Chapter 51 #3
Safiya froze, her eyes widened at the rejection. Zaviyar turned his face away. Her hands fell from his cheeks, and the old fear returned instantly. He still didn't want her.
"It's okay," she whispered, forcing a smile, not wanting any explanation.
"Safiya." She refused to look at him, but he brought her face up, gently.
"I didn't stop you because I don't want to kiss you.", his words only made it sting sharper.
"Then why?", his eyes filled with guilt.
"Because I do.", He took her hand. "More than you know.", Her breath caught.
"But if I kiss you tonight, I don't know if I'll be able to stop." A faint smile touched his lips. "I've spent months pretending I didn't love you. I've spent weeks teaching myself not to touch you."
His thumb brushed her knuckles.
"And now you've given me your trust.", He brought her hand to his lips.
"I don't want our first kiss after all this pain to be something we use to cover our wounds.", His forehead rested against hers.
"I want it to be another beginning. Not rushed or catalysed by emotions. ", Her eyes filled.
"You still need time?", she asked, snuggling into the curve of his neck.
"So do you.", She closed her eyes, then smiled, feeling his fingers brush through her hair.
"Then I'll wait.", His gaze softened.
"I've waited for your love without knowing it was there. I can wait now that I know it is."
A tear slipped down her cheek.
"I almost made this about my rejection," she whispered. "I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize."
"I do. You're afraid of hurting me again, and I made your fear about me leaving only worsen.", She squeezed his hands
"You aren't temporary, Zaviyar.", Something in his expression broke
"I can wait.", He exhaled shakily, nodding at her to take her time. After all their relationship wouldnt have been so stranded had he not acted so harshly towards her.
"A few days. A few weeks. Whatever it takes.", She kissed his forehead.
"We'll take it slow.", His fingers intertwined with hers.
"No misunderstandings, no assumptions, No lies.", He looked at her.
"Just you and me.", He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest.
This time, Safiya didn't wonder if he would let her go. She knew he would stay. And for tonight, that was enough.
The kiss could wait. Because for the first time, waiting didn't feel like losing him.
It felt like choosing him and finally being chosen in return.
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" Meri beti ka dhyaan rakhna," Wajahat patted Zaviyar's back, his words mean business.
( Take care of my daughter )
"I will." Zaviyar nodded, both of them looking at Safiya walking out with Rabiya.
" Meri beti koi property nahi hain, Zaviyar, jisse tum mujhse cheen sakte ho."
( My daughter is not some property, Zaviyar, whom you can steal from me. )
"Yeh aap mujhe keh rahe hain ya phir apne aap ko tasalli de rahe hain?" Zaviyar's voice remained calm, but there was an unmistakable edge to it. Wajahat's jaw tightened.
( Are you telling me this or convincing yourself? )
"Tumhe lagta hai main apni beti ko tumhare hawale karke be-fikr ho jaaunga?"
( You think I'll be careless after my daughter goes with you )
"Main aapko itna masoom nahi samajhta, chacha-jaan .", A bitter smile touched Wajahat's lips.
( I don't take you to be so innocent, uncle )
"Achha hai. Kam-az-kam tum meri tarah apni aankhein band karke bharosa nahi karte.", Zaviyar's expression hardened.
( Good, atleast you don't trust people blindly, unlije me. )
"meri beti ne apni zindagi tumhare saath jodne ka faisla kiya hai. Aur baap hone ke naate, mujhe tum par nazar rakhne ka haq hai.", Wajahats voice, only turned colder each passing moment.
"Bilkul." Zaviyar's eyes flickered towards Safiya. "Lekin ek baat aap bhi samajh lijiye. Main Safiya ko aapse cheenne nahi aaya."
Wajahat stared at him.
" She is not something I can steal. She's staying with me willingly. ", There was a brief silence, " You are accusing me, of not understanding her, not taking care of her. Yet you seem to completely ignore her wishes. "
Wajahat's frown deepened.
" You conveniently use your daughter to tighten the bond you severed ages ago with your family. But you abandoned your daughter with a man, whom you don't even trust. It's ironic how you expect her to still take care of your mess, ", Zaviyar stepped forward,
his hands teaching for Wajahat's kurta 's collar, which he fixed.
" The woman you plan to use, is my wife. Not some bait for you to use as you please. The sole reason why I'm tolerating you is because you are dear to someone I will do anything for. ", his eyes darkened, " But know this, one wrong move, and you lose everything you are plotting for. "
Wajahat gave a humourless chuckle. "Bade aasaan lafz hain. Kal ko agar tumhara gussa us par bhaari pad gaya toh? ", Zaviyar's gaze turned cold.
Zaviyar looked at him for a long moment.
Zaviyar's gaze turned cold. He stared at Wajahat for a long moment, his jaw tightening. Wajahat held his gaze for a few seconds before his eyes flickered towards the staircase.
And then, almost instantly, his entire demeanour changed. The smugness disappeared, and hus shoulders slumped, his expression softened.
When he spoke again, his voice carried nothing but wounded concern.
"Tumhe pata hai, Zaviyar..." he began, deliberately lowering his voice, "main sirf uski fikr kar raha tha. Safiya meri beti hai. Agar mujhe lagega ki woh tumhare saath mehfooz nahi hai, toh kya main chup reh sakta hoon?", Zaviyar's eyes narrowed.
Wajahat knew exactly what he was doing. He was no longer speaking to him. He was performing for the person approaching behind him.
"Main maanta hoon meri galtiyan hain," Wajahat continued, his voice heavy with remorse.
"Lekin agar ek baap apni beti ke liye do lafz bol de, toh kya woh galat hai?"
, Zaviyar slowly turned his head. Safiya was standing a few steps away.
She had heard enough. Her eyes moved from Wajahat's suddenly softened expression to Zaviyar's clenched jaw.
She didn't need an explanation. The change had been too sudden. Safiya's eyes narrowed slightly.
Wajahat immediately looked towards her, letting out a quiet sigh as though he had been the one cornered.
Before Wajahat could answer, Safiya approached them.
"Mein jaanta hon tum mujhse gussa ho, beta. Par meri majboori samjho...", Wajahat said, patting Safiya's head.
( I know you are angry but understand... I'm compelled to... )
Without saying a word, she stepped beside Zaviyar, her presence immediately silencing whatever remained of the conversation. Wajahat's eyes softened the moment they fell upon his daughter.
"Safiya..."
She didn't answer. Instead, she quietly reached for Zaviyar's hand and intertwined their fingers, making her choice without needing to explain it.
Wajahat's gaze dropped to their joined hands before slowly lifting towards Zaviyar. The resentment was still there, buried beneath years of anger and hurt, but so was something else, the silent warning of a father entrusting his daughter to the man standing before him.
"Uska haath pakda hai," Wajahat said quietly. "Toh kabhi chhodna mat."
(You've taken her hand, so never let it go.)
Zaviyar's gaze remained fixed on Safiya.
"Chhodne ka iraada hota," he replied calmly, tightening his grip. "toh pakadta hi nahi."
(If I ever intended to let go, I wouldn't have held it in the first place.)
Wajahat said nothing. Perhaps there was nothing left to say.
Safiya finally turned towards her parents. Her gaze lingered on them for a moment before she quietly said, "Aap sabko apne jaisa samajhte hain, Baba."
(You think everyone is like you, Father.)
Then, before the emotions gathering in her eyes could betray her, she lowered her gaze.
"Allah Hafiz." ,bHer voice was unusually quiet.
She turned and walked towards the car without waiting for anyone to stop her. She opened the passenger door, slipped inside, and closed it behind her. She never looked back.
Rabiya frowned as she watched the car, her eyes following it even before the engine had started. Something about Safiya's silence unsettled her.
"She didn't turn around..." she whispered. Wajahat looked towards the empty road. He had noticed it too.
" Did we truly make the better decision? ", rabiya asked, her eyes fixated on the gates.
" Yes! If acting and making her stay away from us is the only way to keep her safe then it's for the best. Let her see the side of us which she will hate, so that she herself feels repulsed enough to stay with us. ", He muttered before going back inside.
Every time Safiya had left this house, she had always turned around.
As a little girl leaving for school, she would wave until the car disappeared.
As a college student, she would walk halfway down the driveway before turning back with that familiar smile.
Even after her going to different cities for work, whenever she visited, she would still look over her shoulder before leavin.
Sometimes running back into her mother's arms for one last hug, sometimes simply standing there for a few seconds, smiling as though she could never quite bring herself to leave.
But today, she had hugged her mother, said goodbye to her father and walked away without even a glance behind her. The car slowly disappeared down the road.
Rabiya continued staring long after it was gone, her fingers tightening around the edge of her dupatta.
"I don't know why..." she whispered, her voice breaking. "But it felt...", She swallowed hard.
"...like she wasn't saying goodbye for today." Her eyes remained fixed on the road.
"It felt like she was saying goodbye to this house.", Wajahat remained silent.
The words struck him harder than Rabiya could have known, because somewhere deep inside, he had felt the same thing.