Meri Mannat Tu {You Are My Destiny}

2: where everything's alright

Love comes and leaves body breathless, gasping for a chance to wrap mind around a concept that is far from beautiful and too beautiful and delicate.  

Love possesses. 

Love forgives. 

Love never apologizes. 

Never afraid. 

Never on time, always absent, always near. 

Love is the person I am when with you. 

Love, is who I am with you. 

Love is you.

from "Love is You" by Abir Ibrahim

✨ 

By the time Sahir's car rolls around the corner, two hours have passed. I've been perched against the corner of the gate, by the little alleyway that separates Dada's home from the neighbor's, hoping that someone I knew—either Dadi or one of my cousins—would come home and take me inside with them. But the hours have gone by and not a soul has walked by the lonely pink house adorning this side of the street. I don't want to leave, not yet, but when the little white car comes, all I suddenly want is to be home at Nanna's, where at least I know that I'm welcomed, and loved.

I step out of the shadows and wave to Sahir. The car stops a foot away from me and the driver's side window rolls down as I scramble to the other side.

"How long have you been standing out here?" Sahir asks as I climb into the passenger's seat and close the door.

Hours, I want to reply as I read the time on the clock in the car—5:16 PM. But I look away and fiddle with the straps of my purse. "Twentyish minutes, maybe?"

Sahir scans me up and down, reaches out and touches a hand to my cheek. "Sorry, jaan. I got tied up and there was tons of traffic, so I couldn't make it back in time."

"It's okay." I smile weakly and squirm in my seat, desperate to get out of here. "Can we go?" I ask.

Looking at me a moment longer, he shifts the car into drive. I bite my lip and force myself not to look back towards the house as the tires squeal against the gravel and the car begins to pull forward. "So....how was it?" he asks slowly.

I close my eyes. I don't have it in me to answer that question, I really don't. "Fine," I reply mildly, taking in a deep breath. Sahir gets ready to round the corner and as he does, I catch my reflection in the rearview mirror. As I raise hand to brush a lock of hair out of my face, Taskeen-e-Shahbaz appears suddenly in the corner of my field of view like a glum reminder that I can run, but I can't ever hide from the truth that lies within those black iron gates . The glass of the loft glints in the sunlight, as if it's winking, before Sahir turns and it disappears from view completely.

We sit in silence for a few moments as Sahir drives past the masjid, pulls onto the main road and merges with the mid-evening traffic. "So....it was alright?" Sahir asks gently.

Immediately I see Dada, the door slamming in my face and the unabashed hatred behind those flashing blue eyes. "Alright?" I ask solemnly, then shake my head to clear it before I say something I'll regret. "It was fine." I repeat, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Good." He reaches for my hand and brushes a kiss along the backside. "Glad you got that over with."

"W-wait," I squeak, turning into the backseat and expecting Qadeer to jump out at me, singing one of his ballads. "Where's Qadeer?"