Their Last Season

It had been a week since Ayla's alliance had been fixed with Aamir.

The spring of her life had been replaced with autumn.

She couldn't fathom how her Abba could do this to her.

And how Ahil had to suffer even more because of all this.

She closed her eyes.

A trail of salty tears ran down her cheeks.

It was the evening of the revelation when Hashir called Ahil to meet him at the haveli.

The moment Ahil entered the haveli, he felt the wind whispering something to him.

The atmosphere was melancholic.

The moment he entered the drawing room, he saw Hashir sitting there with an unreadable expression.

Mr Khan's gaze was piercing.

He greeted them.

But he got no response.

Mr Khan gestured for him to sit on the opposite sofa.

Once he was seated, he heard Mr Khan speak.

"Do you know who Ayla Khan is?"

Ahil's jaw clenched.

His breath hitched.

He knew something was terribly wrong.

"Of course.

She is your daughter and Hashir's sister."

Just then, he felt a sting on his cheek.

He turned his head to see the culprit, and he was shocked to see Hashir standing there like a raging bull.

Hashir moved forward and grabbed him by the collar.

"When you know that she is my sister, how could you both indulge in an affair?"

Ahil was shocked.

He and Ayla.

An affair.

"You are misunderstanding, Hashir. We are not involved in a relationship."

He tried telling him.

But in return, he felt a punch in his stomach.

"Hashir, behave. I can also raise my hands, but I am honouring our friendship," he retorted.

"Honouring friendship? Huh! If you had honoured our friendship, then my sister couldn't have fallen in love with you."

He stumbled back due to the push.

He steadied himself.

The words echoed in his ears.

In love.

Ayla was in love with him.

He knew she liked him.

But love...

He felt a wave of joy surge through his veins.

He composed himself.

A smile threatened to form on his lips.

"Hashir, I didn't know that she feels something so strong for me.

But I was about to talk to you.

I love her.

And I want to marry her.

With respect, I want her as my companion."

Ahil said, maintaining eye contact.

Hashir was about to punch him again when Mr Khan held his wrist.

He stood in front of Hashir.

He glared at Ahil.

His jaw was clenched.

So were his fists.

He slowly unclenched his right fist.

He placed his right palm on Ahil's cheek.

"The audacity you have to declare your love for my daughter in front of me is commendable."

He patted his cheek.

"You are brave, but bravery doesn't work everywhere, and especially not here.

Ayla is getting married.

Her alliance has been fixed."

Ahil stumbled.

He felt an invisible punch to his gut.

Ayla's alliance.

Ayla was marrying someone else.

"So, very leniently, I am telling you-never ever utter my daughter's name with your filthy mouth.

Otherwise..."

He completed the sentence with a sinister smile.

"But I am asking for her hand in marriage.

Loving someone isn't a sin..." he tried.

He felt his chin being captured by Mr Khan.

"You and my daughter loving each other under my nose is a sin.

So, mind your tongue."

He pushed him.

Ahil didn't even get a chance to compose himself when Hashir launched himself at him.

But this time, Ahil fought back.

"Don't do all this, Hashir.

He is smart.

He knows that his sister comes back from school alone."

It was a clear threat.

"Don't you dare involve her!" Ahil roared.

"I won't, until you involve my daughter," Mr Khan said while sitting on the sofa.

The tension in the room was thick enough to be cut with a knife.

The wind blew.

Creating a susurrus of torment.

Ahil knew these people were powerful. Though he was no less than them, they were cruel, and he didn't want his sister to suffer.

"Is she ready for this alliance happily?" he asked, pain evident in his voice.

"It doesn't matter," Mr Khan said with a tight jaw.

He shook his head, a painful smile forming on his face.

He started heading outside.

Reaching the gate, he lifted his eyes to see Ayla's window.

He saw her standing there.

His breath got caught.

He felt a lump in his throat.

A shiver of devastation ran through his spine.

Her eyes.

The ones that screamed her compulsion and devastation.

He averted his gaze.

And he knew Ayla Khan's gaze was going to haunt him forever.

He crossed the gate.

And Ayla watched him go away-not just from her home, but from her life.

Ahil Raza Siddiqui came into her life like a beautiful season and left it like a tormenting storm.

*******

Mrs Khan closed her diary.

A sob escaped her mouth.

Today, she had written the agony of her daughter.

The one whom her protectors had destroyed with their own hands.

"Forgive me, meri jaan," she whispered into the silence of the room.

Just then, she heard a knock on her door.

She quickly composed herself.

And gave permission to enter.

Sumaiya entered, carrying a tray with a bowl of soup.

Mrs Khan smiled warmly at her.

"Ammi, you haven't eaten anything since morning. Please have this soup," she requested.

Mrs Khan shook her head.

"Ammi, you are angry with Hamza, so why are you taking your anger out on the food?" she asked gently.

"He thinks I am mad," Mrs Khan whispered.

Sumaiya frantically shook her head.

"No, Ammi..."

"He doesn't think that," she paused.

"Ammi, when you have pain somewhere in your body, you visit a doctor."

Her tone was cautious.

She swiped her tongue over her lips.

"The same goes for when you have certain problems that aren't physical. We go to a doctor then as well.

It doesn't mean something is wrong with us.

It simply means we need help, just like we do when our body falls ill.

It is as important as our physical health.

It's real, Ammi."

She paused to look at her expression.

Her expression was unreadable.

"Ammi, you have a problem, and Hamza can't see you like that.

He loves you too much to ignore your unsaid pain, Ammi."

She patted her hand.

Her gaze drifted towards the bed, where a diary was kept near the pillow.

She didn't know why, but it didn't look like an ordinary diary.

When she came out of the room, she saw Hamza standing near the door.

She understood he had listened to their conversation.

She nodded.

He smiled back.

He went into the room.

"Sorry, Ammi. Unknowingly, I have hurt you," he began.

His Amma looked at him with glossy eyes.

He shook his head.

"Ammi, will you come with me to the doctor?" he asked.

She remained silent.

********

It was dinner time.

After dinner, there was a haunting silence in the hall.

It was shattered when Mrs Khan began,

"Hamza, I will come with you."

A simple sentence.

But it brought immense joy to Sumaiya and Hamza.

At first, Hamza was in disbelief, but when the words registered in his mind, his lips curled into a smile.

********

"Sumi," he began.

She was applying moisturizer to her hands.

She tilted her head towards him.

"Thank you for being such a lovely person."

He gazed at her.

His gaze was filled with adoration.

She smiled and nodded.

In order to lighten the seriousness of the moment, she looked towards him.

And winked.

Hamza looked perplexed.

The very next moment, they both burst out laughing.