She Is My Hayaat

Chapter 45: And Just Let Go

And we are back!

The car ride was quiet as we drove past the busy streets of Boston and hit the highway to the north end of the city. The cumulonimbus clouds scattered around the dense grey hued sky, giving the lively urban glow a serene luster as it moved down closer to us. Izhar had been awfully noiseless in the past two days, even though everything had been settled with Ammi the day before.

We were headed back to our penthouse since the festivities were over, family had left, and we both had work the next day. The two of us had only exchanged the bare minimum of five short phrases ending passively. It wasn't that we were upset with each other, but that Izhar was still coming to terms with what had happened. He was battling with his emotions in what to believe and what to let go. He believed that he had failed me by not protecting me from the dangerous forces of the world that tried to break our love to some extent, but I held no grudges. I knew he would come around eventually, and I was willing to give him as much time and space he needed.

We were at a stoplight as I stared out the window with my arms wrapped around my stomach. My eyes glazed over the cobbled pathways and the red brick and stone architecture of Boston's town center. Thunder electrified the sky, and I smiled as I prayed for it to rain, showering the surroundings with endless mercy. The summers were hot, and unbearably humid at times, and the rain would wash over the city as a blessing.

"Let's grab some gelato," Izhar's husky voice suddenly beckoned me from my left side.

I smiled at my reflection in the window as I could see his sharp and angled faced turned towards me. I leaned my head back on the headrest and looked at him. His eyes flickered at me for a hint of a second before he released his foot from the brake and gently pressed the accelerator.

"I'd love some," I smiled unbothered as I knew he was trying to resurface himself.

"Great," he replied curtly and gave me a half-hearted smile that was oh so close to reaching his eyes, but it hadn't quite gotten there. And I missed his careless smile, more than anything. The one where his eyes would slightly sparkle and leave a lasting glow even after, where his lips would curl upwards and expose a sliver of his gleaming pearly whites.

I exhaled a small breath as I stared back out the windshield, and the clouds started moving and grabbing the hands of others to cover over us. We pulled up soon after to the gelato shop a few blocks away from our penthouse. Boston was well known for its rich and creamy Italian ice cream, and it was definitely a nice treat to have once in a while.

We entered the cute little shop, a mod spot for artisanal gelato that also had a coffee bar on one side. The intricate Italian decor of vintage touches and mosaic reminded me the time we spent in Europe for our honeymoon. There were paintings that lined one wall with captures of Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan, Capri, and so forth. Each was detailed beautifully and aesthetically painted along the walls that represented the clear blue water. Hand in hand, we walked to the counter that sheltered all the flavors. I bit the side of my lip as I looked down the many colorful rows of freshly spun gelato and read all the names in my head. Already knowing what I wanted, I looked to the far right corner and turned back to Izhar with a bright wide smile on my lips.

"Which flavor would you like?" he asked gently with a small tilt in his head and smile grazing his lips.

"Heavenly Hazelnut with chocolate chunks, please," I stretched the last syllable and grinned like a little girl.

He let out a single chuckle and my heart stopped beating as it heard the sound it had longed for all this time. He turned to the old man with graying hair behind the counter and smiled politely.