Unexpected Promises

Chapter 70

Saad's pov: 

Completing the dua, I opened my eyes to look around the small mosque as a smile immediately graced my lips when I noticed a few kids playing at the back. 

It reminded me of my childhood days when going to a mosque meant meeting my friends and planning to do something after prayers. Most probably playing hide and seek or cricket. And then heading to the stalls to get cold drinks or maybe snacks, depending on our moods. Those were some of the best days of my life. And it was during one of those days when I met Ali and we immediately clicked together. We had the same amount of mischievousness and innocence in us, making us stick together with each other till now. 

I was brought out of my revival when a kid rushed towards me to pick up his ball. Ruffling his hair with a small smile, I stood up, ready to head out and wait in the car for the traffic to clear up. Giving me a small shy smile, the kid ran back to his group of friends as they giggled together at something. 

Shaking my head, I looked away, trying to find the driver. But not finding him anywhere in the mosque, a frown formed on my face. Where could he have gone? Deciding to head out and check around before calling him, I walked out of the mosque, a series of questions running through my mind. 

My gaze roamed around as I wore my shoes, trying to find him among the small crowd present there. Although I couldn't spot him anywhere, there were, surprisingly, a lot of kids around the mosque and almost all of them had a backpack swung on their shoulders. Was there any school around here? Where were they all coming from, or heading to? 

They all looked so cute in their little uniforms with their backpacks as they talked animatedly among themselves or to their siblings or parents. Smiling slightly, I walked down the steps, wanting to follow them as they scattered around. Were they all here to pray? Maybe. Or maybe the school was nearby. 

Heaving a sigh, I turned my gaze around once again, hoping to spot the driver. But it seemed like he had decided to just vanish somewhere and not appear until I didn't even know when! 

Running a hand through my hair, I took out my mobile to dial his number while walking on the sidewalk, deciding to head to where the car was parked. I could wait for him there. 

Turning into one of the alleyways from where we came to the mosque while still trying to find the driver's number, a nostalgically familiar scent hit my nostrils before I accidentally bumped into someone, making my mobile slip from my hand as I squeezed my eyes shut. Ya Allah, I should've watched where I was going! What was I even thinking?!  

I quickly moved back a few steps realising it was a girl. I hadn't looked up to know who it was, but men definitely don't wear black abayas now, do they? 

And that faintly familiar scent, I wondered where that was coming from… I had smelled it before, it was… it was her scent. It was the same citrus scent which I fell in love with the moment I came to know who it belonged to. It was Atifa's homely signature scent. But it couldn't be! I- how could I have smelled it here? Was she, by any chance, around here? Or maybe living here? Ya Allah, was she really here? Was the girl who bumped into me her? No, it couldn't be! 

'But why?! Why couldn't it be her? You wanted her, didn't you? You were finding her, weren't you? So what's the matter now? Why have you suddenly gone numb? Why are you suddenly not ready to accept her if she's here?' My heart screamed as my mind fought with it, trying to make sense of whatever was happening. 

I- It wasn't that I wasn't ready to accept her. It was just that I- I didn't know how to face her… How would I answer her? What would I say if she asks me what's wrong or where have I been all this while? What… What will happen once I find her? Will I be losing her once again? Will… will ammi let her stay with me or will I have to face heartbreak again?