Three Blonde Wishes

Chapter 18 - Love

Aarzoo

My heart ached when I returned his button. But I couldn't keep it despite knowing it was his and not Atif's. For once in my life, I left all my miseries behind. There was different peace with Adam. I cherished and soaked each moment I spent with him. I almost started to believe I was his mother and he was my own. I know I could never take the position of his mother. Whoever that woman was. I know nothing about her besides her name, Yumna. No matter how good a friend I was to Farris, he never talks about his late wife. I started knowing Farris gradually.

He was an ocean. There's only so much deep I could dive. The memories of his late wife were buried in the deepest surface of the ocean where it was impossible to reach. I respected that. I did not want to meddle with things he did not want to show. No matter how generous Farris was with me, it always felt like he was not it. He could be beyond that. And maybe that part of him was not meant for me to know. It felt like I was living two lives. A life that was surrounded by Farris and Adam, and on the other hand, there was a life I was living with Atif as his wife accepting and doing all my wife duties despite being freed from that marriage. Atif insisted many times to reveal the truth to our families but for some reason, I couldn't build the courage to face my parents. He felt he was wrongdoing me by making me do all that I was doing for him but he was helpless due to my requests to carry on things however they were. I don't know if what I was doing was right or wrong but I knew that it made me happy. And as long as it kept me happy, I was ready to do it. But at the end of the day, it's me. And my life was not meant to be easy.
My phone rang when I was ironing my outfit for the next day. I told Atif to pick it up as it was next to him on the bed. 'It's your mom' he said as he flashed the phone screen at me. 'Attend it and put it on the speaker' I told him and he did as I said. He first greeted my mother and asked about her health and the well-being of the family. My mother sounded more excited than usual. 'What's the matter Maa?' I asked her as I laughed softly continuing to iron my outfit. 'You seem happier than usual?' I asked.
'Why wouldn't I be happier? There's going to be a marriage and you all should come!' she exclaimed and laughed out of joy. Atif glanced at me raising his eyebrows asking 'Who's?'.

'I don't know!' I whispered to him.
'Who is getting married?' I asked her.
'Do you remember Zaheer? Your aunt's son?' she replied and my blood ran cold. I stopped ironing and stammered to speak out of anxiety 'Wha-what about him?'
'He is getting engaged. The dates are yet to be finalized' She said. 'You and Atif should come with family. No excuses' She laughed again. 'Maa, I don't think we'll be able to make it...' I said as my hands were now starting to sweat. The dark memories of the past started lingering around my head. My screams, torn clothes, and bloody wounds started flickering into my eyes.
'We know Atif is recovering but it would matter a lot to us if you both could be there. Please try' She insisted upon which Atif immediately agreed. 'We'll be there aunty; don't you be sad' He said leaving me speechless. He then disconnected the call only to find my dress burnt under the iron box. 'Aarzoo careful!' he yelled and pushed me away from the iron box turning the switch off. 'Are you okay?' He asked me as he held my shoulders. He shook me and I looked at him. 'Yeah- yeah. I'm okay' I told him as I wiped the sweat off my forehead. He quickly opened the windows letting out the smoke coming out of the iron box.
'That would've led to fire' He said.
'Why did you agree?' I asked him.

He glanced at me and replied 'You should be there with your parents during good and bad. What kind of a question is that?'

'I don't want to attend his engagement!' I defended.

'But why? What's the reason?' he asked.

'Look, you have to focus on recovering, your parents, and here, I am working. There are too many reasons not to go.' I told him trying to prove my point.
'My parents wanted to leave anyways, we can attend the engagement and drop them off in India' He said. 'But I'm working. Farris is a friend but he's really strict with work....'
He dialed Farris from his phone while I was still talking. After a few seconds of dialing sound, Farris picked up the call. 'Hi, Atif! what's up? is everything okay?' he asked.