//Mohabbat sabr ke alawa kuch nahi,
Maine harr ishq ko intezaar karte dekha hai.//

Brisk breezes are achingly soothing, they carry an ounce of memories in them. A dew of pain, a mist of grief. Delhi used to be home for both.

For one it's where he found peace, for one it's where she found a shelter after a torturous life, after being an abundant soul in a sea of unknown crowd, after losing a life.
Amidst the chaos of the city, she fought a battle on her own, perhaps she is a phoenix.

As she steps down out to the balcony, her heart misses a few beats, nervousness, one can assume. She gulps as her throat seems dry, hands frozen, one can accuse December cold.

Delhi and December have a history for Zain.

Not many Decembers ago, he was here, alone, missing a certain pair of hazel brown orbs. Time flies among these cold winds, today, he is here with those hazel brown orbs girl as his wife.
A sigh parted his lips, a smile hinders covering those, he is happy.

Delhi is peace for him, and when she agreed to came here along with him, he is terrified and happy.

Terrified because he knows this land had given her pain, grief that each air she breath here reminds her of, echoes of her each loss is still profound, somehow, somewhere.
But even after all those, she agreed to come here, she is taking steps forward, leaning a bit to his side, at least she is trying.
And for that, he is happy, proud to be exact.

This place holds memories too dear him, last memories of his Amma. What had it been? Two decades nearly, but still pain is here.

Pain stays somewhere, somehow.

He did get a family in Seher and Saira, a broken one. But no one can fill the void of a mother, no one. Maybe that's why this place has never been a home to him after his tenth summer.

Delhi was not home because his heart was not at peace, Dubai was as heart found its abode there.

The winds are swaying engulfing the trees too, birds humming their kind of anthems. And he looks at her, Serendipity.
She is a beauty to behold.

Amaya Kareem is a gem.

A voice rings his ears perhaps he can never agree to this more. She smiles, making him lose all his sanity again, pulling her close she reaches his nose, he takes her off the ground putting his head in neck, smelling her hair. Those smells unknowing familiar, still, he can never put them together in canvas.

"You smells so good"

"You are running out of excuses Zain Amir." She teased him, her favourite thing.

"I don't need one to be close to my wife, Amaya Kareem"

"As if you needed one when I was not your wife?"

"With you, I never needed one. I guess I just barged into your life, and you make peace with it."

"As if you left with any other option."

"I would never."

"You are my home, Zain."

"And you are mine."

The cold breezes dances happily, the sun is near the horizon bidding it farewell for the day, mists appearing slowly matching rhythms with the wind, their eyes clashed.

Amber against hazel brown.
Love again happiness.

And he seals the moment with a kiss, praying to last it like this forever, perhaps not every prayer is heard.

"You got quite a view from here Zain."

"Yeah. You know this is the place I used to spend most of my time with Amma. After her, I used to feel her here."

"She must be so proud of you now, Zain"

"I hope so Amu."

"Saira Aunty never came here?"

"She did, but not much. I observe her distress every time she was here, and genuinely, even I was not much fond of this place after Amma. This house started haunting me then, echoing my void. So I was better at her place. And most of my days I was in the hostel."

"I know what it feels like."

"You do?"

"I do Zain. I understand Saira Aunty here. I feel the same sometimes too."

Confusing enclaves his faces, as the words sink in, he shook his head, telling her how wrong she is.

"You are.."

"Zain. I used to be a part of Rubina Aunty and Ahmed Uncle's life even before I came to India, even before I got to know him. And after everything, I am still somehow related to them, but with a completely different equation of relation. It's something Saira Aunty must have felt that time, she left this place which was her home too. And then she became a mother to you. All the emotions play at bay at once, when you face the past all of a sudden."

"Amu."

He lost all his words now, how can he not, she is speaking the truth, loud and clear. He hugs her tight.

One day he will take all her pain away, a promise he makes today.
A promise he will keep anyhow.

"We are going to meet Tayi Ammi today."

"What should I wear?"

"Anything you want, but I will prefer red though. I love that colour on you."

Red.
Smiles.
Happiness.
Zain.
Red is her colour.

Getting ready in a red long dress, with white dupatta on her left side. Her jhumkas kissing her necks as they sway with her every more. Eyes filled with kohl, lips nude. She looks like a new bride, a beautiful new bride.

Looking here and there for her bangles she fails to find those particular pair. Zain's mother's bangle, Saira had given her those.

That must be in the cupboard, searching for them, the bottom drawer opens after she had given it a strong tug, hinges were stuck due to lack of use. It was empty, she shakes her head and closed it back.

And then it clicked. She gulped.

A familiar silver thin thing was there, the drawer was never empty.
Opening it again, this time with trembling hands, and there it is.
A charm bracelet, a familiar one.

Picking it in her hand, she looks at it very keenly. An aeroplane charm, her favourite one.
On the inside, it is enclaved, Amy's.

Ahmed Uncle's gift to her on her tenth birthday, a customized rhodium charm bracelet.

A slap echoes near her ear.
Slut.

She takes a step back. The mirror reflects her image.

Red.
Blood.
Pain.
It's past, it's gone.

She breathes in and out, calming herself.

"Amu?"
Zain stood shocked at the bathroom door. She is looking breathtaking in red. But tears?
Tears are not for her, never.

"What happened?"

She just brings her hand forward.
The Charm Bracelet.

He takes a step towards her, she takes a step back.

He doesn't know what happened just, she takes a step back. How is he suppose to tell her that this is a souvenir from his unrequited first love?

"I can explain. Remember I told you how I never got to tell her about my feelings? Well, it's the only thing she left, her souvenir. I met her in a fair back in Lucknow. There's the weird shop, The Destiny, she left it.."

No more words make sense to Amaya now, with the ounce of energy left in her, she whispers, "Leave."

Years ago.
Lucknow
Fair
The Destiny.

She bites her lips controlling her sobs, the pain never leaves.
Destiny had laughed at her face.

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