All is Fair

Chapter 10

Ameena looked around, feeling lonely and lost. Harsha had practically disappeared. She had hidden herself pretty well behind one of the covered stalls/rides. She sighed. She was all alone for the next hour. It did feel pretty weird sitting there all alone when everywhere around her there were couples dotting the beach. She went about trying to build something on the sand.

Someone flopped down beside her. She froze. She knew who it was. Tears sprung to her eyes as her heartbeat accelerated. She finally dared to look at him. Her heart leapt to her throat. He was looking at her the same way he had last looked at her two years ago. Like he had a question that was left unanswered.

"What are you doing here Feroz?" she hissed angrily, clenching her teeth. Then she slapped her forehead.

'Fero....Ferozini...' Harsha!

'The problems of having a best friend." she muttered.

He held Ameena's hand before she could get up. "We need to talk."

She shook her hand free. He had her look at him and saw why she couldn't. There were these stubborn tears in her eyes that just refused to fall down for him. He put her head against his chest and gently patted her head. She struggled to push him off as the tears fell. Then she began swatting at him. She slapped his arm, his chest, his head; anywhere her hands flew, they just hit him over and over again. Feroz just held her head against his chest. His beating heart soothed hers and she calmed down.

He took the opportunity to pull her closer to him, making her nestle comfortably on his chest. They sat like that for a few minutes, reminded of the times that had been. Then she sat up. He held her hand and this time she let it be.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

He sighed as he looked at her hands. "You realise something? I've been wanting to talk to you since over a month now. And we've only had people talk for us. Only indirect speech; no direct speech. May I know why you've been avoiding me?"

She looked at him angrily. "What do you mean why?"

"It's because I had 'cheated on you'?" he airquoted the words. "Come on, Ameena. You should know we're well past that excuse now. What is it really?"

She bit her lower lip. For the first time in 2 years, a sense of confusion crept up. "I don't know."

It was a weird sort of feeling she couldn't put into words. He held her chin gently and had her look at him. He looked into her soft brown eyes and told her, "You believe me, don't you? You know the truth. That's why you've been avoiding me. You're not even avoiding me. You're trying to avoid the truth that you've been pushing away for the past two years."

She leant her head against his shoulder, making him wrap an arm around her waist. He hugged her tight, his other hand playing with her fingers. "I've missed this." he said softly.

"Me too." she sighed.

Why hadn't Rasheed felt half as comfortable as Feroz? Why hadn't his embrace been as soothing as Feroz's?

"I think you're right." she admitted. "Your eyes, they always tell me the truth even when the whole world lies about you. Maybe I was too angry to believe your eyes. Or maybe I myself was too blind. I'm sorry." she frowned. "I think it was that picture of you with your ex. I think that was what hurt me the most."

He kissed the top of her head and wiped away her tears. "I'm sorry I wasn't being clear that day. You were just so heartbroken and I didn't want to shatter you any more. I was too afraid you might break. That was why I didn't fight back, to win you over. I'm so sorry. I was waiting for the right time. I was waiting for some sort of clarity. But by the time either one came, you were already long gone."

They were both silent for some time. "Why were you with Rasheed for so long?" he asked her. "I don't mean to ask this in a negative way. I don't mean to say that he's a....ahem! Nothing like that. I'm just genuinely curious."

Amena thought about it. Why had she been with Rasheed for so long? "Well, he helped me get over you."

"And how soon were you 'over me'?"

"In a few months."

"And then you fell in love with Rasheed?"

Ameena frowned. "What is falling in love?" She was puzzled.

Feroz had her sit up. "Everytime you think about him, do you get an adrenaline rush? Do the little things about him make you smile and giggle, even when he's not there near you? Do you miss his arms around you? Do you miss his presence? Does the thought of going out with him make you queasy with excitement? Does the thought of him giving you a surprise make you feel special? Do his surprises feel special?" Feroz had been staring intently at Ameena's palm. He looked up and focused that intensity on her.

She thought about it all and frowned. He lifted her chin up gently and had her look at him, into his eyes. They held a strong emotion, raw and pure. It burned straight into her soul as he asked her, "When you see yourself happily married, in your wildest dreams, who do you see beside you as your husband? Me or him?"

The stubborn tears fell from Ameena's eyes. She wrapped her arms around Feroz's neck, hugging him tight. He pulled her onto his lap, hugging her back just as tight. When she loosened her grip, he held on. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, her arms still around him. His face was buried in the crook of her neck, his arms around her waist.

《It was like they were two broken pieces of something, meant to fit each other perfectly.》

________________________

Published on Wattpad
_________________________