Safar e Meraki

“ Zuni, you forgot the charger… ” Fione came rushing down the stairs.

“ You think that's what I'll be worried about…” Zunirah replied in excitement as she kept the charger safely in her handbag.

“ You are glowing. ”

“ I am. It's visible, right? ” Zunirah grinned.

“ Yes, completely. I wish the best for you. And… and… don't forget to call me when you reach there… Because I know you’ll forget because of all this…” Fione pointed at the decorated stuff Zuni was taking with her.

“ Yeah…Ba-bye…” Fione stayed until she saw Zunirah walk out of the hostel campus wheeling her suitcase.

Soon, Zunirah boarded the plane. She leaned her head against the window while watching the clouds and the beautiful sunset view. The shiny sky, the cozy clouds, and the humming of engines soon faded as the memories played in her mind.

“ I promise you, Zuni. We will meet here after 3 years and propose to each other. ”

“ Well, I'll propose better. I have got some great ideas.” Zuni informed him with a teasing smile.

“ It may be better, but not as love, care-filled, and heart-connected as mine. ” Zuni giggled.

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.

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“ I miss you, Zuni. I wish you were here. Spending time with you on campus, even after our different streams, those were the best days of my life. Only you fill the lights in my life. I feel alone right now. Please come to me. Let's get together now. Let’s get married. ” Zuni could sense the dullness in his voice. She regretted missing the opportunity to meet him because of her busy hospital schedule.

“ I miss you, too, my sweetheart. I wish the same. Cuddling with you, talking about the future while drinking tea, walking hand in hand, watching the moon together… I want all these with you. Just 1 more year. The time will pass soon. ” Zuni tried to convince me, and he took a deep breath. After all, 1 year is a long time without loved ones.

“ I love you, my friend, my sukoon, my everything, Zuni. ”

“ I love you more…” Zuni smiled.

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After about 3 hours of flight, Zunirah was waiting for her suitcase in line, still dreaming about the campus days with him. 

“ Doctor, would you like to have coffee or better sleep tonight? ”

“ Neither. It's biochemistry… ”

“ Need help with that? ” He asked, making a teasing face, and she smacked his arm playfully. 

He was studying for his engineering degree while she was studying medicine. He was the only one who made her smile and laugh during the burdens of medical classes, while Zuni was his real friend among the snakes on the campus. Zuni saved him many times from diverting onto the wrong path. She was the only light in his college life. They were not only childhood friends but family friends too.

Izhaan and Qizra came to pick Zunirah up at the airport, and they soon left for the resort where they were planning a surprise. Izhaan is his paternal cousin, and Qizra is Izhaan’s wife. 

“ You look so beautiful, MashaAllah! ” Qizra entered Zuni’s room and found her dressed in a sky blue flared shiny dress with a net dupatta pinned on her shoulders, just like he loves.

“ Thank you. ” Zunirah smiled, and Qizra hugged her.

“ Tonight's the night!! I wish you the bestest…!! ” Qizra continued praying for her and hugged her once again before the door was knocked.

“ Come on, ladies, we’ll get late with this continuing…” Izhaan entered and pointed at the emotional Qizra. Qizra slapped his arm, and they laughed.

After about 8-10 minutes, Zunirah entered the party hall with Qizra and Izhaan, carrying the gifts for the birthday boy, none other than him.      

A pair of eyes watched her from afar and approached her.

“ Assalamualaikum Ammi ” Zunirah greeted her soon to be mother in law, Mrs. Haida. 

“ Walaikum as salam, my beautiful Zuni. ” Zuni smiled as Haida kissed her cheek.

“ I am truly blessed to have you as my daughter-in-law. ” Zuni blushed.

“ My son will be so thrilled to see you tonight. He is coming back home after years. He doesn't tell me much about his life. But… But…I heard about the little surprise you have prepared. ” Haida winked at the end. Zuni looked at Qizra and Izhaan, who acted awkwardly.

Haida continued,

“ But my son told me he has prepared a bigger surprise too. After all, it's his 28th birthday, I know he will propose to you tonight. I’m so happy already. ”

Before Zuni could reply, the entrance music played. Everyone looked at the right corner of the hall towards the stairs. Zuni looked at the gift wrapped in golden shiny paper in her hands.

“ You can do it, Zuni! ” Zuni said to herself, and she wanted to surprise him first.

She looked at the stairs, and there stood the man she loves, Mr. Alzan, who changed her life. Zuni smiled widely and took small steps forward towards him. 

“ He looks so handsome…” She whispered as she saw him wearing a black and white tuxedo with unique velvety designs at the collar. 

“ Alzan!! ” She wanted to scream out loud, but stopped herself as her excitement died. Her heart dropped. She saw a lady of her age standing beside him, hand-in-hand. 

“What??!!” Qizra gasped and looked at Zunirah. Haida looked shocked and grabbed a seat with the help of Izhaan.

“ No… This can’t be real…” 

“ Izhaan, did you know about all this? ” Haida asked in a low voice and glared at Izhaan, who stayed silent. That was an answer, too.

“ How will I face Zuni? She prepared everything for the night. ” Haida asked, covering her face with her hands.

“ Good evening, everyone. Thank you so much for arriving at my 28th birthday party…” Alzan’s voice echoed across the hall.

“ Tonight I want to share my biggest joy, my wife, Gulnaz, and our child…” Alzan touched the baby bump while smiling widely.

Zunirah couldn't believe her senses. The gift dropped from her hands. She blinked twice, thrice before looking closely at the bump of the lady standing next to Alzan. 

“ It's going to be 6 months soon…” Zuni gasped and turned to walk out of the hall. She met Qizra, who held her by the shoulders, but Zuni pushed her away and ran out of the hall. 

‘ He got married while promising me our future together. He confessed to me a few weeks before she might have conceived. Alzan, I didn't expect that from you. Tonight was supposed to be ours, our engagement night, our celebration night.’ Zunirah cried out loud in the parking lot of the resort. She thought for a second and started walking on the streets. Some familiar ones reminded her of the memories they shared in the past.

‘ Maybe I should talk to him. Maybe she forced him. What if that child’s his… No. No. No. Stop it, Zuni. If he wanted to tell me, he would have done it before the announcement. ’ 

Zunirah thought of all the possibilities in her mind, proving everything false.

She kept walking and walking, reaching her house.

She unlocked the door and entered.

‘ Maybe it's my fault. I shouldn't have missed the opportunity to meet him during the holidays, the days I spent studying and revising, and treating patients to get more experience to make a better future with him. I shouldn’t have done that…’ 

Zunirah regretted and slowly walked towards her room. Closing the door, she cried out loud.

“ Alzan ” She cried, mentioning his name now and then. Her eyes went to the gifts Alzan brought to celebrate her birthday. She started throwing them one by one into the dustbin, murmuring and brooding until her eyes fell on the envelope-letter set he had gifted.

Zunirah sat down on the chair and wiped her tears. She looked at the birthday card on the flower vase next to the table, saying, 

“ To my love with best wishes… I hope to see you soon…” 

Zuni tore the card and threw it in the dustbin.

“ If you can move on this easily, I can too…” Zuni said, wiping her tears again before taking out a letter and an envelope. 

“ Dear Alzan…” She started but stopped as tears fell.

“ Why me?? Was it so easy for you to forget me? Was my love not enough? Was my promise not enough? ”

“ Was I the only one who meant it? I believed your every word, Alzan. We confessed, we promised, then why??? ” 

Zuni screamed and cried out loud, throwing everything around.

After a few minutes of silently watching the mess around, she said,

“ You have torn me apart, Alzan… All my dreams for our future together… all gone…”  

She grabbed another letter from the box and started writing,

‘ 

To,

Mr. Alzan

I don't know if I’ll ever get to say this to you face-to-face, so here I am, writing a letter to you.

I regret meeting you in the first place at our family function. I shouldn't have befriended you, knowing this would happen. All your promises were fake. I can't even say if your confession was true to your heart. 

Even if you were forced, you could have told me. You should have told me about your marriage because I love you, dammit. I am not as crazy as you in love, but mine was no less than yours. I love you more, it's proven tonight. 

I remember the days on campus. All our memories. None showed the sign of betrayal that you will give me. It was a backstab for me. I wouldn't have known if I hadn't encouraged myself to propose to you at your 28th birthday party, which also marked your return home after years of business studies and expanding the business. 

The day of our farewell, were those red eyes lying to me? Your sweet words on the calls and texts were everything, a bloody lie?

I wish I could ruin you, but I can’t. Because that's not who I am. 

I am left behind with torn dreams of us together and a bitterness in me for you. It's all because of you!!

Yet, I wish you and your child the happy moments we once shared. I wish you a future filled with peace and harmony. I wish you always stay healthy. I wish you to reach the heights of success. I wish you a better future, even if you ruined mine. It's my love for you that I cannot wish anything bad for you. Even if I stay far away from you, I wish you all the blessings. 

Goodbye Mr. Alzan

Yours never

Zunirah 

’

Zuni gulped, controlling her tears as she folded the letter and sealed the envelope. She looked at the envelope and threw it away in the dustbin.

“ It's for the best that I leave this place forever. Nothing good will happen by confronting Alzan for what he did. I may still love him. I may remember him from our childhood and college moments. But I won't expect much. ”

Zuni packed her stuff in a new suitcase and left the house and the city forever. She found many missed calls as she sat on her airplane seat. She ignored all of them and blocked many.

Only a text notification grabbed her attention, 

“ I’m waiting for the proposal updates, Zuni…”

“ Why aren't you picking up the calls?”

“ Is everything okay?”

“ Zuni?”

“ Please tell me you are busy celebrating…”

“ Please tell me my gut feelings are all wrong…”

Zuni replied to her in one phrase,

“ It's over. ”

……

Years later

“ I have never seen her this quiet as her hostel roommate, Qizra. She was always a joyful kind of girl. I used to scold her sometimes for talking all night with me when I was sleepy. I never expected to see her like this. She has turned all quiet. No expressions. I have never seen her joke. I have tried everything all these years, but she never changed. She has busied herself with hospital rounds and volunteered in research work. ” 

Fione, sitting in a cafe, told Qizra about the changes she observed in Zunirah. After years of no contact, Qizra finally tracked down Zuni’s whereabouts and reached out to Fione. Fione used a different number to book an appointment at Zunirah’s hospital for a reunion. Fione somehow managed to make Zunirah spill the beans. During their emotional conversation, Zuni invited Fione to join her at the hospital and share an apartment nearby.

“ I know Fione. I didn't expect Zuni to go through like this. Even we were shocked by Alzan’s action. But much more has happened in his life recently. I don't want him to ruin his life anymore. I want Zuni back in his life. ” Qizra informed.

“ No, please, no more Alzan. Zuni is getting better slowly, I cannot risk that.”

“ I understand, Fione, but if this didn't happen, then…” Qizra tried to explain, but Fione stood up.

“ I cannot see my friend more devastated and depressed. She is improving a little bit, and I need to see her happy again.”

“ I, too, want that Fione.”

“ But your priority is Alzan. Mine is solely Zuni.” Saying that, Fione left the cafe when she received a call.

“ Where are you, Fione? I’ve been calling you for the past few minutes.” Zuni asked worriedly on the call.

“ I was having lunch at a cafe. I’ll be back soon.” Fione informed her.

Zuni was sitting alone in her cabin. She felt like talking her heart out today. She looked for her friend in the whole hospital until she was informed that Fione was out. Zuni looked at her wrist to check the time. She had forgotten to wear a watch today, unlike her. She looked for the watch she kept in the drawers for emergencies, when a watch caught her eye, and a memory hit her.

“ I have sent a gift for you. You didn't come to meet me. ” Zuni heard him complain.

“ I was about to board the plane until my HOD…”

“ I don't need an excuse. Now unwrap the gift.” Alzan told coldly, cutting her off in mid-sentence.

Zuni smiled as the box revealed a classic skeleton watch she had always wanted. 

“ Thank you so much, Alzan.” Zuni sweetly thanked him.

“ This is for the moments we’ll share in the future and those we’ll never forget. ”

Zuni smiled, remembering the sweet moments when a nurse knocked on her door to inform her about the arrival of the appointed patients.

“ Send them in…” Zuni replied.

“ May I come in? ” A male voice asked after a few seconds.

“ Yes, please.” Zuni replied and looked up from her computer screen.

She froze.

“ Hi, Doctor…” Her eyes met the brown orbs identical to the ones she loves. He was standing next to his 6-year-old son.

to be continued...