Their Last Season

"Sumi, wait," Hamza said as she was about to enter their flat.

Sumaiya turned towards Hamza to see why he was asking her to wait.

She saw a man coming out of the lift, holding something in his hand.

From the packet, it looked like a small frame.

The man handed it to Hamza and went away.

Hamza turned towards Sumaiya, who was standing at the threshold of the door, folding her arms and raising an eyebrow.

Hamza tore open the packet and started taking out its contents.

Sumaiya watched with curiosity.

She gasped when Hamza turned it towards her.

It was a nameplate with their initials.

H & S Abode.

He had included her initial in the nameplate too.

"I had always wished to put this nameplate on our home with you," he said while caressing the nameplate.

How much more was he going to make her fall in love with him?

Did he know how adorable he looked while doing all this?

"Hold it," he told her, forwarding the nameplate towards her.

She took it.

Together, they fixed the nameplate on the wall.

When they were done, they turned towards each other.

Their orbs collided, creating a symphony of their own.

It was a 3 BHK flat in one of the posh areas of Delhi.

Having a beige and teal-green themed interior.

Sumaiya fell in love with the home instantly.

"I love the room," she exclaimed.

"Oh, such a cute study table," she exclaimed while inspecting the study room.

"Excuse me, Madam," she heard Hamza speaking.

"Love for the room, cute for the table. What about me?

I am the one who has decorated this place."

Hamza huffed.

"Is it like that?" She raised one eyebrow.

"Yes," he replied.

"Then I should definitely praise your choice."

She said nonchalantly.

He smiled and gazed towards her.

"Definitely, you should admire and praise my choice."

He whispered.

Sumaiya understood the hidden meaning.

She blushed.

....

"Hamza, come fast. Breakfast is getting cold."

Sumaiya called him for the umpteenth time.

It had been more than twenty minutes since she had been calling him.

But the guy was so invested in grooming himself.

After two minutes, he came out.

"Sometimes I feel you love the mirror more."

Sumaiya snickered.

"No, Begum, you are wrong. I love my wife more."

He winked at her while sitting at the dining table.

She glared at him.

But her cheeks showed his effect on her.

"Ready for the day, Professor?" Hamza asked.

"Yes, Mr. Architect," she replied.

He dropped Sumaiya off and went to his office.

....

"Amma, I am fine. Believe me, I am."

Danish tried assuring his mother.

"I wish this could be true."

His mother said in a defeated tone.

"Amma, okay tell me, have you taken your medicine?"

He tried changing the topic.

"Yes, I have."

There was a pause.

"Pray for me, Amma. Today is an important day for me as an HR."

He told his mother.

"I know, my wishes are always with you, my love."

His mother said softly.

Oh, a mother's love.

A sun in the long winter.

Arms that become cozy blankets.

Providing warmth, shielding us from the world.

"Amma, I miss her."

He said in a very low tone.

His mother was tongue-tied.

"Allah Hafiz," he wished her.

"Allah Hafiz, my child."

His mother said with utmost love.

"Danish, when you get promoted, you have to buy me a diamond anklet."

Mahira told Danish while sitting on the balcony.

He smiled.

"My promotion is not even confirmed yet and you are already looting me."

He narrowed his eyes.

"So what? I am your wife.

I have complete access to your things."

She replied while flipping her hair.

"Yes, my darling, I am also yours."

He winked.

She winked back.

They burst out laughing.

"Yesterday, I got promoted, Ira. See, I even bought the anklets for you."

He paused.

"But you are not here to wear them."

He said while placing the anklets in the cupboard.

Today he had to go to a college for the recruitment of new employees.

Who would secure placements through the campus drive.

.........

It had been a week since Sumaiya and Hamza came to Delhi.

Today, a placement cell was visiting Sumaiya's college for student placements.

Sumaiya was a professor of Statistics.

So she had prepared students for job opportunities such as Data Analyst, Business Analyst, MIS Executive, etc.

She was in the college when the principal called her to meet the placement team.

Sumaiya was the head of the committee.

She entered the room and greeted everybody.

When her eyes found a man in his late twenties gazing at her without blinking.

It wasn't a lustful stare.

But the gaze of someone who was stunned, as if he hadn't expected something.

Danish was looking at her without blinking.

The woman in the peach saree with a beige hijab entered.

Her orbs were something that made him unable to look away.

Her orbs were a copy of Ira's orbs.

So much similarity that he couldn't differentiate between Ira's eyes and hers.

"Good afternoon, everyone."

The woman began.

"I am Sumaiya Ahsan Khan, the in-charge of this placement."

The woman said gently in a professional tone.

Her name got him out of his reverie.

She was Sumaiya, not Mahira.

But her eyes...

After the placement procedure was done, he came back to his house.

Yet he was still not able to forget those eyes.

Why did they resemble Ira's eyes with such intensity?

.........

"Sumi, this weekend we have to go to Kanpur for dinner at Rahil's home."

Hamza reminded her.

"I remember, Hamza."

She replied while applying moisturizer to her hands.

"Well, Sumi, let's play Ludo."

He exclaimed.

She chuckled.

His ways of spending time with her.

She never liked Ludo, but with him it felt bearable.

How the tides of her heart changed with her beloved.

.....

It was Saturday when they were going to Rahil's house for dinner.

Sumaiya felt motion sickness.

Hamza stopped the car near a medical store on the outskirts of Kanpur.

When Hamza went to buy the medicine, Sumaiya leaned back on the seat.

But her eyes caught something.

A familiar face coming out of a restaurant.

It was Hashir.

With him was a teenage girl and a woman in her mid-thirties.

The unusual thing about the scene was the way Hashir was smiling at the girl.

As if they were very close.

And the woman was looking at them lovingly.

Her reverie was broken when Hamza opened the car door.

He saw her gazing somewhere and followed her line of vision.

He was perplexed looking at the scene.

Flashes of his conversation with Rahil came to his mind.

Their reverie was broken again when they heard the ringtone of Hamza's phone.

It was Rahil calling them.

They were shocked.

But somehow, they composed themselves for dinner.

When the dinner was over, Hamza sidelined Rahil.

"Are you sure, Rahil, that you saw Bhai that day?" Hamza asked firmly.

"Yes," Rahil replied without hesitation.

Hamza fell silent.

The thought kept replaying in his mind.

Is Bhai cheating on Bhabhi?

The very thought felt absurd.

Hashir was a man who loved his wife deeply.

At least that was what everyone believed.

Then who were that woman and that teenage girl?

And why had Hashir become so defensive when Rahil mentioned seeing him?

Questions.

Questions.

And more questions.

But no answers.

Hamza glanced towards Rahil.

"If you ever remember anything else about that day, tell me."

Rahil nodded.

"Sure."

Hamza forced a smile and joined the others.

But his mind remained stuck on the scene outside the restaurant.

The woman.

The girl.

And Hashir's smile.

A smile Hamza had never seen on his brother's face before.

Something was not right.

His heart whispered it.

And for the first time, Hamza feared what the truth might be.