Hiraeth

42

"MUMMA." Ayla let out a shrill cry as she nervously hung her hand in the air, withholding a carrot that was meant for feeding the baby horse. Sitara held onto her arm, preventing her from tracing it back under the fear of being eaten along with the carrot.

"He'll bite me." Her legs wobbled when he brought his mouth near to its distal end, biting on the leafy side of the vegetable that she was holding.

"No, silly." Sitara laughed, ushering her to quit as she was getting too anxious because of it and pulled her back before she could let out another cry.

"Do you bite Mumma's hands when she feeds you?"

"Yes." She grinned cheekily earning a playful pat on the head by Sitara. She held her hand as they walked together to watch the game.

"What is this called?" She innocently asked upon being lifted in her lap and Sitara noticed her gaze fixated on the surroundings very keenly as she tried to observe everything that had been happening.

"It's called polo." She told her, holding onto her soft hands.

"Stupid name." She chuckled and Sitara too couldn't suppress hers. She had made it a note to talk to her about this later, explaining her to not use it anymore but that time wasn't now. 

"Stupid game as well." She muttered under her breath, tucking her daughter's fray hair away from her eyes as her lips stifled a yawn. Her legs began to ache from all the standing that she had done with the children in the morning. The four inch heels in her feet didn't fail from earning her curse either. She couldn't believe that they had a proper dress code for this abomination. 

"Oh you want this?" She asked Ayla who had begun showing interest in the pair of vintage binoculars that was being handed. She held it for her whilst watching her keenly squint her eyes in order to see through it. 

"Ayla." It was her father's voice. Rehaan couldn't realise since when had Sitara begun reacting to his presence like that. The sheer warmth in her eyes that was there for his daughter had mellowed down in a single second when she had accidentally looked into his. 

"I just came to ask if you both are alright. You need something?" He softly enquired and Sitara could observe that he was going for the game too. She kept her gaze at bay, feeling him talk to his daughter. 

His eyes would sometimes go on her as well, but she was never looking at him. It wasn't an immature act in order to satisfy one's broken heart or ego, she was never that person. She just couldn't find herself looking at him like that anymore. She couldn't pretend like nothing had happened and move on with everything like a fool that she had been all along. 

"The flight is in afternoon. I hope you have sorted everything." He spoke out in his usual reserved tone after a while, leaning a little closer to her seat as he awaited a response from her. 

"Yeah, don't worry." 

Only she knew how much it was hurting, but she also had to draw the line somewhere. She couldn't place her heart beneath his shoes every time for him to crush it so mercilessly. 

She didn't remember him uttering another word. He seemed upset, perhaps unable to digest the coldness that she had been throwing his way. She couldn't say that she didn't care either, she did but it wasn't the same.

"Where is your horse?" Ayla asked, tugging onto his pants and he took a moment to sit down right beside them. 

"It must be coming." He lightly smiled, holding onto her little hand and Sitara quickly traced hers back. 

"Ready?" Adeel walked from behind, patting onto his shoulders. Sitara too turned to give him a cordial smile, but something about her demeanour had turned sour upon seeing the woman accompanying him.