22nd Feb, 2023

There are times in life when life seems to be stifling you, when living your life becomes difficult and exhausting to the point that it is easier to give up than to keep going. There appears to be no light ahead of you, only darkness is what you see, and even taking a single step forward is terrifying.

Something in your heart feels heavy, as if it's pulling you down, tying you down. Your resolve, your enthusiasm, and your desire to move forward in life seem to be fading.

That's the phase Shumail was going through.

He didn't think he'd ever be able to bring Eram back into his life. Finding her seemed impossible. He had no idea where she was, and he didn't know where to start looking for her.

He was still willing to take a chance. He realised he'd made a huge mistake, but there was no way he was going to let her go without a fight. He was determined to find her, even if it meant searching the entire globe.

And he was overjoyed that he hadn't given up hope.

Standing away at a distance from her, he was oblivious to the fact that he was beaming from ear to ear. His heart was thumping against his chest heavily, and he was sweating profusely, which he kept wiping on his pants unconsciously.

His eyes refused to look anywhere else but Eram, who was right in front of him. The only thought revolving in his mind was to walk up to her and take her in his arms and hug her tightly. At that point, nothing else mattered. It was just her.

His knees felt like jelly, and despite his best efforts, he couldn't take a single step forward. He lacked the confidence to confront her. What will her response be? What is she going to say? What is he going to say to her? Will she be willing to return in his life? His head was filled with a slew of questions.

He was as still as a statue. Shumail had little time to react when he observed Eram bidding farewell to the lady she was speaking with, and everything happened in the blink of an eye. Eram's gaze fell on Shumail before he could react or respond, and she remained shocked, her eyes filling with unshed pearls of confused emotions. She tried blinking a few times, believing it was her imagination and Shumail wasn't really standing in front of her eyes, only to realise she wasn't hallucinating and Shumail was really standing there in front of her.

Shumail tried to gather all of his courage and took small steps towards her. Both of their hearts were racing against their chests, and they appeared to be nervous. They could feel all the emotions that existed.

They both made small steps in the direction of one another. Eram mirrored Shumail's sensations as he had a million thoughts racing through his head. She had so many things she wanted to ask him, but when they were finally face to face, they lacked the bravery to utter a single word.

"Have... you been doing well?" Shumail finally gathered the courage to ask.

"Ye..Yes Alhamdulillah." Eram answered with a nod. "And you?"

"Umm..yeah."

"On a business trip?" Eram enquired. Shumail shook his head at her.

"Married?" She asked, her eyes desperate to hear a no from him. Shumail sighed and shook his head at her. The toe of his shoes touched hers as he took a little step in her direction. He held her and laid his head on her shoulder and encircled her body with his arms, drawing her closer to himself in the process.

"I missed you so much," Although Shumail said it under his breath, she could still hear it. She stood there helpless, her heart thumping against her chest, with no idea what to do. She wanted to cry so badly after being in his arms for such a long time, but she restrained herself since she didn't want him to see her vulnerable side. His touch felt amazing.

She had weak knees, and if Shumail hadn't been holding her steady, she would have already fallen to the ground. Her hands were hanging at her sides. She lacked the confidence to embrace him.

Shumail pulled back a little to take a closer look at her after noticing that she wasn't giving him a hug in return. She felt shivers running down her spine as he gently slid his hands down onto her hands. He forced her into a bear embrace by pulling her hands up and placing them around him.

"I'm sorry," Eventually, Shumail lost it. "I was such a fool to let you go. Eram, I'm sorry." He truly apologised. Every word he spoke was genuine. "Eram, you mean the world to me. Yes, I was mad with you, but I could never picture my life without you. The whole purpose of what I said to you was to hurt you, yet I was also hurt by your pain. I only lately came to the realisation that I had fallen in love with you." He admitted in between sobs. A knot in Shumail's throat made it difficult for him to continue. As if his life depended on it, he clung to Eram out of fear that she would vanish into thin air if he let go.

They stood in each other's arms, time seemed to stand still. Eram's eyes were filled with silent tears and she was too shocked to speak. He was unable to control his emotions, and his eyes were swollen as well. She was further drawn into him as he gave her an even tighter hug. While his one hand was firmly planted on her back, his other hand reached up to her head and he caressed the back of it.

Shumail pulled back to gaze at her and she had uncertainty written all over her face. He raised his hand and cupped her cheek. "Why did you leave me? I am aware of my stupidity, but you could have made me see some sense!" He spoke in a voice of desperation. "Even after looking everywhere, I couldn't find you, and I was going insane. I didn't give up hope, though. I was searching high and low for you." He swallowed the knot that had grown in his throat and continued speaking through tears. "Yes, I was upset with you but I never wanted you to go away from me!" He confessed. "How can I?!"

Eram's hands were fisted by her sides, her nails digging in the skin of her palm. Shumail suddenly seem to realise something and immediately stepped back from her.

"Are you..perhaps? Did you..get..married?" Shumail asked in hesitation, his eyes going wide in horror and his pupils dilated.

'Please say no...Please say no!'

"No!" Eram almost immediately answered, not even letting him finish. "I'm not."

Shumail exhaled a sigh of relief and appeared to relax. He moved quickly toward her, taking her hands in his and gently stroking her knuckles with his thumb. A voice interrupted him as he was going to speak to her, drawing their attention.

"Shumail bhai." Zain shouted, running in their direction and wrapped his arms around his torso. "I missed you so much." He squealed in joy.

"Hey young man." Shumail knelt down and took him in a hug. He didn't realise he was smiling ear to ear. "You look good." Shumail ruffled his hairs.

"Why did you come so late? I was waiting for you." Zain said while pulling back from Shumail and looked at him with big innocent eyes.

"I'm sorry for coming so late, Zain. I was lost." Shumail said, looking at Eram at the last part. Eram understood what he meant and she looked at the ground, not meeting his eyes.

It was freezing out so they all headed to the house. It was already dinner time and as they sat at the table to have their food, which Shumail helped Eram to prepare, not wanting to leave a single chance to be with her, Shumail and Eram both felt the same emotions. They were under the same roof after so long and it felt like an eternity for them.

Eram had so many questions that she wanted to ask him, so many complaints, so many thoughts whirred in her and it was creating a havoc inside her. Their fingers accidentally brushed against each other at the dinner table a few times and their eyes immediately met and they both were quick to brush it off as if nothing happened.

Shumail tucked Zain in bed after they were done and quickly went looking for Eram. He had so much more to say to her, so much more to tell her. He found Eram in the other room pacing the floor, fumbling with her fingers anxiously.

Shumail knocked at the open door and that caught Eram's attention. She turned around to face him fully.

"Glad to see you walking perfectly fine." Shumail said looking at Eram with a soft smile, her accident flashing in front of his eyes.

"What do you want, Shumail? Why are you here?" Eram asked, the hurt, the tears, the pain she had to go through when she had left him all flashing in front of her eyes.

He was immediate to close the gap between them with two long strides and quickly held her by her shoulders. "You." Shumail uttered, looking deep in her eyes. "I just want you, Eram."

"To hurt me again?" Eram was afraid to get her heart broken again. She wanted to melt in his arms and cry her heart out but she was afraid.

"No. No. No. No. No. No!" Shumail shook his head immediately, his eyes held vulnerability. "Please forgive me, Eram. I'm here to apologise to you, to plead you to come with me. Whatever it takes for you to forgive me, I'm willing to do that but I just want you back in my life. I love you, Eram. I really love you." Shumail's honesty reflected in his eyes.

Eram's shoulders slumped visibly and she let out a sigh, moving away from his hold. She turned her back to him.

"How should I believe you, Shumail? How should I believe that I won't get hurt again, that you won't turn cold to me again, that you will love me honestly this time? How? I'm af..r.a.i..."

Her sentence left unfinished as Shumail held her arm and turning her around, he pulled her closer to him. His hand went to hold her nape and he lowered his head, putting his lips on hers and capturing them in a passionate kiss. Eram's eyes went wide and she had no time to react to what was happening. Shumail's hand glided on the small on her waist and he pulled her even more closer to himself, eventually getting her on her toes. Eram's breathing hitched as Shumail pulled her even more to himself.

Her eyes went to look at his face and his eyes were closed. His face had a look of happiness and that made her heart feel happy too. For a moment she found herself lost looking at him but when her eyes went low and she realised the fact that she was in his arms and he was kissing her, she pulled back abruptly. Shumail's eyes flew open at the loss of the touch and he saw her hand placed on her lips in shock.

"What do you think you're doing, Mr. Shumail Ibrahim?" Eram exclaimed, a look of hurt flashed in her eyes and they began to well up with unshed tears. Shumail looked at her and tried to take a step closer to her but she stepped away from him quickly.

"Eram." Shumail called out, looking intently in her eyes. "I love you." She saw honestly in those brown orbs and if it had been any other time, she would have jumped in his arms with absolute joy and had kissed him senseless. "Please forgive me."

This time she didn't back away when he stepped closer to her. She stood on her spot numb, just looking at him. Shumail's eyes held Eram's, as if silently asking her for her permission to come closer to her. He reached out to her and held her left hand in both his hands. His touch felt warm on her shivering cold hands.

"For the last six months you don't even know how crazily I looked for you. I wanted to tear the world apart just to search for you. I don't even know how many sleepless nights I spent when you left me. Every single day I wished for you to be with me. Some nights I was really furious on you for leaving me but the mornings brought with them the realisation of how horrible I was to you, how ignorant I was towards your efforts and I hated myself even more. " Eram's tears were rolling down her cheeks while Shumail's vision blurred with unshed ones. "I realised how much I loved you only after you were gone. There seemed no path in front of me. I found myself helpless. I didn't know where to start looking for you, Eram." His hand slowly went up to wipe off the tears from her cheeks.

"You have every right to be angry with me. You can even refuse to come with me but I promise to keep taking efforts to make everything right between us, for us." Shumail's eyes held determination as he spoke.

Eram was too numb to speak and her legs gave away and she ended up falling on her knees. Shumail tried holding her but he too slumped down on the floor along with her. She had her eyes glued to the floor and his were plastered on her. She didn't know what to do.

Shumail moved closer to her and pulling her body closer to him, he took her in his embrace. His hands wrapped around her back and he placed his chin on her head. Her face was buried in his neck and it was giving him tingling sensation. Shumail felt peace holding her in his arms. Eram's eyes closed on their own accord and she let herself drown in his embrace. His touch felt really good and she wouldn't lie, she had waited an eternity to be in his arms.

They both stayed in each other's embrace, not speaking a word. The silence felt peaceful. Shumail's eyes flew open when he felt her hand slowly move up and she put them around his torso. He pulled her in even more and hugged her more tightly.

"I hate you, Shumail." Eram finally cried out, letting all her emotions finally burst out. "I hate you so much!" Her shoulders shook as she cried out in the embrace and Shumail just pulled her more closer in response. "You are so bad! You made me wait for so long." Eram complained while sobbing. Shumail pulled back a little, just enough to have a look at her. He wiped away her tears and held her face in his hand. Eram began to say something more but he beat her to it and lowering his face, he captured her lips again.

His lips felt smooth and so plum. He began to suck on her upper lip and occasionally switched to her bottom one. He held her face in his hand so gently as if she was made of glass and if he didn't handle with care, she'd break. He moved his lips on her lips so gently yet passionately, sucking on them as if his life depended on it. Her lips felt so soft and he just wanted to bite on them hard but he controlled himself. It felt hard for him to stop himself from going any further than just kissing her. He wanted to move down and burry his face in her neck but he stopped himself.

Her one hand had fisted the sleeve of his arm and the other slided up to hold him by the collar, her tears rolling down freely all the while. She gave in. She wanted it. She wanted to feel his touch. She wanted to be in his arms. She wanted for him to love her and more than anything, she wanted him.

She slowly began to move her lips according to the rhythm and Shumail's lips curled up in a smile in the kiss. Eram began to kiss him back with the same intensity and soon they both were in a passionate lip lock. Shumail pulled her face even more closer to himself and his hold on her tightened. Their hearts were thumping loudly against their chest and they both felt it. Their breathing was getting heavy but they still didn't want to pull apart from each other. Shumail began to move forward and on que, Eram began to move back and soon he was on top on her, supporting his weight on his arm and the other hand still holding her face.

They both lied on the carpeted floor, too lost in each other to even care about anything else. Nothing mattered in that moment. It was just them and their first kiss.

Assalamualaikum Warehmatullahi Wabarakatahu!

Finally a chapter!

Tell me what were your expectations and did the chapter satisfy them??

Also, how was the *Ahem! Ahem!* kiss?? And, the coming chaps will be full of hot stuff. Letting you guys know beforehand so please I don't want anyone complaining later. Skip it of you don't want to read. It's a request.

Also you can tell me if you want to add any *Ahem! Ahem!* scene.

Until next time...Ahoj!