Far Away Love ✓

Flashback 5

Shaiq's POV

Daniyal died and due to that damned weather issue, I couldn't make it to Pakistan. Zainab must be so alone and sad over the loss of her brother. I should have been there for his funeral and taking care of her. How much she would have been crying, missing me, and wanting my emotional support. I felt like a jerk myself for not being with her during the bad time of her life.

Those few weeks were hell for me. I couldn't focus on anything. Zainab was on my mind every day. Even though I was having reports about her well-being from my Mom and Nofil, still I couldn't get satisfied. I needed to hear her voice and console her. Then I did what was in my hand. I used to call her her friend Meekal on an almost daily basis. She was slowly coming back to life and that was such a blessing for me. I knew that my Zainab was strong enough.

That was the day of my flight back to Pakistan. I was finally going there. I would at last meet Zainab. In the morning, I called her Meekal.

'Do you have any mirrors at the place where you are right now?' After a few random talks, I begin.

'Yeah, there is one but what's with this?' She replied.

'Walk towards it and stand in front of the mirror and let me know when you get there. There is a surprise waiting for you.'

That was the way I had been using since our childhood to pacify her, to make her feel special whenever she felt down, and to lift her mood. That day, in the flow of emotions, I couldn't make a distinction between Meekal and Shaiq and that was the day, Zainab first time became suspicious of me.

'What now?' She asked later on.

'Are you there? So, are you able to see my friend in the mirror? She will be looking at you. You know she is my best friend, her name is Zainab. She is a really strong girl who isn't afraid of hurdles and miseries. She is one of a kind who doesn't get worried easily, she knows how to tackle every situation and--'

'Shaiq!" 

She suddenly uttered my name which made me stop in my track. I never in my imagination thought that she would recognize me like this. I always believed she would never be able to go this far. But I was wrong. Our friendship and love were so strong that the impossible seemed possible in the long run. We knew each other so well that one could get amazed.

At that time, I got a strong urge to end this all and tell her everything. But then I remembered what started all this and it was still not done. All my effort would be in waste if I just confess. I was doing all this to show Zainab that I was her husband now and not just a friend. And a husband in me did get offended by what she did and said. I wanted her to stop blaming herself for this marriage and the break of our friendship. I needed her to realize that before she did all this, I was more than happy with her as my wife.

All this had to be done yet and actions like this would do more harm than better.

'What did you say?' I ultimately asked with a laugh.

'I think you are missing your husband but that dude doesn't even-" I deliberately stopped in the middle since I wanted her to think back to these lines.

'N...No, th...that's not the thing,' she stuttered in my own words.

'I think my roommate is asking for me. I'll call you later, take care of yourself, bye.'