Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Ex-boyfriend's wife.

He is married now.

He did fulfill her wish.

And what she did?

Trapped herself in the box of past, lived a life putting her heart behind a curtain of pains, of faded memories.

She had taken years to come over her past, with that she had taken years away from Zain's life.

Zain Amir deserves a life.

A smile formed on her lips, a rare smile.

"I don't know what to say to you. But all I want you to know is that he changed, he is a better person now."

He changed, he is a better person now. Exactly what she asked him for.

Years, it took him years to fulfill her wish, but he did it.

"Is he... happy?" she asked,

"I don't know that Amaya. I can't say anything about that. I am finding answer to that question for long now."

"Izza.."

"Amaya I swear, he is good to me. We got married because of the circumstances, but he never failed me."

"You will never leave me alone right?

I won't, I promise."

Yet he did, he left her alone at every point, every minute, yet failed her every time, broke his promise.

"You know Izza, happiness can be found everywhere, even in the darkest of places. You need to find it for him, but before that you need to find it for yourself."

"Means?"

"Are you happy Izza?"

A smile appears on Izza's face, Amaya is surely a gem, even after everything, she wants to know about her happiness.

She is a gem, Izza, a rare gem that I can never afford. So I lost her for good.

"Honestly, I'm trying. I'm studying in London School of Economics. He sometimes comes to meet me here.

We are good that way, happy that way. Next year I'll be moving back, after that I don't know what will happen."

"Why so?"

"It's not easy to have a husband who loves his ex insanely, you know."

He loves her insanely.

A truth she can't deny, a truth that ruined her life. But he is not in love with her.

Another truth that can't be denied.

"That's true he loves his ex insanely. But that doesn't mean he won't love you right. That doesn't mean he won't keep you happy."

"That's why I'm here Amaya. To let you know, he is better now, he changed for better."

She only nodded, and left the cafe, leaving a sighing Izza Qasim behind.

◆●◆●◆

She came back to Park lane with trembling feet.

"Zain called again" Shaziya said as soon as she enters but she only answered with a " hmm"

Coming to her room, she locked her room from inside something she never does.

She breathed out, tears fall from her eyes, as she visits her past.

After three years of their divorce, five years of separation, she is ready to revisit the past, ready for the closure.

Today she let her mind roam around the memory lane longer than ever. She travel there for a last time maybe..

Her trembling fingers roams around her left wrist, a scar is there, a prominent one.

Locked in a dark room she is suffocating, her breathing is uneven. Red eyes, with continuous tears flowing, she is in pain, and she needs to end it.

Her right hand holds her pocket knife tight. Making contact with her left wrist, she cries silently as the blood bronzed out, a deep cut which will sure cause her relief, a relief from all her pain.

Ending her life is much better than facing her problems.

It's alright

No its not alright. Its not. She screamed.

A sob left her lips as she remembers that night. She committed a sin, but why? She became so weak, how? Amaya Kareem is not someone to lose herself ever.

Years ago someone told her that.

While fighting a battle for his love, don't lose yourself in it.

But she did lose it. From there she rises, from there Amaya Kareem had picked up her broken pieces. That night she survived, all alone, all by herself.

Amaya Kareem faced her worst fear all alone. She lived alone, she survived alone.

What love did to her?

It made her lose her life.

◆●◆●◆

Next morning, the sun is hidden amongst the clouds.

As she drives by these lanes, petrichor touches the ground, drop by drop, making her heart beats a little more, as the known unknown house on Bakers' Street comes in view.

Today she is ready to let her heart suffer once, maybe for one last time.

"Maa always leaves me here Ahmed Uncle.." A little twelve years old Amaya complains as her mother again left her with her Uncle.

Ahmed Khan and Shaziya Kareem are friends for quite sometime now, after her divorce they are pretty much so his wife too.

Rubina Ahmed always wanted a daughter and little Amaya fulfilled that void in her life.

"..That's a good thing Amy, I always want you next to me."

"So do I " Rubina said as she kissed the crown of her head,

"Rubina Auntie where is Arhaan Bhai?"

"Well both the brothers are gone to some stupid summer camp. At least you are here with me, I feel good."

"You always love me more than those two Aunty, won't they feel jealous of me?" This little girls cares about everyone.

She is a gem.

"They should Amy.. " Ahmed Khan laugh.

That summer they enjoyed a lot together. But after that Ahmed's left suddenly, and with that all connections were lost.

Years later as she looks at those familiar porch, she can say many things changed at this place, what didn't is the closed doors.

After they left, Amaya used to came here sometimes, just to sit on the porch, waiting for them to come back, but they didn't.

Years later she is here again, in front of those familiar black gates

The minute that past moment passed her mind, she is ready to take a about turn and ran away as far as possible. But the thing is she will never do that.

Amaya Kareem may have left this place but never ran away from her problems. She will never lose herself again.

◆●◆●◆

Today standing in front of the familiar doors, she simply doesn't know what will happen next. As she closes her eyes, a little smile lingers on her lips, drops of petrichor now touches her face, painful, those cold drops are painful, but today it gives her peace.

Opening sound of those closed door brings her back from her valley of thoughts. And in front of her stands a part of her past.

Eons, it feels like that, but Rubina Ahmed hadn't changed much.

A smile still there, tears still there. Coming towards Amaya she hugs her tight.

"Amy... you are really here?"

"Auntie.. I.." "I am so sorry Amy.."

"...Don't please Auntie." Letting her in, Amaya witness the similar things, nothing changed here yet everything seems different to her.

"You are wet"

"..Nah not much Auntie."

"Amy.. Everything alright? I know.. He..."

".. He changed himself Auntie, he is better now. And.."

"..And?"

".. And I'm free now. I don't know how to express this. Till yesterday there was a guilt inside me."

"..Guilt?"

Tears, pools of tears are making their presence know now.

"..Guilt of leaving him halfway Auntie. I always thought, I was too selfish to leave him. I could have stayed back longer, I could have tried a bit more."

"..Amaya.."

"But trust me I did tried my best to save our relationship, I just couldn't stay any longer. It.. it was too painful for me."

Rubina smiled, all her life she knew Amaya Kareem is a gem, and today she proved herself yet again.

"..Ssh Amy.. I know what you did. What I don't know is what happened between you and him, but that.."

"..That doesn't matter now Auntie. He moved on. And I am happy for him."

A genuine smile appears again on Amaya's face, she is happy for him.

"And you Amy?"

"I moved on a long time back Auntie. But.."

"..But the guilt was pulling you back. So now that it's gone, what now?"

"..I don't afraid to fall again Auntie. I am afraid that it will get ruined too."

"It won't. "

"Do you miss Ahmed Uncle?"

"I do. I mourned for him for a decade almost. Lost my chance to be a good mother in the process. But I can't do anything now. I never have to actually, Seher came in my life as a blessing."

"She is a blessing."

"How much I wanted you to be there with me. But fate has something else planned for us."

"Auntie.."

"Zain is a great guy Amy. I have been with him for years now. I know how close you two are."

"Zain is ..."

"..your home. And you can't lose it." A confused look crossed her face, she saying her lines here.

"Fear stops you to do things. But in fear of losing something, you can't just hold back yourself from getting the better version of life. In fear of losing a home, you can't stop looking for love. That would be unfair Amy, not only to you but to Zain too."

"..I won't"

"..I know that, you won't because Zain won't let that happen." Again a confusion but still time a familiar voice clears it for her.

"Amu..?"

He is here.

She looks at the staircase and there stands he.

Clad in his signature faded blue jeans and black sweater, hairs styled with perfect gel, smiling at her.

Zain Amir is here, for her.

He did find his way back to her, like always, like he promised.

Hugging her tight close to his heart, he breath in relief for the first time in these past three days.

She snuggles into him more, hiding herself in his arms. He is here, she is home.

Outside the sun have let known of it's presence, in no more hidden.

Along the clouds, the pains of the past are gone too, guilt is lost too.

With a smile Rubina Ahmed leaves them alone, she knows it,

Zain Amir and Amaya Kareem belongs together.