Dua-e-Khair

Sahil (3)

1o years Ago:

Lahore, Pakistan

For the next few weeks Ahil and Saba spent most of the breaks in library for the team project. Though Saba wasn't a genius or something but her never ending hard work surely made her stand out. Many of the classmates were shocked to see their names together as a paired team. Partially because they thought Saba was probably using the guy for her own good but more on the fact that Ahil wasn't someone who would team up with a girl. So many girls have asked him in the past before as well, yet he had always declined their offers. But now the tables had started to turn eventually.

God knows what happened to Saba these days. She wasn't someone who confided in people easily but there she was trusting a guy with her personal details whom she got to know about just recently. On various days they used to eat lunch together where they would talk about anything else except the academics. Both of them were so much similar in many of their beliefs, likes and dislike. Saba was well aware of Ahil's nature, she knew that she had to put in much more effort than him in order to break the ice between them. Her efforts didn't go in vain, after all Ahil was seen smiling most of times these days on campus because he got to be friends with one of the most cheerful girl of his class.

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"Waisay aik baat toh batao?" Saba asked him. They were sitting on the stairs of the science block that evening. Project evaluation was just around the corner so they had to stay extra hours for it.

"Hmm" Ahil hummed as he shifted his eyes from the laptop to her.

"When I asked you to team up for the project, why did you agree? As far as I know you, you have never made groups out of your circle. Toh phir tum ny mana kiyoun nhi kia mujhe?" (Why didn't you refuse me?) Saba asked as if she wanted to say all of this for some time.

"Aise he" He spoke, resuming his work again.

"Ahil, I'm serious, batao" (tell) Saba insisted.

Ahil looked Saba in her eyes and now faced her directly. He took some seconds before he could speak.

"In ankhoun ki waja sy mein mana nhi kar paya"he said while maintaining the eye contact.

"Kia matlab?" Saba countered in confusion.

"Jab uss din tum subah school jaldi aye thi aur samajh rahi thi keh koi tumhari ankhein dekh kar pehchan nahi sakay ga keh pori raat roti raho ho, tum ghalat thi, tumhari ankhein sab bol deti hain, toh bas that's why you seemed different to me" Ahil explained.

"Oh toh tars khaya hai tum ny mujh par?" (Oh so you pitied me?) She exclaimed.

"Nahi aisa mein ny kab kaha hai?" Ahil clarified.

"You meant the same thing, huh" Saba gave him an eye roll.

"Also when I sat beside you that day during the quiz, you pointed out my mistake.... people don't often do that, unko lagta hai mein kabhi ghalati nahi kar sakta toh woh zaida ghor bhi nahi karte aur bas copy paste kar lete hain.... laikin tum ny margin of error rakha.... mujhe tumhari yeh baat pasand aye bas tabhi mein ny zaida socha nahi aur tumhein haan keh dia tha" he justified his stance in the most clear way possible.

"Uff.... Aik minus sign he tha toh tha Ahil" she smiled mockingly.

"Hmm..... aik minus sign he tha Saba" he mimicked her.

"Taubah....Bohat complicated insan ho tum" she leaned on the stair case on which they sat. Ahil too followed her lead and did the same. Both started to stare at the sky above them accompanied by a peaceful silence.