, koi meray type ki nurse hai yahan," Ali winked exaggeratedly
"Betay mental ward ki nurses iss floor par nahi aati," Haris laughed back, making a pout form on Ali's face as Sheheryar bursted into mocking laughter, slapping Ali's back with great force in the process
Sherbano shook her head at the scene, averting her eyes to look at Ayla who was propped up onto the small counter.
Her gaze was focused somewhere else and while Sherbano confusedly followed the direction where her eyes were focused, they widened in shock to see her soon-to-be brother in law staring back at her sister.
Sherbano quickly averted her eyes as she finished making the chai and handed it to Ayla, for her to serve.
Although she had no matchmaking intentions, she gave Ayla the tray simply because the thought of serving Zaryab in the room, with the rest of the family present made Sherbano blush nervously.
The family sat together and hours of endless conversation and laughter followed. Soon, Haris fell asleep and visiting hours were over, it was time for the family to retreat home.
Adeel crossed his arms over his chest in nervousness. His parents and siblings along with the two sisters had already gone downstairs; now Adeel was following Zaryab into the corridor, slightly nervous that his elder brother would make him stay the night when he had other plans in mind.
When the room door closed, Zaryab swept a hand across his face and turned to Adeel,
"You'll stay here tonight," Adeel couldn't comprehend whether Zaryab's tone was questioning or demanding. Nevertheless, he had never denied any of his brothers requests.
One of Adeel's hands went to the back of his neck, massaging nervously as he averted his eyes away from Zaryab.
Adeel was a great liar, his confidence never betrayed him, yet somehow he was never able to lie to his elder brother, Zaryab always knew when something was up with him.
"Umm...wo..Bhai? Can you stay tonight? I'll stay tomorrow, I have some work today..," technically, it wasn't really a lie
Zaryab scrunched his brows in suspicion and confusion. He ran his eyes over his brothers stance and replayed his words, although he dismissed it and didn't question Adeel.
"Okay...Take care, I'll see you tomorrow," Zaryab patted his brother on the arm and offered him a smile.
Adeel smiled back knowingly.
"Allahafiz Bhai"
(May God protect you [it is said as a form of acknowledgement or goodbye] Brother)
Zaryab nodded back at him and once again entered the hospital room.
~~~~
That night, late after dinner, the family retreated back to their rooms to get sleep.
Adeel tossed and turned in bed, excitement flowing through his frame as he could not bring himself to even close his eyes.
The Adrenaline was coursing through his veins as he kept reading over the text he sent her the previous night
'What if she hasn't seen it?'
'What if she mistakenly deleted it?'
'Or worse, what if she read it and still won't come?'
He couldn't stop the array of thoughts clouding his mind before shaking his head to clear it, staring at the clock -he waited for midnight.
Ayla was trying to lay still as to not make Sherbano suspicious, but the suspense of what he would say and the nervousness that coursed through her felt like it would simply kill her before the moment even arrived.
Extremely anxious, fidgeting with herself, she stared at the clock -waiting for midnight.
At 11:45, Adeel could no longer take it and he slowly crept outside the hallways, into the back garden as he took his position on one of the benches and pondered over what he would say to her.
As the clock struck midnight, goosebumps traced Ayla's arms as she slowly crept out of bed as to not alert Sherbano and looked in the mirror for the hundredth time, trying to calm her baby hairs and pinch her cheeks to create a healthy pink glow
'Maybe I won't even need it, just looking at his face will be enough to make me blush,' she shook her head as she quietly exited the room,
Making her way to the back garden, she couldn't think straight, flustered, she couldn't stop playing with the hem of her dupata and as she caught sight of him, in his dark clothing, her steps, along with her breathing -faltered.
'How the f*ck does someone manage to look so good at this hour,'
A voice in Adeel's head yelled frustratedly as he caught sight of her and failed to look away until she sat on the bench right before him
Mustering up all the confidence she had, Ayla willed herself not to be affected by his good looks and charming aura as she cleared her throat and inquired in a surprisingly steady voice,
"Yahan bulanay ka maqsad?"
(What's the purpose of calling me here?)
Adeel's eyebrows shot up, he didn't expect her to be the first one to speak, as he took her in, he noticed her fumbling with her hands, her eyes were trained straight ahead at the trees, away from him as she gulped,
'She's nervous'
It made him smile
'Let's give her a reason to be nervous'
His eyes trained on her in drunk madness, he spoke with confidence,his voice husky, intoxicated yet not slurry.
"Dil ko niyaz-e-hasrat-e-didar kar chuke,
dekha to hum mein taqat-e-didar bhi nahin"
(for a glimpse i sacrificed, my heart to this degree,
that when i looked i found i had not the strength to see)
"Khair, taqat-e-didar tou bohot hai aap Mai, haram hai jo aik second ghoorna bandd kiya ho" She spoke, her gaze still not meeting his.
(Well, you do have lots of strength to see. You haven't stopped staring, as if it's a sin to stop)
"Aap saamnay hon aur hum ghoorain bhi na? Kasam se, haram hai hum par"
(You are right before my eyes and I should stop staring, really, that is equivalent to a sin for me)
She fell silent.
This was the most he had ever spoken to her.
The owls were hooting and the crickets chirping, the night was not completely dark, a blanket of stars illuminated the sky, the moon witnessed the intoxication of the night, the flowers leaned in to listen to the whispered conversation
She still hadn't looked at him, Adeel smiled, in an effort to make her more comfortable, and in an attempt to get to know her more, he said
"Don't you read or listen to poetry?"
Her voice was shy, small, as if afraid of opening up to him
"I do"
Adeel smiled, closing his eyes he leaned back, inhaling her perfect scent, her mere presence intoxicating him,
"Let's hear something then" his voice was hushed, only for her to hear
She let the smile escape for the first time that night, she had the perfect sher (poem/verse) in mind for him
Her gaze travelled to meet his, the words escaping her softly,
"Nazakat le ke aankhon me wo uss ka dekhna taubah,
Ellahi hum unnhain dekhain ya unn ka dekhna dekhain."
(With elegance dancing in his eyes, his gaze oh god,
Should I look at him? Or should I look at the way he looks at me?)
His eyes opened, warm pools of brown, intoxicated. She couldn't look away, neither could he. Their eyes locked in a trance, exploring one another's depths, breathing hitched, hearts still, they searched in each other's eyes, finding the world's comfort.
'Nasheeli aankhain' his thoughts resounded
'Khoobsurat aankhain' her heart echoed
They didn't know how long they stared, but as the trance broke, their breathing became heavy, hearts started to pound. And as she became shy, she stood from the bench and ran away, leaving him still in a daze.
He now understood, why he wanted to keep staring at this girl till his last breath, why he found himself enraptured in her beauty and why he desired her nearness.
He sat there as the night proceeded, welcoming his thoughts,
All beginning and ending on one girl
As she reached her room, Ayla took slow breaths to calm herself down before a blush crept upon her frame and she could no longer conceal the smile, biting her lip she stared out of the room window into the night sky.
As they were left alone, hearts thudding, it's echoes reverberating through their bodies, they understood.
The drunkenness in the night was indeed the beginning of the intoxication brought by blooming love
~~~~~
For the next two weeks, it was getting harder and harder for Zaryab to stay away from Sherbano. At the dining table, they would share smiles and their eyes would hold conversations -never going unnoticed by the rest of the Khan family. Often while passing each other, Zaryab would block her way, only to let her go after getting a good glimpse at her.
During the nights, they would text or talk on the phone -even when Zaryab was at the hospital with Haris Malik, he would call at different points of the day to ask for Sherbano and Ayla's well being. During these two weeks, the two had developed the best understanding and their feelings were only fuelled to become stronger.
Zaryab found that Sherbano was a sucker for romance and Sherbano now knew that Zaryab was a hard shell to crack for anyone else except for her.
As time passed by swiftly, Sherbano fell for Zaryab harder and deeper than she thought she ever could, her love for him becoming stronger and more intense with each passing minute
She recalled their phone call from the night before, his voice laced with desperation although they were only a corridors length separated from each other,
"I miss you yar," Zaryab sighed, closing his eyes
Sherbano's heart fluttered
"Acha?"
(Oh really?)
"Mhm, tum nahi karti miss mujhey? Meri kurbat ko?" His tone was husky, laced with sleep yet playful
(Mhm, don't you miss me? My closeness?)
Feeling flustered, she bit on the inside of her cheek, contemplating a reply
'Hmmm, nahi, Bilkul bhi nahi?,"
her voice came out smaller than she intended, sounding more like a question rather than a declaration
Lie
(Hmmm, no, not at all?)
"Acha?" His tone was surprised,
(Really?)
He could catch all her lies, especially since he knew her best and she was a terrible liar
"Meri biwi Jhoot bhi bolnay laggi hai, abhi se?" He teased, knowing how shy she would become at the 'biwi' (wife) comment
(My wife has started to lie with me already?)
"Nahi karain na," she pleaded, heat creeping up her neck as she tinged red
(Stop please)
His laughter followed as she let the smile escape
"Acha chalo nahi karta....biwi," his tone was still full of mischief and she couldn't stop the whine from escaping
(Okay fine I'll stop...wife)
"Zaryaaaaaabb...."
She smiled in remembrance, she would never forget his words, his touch, his laughter, his smiles, his love.
She would take it all to the grave with her, cherish it till her last breath.
~~~~
During these two weeks, Adeel and Ayla became close friends, she now had the true honour of being able to make Adeel Khan smile, one -that according to him- not many possessed. They met in the back garden on alternate nights -the nights when Adeel stayed home from the hospital were his favourites only because they were spent in her company.
After the first night, they had become well aware of each other's feelings but did not dare to make any more suggestive comments.
Instead, they became comfortable with each other, like true friends, they joked around and talked about their likes and dislikes,
Ayla complained about how the Aloo Palak at dinner almost made her cry
Adeel scolded her for forcefully eating something she didn't like just because she was too shy to ask for something else.
Most of their time was spent by Adeel making fun of Ayla and teasing her for being a sheltered and innocent girl, before she would start whining and make him apologise.
Adeel Khan had never apologised unnecessarily before, but there was just something about the way she would pout and when tears would mist her eyes at his jabs and teases, he would feel like he was the worst man in the world; She simply brought him to his knees.
On one occasion, after breakfast, the entire family was ready to leave for the hospital yet Ayla became late while freshening up.
Adeel volunteered to stay back and bring her to the hospital with him, and the rest of the members of the family piled into their cars in agreement.
As she hurried down the stairs, he greeted her with a fake irritated look, to which ayla stuck out her tongue, making him shake his head and lead her into his car. Ayla still felt flustered around Adeel, but now at least she was a bit more comfortable around him.
When they reached the hospital, she trailed behind him after he parked the car. Since it was still early, the parking lot was mostly empty and there were not crowds of people in their way.
While they were crossing the garden area to get to the main entrance of the hospital, Ayla noticed that there was a group of young men seated nearby who were staring at her shamelessly.
Their gaze didn't make her feel flustered and shy like Adeel's, it made her feel uncomfortable and scared. So, in order to feel safe, she reached for Adeel's hand in front of her and his large, warm hand seemed to cover her small one as if it was made especially for her.
Adeel was aware of the goons in the garden and a sense of overpowering protectiveness washed through him as he stopped in his tracks, tugged on her hand and made her walk in front of him, shielding her from their view.
As they resumed walking, Ayla could hear a few whistles behind her, confused, she was about to turn around just as she felt Adeel's grip on her hand tighten,
"Don't turn around, just keep walking" Adeel's voice was full of anger and she didn't question his words for even a second as she obeyed
Just then a comment from one of the men reached their ears,
"Bachi hot hai yaaarrr"
[literal meaning of bachi is kid, but in Pakistani slang, guys often use bachi as a term for girls, just like how many people say 'chicks' (personally I hate it)]
(Chick is hot mannn)
Adeel's chest heaved in fury as his face became rigid, eyes hard. Although Ayla did not understand the comment, she noticed Adeel's rage and as he rushed her to walk faster, the only thing that mattered to him was to get her out of their sight and safe in the hospital room.
In the Elevator, Adeel detached his hand from Ayla's grip as he tried to contain his anger, clenching his fists, he closed his eyes, breathing heavily.
Ayla chose to remain quiet and give him time to extinguish his fury. She didn't like it when his eyes were ablaze, yet she was not afraid as she should have been.
Instead, she looked around the elevator and blushed as she recalled their previous encounter alone in an elevator.
As soon as he opened his eyes, her blushing face came in view and as if he could read her mind, he instantly knew what she was thinking of, his eyes became soft.
Ayla entwined her hand around his bicep and tightened her grip, resting the side of her face on his arm to calm him down, succeeding as it brought a smile to his face, her innocence and her mere presence, calming him down.
Their first touch, he closed his eyes, sighing in content
As Adeel held the door open for her and watched her walk into the hospital room safely, he sighed in relief before rushing back downstairs, to deal with the idiots who had even dared to lift their eye up on Adeel's girl.
When he was done with them, all four of the boys were trembling in fear, curled up on the grass before running off whereas the one who had made the comment was on a bed in one of the hospital rooms inside.
He hated these kind of dogs,
They were all bark and no bite.
After cleaning up, Adeel retreated to the hospital room to spend some time with the man whom he thought of as a father figure and the rest of his family
Later that night, Adeel had decided to stay back with Haris and walked to the ground floor of the hospital with the intention of seeing his family off in the parking lot.
Although he knew Zaryab could take care of them well enough, In reality, he just wanted to keep an eye on Ayla until she was in the car safely, as well as Sherbano -she was just like the sister he'd never had.
The two 'friends' walked alongside each other, trailing far behind Zaryab and Sherbano. Ayla turned to Adeel, confusion laced her features making her look quite cute as Adeel smiled, waiting for her words.
"Why did that guy call me a 'bachi'? I'm not that young, am I?"
(Kid)
Ayla pouted, she didn't want to be too young for him, the thought had disturbed her all day.
Suddenly, Adeel bursted out in laughter as Ayla stopped in her tracks, her brows scrunching in anger.
She was so pure, Adeel wanted to cage her in his grip and never let her out, he felt an urge of protectiveness and overwhelming love for this girl as he turned to her,
"Meri jaan, that's not what he meant, he was referring to you as 'bachi' in an objectifying attempt to call you a 'hot girl'"
(My love)
he explained to her softly, her features scrunching up in embarrassment before he caught a hold of her hand, caressing it softly, he continued, his voice full of love and care,
"But you don't have to worry okay? I took care of him and next time, I won't let any guy even lift his eye up in your direction"
Ayla couldn't help but fall for him, no man other than her father had cared for her so much, she felt most safe and protected when he was around.
Her eyelashes bowed as her gaze was casted down, Adeel was smiling.
As they neared Zaryab's car, Adeel let go of her hand before any one could see and opened the car door for her
"Okay now go, I'll see you tomorrow acha?"
(Okay?)
She nodded, meeting his eyes for a second before flushing red and once again looking down.
He shook his head in amusement as the car drove out the parking lot, making his way back to the room, he couldn't get rid of the smile that plastered his features.
'What would i do with this girl' His brain chanted as sleep resisted him
'Love her,' his heart replied
After that occasion, their feelings had only intensified, it was a silent yet mutual feeling between the two and they were well aware, but neither of them had confessed in words.
They had gone back to normal, their meetings and conversations were innocent, not flirty. They only knew to laugh together and have a good time, slowly but surely, Adeel became Ayla's best friend, and the whole family was quite aware of their friendship.
Adeel hadn't let her live down that day at the hospital, he had found a new nickname for her,
"Hey bachi, pass me the salad" he jabbed at the dining table
"Adeel, Mat Karo!" She spat back, anger consuming her as she flushed red,
(Adeel, stop it!)
Adeel couldn't control his laughter,
"Chipmunk lag rahi ho"
(You look like a chipmunk)
Ayla shot him a glare before hurrying to finish her dinner and retreat to her room.
The rest of the members of the family tried to conceal their smiles as they resumed their conversation, enjoying this new side of Adeel.
That night when they met in the back garden, Ayla refused to talk to Adeel; when he crouched down on his knees before her and looked up into her eyes, she willed the tears to come out and her lips formed a pout,
Adeel panicked,
"Shit shit, yar I'm sorry na, please nahi rona" he cupped her face as he wiped a stray tear and continued
(Shit, shit man I'm sorry, please don't cry)
"Ice cream khao gi? Andar chalo I'll make you a Sundae just please don't cry"
(Will you eat ice cream? Let's go inside I'll make you a Sundae just please don't cry)
Upon the mention, she wiped her tears and let the smile creep onto her lips, hearing him sigh in relief before he shook his head and they enjoyed their ice cream sundaes on the kitchen counter.
He always apologised and made it up to her, yet he never stopped calling her that obnoxious nickname..
~~~~
As their days together came to an end, Finally it was time for Haris Malik to come home. It was his last night in the hospital before he would be discharged and the atmosphere in the Khan estate was bittersweet, Ahmed Khan had wanted to give Zaryab some time to spend with Sheherbano before she left and since Adeel had stayed the previous night, he decided to leave for the hospital to stay after dinner.
At Dinner, the family was quiet, even Sheheryar and Ali weren't chattering, In fact they looked quite disappointed
Ayla was in a terrible mood, she had started developing feelings for Adeel more and more, and she did not want to leave him all of a sudden, she did not want their backyard meetings and ice cream sundaes to come to an end. She ate her dinner silently, pushing back the tears and avoiding his concerned gaze.
Adeel noticed Ayla's quietness and the sad expression she had been wearing. Although he himself did not want her to leave, he concealed his own disappointment and decided he would do anything to bring the smile back on her face when they met during the night.
Sherbano had also noticed Zaryab's silence over dinner, she knew what the matter was and although she did not want to leave him either, she decided she would speak to him in person after dinner and reassure him that she was his, she was going to come back in this house as his.
As the night proceeded and the family returned to their respective rooms, Ayla trudged downstairs to the garden where he would be waiting for her, like always.
As soon as she caught sight of him, she wanted to cry and so she decided not to look at him, for the sake of holding in the tears threatening to spill.
A deep sigh escaped Adeel as she sat before him, not meeting his eyes. Tugging on her hand, he turned her frame to face him. When she bit the inside of her cheeks to control the sobs, he pulled her close and hid her in his chest.
Her arms came around him immediately as she cried softly, his heart swelled as he swayed her back and forth, comforting her until she ran out of tears.
Then, he pulled her back and looked into her eyes,
"Kyoon ro rahi ho?"
That was all it took, Ayla sat up straighter and began to go on and on about all the reasons she didn't want to leave
He interrupted her speech soon as she began to rant,
"Relax, I need you to give me one problem at a time and we'll find a solution for each of them. Hmm? Is that okay?"
His tone was almost as soft as his touch, she nodded as he tucked a strand behind her ear and she began again, this time slower
"When Api leaves then it'll be just me and Abbu, I'll be all alone." She pouted
"Uff ho, you won't be all alone, sometimes we'll come over and other times we'll make you and uncle come over, and when you're old enough, I'll come to steal you forever. Next problem"
Her heart fluttered at the promise in his words but she continued nevertheless, eyebrows scrunching as she expressed something that had disturbed her for so long.
"What do you mean old enough, why do you always think of me as such a kid"
He raised his eyebrows
"Achaaa jee, so this is why you hate it when I call you a 'bachi'" a smile adorned his features, making her scowl intensify.
(Oh okaaayyy)
He caught a hold of her arm and jerked her forward, their noses almost touching, her eyes wanted to wander across the plains and ridges of his sculpted face but she didn't dare move an inch.
"Jaanan, trust me. A 'kid' is the last thing that comes to mind when I think of you"
His gaze flickered to her plump lips, her breathing hitched.
The next second, he reclined back on the bench, and as if nothing had happened, continued
"Next problem?"
Ayla pouted, trying to calm her racing heart, she spoke
"Who will make me ice cream sundaes?"
His eyes twinkled as he pretended to think,
"Hmmmm, now that's a big problem. How about we forget about what happens later, and just go enjoy one now?"
He stood with a smile, extending his hand towards her. Her eyes flickered between his face and outstretched hand in adoration as she grasped it, without any hesitation.
——
On the other hand, Sherbano had left her room and was making her way down the corridor into his room.
As she opened the door of his room quietly, she found him on the side of the bed furthest from the door, his back facing her.
His hair were messy and the t shirt allowed his strong arms to be seen in plain sight, making her take a sharp breath in. She walked towards his side only to find his eyes closed, sitting next to him, she entwined her hand in his messy brown hair and played with the soft strands, massaging his head.
She thought he was asleep, until he could no longer stop the smile from stretching on his face. As she was about to pull her hand away, Zaryab caught hold of it and pressed her palm to his lips
"Mat jao"
(Don't go)
His eyes were half open, voice husky -full of sleep.
Sherbano smiled at him while sitting up, she understood the double meaning in his words; her fingers twirled a lock of his hair as she spoke,
"Jaoongi nahi tou wapas kaisay aoongi?"
(If I don't go then how will I come back)
Zaryab merely pouted cutely in reply, making Sherbano chuckle,
"Aap bus ye sochain that Next time I come here I'll be your wife -yours forever, and this will be my house too" she tried to reassure him
"This was always your house, my queen" he spoke with pure love
She smiled in response, he smiled back.
At that moment, the two wanted nothing more but to be in each other's arms, to stay with each other forever.
She was about to move away but he caught a hold of her wrist once again,
"Thori der meray paas raho, please"
(Stay with me for a while, please.)
A part of her was glad that he stopped her, she didn't want to leave either.
So she sat next to him in the moonlit room, large curtains pulled back to let the gentle glow of the moon and stars encapsulate the space
The night was innocent, the birds sang lullabies to their chicks, the horizon was washed with lights and darks of blue, the stars giggled in romanticised wonder
They spoke in hushed whispers, holding hands and playing with each other's hair; Innocent touches and innocent conversations gave them their heart's content and left them aching, for the night to become longer.
———————-
Phew ! I think this is the longest chapter I've written yet. Only one or two parts left for Sherbano and Zaryab's as well as Adeel and Ayla's story!
This is my first one so I wanted to make it cute and lovey Dovey but next few stories will probably be a bit different😉
Let me know how you liked this on
NOTE : NONE OF THE QUOTES/SHAYARI USED IN THE STORY ARE MINE. DONT KNOW THE ORIGIN OF ALL OF THEM SO CREDIT TO RIGHTFUL OWNERS (like ghalib sahab 🤣)