Khamosh Mohabbat

Part 44

As Maya settled into her house in Abbottabad, memories of Hamza kept flooding in, unbidden and bittersweet. Every corner of her mind seemed to be filled with him—his smile, the way he used to hold her hand so casually without even thinking about it as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She could almost feel the warmth of his touch, the security and comfort it brought her.

She remembered the look on his face when he was deep in thought, working in his office. The slight furrow of his brow, the way he would take a sip of coffee, concentration. She had always found it endearing, a sign of his dedication and intelligence. And then there were the moments of laughter shared with Asad. Hamza's laughter was infectious, a sound that could light up any room. The way he would throw his head back, his eyes crinkling at the corners—it was a sight she could never forget.

The memory of Hamza smoking on the balcony, staring out into the distance as if lost in another world, was one that often haunted her. She remembered standing beside him, the smoke curling into the night sky, the silence between them comfortable and intimate. They didn't need words; just being together was enough.

Even mundane moments, like watching TV together, were precious to her. She remembered the way he would absentmindedly grab her hand, the way they would argue over the perception of the show, and the feeling of his arm around her shoulders as he struggled to walk while he was sick. Those small, everyday moments were the ones she missed the most, the ones that reminded her of how deeply intertwined their lives had become.

Maya sighed, setting her teacup down and wrapping her arms around herself. The loneliness was overwhelming, and the memories only made it harder. She had convinced herself that leaving was the right decision, that it would free Hamza to be with Ayesha. But as the day passed, she began to question whether she could ever truly let him go, and it was just day one.

To run away from her memories, she went down to the market to get the basic groceries, she thought she would get the rest tomorrow. She needed something to occupy her mind, and going out would make her feel better.

As the evening was settling down, her scare of the evening was downing on her. She feared being alone at night.

"Maya, bahadur bano, adat daalo akele rehnay ki, ab zindagi bhar tum ko akele rehana hai." She kept telling her.

She turned on all the lights in the house, to fight with fear. "It's okay Maya, aaj pehla din hai na, ahista ahista aadat ho jaye gee," she kept telling her to calm her nerves.

That is when the door knocked, and with a thumping heart, she opened the door. It was ten-year-old Inam, Khala's grandson, he handed her a covered plate, and said in urgency "Maya Baji, Dadi keh rahee hain agar aap ko dar lag raha hai tau humare ghar ajain,"

Maya smiled at him, although her heart was racing so fast, "Nahi main theek hoon, agar dar laga tau ajaon gee," she closed the door behind him. Opened the plate to see it was Pea Pullao, she was not hungry she had not eaten anything since morning, the food that Khala sent at lunch was also untouched, but, she was not hungry.

She tried to stay busy, to keep her mind from wandering too much. But no matter how hard she tried, the memories of Hamza were always there, lingering in the background, reminding her of what she had left behind. The haunting memories of Hamza were only adding fuel to the sad memories of her Baba.

"Baba, aap chale gaye, main tau bilkul akeli reh gayee hoon," She couldn't help but sat on the stairs at the entrance of the house and broke down crying.

She heard the door knock again, "Bechari khala kitna pareshan ho rahee hain," she thought, took a while to calm down, wiped her tears and went to open the door.
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As soon as Hamza realized that Maya might have gone to her house in Abbottabad, he dashed to his room, hastily gathering a few things. His heart pounded with urgency and regret as he thought about Maya's departure and the pain she must be feeling. He couldn't waste any more time.

On his way out, he ran into his mother in the hallway. "Hamza, where are you going in such a hurry?" she asked, concern etched on her face.

"I'm going to get Maya," he replied, his voice firm and resolute. He didn't stop moving, but the determination in his tone was unmistakable.

"Take the driver with you, Hamza. You're exhausted from your flight," his mother insisted, worry evident in her eyes.

"No, Mom, I need to do this myself," he said, refusing her offer. He knew he had to be the one to bring Maya back. It was his mistake, and he needed to make things right personally.

Hamza jumped into his Range Rover and sped off, the powerful engine roaring to life. The drive to Abbottabad was long and winding, but his mind was focused solely on reaching Maya. He couldn't accept the fact that she had left because of his stupidity and his inability to communicate his true feelings.

As he drove, memories of Maya flooded his mind—the first time he saw her, she dashed into him, their wedding night, how he broke her heart, and then how they started to become accustomed to each other. The way Maya took care of him, their laughter, the quiet moments of comfort they shared. He realized how much he had taken her presence for granted, how he had failed to show her the depth of his feelings. The regret gnawed at him, but it also fueled his determination to bring her back.

After a few hours on the road, Hamza pulled into a gas station. He needed a quick break to refuel both his car and his energy. He grabbed a coffee, hoping the caffeine would keep him alert for the rest of the journey. He was tired from his long flight from China, but the thought of Maya kept him going. He couldn't bear the idea of losing her.

As he got back into his car, he took a deep breath, steadying himself for the final leg of the trip. The mountains of Abbottabad loomed ahead, their familiar peaks a reminder of the place Maya called home. He drove through the winding roads, the scenery passing by in a blur as he focused on his destination.

At a certain fork, he tried to remember if he was going the right route, but he couldn't recall, so he stopped the car and asked a local boy for help. The boy was kind and told him he was going the same way and could hop in for help.

Hamza was truly grateful for the help, this was the first time he was driving to Maya's house himself, previously it was always with the driver. Seeing the twists and turns Hamza was glad he took the help of the boy.