Throughout the weeks spent learning from the first moment that lessons began to the moonlit chats under the stars. For Zoya, Ail was the one thing that kept her anchored in a life of ambiguity. Nevertheless, this changed in recent times in a way that she did not prepare.
It started on a crisp winter morning. The aroma of freshly baked bread from the local bakery was carried on the breeze, as were the discussions of the street vendors buzzing in the background. Zoya and Ail were enjoying chai from steaming cups together on a bench near their homes.
“So, Zoya, what’s your big New Year’s resolution? Ail asked, a teasing smile on his lips.
Zoya giggled, its sound filled the air as a fluffy cloud in the cold evening. It’s my turn,” “What about you?”
Aiman’s gaze softened as he looked at her. “Mine is to be braver.”
“Braver?” Zoya tilted her head, curious. “What do you mean?”
Ail hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. “Just…braver. In life, in decisions, in everything.”
Zoya smiled, not asking anymore, but a subtle piece of her wondered what he wished to say.
As the time elapsed until weeks, Zoya began to witness disarmingly blurred shifts in Aiman. The beat was flawless but was beginning to make a great deal more sense given his movements. He would stay a moment longer when assisting her in putting on her scarf, and his fingers would touch hers gently. Every compliment he made seemed to come from his heart, rather than the others.
On their return to their house from a long session of studying at the library that same night, on a whim, Aiman, in that vein of interrupting the comfort of their silence, said.
Zoya, do you wonder about the future? he asked frankly, his voice surprisingly grave.
She glanced at him, surprised. “Of course. Why?”
“I mean…do you think about where we’ll be? Who we’ll be with?”
Zoya laughed lightly. “I don’t know. I hope I’ll be happy. And I want you there, always.”
Ail stopped walking, turning to face her. His gaze sought hers, and Zoya’s heart jumped ahead.
“I hope so too,” he said softly.
The turning point came during their university’s annual cultural festival. Zoya, in a garish green kurta with gold embroidery, was running about, preparing the art exhibition. Aiman, again, was there, helping in any way he could
But during the whole event, the party turned into a musical concert (i.e. Zoya and Ail found themselves sitting together in the garden, away from the crowd, the soft strumming of a guitar filling the air.
“Ail’s voice was barely a whisper as he began, “I’ve always believed you were the most beautiful person I’ve ever known.
Zoya’s cheeks flushed. “Aiman, stop joking.”
“I’m not joking,” he said, his tone earnest. “I mean it. You’re not just my best friend, Zoya. You’re…you’re everything to me.
Zoya’s breath caught. She looked at him, her mind racing. Could this be real? Women, with her Aiman, may even still feel the same visceral sense that had begun to form unconsciously.
“His tone wavered as he confessed, “I’ve wanted to say this for a long time. “But I was scared. Panicked by the fear of losing you, panicked by the fear of losing what we are. But I can’t keep it inside anymore. Zoya, I’m in love with you.
Tears welled up in Zoya’s eyes. She had never thought of the day she was living but, now that the day arrived, it felt the most normal thing on earth.
Aiman, she rasped, her voice shaking, “I… I love your back.
Relief and joy washed over Aiman’s face. He took it to do it for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as if afraid she might melt away. And there, in that brief moment, under the open sky, in the warmth of their envelopment, Zoya felt without a doubt a transcendental sense of unity.
Their relationship blossomed beautifully. Every moment felt new and exciting, yet comfortingly familiar. Side by side they wandered in the streets of Lahore, savoring the search of golgappas and the juiciness of flood. They studied side by side, sharing dreams and fears. Their relationship was a blend of best friend and new crush, a relationship that grew stronger from day to day.
One evening, while sitting side by side along the canal to watch the sun go down, Ail grinned cheekily at Zoya.
With a playful grin, he added, “But you’re still no match for me in chess.
Zoya laughed, swatting his arm. “Give me time. I’ll surprise you.”
“You’ve surpassed me many times,” he said, in a low voice, his eyes soft with emotion, etc. “Every single day.
Zoya rested her head on his back, no feeling of calm like she had ever before. She realized that, sometimes, love doesn’t start with a spectacular display of bravery or a grand show of affection. There are also the occasions when it’s not just, by pure chance, that they turn out to be already your soulmate after all this while.
Months later, as they stood together at the same park bench where it all began, Ail held Zoya’s hand tightly.
“Do you remember my New Year’s resolution?” he asked.
Zoya nodded, smiling. “To be braver.”
Also Read: Love Across the Miles
But, he murmured, his words thick with emotion, “To love you is the most daring and the most beautiful act there shall be.
Zoya’s heart swelled with love. She knew it wouldn’t be all sunshine, but by having Ai at her side she felt prepared for any challenge. They had created in each other a love that was the cleanest, strongest, and most genuine expression of their love and trust—a love that would last a lifetime.