Kismat

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Assalamualaykum!

Here we go, one of the longest chapters. I have a feeling you all are going to like this one ;)

This chapter was on request of so many people, who wanted to see these two in action. At this point in the novel, it was fitting in, so here we are!

There are some important things I would like to talk to you guys about, but I will put those in the ending note. Please do read it.

ENJOY THE CHAPTER!!! <3

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6 months later...

Ayaan's POV

The evening had begun to meld into the night when I got home.

I loosened my tie while setting the car keys on the side table near the entrance. Fatigue set in after the long day, with university in the morning and work in the evening.

I went upstairs to take a quick shower and change into my pajamas before going to look for Aapi. My stomach rumbled in hunger.

I peeked into the twins' rooms first and found them doing homework together in Sabrina's room.

"How was work today?" Rizwan spotted me first and asked the question with a huge grin. Sabrina looked up with just as much enthusiasm, waving erratically at me from the room. I felt a bubble of self-gratification seeing their pride.

I couldn't help the grin on my face as I answered him. "Fabulous as always."

Walking into the kitchen, I found Aapi standing there with a lost look on her face. A pile of unopened mail rested on the granite in front of her.

Over the past few months, I had noticed a drastic change in Aapi. On the outside, she appeared to be the same. She laughed and smiled in the right places, interacted with everyone with indifference but when she thought no one was looking, the mask drops, and a dead look replaces it. I have often noticed her getting lost in her thoughts, sometimes with a thin sheen of tears covering her eyes. Her voice sounds lifeless at places, despite her effort to inject some semblance of lively emotion into it.

Her behaviour was confusing, because she doesn't confide in anyone, nor does she allow anyone to publicly see her pain. I suspected it has something to do with Shehry, because he had the same gaunt look on his face in university, now preferring solitude instead of socializing. He went through the motions of normality just as Aapi did, but somehow, I felt like his every word was laden with an overwhelming helplessness. My hands were tied on confronting him because I didn't want to push Aapi's patience, nor did I have any evidence to go raging on him.

I looked closer at Aapi to find her holding some sort of invitation, tensely running her finger down the sides of the thick card. She seemed to be deep in thought, a troubled look on her face.

"Aapi?" I spoke softly, but she jumped anyway. My eyebrows furrowed in suspicion as she hid the card behind her back, wide eyes looking back me. "Woh kya hai?"

"K-kuch nahi." She stammered, stepping back into the counter behind her. I locked my jaw and walked to her, towering over her slight form. I frowned at how much her face had slimmed down from how little she ate these days. Her eyes pleaded me not to look at what she was hiding but I reached behind her, keeping my eyes locked on hers.

"You've kept enough secrets, Aapi. Don't add another to them." I said, pulling the card out from between her and the counter. Aapi shook her head frantically.

"Ayaan mat dekho usse, please. Main tumhaare liye keh rahi hoon, please mat dekho. Waapis karo usse." She tried to take it from me, but I had read the five calligraphic words before she managed to rip it from my hands.