~One more time for Izhar and Nouran.~

➳3 Years Later

https://youtu.be/vrLxRubt1lQ

The fluorescent lights in the hallway outside their penthouse were dimly lit, casting shadows on the black and alabaster marble floor as he turned the brass key in the doorknob with an exhale of cool air. Every stealthy movement of his was quietly calculated and precisely executed, not wanting to wake up those who'd succumbed to slumber on the late winter night as he brought the chilly wind inside with him. However, he was unaware that just as he was awake, a part of him within the walls were as well. 

His steps were slow as the heels of his brown polished boots clacked against the pristine floor of the elite penthouse. He made sure to gently and completely turn the antique doorknob behind him before closing the dark chestnut door, not wanting to make any unnecessary noise. His glimmering sea eyes raved around, a minuscule smile settling on his lips as he drank in the contents of his home. 

The dollhouse was stowed away in the back corner by the playroom, all the pieces perfectly in place with Mr. and Mrs. Hop guarding the precious castle. The two were the couple stuffed bunnies his three year old daughter had named when he'd bought them for her from a shop in London. 

Mr. Hop wore a midnight blue bowtie and matching trousers with black suspenders, and Mrs. Hop was laced in a mini version of a contemporary Alexander McQueen Autumn black-knitted flare dress. It was finished off with a Jacquard-embossed hem, falling right below her knees. A black silk bow sealed around her head, right under her floppy left ear. His daughter had instantly fallen in love with the bunnies and never let anyone other than her trusted people touch them. 

Thinking about his precious baby bug immediately filled his heart with warmth, and he longed to see her. He'd missed his beautiful princess over the five day excursion to San Fransisco for work. He no longer wanted to hear her bubbly chatter over the phone, but instead ached to watch the way her ruby red wine lips would turn into a small O when new revelations were discovered and she'd chirp away in her whimsical soprano. He'd missed the flutter of her thick and curly lashes that outlined her large and round almond eyes, bewitching silhouettes on her high red apple cheeks. 

He let out a single huff of cold breath under his breath as he moved around while taking off his charcoal beanie, brushing the small snowflakes that had found a home in his luscious hair. He shrugged off his black peacoat and cashmere plaid scarf and put them on the steel hooks of the rack perpendicular to the coat closet. His nose was raw from the biting cold, the tips of his ears flushed rouge as he rubbed his icy palms together. He dropped his messenger bag on the coffee table perpendicular to the large cut mirror upheld on one side of the wall and grabbed the fresh bouquet of flowers he'd bought on the way home. 

He rounded the living room and the precious vintage black Steinway he'd bought in the last two years for his daughter to practice her piano lessons on, but noticed there was a faint light coming from underneath the French doors of the kitchen as he made his way towards the other side of the house. Soft whispers of satin mingled with the dimmed lights of the lavish kitchen, and his steps slowed as he tried to pick up the voices on the other side of the doors that mingled with nightingale. 

"It's close to your bedtime, and you want ice cream now?" her voice, a splendid ardor twisted into a higher octave with astonishment. 

"Pwetty pwease?" the low honeyed chirp he longed to hear filled his ear and swelled his heart with pride. His steps quickened from the noise. 

He creaked open the large French doors to the kitchen with the bouquet resting in one hand, and he was met with a picturesque visage. His three year old daughter sat on the marble countertop of the kitchen island with her legs crossed at the ankles, swaying back and forth. Her back was to him, her hair in a high ponytail that had been turned into makeshift bun, loose tendrils framing the sides of her face. Her small hands waved in the air as she sweetly demanded dessert at such an ungodly hour. 

All the lights had been turned off except for the dripping ceiling lights right above the black shine of the kitchen island that reflected lights off its glossy surface. 

"Maa pwetty pwease? I pwomise I won' twell daddy," he smiled at himself as he could sense Raaina's fuller bottom lip turning into a pout. 

"Tell daddy what?" his eyes softened, a small smile curling at the side of his lips as his voice silently echoed throughout the house and thawed the icicles forming on the railing of their balcony. 

Raaina's head spun to the side without missing a beat till her whole body was turned to him. Her bright blue ocean eyes with flecks of gold brightened, and he could swear that his heart stopped beating in that moment. A warm rush filled what was left of his soul and swallowed it whole from the peace it brought. 

His angelically beautiful daughter let out a surprised gasp and cried out, "Daddy!" her arms flailed in the air, ready to be picked up, kissed, and hugged till she believed that he was finally home and with her. Her eyes glistened with indescribable contentment. 

"Hi princess," he grinned at her and quickly walked to where his daughter sat, scooping her into his arms without any hesitancy as his eyes met Sabr's from behind her back. 

"AsSalaamualaikum," she quietly said in her small voice, giving him a smile as she absorbed the tangible affection between father and daughter.

"Walaikum asSalaam," he gave her a single nod and tightly hugged his daughter before slightly pulling her away so he run his eyes over her face. 

"You're really home," Raaina whispered in awe, her eyes widening with satisfaction. 

His hand reached out to fondly brush the loose strands of silky and wavy chocolate brown locks that cascaded around her innocent heart-shaped face. Imaan and Huda Appa wanted to cut her hair into a short hairstyle fit for a diva, but he didn't have the heart to cut the silky threads that spun like caramel to her shoulders, ending in smooth and perfect curls. Her small pouty rouge lips, outlined with a deeper shade of cranberry were open to a small degree, her breaths tickling his fingers as he brushed her rosy cheeks. The lights from above formed halos around her, illuminating on her porcelain skin.

She smelt of lilac and dried roses from the richest places in Asia, signifying she'd recently taken a bath in claim of a goodnight's sleep. Her small half heart shell of ears donned single diamond studs he'd bought when she'd agreed to get her ears pierced like the brave girl she was. Her eyelids were shaded in deeply with hues of scarlet cherry, framed with the thickest and curliest of lashes. Underneath, the glittering orbs greeted him with the shiniest of twinkles.

Her eyes were richly captivating, making anyone their slave with a single look or flutter of her eyelashes. They were nearly the darkest of teal found in the depth of the most sought out oceans with the brightest of golds and bark brown in the most lavish of woods. 

"Daddy couldn't stay away from his jaan for too long," he teased and leaned into brush his nose against hers, earning a ticklish laughter from her that echoed throughout the walls as she clasped her small hands on his neck. 

They exchanged conversation while Raaina very seriously told him about her day and how much she'd terribly missed him. She told him how Adam Chachu had come to pick up his favorite girl so that she could play with Anam Khala and talk to her tummy. She animatedly told Izhar she'd felt Anam's stomach, and the baby inside had kicked because the baby knew Raaina had come to see her little sibling. 

Sabr watched the two converse deeply as he carried her around the kitchen as she fiddled with the dupatta of her salwar kameez. He grabbed a Swarovski crystal vase from one of the top kitchen cabinets and sat Raaina down back on the counter. She couldn't help but admire how close the two were and how strong their bond was. They'd become each other's support over the years, and the similarities between them were uncanny. 

The two were passionate about the things they spoke about, and always made sure to make everyone feel welcome with abundance of courtesy. They were fond of those who would spare them time for their sake, and both were irresistibly charming. They were shy, but secretively mischievous. Raaina had learned to respect and to be loyal all the while being attentive and intelligent. And the physical traits were crystal clear from the color of their eyes to the face structure. 

Sabr couldn't help but smile to herself as she watched father and daughter duo immerse themselves in a world where there was nothing and no one except for just the two of them. 

"Daddy are those for Mama jaan?" Raaina asked with round and attentive eyes, her hands in her lap, her head titled to the side with curiosity. 

His eyes froze on the flowers in his hand, and they turned distant as they drank them in. His eyes caught Sabr shifting her weight from one foot to another, and their eyes met briefly. 

Her doe shaped eyes held a longing feeling in them, as if she wished she could comfort him and remind him that things were as they seemed because Allah had wished for it. However, quiet understanding passed through, and she grimaced with lowered eyelids instead. 

He exhaled a slow and rugged breath and turned back to the ravishing flowers, allowing the beauty and scent transfix him into another realm. Chiffon rose peonies, mulberry tinged crème calla lilies, lullaby coos, white tainted sapphire anemones, and a diverse set of roses created a wildly winsome bouquet of freshly picked flowers. He had been graceful as he'd quietly moved around the kitchen and grabbed the Swarovski crystal vase to shelter the deliriously gorgeous flowers. After placing them inside with cold water, he stood by and silently assimilated their aura for a minute longer. 

She had always loved flowers. 

"Yes baby bug, they are," his voice turned into a whisper by the end as he turned back to his daughter. 

She watched him alertly and eagerly smiled at him as she stretched her fingers out to them. "They're sooo pwetty!" she gave him a toothy smile with wonderment.

"Just like you ma sha Allah," he leaned down and placed a kiss on her temple. 

"Daddy, Maa won' give Raaina ice cweam. Maa doesn' love Raaina," she placed a hand on his cheek for his attention, and her bottom lip thrusted out in a small pout as her perfectly arched eyebrows furrowed above her sharp and slender nose. 

"Raaina, you know that we can't have ice cream so late at night," Sabr piqued up from behind, and Izhar watched the two of them. 

"But Raaina hungwy," her head moved down and she crossed her arms across her chest as she looked away with dismay. 

He knew his daughter was being theatrical just to get her way, but he couldn't help but let her. They were strict about eating sweets especailly so late at night, but something about being away from her for so long guilt-tripped him. 

He sighed and moved to stand in front of her. He leaned forward and pulled her face up by the chin with one hand. "What ice cream does my princess wish to have?" he asked in a soothing voice. 

Her eyes instantly twinkled, and she tried to control the smile that begged to envelop her entire face. "Cookies and cweam!" she said excitingly. 

His heart dropped to the floor, his knees going weak as memories flooded his mind. 

Cookies and cream had always been her favorite. 

"Meri jaan we don't have that flavor at home," Sabr pressed gently. 

Raaina's eyes dropped back to her lap, and she fiddled with her fingers on top of her skirt. She hadn't changed into her nightwear, pulling Sabr back into the kitchen right as they were about to retire for bed. Something had told her that tonight would've been the night her daddy would come home, but she didn't know how to tell her Maa that. She would've been told that he was still scheduled to come in a few days time, but she simply knew. 

She knew with all her heart that she didn't want to be asleep when daddy was back. She didn't want to miss his homecoming because she'd missed him so much. 

Izhar watched his three year old's eyes turn sad and melancholy as her fingers played with one of the many paisley flowers printed on her taupe skirt that came to sit below her knees. She wore black tights underneath and a red cherry ruffled cardigan that matched her red and golden hairband on her head. 

She looked so much like her that he couldn't help find the similarities whenever he looked at his daughter. 

He exchanged a glance with Sabr, and she simply shook her head and crossed her arms across her chest. Even she didn't have the heart to tell Raaina no when she so sweetly had requested a treat, and she rarely did. 

"Okay, how about this?" Izhar looked at the point above Raaina's head, and he could feel her ears perking up. 

"How about Raaina jaan and daddy go grab some cookies and cream ice cream from one of the ice cream parlors that are still open?" He was unaware of which ice cream shop was still open at this time, but for his baby girl, he would do anything to find one. 

"Weally weally?" Raaina arched an eyebrow and looked to the side, just to make sure that her daddy was being truthful. 

He chuckled and rubbed her naturally flushed cheek with his knuckles. "Really really," he nodded and bit the edge of his lip.

"YAY! Thank you daddy," she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss on his cheek before asking very politely to be let down so she could go wear her shoes, coat, and scarf. 

"Are you sure? I can take her too, you must be tired after your flight," Sabr said from in front of him. 

"No, I'm great Alhamdullilah. Don't worry, you go get some sleep. I'm sure it must've been a long day," Izhar put his hands in his pockets and gently smiled at her. 

She'd been a mother to Raaina and had loved her more than she could even love her own children. His darling had been right, Sabr really did love in ways that were unknown to man. Sabr was generous and even more so loving to Raaina. 

"If you insist. I'll just read a book till sleep hits me," she returned his smile and caught the way he nervously rubbed his hand against his rough jaw at her words. 

"Okay. Sleep tight," he gulped with a single nod and walked to his daughter who was fumbling with the zipper of her coat. 

After helping her into her Burberry winter coat lined with faux fur and wrapping her wool knit scarf around her neck, he checked to make sure she had her black snow boots on with red hearts before holding her hand and making their way out to the car. He enjoyed her company. She wasn't a child of many words, but when she spoke, it was music to his ears and he couldn't help but rememeber everything she said. She was mature for her age, and even more so intelligent and preciously adorable. 

He was in love with his daughter with all his heart, and nothing else mattered. 

The roads were clear as Boston was always ready for snow unlike many states lower on the east coast. The two watched the flutter of shy flakes hit the windows of their car as they drove downtown to the western side. Raaina showed off her counting ability to her father, wanting to make him proud as she numbered the very few and lone condos stranded in the dimly lit neighborhood. The area was foreign to her, but he remembered the one time he'd come down to the secluded area for a Ferrero Rocher frappuccino.

It was the only part of that side of the state that would have shops open so late and at this time of the night. He remembered from all those years ago that he'd spotted a 24/7 ice cream parlor across the shady Starbucks he'd driven too. As he took the turn on the paved road under the lampposts swirling with snow, his eyes settled on the Starbucks with the dilapidated rooftop. 

"It's so cute!" she'd said excitingly. 

"Daddy look! There's a big ice cream cone," Raaina voiced in awe, her eyes zeroing in on the ice cream shaped marquee. 

He blinked twice before rubbing the back of his eyes and looking away from the shabby Starbucks across from them. He smiled at his daughter from the rearview mirror and answered her enthusiastically. They ordered their respective ice creams and ended up eating it in peace as they watched the white-washed sky rain down on them with fluffs of snow. 

They'd opted from eating inside, and Izhar had moved Raaina to allow her to sit in the passenger seat until she finished her ice cream. They both laid back in the black leather seat, the heat warming their fingers and faces through their gloves and mittens. Izhar had moved the cover away from the sunroof so their faces could bask in the lightened sky as the snow came close to touching their faces but moved away just in time to be stopped by the glass.

In the peace of nothing but his daughter's company and the snow swirling around them in the hushed winter night sky, he found solace in the quiet snow falling around them and the plastic spoon scraping on the paper cup. 

He closed his eyes from the blinding sight, his headlights turned on, eclipsing the snow. The black car sat in the lone parking lot, feet away from the ice cream parlor as two nomads hushed inside and ate their ice cream in solidarity. The precipitation picked up speed and covered every inch of asphalt and demised grass with a pure white sheen. Through their windows they tracked the flakes as they fell to the ground in a celestial dance. They weren't facing each other, but both had identical smiles stretched across their lips. 

The only difference was one had aged with memories and experiences, a faint glimmer of melted ice across his eyes. And the other had a young piercing smile that wanted to lose herself the world's temporary beauty for as long as she could. 

Experiences changed us. 

Memories shaped us. 

And that made us who we were. 

******

After both had finished their ice cream, and his daughter was fully content, he decided it was time to come home. They'd driven slowly as Raaina's eyes fluttered closed and she'd succumbed herself like the rest of the world around her. It had given Izhar time to breathe and console his heart after the night had teased him endlessly with memories from the past. Things were different, but were things better?

Exhaling a small breath he headed towards the glass staircase with Raaina in his arms, her hands sprawled around his shoulders, her head in the crook of his neck, and her drowsy exhale of breath tickling his pulse. He'd noticed the expanse of the humming city harboring his ascendence as the large glass wall fogged up and captured shards of ice in the ridges. The thick curtains were moved to the sides, and the whole living room and west side of the penthouse had ignited with the blizzard outside as the entire city was awake and asleep in the same breath. 

Something struck inside of him in a seductive baritone, reminding him how much she'd liked moving the curtains away when precipitation, the sunset, or the sunrise would color the canvas of the sky. His steps staggered midway, and his hand tightened around his daughter as his breaths stuttered and became shallow. 

She had loved dancing in the raining and watching it fall alongside the glass. 

She had reminisced closing her eyes up to the sky as the snow would kiss her skin. 

She had resided her heart in intensively watching the sunset fall over the harbor. 

She had surrendered to the sunrise as it would welcome a new morning, a new hope. 

Unknowingly he jumped in his steps and nearly ran the last few stairs up as his heart started another round of the same internal battle he'd been constricted in for the past three years. It was this time of the year for what felt like forever that would bring obstructive memories. 

Everything had fallen like clockwork; their first meeting, the proposal, the first date, the engagement, the wedding, her birthday, the last few weeks in their pregnancy, Raaina's birth,... her.... everything was around the same time of the year. No matter the celebrations outside, no matter the cheer, no matter the excitement for the obtuse season of Boston, it always brought back memories. 

Memories he'd clung to, memories he couldn't forget no matter the pain that it had brought him with its remembrance. 

Memories that were her. 

Shaking his head with a will of clearing his thoughts, he took a deep breath and gently walked to the room right in front of his. He carefully turned the silver polished doorknob and moved his head inside the ivory galore, sensing Raaina waking up in his arms. 

He turned on the teardrop white fairy lights that ran underneath the curtains over the windows, since his baby bug couldn't sleep without some hint of light turned on. Star shaped lights outlined the wall with an entire mirror as its surface with a barre perpendicular from it for Raaina's ballet. He creaked the door open and stepped inside the crystal and crisp room. His socked feet touched the plush carpet, and everything in the room formed around the common theme of ivory and snow. 

His eyes paused on the bookshelf that had been elongated over the years enough to cover the one side of the entire wall in the room. He lingered on the many poetry books till it fell on the exact one he had sought. 

Robert Frost. 

He painstakingly gulped a dried breath and rubbed his rough palms over Raaina's small back, the seafoam green sleeves of his button up shirt folded at his elbows. He scanned the neat and clean room, a tea party set waiting for one more guest. Daddy's blue chair was vacant, all the other ones filled with more stuffed animals except the one for his baby bug herself that was right next to his and the one opposite of theirs. It was cream like the rest except for the two of theirs, but it had a special silk dark maroon bow around its small body that his daughter always saved for someone special, someone of royalty with its big silk bow. 

Quilted pillows with rose incarnations were strategically placed around the room, the white heirloom-like lamp was dimmed in the corner beside the matching wardrobe with the rest of the furniture in its pearly finishing and gold detail fit for a princess.

He unclenched his fist, unaware of when they'd tightened on their own accord as he'd turned to the bed in replica of a castle. Raaina sighed in his arms, and though she wasn't fully awake, he knew this was the time to get her dressed for bed. He gently shook her, caressing her cheek as he silently whispered in her ears. 

With her big round sleepy eyes she let out a yawn as he sat her down on her castle-shaped bed. He grabbed her white pajamas with small pink flowers all over. He helped comb her hair after and he brushed her teeth. He carried her to bed and laid his beautiful princess in her princess castle. His lips blew up into a mesmerizing smile as he bent down on his knees and sat on the raised platform of the castle-shaped bed set right next to her. 

Raaina was the prettiest creation in the world, a part of him and a part of her. He'd sworn to guard her with his whole life, not letting any ounce of pain inflict upon her strong yet fragile soul. She was stubborn but careful, charming yet sensitive to others, alert yet smart. She was always two steps ahead of him, but her heart was full of gold alike her mother's. She was the perfect combination of him and his darling, a charming sweetheart. 

His eyes burned with tears of mixed emotions as he slowly leaned forward and kissed the ridge of soft skin between her perfectly shaped eyebrows. He brushed the dip entwined in the depth of her top lip as he moved her flowery quilt over her shoulders, tucking her in tightly. 

He'd have to make up for the missed bedtime stories with double excerpts from Harry Potter. Raaina was intelligent for her age, and Dr. Seuss no longer interested her or sufficed. But tonight as her petal eyes instantly whispered closed after being placed under the covers, he knew tonight she would not put up a fight. 

He muttered Duas under his breath and gently blew them over her small bird-like frame before getting up and heading towards his humble abode. Whenever he entered his daughter's room, he recalled and reminisced every single piece of decor and inch that covered the interior. Every stuffed animal, every painting, every book, every toy, and every piece of furniture was bought with deep thought. He was hell-bent on making everything perfect for her, from the mini chandeliers to the Persian curtains. 

He and all his family members had spoiled his prodigal daughter and the apple of everyone's eye, but she was disciplined and had learned very early on to remain humble and respectful. The first Friday of every month, right after Jummah would be spent at the orphanage as Raaina would happily play and converse with the many kids there. She'd found excitement in passing out balloons to each child, always keeping the ballet slipper pink one for herself that was unique just like her. 

His thoughts were scattered as he walked across the hallway and entered his dark room. It was cold, the frost from outside inching against the large windows. All the lights were off expect the bedside table lamp. He was quick and quiet to change into his flannel pajama pants and white t-shirt so he could retire to bed after brushing his face and cleaning up, in the comfort of the warmth that his bed offered on chilly nights. 

He turned to the side, and slowly slid under the duvet, an elbow resting on his pillow as he removed a copy of Jane Eyre from over her snow white face. He slowly removed her thick framed glasses from her big brown hazel eyes, shaking his head to himself with a small and secretive smile resting in the contours of his dark embodied lips. He reached around to her bedside table and placed her book and glasses next to the light before turning it off and moving to lay behind her. He situated himself so his heart was to her back, the ridges in her spine moving against his ribs while he combed through her thick and naturally highlighted brown hair. 

He needed to have patience with the rest of the world. 

And in return, 

he had gotten her. 

He'd gotten his patience. 

She had fallen asleep even before he could get back home from the excursion with his daughter, but little did she think that he'd come back three days earlier than planned. He blew a gentle sigh as he smelled her sweet scent off her strawberry lips and glided his sharp nose in the juncture behind her ear. He could feel her body calling out for him, moving under her pajamas. But not wanting to wake her up, he slid an arm around her small waist and pulled her close, her head full of rich locks under his chin. 

He closed his eyes and silently lay enticed with her presence when suddenly her head bobbed to the side and the arm under his twitched. She let out a shaky and sleepy moan as she suavely turned around in his hold. With her still eyes, she reached out for him in the dark, no one watching in on them other than the pearly sky basked with stars on guard. His lips enamored a brilliant smile close to the one encompassing the folds of the winter, and his eyes fluttered open at her response. 

Her milky skin glowed in the dusky night, the snowflakes whooshing through the outer atmosphere harder and louder much like his heart. She'd taught him to find himself when he was lost, to fall in love all over again, and to live with passion. She was as fragile as a single shooting star and lone leaf in autumn, but her heart was pure and strong. She'd guided him back to himself ever since misery had washed over him and stolen his heart only to lock it up in its own escapade. Everything about her set him on fire, the currents in his body alive and free. 

Her treacherous fingers slyly moved up his arm, stopping to cross over his chest and tinker with the abdominal muscles that were rigid and had turned stone at her touch. She teased endlessly, with her eyes still closed and his beseeching hers under her eyelids. She absorbed him in his holy entirety with the pads of her fingers as they shivered from the contact and continued their voyage up. Her moves were achingly slow, and painfully bruising from the wait. She reached his long column of a neck and felt the pulse thudding against his skin and she leaned closer 

and closer

till the tip of her nose was just below his breath, and his hands lay frozen at the end of her spine. 

With diligence and after a moment of obscuring courage, her fingers painted a trail from his defined and sharp jawline to the depths of his bottom lip. But before she could go any further, his arm reached out and captured her wrist in a tight hold. 

He slowly kissed the curve of her fingernail, and he could feel her heartbeat going erratic in her chest. They exchanged a rendezvous breath, their unspoken words mingling in the air while snow covered their windows with a thicker layer of windblown powder. Even the constellations had stopped their intermingling as 

one 

single

breath

inhaled and exhaled the same atom of air that deemed to be exchanged. 

She swallowed a gasp as her eyelashes tinkered in an attempt to open and meet his delirious eyes. His own were intoxicated with her sweet and angel beauty that was abnormal to the human eye. Every time he looked at her, he was reminded of the freckles he'd explored in the dark and the innocence that he'd been faced with from time to time along with her courageousness and kindness. 

"You're home," her voice slipped and glided against the windowpanes like silk, freezing every drop of snow midway in the sky as his heart skipped a beat. 

"I couldn't stay away for too long," his was husky, and dark just like the moonlight glow in the canvas of the galaxy. 

Her eyes gleamed with a upending burst of ecstasy as they met his, and he knew with all his heart that no matter what, she would not admit just how happy she was to see him. She'd become silent when he'd told her he was leaving for days, not uttering more than a few necessary syllables the night before his flight. 

It's almost as if she didn't believe that he was finally back, and early in her arms. She was scared to believe too quickly, fearful that it was a ploy of the satanic slumber that had taken over her even when she'd wanted to stay awake. 

She watched him with wide eyes, her knuckles brushing under the curve of his sharp jawline as his eyes captured every one of her moves. Her knee was burning a whole in his calf at the way she'd pulled it up between them and under the duvet, her fingers were igniting sparks on the tiny rough hairs that lay on his jaw, the ends of her hair tickling his neck and collarbone while she stayed sprawled beside him. 

But he didn't tell her. 

Instead, he silently breathed in her scent, his mind going into overdrive. 

She 

was

making 

him 

crazy. 

And the tiny fracture of a curve on the edge of her risky lips told the whole world that she knew. 

She knew exactly what she did to him. 

It had taken time to bring him back from the darkness that had consumed him whole, but she was able to hold his fragile heart in her strong hands and carry it with all her will and strength. 

When she leaned in closer and pressed her lips to the sporadically beating pulse along his throat with a hand over his thudding heart, she couldn't help but smile into his honeysuckle skin as a gulp bobbed his Adam's apple. 

"Raaina missed you," her harmonious voice strung the chords of his heart till they beat to the tune of hers. 

"And daddy missed his beautiful princess with all his heart," his voice was roguishly dangerous as his throat parched. 

"Mmm," she hummed content. 

"And what about you?" He knew he was walking on dangerous territory, but he couldn't help himself. 

"What about me?" she asked back with hindrances layering her words. 

His sharp eyes watched her calculatingly, and he knew that she would do anything but answer him straightly, just to make him suffer for the time being. A dangerous thought struck his mind, a slow smirk sparking his eyes. 

He stroked her hair out of her face and to behind her ears as he moved his hand to hold the nape of her neck. His fingers could feel the goosebumps erupting on her smooth skin as he grabbed her hair and pulled her head back ever so gently. 

"Did," his nose slowly moved to glide against her flushed the column of her neck. 

Her lips blew a raspy breeze, her toes curling in. 

"You," he left small and feverish kisses in the cartilage covering her throat as his husky voice formed dew on her fingertips. 

Her eyes closed shut, his breath and hands making her forget herself as the chill from outside laced her spine. 

"Miss," his teeth were dangerously close to her skin, but his grin was traitorous as he sensed her quivering lips. 

Her fingers froze at the collar of his shirt, her cotton shalwar kameez suddenly warm and stuffy. 

"Me?" his words were the most potent of drugs in her lungs, and 

she

was 

on

fire. 

They lay in the comfort of their bed with their arms and legs shyly intertwined with one another's as the whole city stopped buzzing and humming. The lights diminished, the life a breath away from subdued pleasure. 

"I-," it felt like an eternity had passed as she tried to find her voice. But he was patient, he'd always been patient with her. 

"We have all the time in the world," he whispered as he left a searing kiss under her jaw. 

She smiled to herself, biting the corner of her lips as her blush transfixed itself on her small body while a secretive smirk captured his lips. 

"If I told you, I'd be selling my soul to you," she exhaled as he placed chaste kisses from her jaw to her collarbone. 

He stopped his journey and looked up to meet her doe eyes. There was a single sheet of fluid covering her eyes that didn't dare to fall out in form of drops. His elbows framed her head, and his fingers gently stroked the strands of hair that were stuck in her small crystal studs. 

He'd always been in awe of her hair and the way it would catch the sun in its streaks and form a whole new dimension of color. It wasn't till awhile back that he was able to encompass himself in the naturally highlighted threads of silk. 

"Then what's stopping you?" his voice was molded with honey as he hovered over her, his whole weight off of her body. 

His thumb brushed underneath the turn of her seeking lips as she weighed the thick blue sea in his eyes from the rich earth, bringing her warmth and coolness. 

"I can't-" her hair breadth of a whisper was only loud enough for them two to hear. 

No matter how close and fast the snow rushed around their windows, they'd seen and heard enough. This was more than what they'd like to present to their witnesses. 

"Why ever not?" his eyes pleaded with her, and she reached out to flatten the lines forming between his eyes from the question. 

"I gave you my soul ever since I said yes to you. I don't want it back, because it's yours to keep," her lips quivered as he watched her with adoring eyes. "You already know the answer, so you tell me Mr. Khan," she let out a shuddering breath and smiled at him before pulling his chin down and forehead to hers. 

"If I ever get lost somewhere, will you please come and get me? I know you'll know where to look," he whispered as his nose turned cold and he let her comfort him. 

"Izhar," his name had taken a new form on her lips, something tangible that she'd found to be hers over the past years. 

"Don't let go of me," he hurriedly whispered, the snow falling asleep on the windowpanes at his aching voice. 

"I'm never going to let you go, you're my life. I can't let go of my hayat," she whispered with devotion and love against his lips. 

As the snow buried itself deep in their grave and formed halos around the glass covering them from the cold, they whispered words of comfort and eternal bliss to each other. They'd married, they'd understood each other, and they'd learned to live for themselves while falling in love. The tales of love had welcomed them with open arms, allowing them to find solace and happiness even after how life had tested them.

All over again.

******

As the night had progressed from a moonlit and starstruck city to a dawn of breaking sunshine, the snow had stopped, the rays of light beaming from the thick layer of ivory that had covered the entire city. The icicles in the dead wooden branches were smoothly glazed and expelled drops of water to the surface of the earth and into the graves of many. Creations were breathing, but everything underneath struggled to take the next breath. 

Often times we forget how temporary our life was and that this world was merely a stop in our journey, but life had its own ways of reminding those with pure hearts and clean intentions. 

The sun streamed through the thin curtain, flickering shadows on his eyelids that twitched from the trepidation. His head was on his pillow, his arms underneath and hugging the mistress pillow beside him before he turned with closed eyes and lay flat on the bed. He reached out with a single arm to the side of the bed, but he was disappointed to find the empty sheets cool and empty of any presence. 

Before he could rub his eyes with the back of his hands, a small rhythmic voice erupted in his ears. It sounded like the whimsical voice was trying extremely hard to keep her voice low, but he'd longed to hear her close to him and hug her to his heart. 

"But Mama, he's hu-wting you!" she whispered frantically. 

"Meri jaan, he's not hurting me," her voice replied, and Izhar could sense the affectionate smile on her lips. 

"Then why is he moving sooo much?" her voice was rising by the octaves, a fear shedding light into her mind. 

"He's just stretching, his limbs must be sore. That's all," her voice let out a muffled chuckle. 

"I'm going to twell daddy. See, see! Raaina doesn't hu-wt Mama. Raaina is a good gwil," she chirped away in her soprano. 

A huge smile covered Izhar's lips before he slowly opened his eyes and welcomed the beautiful morning that awaited him. 

His daughter sat on one of the single loveseats across from their bed on the slightly raised part of the master bedroom, which was surrounded with wide glass windows. The ridges between each fragment of glass filled with small flecks of glass, the hidden sunlight lingering in through the thin curtains. Her legs were crossed into a pretzel, her head full of thick hair thrown back as she explained herself to her mother. 

"Raaina jaan, he's not hurting Mama, I promise!" she smiled and tried to comb Raaina's open locks into a high ponytail. 

Raaina faced her, her eyebrows turned down in discontent as she traced patterns on her Mama's stomach. She didn't seem pleased with her baby brother's behavior, and if she even believed the slightest that someone was hurting her Mama, she would take matters in her own hands. 

"Keep your head straight Raaina," she said in a quiet voice, not wanting to wake him up.

But she was unaware he was already watching her. She was so absorbed in Raaina's hair, that she nearly missed his gaze entirely before turning to the side. 

With Raaina's thick hair cupped between her hands, she found her husband adoringly watching them with his dreamy eyes. She'd always admired the way they could hold a thousand and one emotions in them. It was as if they had all the words in the entire world within them, conveying every emotion that could not be spoken. 

A blush ran up the slim column of her neck and made its journey sneakily up to her cheeks as his lazy eyes ran from the top of her head and all the way to her toes, stopping momentarily at her slightly protruding stomach. His eyes were prideful as they dropped at her four month pregnant stomach. 

It had taken a lot of coaxing before he'd finally give in, but he'd done everything to make sure that this time life would not leave him with bare hands and grieving. Only when he was a hundred times more sure than he needed to be, he'd fulfilled her wish and allowed her to get her way. All the arguments and fighting were worth it, especially when she saw him looking at her with satisfaction and awestruck respect. 

This time she was going to win, and she knew with all her heart. 

One of his arms were draped across her side of the bed and over her pillow, the other folded under his head. His biceps peeked out from underneath the sleeve of his white t-shirt. The stretch from his arm showcased a sliver of his perfect abdominal muscle that was every bit chiseled and carved like clay, sitting right above the point at which the blanket had lowered away. 

Her cheeks burned once he caught her looking and bit the side of his lips, a shy of a smirk engulfing his face. He winked at her from where he lay and she shook her head from the sudden intoxication.  

"What's wong Mama?" Raaina looked up from where she patiently sat, gently tapping her Mama's belly to get her full attention.

"Uhm," she gulped before shaking her head. "Nothing, nothing," she cleared her head as she internally scolded herself and continued the task at hand. 

The whole time, she could feel his gaze boring into every one of her movements and searing her scarlet skin. Even Raaina raised an eyebrow at her from suspicion, seeing her Mama's muddled thoughts taking shape on her face. Once her hair was made and Raaina noticed her daddy was awake, she ran to his open arms and sat next to him on the bed. She greeted him with a wide smile that was a replica of her mother's and kiss on his cheek.

"Daddy, baby huwt Mama," Raaina complained to Izhar in all seriousness. 

Izhar let out a chuckle, and her heart stuttered within her chest. She silently watched him get up in bed and move back to rest his head against the frame of their bed. He pulled Raaina to his side and Raaina watched her father with wide eyes as he explained to her that her baby brother wasn't hurting Mama. 

"Meri jaan, sometimes when babies are sitting or laying in a certain position, much like us, their muscles and bones get stiff. So, they have to move around and stretch. And when they do that, you sometimes can feel them kicking. It doesn't hurt your Mama though," he looked down and smiled at her as she blinked in understanding. He brushed back a strand of baby hair that loosened from the ponytail and listened to her reply with astonishment. 

"But-but how does Mama not get huwt?" she moved her hand as she spoke. 

"Oh meri jaan, it's because Allah loves Mama and the baby. So when the baby moves Allah helps Mama not get hurt," Izhar looked down and leaned his forehead on hers. 

"Allah is wery nice. I like Allah," she grinned her charming smile, much like her father's that could make anyone fall for her. 

"Yes, Allah really is generous, subhan'Allah," he said quietly before looking up and meeting his world's eyes. 

Their eyes silently communicated, leaving both of them in smiles. No one knew just how much Allah had been generous except for them. Truly their faith, struggle, and pain had given them hope. And with time, Allah SWT had rewarded them with the best of prizes. 

Life.

"Does Allah like me?" Raaina's voice broke the silent communication between them, and their sparkling eyes instantly fell on her. 

Izhar's gaze glazed with nomadic tears as he titled his head to the side and watched his innocent daughter. He pulled her close so that she was resting in his lap, his arms protecting her from all the world's harm. 

"Allah loves you my princess, maybe one day you'll know just how much," he whispered the last few words before hugging her and kissing her all over her face. 

She watched them from the foot of the king sized bed, her own tears of happiness and gratefulness leaving a path across her high cheeks. She smiled at herself as she watched her life love and fall in love in front of her. 

Allah SWT had been exceptionally generous to them, and she could never finish counting the blessings. They were tested in the most painful of ways, but even after, they were shown mercy. 

And like a paper flower

Miracles really did happen, they simply needed to believe in them.

She sniffled her tears and wiped them with the back of her hand before clearing her throat. 

"Mama ki jaan, come on. Go wake up Khala jaan," she said with a smile in her voice. 

Izhar pulled Raaina away and smiled at her before kissing her head and nodding at her to listen to her Mama. 

"May we please go build a snowman afta?" her eyes glittered as she looked between her Mama and daddy. 

The two shared a glance, and he winked at her from behind his daughter's head. She sighed, and pretended to think. 

"Maybe, but you'll have to finish all your milk before," she said pointedly and crossed her arms across her chest. 

Raaina looked at her Daddy for help, but he shook his head at her. "Can Raaina have a cookie with her milk?" she asked sweetly with a leering smile she'd learned to master from her father. 

"One," her Mama answered. 

"Two?" her head bobbed up. "Pweaseee?" she stretched her vowels, and her Mama couldn't help but chuckle. 

"Please Mama?" Izhar grinned at her too, and she groaned in frustration at the way father and daughter gave identical looks. 

"Okay fine!" she threw her hands up in the air. 

"Thank you Mama!" Izhar and Raaina said in unison before they high-fived each other. 

"Yeah yeah," she muttered with a smile as Raaina stood up on their bed in her matching floral pajama set and gave her Mama a kiss on her cheek. 

"Daddy hurry, we need to make bwake-fest!" Raaina yelled as she ran out of their room on the tips of her toes like the ballerina in training she was.

But it wasn't too long before she ran back into their room to come and stand in front of her Mama and leave a sweet kiss on her stomach for her baby brother.

Sabr had come over to help them with their second baby. Though Izhar had finally gave in, positive that this time there wouldn't be deathly scares in the future, he was insistent that they got some help and someone to watch Raaina as well. Sabr and Imaan rotated around the clock, and this time Raaina had made sure her Khala stayed in tact while entertaining her throughout the whole day, calling her Maa as a source of affection as she was her second mother. 

On Sundays, Izhar and Raaina would make breakfast, a gift for Mama and all that she did. Izhar enjoyed cooking with his daughter while his wife watched them in rave around her kitchen in their aprons and matching chef's hats. 

"Does that mean I get to have two cookies with my coffee this morning?" his rich and husky voice pried her away from her thoughts. 

She shyly smiled at herself before turning back to him. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed and right in front of her. She looked down at him, controlling herself from raving her hands through his tousled hair. 

"I don't know Mr. Khan. Aren't you watching your sweet intake?" she naughtily said as his eyes hardened and turned dark, indicating to the other night he'd complained after they'd had Gulab Jamun at his parents' house. 

"Well, when it comes to my darling, I can spare a few," his husky voice ran a chill down her spine, and it wasn't from the cold weather outside. 

"Mmm, I don't like sharing," she whispered.

Her toes curled inwards when he placed a firm hand on her hip and pulled her forward. "Me neither," he mumbled as he grazed her stomach with his nose. 

The thread work of her kameez tickled his forehead, and her fingers instantly reached out to cup his face. "Doesn't your work teach you how to compromise?" she leaned forward and wrapped her slender arms over his neck as his arms circled around her waist. 

"No, but it does teach me how to negotiate. I think I'll have to teach you," he whispered against the cotton cloth and kissed her lower abdomen. 

"Your ways are dangerous Mr. Khan," she teased him, dropping a kiss to his head, her fingers roaming freely in his hair. 

"Hmm, you hear that champ? Your Mama thinks your Daddy would burden her while she's carrying you," his voice acted to be hurt, and she threw her head back in careless laughter. 

"Mr. Khan, don't put thoughts in my son's head," she scolded him.

"I wouldn't dare my darling," he looked up and winked at her, earning the blush that made his heart thud in his chest to this day. 

"Rayhan is hungry," she said quietly as his eyes burned with embers.

"Mmm, so am I," he answered, his tongue wetting his lips before ending at the corner. His teeth bit into the edge as a smirk enthralled her. 

"Then you better get up mister! You're making breakfast today," she smiled and tried pulling away. "Izhar let me go," she fought to no avail.

"This is not fair. I've been gone for days, and you don't give me the time of day," he glared at her, his stubborn strand of hair falling in front of his eyes. 

She smiled at him before moving his hair away from his face and tracing the shape of his lips with her thumb. "Mr. Khan, you have a daughter with a son on the way in sha Allah. When will you stop learning to act like a baby?" she pecked him on the cheek, but he didn't move. 

"When you stop oppressing me with your lack of attention," he huffed and got up from their bed, making his way to the bathroom. 

She grabbed his arm before he was out of reach, and his eyes crashed down on hers. She thanked Allah over and over again, and she knew she never would stop doing so. Allah had given her a piece of the heavens, and He was even more merciful to not take it away from her even when the world had stopped spinning. 

"I love you," her eyes turned soft, her lips quivered at the end as she recalled how life had nearly taken away her breath. 

His lips stretched into a slow smile, and he whispered as clear as the day's sky, "I'll always love you more my Nour darling."

Her life had become his, and he'd given her the whole world as her stage. He was the blessing that she forever would be thankful for. 

After all,

she was Izhar's Nour, 

and they'd found their happily ever after 

in the chaotic piece of forever. 

"Daddy!" Raaina's voice echoed throughout the halls, and with a smile Izhar winked at Nour. 

******

And like a paper flower

No human force could keep them apart as the miracles were woven into their soul

And they buried what wasn't theirs in the past

Welcoming the derelict shore with open arms, succumbing to the mercy upon their hearts. 

https://youtu.be/lMTlOOYX2QY

******

I'll save my tears and words for the Final Author's Note, but for now: Thank you so much! I love every single one of you who has given this story and me a chance. It's been one heck of a ride! :') 

Thoughts, feelings, emotions? I'll be sending hugs, no worries in sha Allah. (:

The song in the last video is called 'Jeena Jeena', and the English translation of the lyrics can be found here: http://www.bollynook.com/en/lyrics/16085/jeena-jeena/ Once again, courtesy of the brilliant ssha1kh.

Also, this is the last time you can send in questions for the Q and A via private message. Please remember I am not taking questions through in-line comments. 

Also, due to popular demand, I have officially made an Instagram account, and you can all follow me here: https://www.instagram.com/piecesofherstory/ I will be sharing quotes, poems, and pictures along with bits of my future projects and work in sha Allah! Hope to see all you Instagrammers there. :D 

Until next time my Wattpadians, vote, comment, and share one last time before the Q and A and Final Author's Note for Izhar and Nouran.

Lots of love. XXXX