Ordinary and Extraordinary(pg 3,4,5,6,7,8,14,15,17,20,21,23)ch13pg25 - Page 3

CHAPTER 2 : DREAM A LITTLE DREAM OF ME

We all remember the bedtime stories of our childhood. The shoe fits Cindrella, frog turns into a prince, Sleeping Beauty wakes up, once upon a time and happily ever after. Fairy Tales- the stuff of dreams.

The problem is fairy tales don't come true. It's the other stories, the ones that begin in dark and stormy nights and end in the unspeakable. It's the nightmares that always become reality...

The horizon of her dreams was obscured by a dark mist, she could see herself in a place which she didn't want to visit, hear noises which never ceased to exist. She could sense her fears taking over the reins, yet she was helpless, abandoned ,lonely, waiting for him...crying out his name...

His retreating back was slowly getting blurred in the ominous and ubiquitous darkness. She was on her knees, with the smell of petrichor washing over her senses. Aaliya wanted to run behind him, but every time she tried to get up, her knees would give away, every time she wanted to move, an invisible shackle would pull her back...she was alone. She was scared...and he was leaving her...

She woke up with a jolt. Was it a nightmare..Was she having them once again? The carousel of random thoughts jumbled up in her brain, leaving her fazed for a few moments before disappearing into the darkness from where they had raised their ugly heads..

Her fingers instinctively went to her forehead, tracing the line o fsweat along her brows. There was a small flutter of panic in her heart..the dreams were ugly..and so vivid that at times, she felt that they were real..

Aaliya wondered whether she had said anything out loud..but her thoughts were soon dismissed, when her eyes fell on him..

His heart was thumping with accordance with slow ,shallow breaths, serenity was plastered across his sculpted face, as he slept, snuggled in the warmth of his dreams, oblivious to the physical world.

After a long cold night,the daybreak brought glimmers of warmth. Aaliya watched, as the soft morning light cascaded into the room, splaying across the chequered floor.

Her eyes flitted across the room,before landing on the wall clock..it was only 5 am in the morning"way early for him to wake up. She tucked in his blanket properly..he was beside her,blissfully oblivious what she was going through,and in that moment of chiaroscuro in the room, Aaliya realizd that she would miss waking up next to Zian Osman Abdullah, miss the small frown on his lips every time the dazzling morning light fell on his face..or the times he grumbled when the alarm clock poked its evil head.

Just few more days.. A forced smile tugged at the corner of her lips..Zain Osman Abdullah would be free at last.. and she would get back her old life..Both of them have kept their end of the deal and they wouldn't have to look out for each other at the end of it..Just few more days and Aaliya Zain Abdullah will go back to being Alaiya Ghulam haider... once again..

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(Breakfast table)

He peered from over the newspapaer..as she twiddled her thumb,in her lap.

"tum theek ho..Khana kyun nahi kha rahi ho?"

"Of course main th-theek hoon..Zain..aur mujhe bhok nahi hai.."

"I am asking you because you were writhing in your sleep last night seemed like you were having nightmares..and you""

"I-what?"

"And you were saying -th-things..."

Her hazel eyes flickere dover his face...

"Oh"what did I say..?"
"I-kuch nahi..and you can tell me about it..if it helps.."

"there's nothing to sat about a dream Zain..it was just a dream..."

"As you wish,ms. Haider.."

She wondered how he could turn from being extremely concerned to completely business like,the way he was ,the day they signed their deal, void of any emotion..bereft of human feelings...

"So what are we going to do"in these three weeks..?" she asked nervously, hoping not to start on the wrong foot.

"Itne door tak aye hai toh"I was thinking that we should go around..and visit places.."

"Places..?"

"Aaliya log matheran ghumne ke liye aate hai.."

"oh.."

"Do you like travelling..?"

"Bhopal mei pali bari huyi hoon Zain,aur phir wahan se Mumbai...Aur uske baad Abbu mujhe aur Ammi ko chod ke""

"I'm sorry.."

"Unhone Ammi ko talaaq..---"Her words mangled up, ad got stuck at the back of her throat..

"College aur padhai..aur college khatam hote hi,tumhare company main naukri karne lag gayi..zindagi ne mujhe kabhi mauka hi nahi diya ki main apni khushi ke bare mei soch saku..kaam se kabhi fursat nahi mili mujhe ki main ghumne jaane ke bare mei sochu..Aami bhi bimar pad gayi...aur unke jaane ke baad---"

"Aur tumne bhi kabhi kisi ko mauka nahi diya.."

"Tumne abhi kuch kaha..?"

Zain Abdullah and his stupid habit of thinking out loud.

"Nahi toh..Chalo hum late ho rahe hai.."

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"Zain hum kahan ja rahe hai?"
"Tumhe kyu janni hai..?"

"Aise hi.bolo na Zain..?"

"First you answer my question,Aaliya Z- Ghulam Haider.."

"I'm just curious Mr. Abdullah..?"

"Curiosity killed the cat, Ms. Haider.."

"I'm surely not a cat so I don't have to worry about getting killed for being curious.."

"So you're not going to tell me..?"

"No.."

"Please.."

"No..waise ek baat batao Aaliya..kya tumhe mujhpe aitbaar nahi hai..?"

Khud se bhi zyada Zain.

"h-hai.."

"Toh phir chup chap baithi raho,you'll see it for yourself when we reach the place.."

Aaliya maine tumhari Ammi se ek wada kiya tha,that I'll keep you happy..that I'll always love you and protect you. Pata hai ki main kabhi inn waadoo ko pura nahi kar paonga,par koshish zaroor karunga ki tumhare liye inn lamho ko yaadgaar bana saku..Main tumhare liye ek achha sauhar nahi ban paya,nahi tumhe-tumhari koi galathi nahi hai Alaiya,because I pushed you away from me,each and every day,because I was scared that I'd fall in love with you..scared of getting my heart broken,because I knew that you wouldn't love me. Tum kabhi apne wado se nahi mukarti yeh bhi pata hai ki tum unhe pure shiddat ke saath nibhaogi,kyunki tumne mujhse wada kiya hai ki hum ajnabi banke hi reh jayenge..Tum theek kehti thi Aaliya ki hum na kabhi ek the..na kabhi ek ho sakte hai,kyunki yeh nikaah,yeh rishta ek samjhauta hai..."Kabhi kabhi man karta hai ki main tumse puchu..

"Zain Tum theek ho..?"

He nodded his head...

I am sorry Ammi main apse kiye huye waado ko nibha nahi payi..because I have promised Zain that I'll never cross the boundaries set by the contract. Haan main use beintehaa mohabbat karti hoon.pehle nahi karti thi..par pata hi nahi chala..kab..inn chey mahino main sab kuch badal gaya.pata hi nahi chala kab main Zain Abdullahs e pyaar karke baithi,jab pehle se hi pata tha ki Zain mujhse kabhi mohabbat nahi karega..Sirf teen hafte baki hai Ammi..uske baad...Ammi meri rooh knapne lagti hai yeh sochke ki"

"Aaliya tum mujhe miss nahi karogi na...?"

From

Ann

Next update..hopefully soon. :)