Mysteries Of Unknown Lovers.

(8)

"Zara, can we talk?" Her breath got stuck in her throat, shutting her eyes tightly, she exhaled an exhausted sigh to gather her sentiments.

She avoided her encounters with him in the whole three events of the wedding. Whenever she sensed him around, she evacuated from that place like she had never been there. He tried so many attempts yet, Zara didn't give any heed to it.

And in the house, she just locked herself in the room and completely dismissed him.

However, luck finally stopped giving her so many fortunate occasions and he finally caught her red-handed in their house's basement.

Twirling around, she gazed directly at him.

"Are you ignoring me?" Affan asked a simple question yet she felt it vastly problematic.

"No!?" She uttered 'no' in such a manner that it felt like she was questioning herself, and it also made the man standing in front of her very perplexed.

"Why are you not talking to me? Why are you running away whenever I come around you?"
His question convinced her that he was paying notoriety to every single thing she was doing around him. She gasped inaudibly. Did he also listen to my cursing for him?

Gulping, she squinted her eyes in skepticism.
Affan's furrowed brows confirmed that the water hasn't reached over her head. Taking a sigh of relief she patted her heart lightly.

"I'm standing right here, stop talking to yourself in your head." It was a wonder, that he still recognized her habit of getting lost in her mind.

"It's nothing like that, the function was hectic. Everybody wanted to exchange some words with me-"

"And for you, it was the perfect opportunity to ignore me. Isn't it?" 
The words were uttered softly, his hurt was evident in them.

A bitter chuckle left his mouth. "Did your anger of five years still hadn't dwindled, Zara?"

"You are assuming everything wrong."
Pushing a silky strand behind her ear, she rubbed her weary eyes.

"Two hundred and fifty-three! The next day after you told me that you landed safely, I called you two hundred and fifty-three times yet, you hadn't answered anyone of them."

Biting her lips, she glares at the floor, incapable to answer him.

He continued gently. "You accepted everybody else's call except mine, I regretted so much Zara, I wanted to apologize over and over again, I wanted you to return to me. Before calling last time I made my mind that if you answered this call, I would travel to Canada and if you didn't, then I would accept whatever will happen next."

He stooped for a second, his voice cracked when he uttered again, "you didn't answer, Zara, you were truly determined on leaving me."

A drop of tear left from her eyes, soon she was sobbing silently with a hand over her mouth.

Taking a step forward, he held her from her shoulders gently.
She fisted her black T-shirt in her hand and gazed directly into his eyes.

"I was furious, so mad at you, your one-sentence nagged in my head over and over again, your furious face flashed in my eyes whenever I closed them. I thought if you could utter those words in anger then maybe soon in the future you will certainly realize that I am the biggest mistake of your life. I was scared to accept your calls. Nonetheless, when my mind came back to its sense it had been too late."
Her unsteady voice confessed everything.

"It has never been too late, I was just waiting for your one call." Wiping the tears from her eyes, he looked at her with vulnerability.

"You were already settled in your life, you took over the company, coming back I didn't want to become a nuisance and ruin whatever you had created for yourself."

He shook his head at her wrong theories, how can he tell this stupid girl that for Affan Sikander, Zara Salman can never be an irritant.

"Just one call Zara, I was just one call away."

Hesitantly, she put her hand over his cheek.

"Tell me honestly why were you avoiding me?"
Closing his eyes, he leaned against her touch.

"I didn't have enough courage to look into your eyes again, I didn't have enough strength to ask for forgiveness after being irrational to you to us."

"You wasted so much time Zara, five years, you could have come back any day and find me there waiting for you but eventually, your hardheadedness stopped you like it always does."
Opening his eyes, he took a step back and held her hand which was on his cheek seconds ago.

"What do you want now!?"
His thumb caressed the soft cold hand.

"I'm sorry, will you forgive me?!

A genuine smile etched on his lips. Gently pushing her brown strands behind her ear, he mumbled. "I was never angry with you Zara, it was all in your head."

Her heart ached, looking at his handsome face, she understood that every wrong assumption of her led them where they are today in their relationship.

"Can I tell you something? I wanted to tell you this when I called you so many times." He peeked at her innocently.

"Affan, stop making me more guilty than I already am, and Just speak."

As he tugged her hand forcefully, she clashed on his chest, leaning against her ear, he whispered, "I love you."

Those three words were enough to predict their future.

Her cheeks flared red after his confession, smiling shyly, she placed her hand over her mouth.

Our mind plays games with us by making wrong inferences about a particular occurrence, which overall affects our life. Like Zara don't waste time and talk to the person who may be waiting for your one call like Affan.

The End.

It ended!
I feel like I'm writing an author's note after an eternity. Anyways. How did you find Zara and Affan's journey?
I honestly can't thank enough you guys for reading and loving, with your support and love, this short stories collection reached 100k.
Just know that each one of you has a very special place in my heart.
Thank you once again.❤
Take care
Allah Hafiz.