Dear Shumail..

Chapter 34

22nd Feb, 2023

There are times in life when life seems to be stifling you, when living your life becomes difficult and exhausting to the point that it is easier to give up than to keep going. There appears to be no light ahead of you, only darkness is what you see, and even taking a single step forward is terrifying.

Something in your heart feels heavy, as if it's pulling you down, tying you down. Your resolve, your enthusiasm, and your desire to move forward in life seem to be fading.

That's the phase Shumail was going through.

He didn't think he'd ever be able to bring Eram back into his life. Finding her seemed impossible. He had no idea where she was, and he didn't know where to start looking for her.

He was still willing to take a chance. He realised he'd made a huge mistake, but there was no way he was going to let her go without a fight. He was determined to find her, even if it meant searching the entire globe.

And he was overjoyed that he hadn't given up hope.

Standing away at a distance from her, he was oblivious to the fact that he was beaming from ear to ear. His heart was thumping against his chest heavily, and he was sweating profusely, which he kept wiping on his pants unconsciously.

His eyes refused to look anywhere else but Eram, who was right in front of him. The only thought revolving in his mind was to walk up to her and take her in his arms and hug her tightly. At that point, nothing else mattered. It was just her.

His knees felt like jelly, and despite his best efforts, he couldn't take a single step forward. He lacked the confidence to confront her. What will her response be? What is she going to say? What is he going to say to her? Will she be willing to return in his life? His head was filled with a slew of questions.

He was as still as a statue. Shumail had little time to react when he observed Eram bidding farewell to the lady she was speaking with, and everything happened in the blink of an eye. Eram's gaze fell on Shumail before he could react or respond, and she remained shocked, her eyes filling with unshed pearls of confused emotions. She tried blinking a few times, believing it was her imagination and Shumail wasn't really standing in front of her eyes, only to realise she wasn't hallucinating and Shumail was really standing there in front of her.

Shumail tried to gather all of his courage and took small steps towards her. Both of their hearts were racing against their chests, and they appeared to be nervous. They could feel all the emotions that existed.

They both made small steps in the direction of one another. Eram mirrored Shumail's sensations as he had a million thoughts racing through his head. She had so many things she wanted to ask him, but when they were finally face to face, they lacked the bravery to utter a single word.

"Have... you been doing well?" Shumail finally gathered the courage to ask.

"Ye..Yes Alhamdulillah." Eram answered with a nod. "And you?"

"Umm..yeah."

"On a business trip?" Eram enquired. Shumail shook his head at her.

"Married?" She asked, her eyes desperate to hear a no from him. Shumail sighed and shook his head at her. The toe of his shoes touched hers as he took a little step in her direction. He held her and laid his head on her shoulder and encircled her body with his arms, drawing her closer to himself in the process.

"I missed you so much," Although Shumail said it under his breath, she could still hear it. She stood there helpless, her heart thumping against her chest, with no idea what to do. She wanted to cry so badly after being in his arms for such a long time, but she restrained herself since she didn't want him to see her vulnerable side. His touch felt amazing.