HELLO! So this is the last part, do let me know what you think. And thank you for all the comments guys! :)
Part 3
I didn't see
much of Aahil after the day I told him that we should distance ourselves; he
got a job at the cafe around the corner from my building. He was apparently
there one day and the really old owner was having troubles with his balance
sheets and financial statements, which his wife used to handle before she got
sick. Aahil found out another thing about himself that day, he was
exceptionally good at anything business related. The old man, Mr. Johnson,
hired Aahil on the spot and agreed to pay him in cash since he didn't really
have any identity cards or anything. I cleared it with the police though and
they were fine with it since they still hadn't traced him even months later.
Aahil and I were
like passing ships in the night, seeing each other for just a few minutes
everyday rather than spending every minute we could together like we did before.
And I missed him, a lot. I missed going to the gym downstairs with him whenever
I felt like it. I missed watching him get all sweaty while he ran, watching his
muscles flex as he did his reps but more than that I missed the banter and the
teasing. I missed watching random movies with him and cooking together in the
kitchen. I missed sitting down with him at the end of the day while he told me
something he remembered about himself. I missed the smiles he always threw at
me for no reason. I missed curling up next to him on the couch and reading.
But I told
myself it was better this way. Aahil made more friends at his job, everyone
absolutely adored him and I was glad that he got to interact with people
outside of me. A small part of me thought that he only had feelings for me
since I was the only person in his life, and I was glad that he now had others
in his life so he could sort out his real feelings for me. Maybe it would be
easier if he realized that he didn't love me, he would stop looking at me like
he does with those big soulful eyes of his. It was the hardest thing in the
world to not hug him when he looked at me like that; I wanted that my whole
life, for someone to look at me like dad looked at mom. But I couldn't even do
anything about it now that it actually happened.
I stared at the
ceiling of my living room as I lay there on the couch, it was already 11pm, he
usually came home around 9, but he wasn't here yet and it was bothering me. I
had half the mind to run down to the cafe and see if he was okay but I waited,
my mind running a mile per minute. I wondered why I couldn't have met him
before his accident, so we both knew what the reality was. I wanted to know why
it felt as if we were meant to be together, why this unspoken feeling lingered
between us all the time even though we tried to ignore it. He was struggling
with it just as much as I was. I caught him looking at me with that pained look
in his eyes, probably reflecting my own. I saw him clench his fists and pull
back when his hands automatically come towards me.
I fell asleep
with those thoughts, I don't know how long I was asleep for but I was awoken by
his arms picking me up. I should have opened my eyes and let him know that I
was awake but I wanted to stay in his arms for just a little bit longer, just
this once, so I cuddled into him as he walked up the stairs and towards my
room. His mind-boggling scent surrounded me and took over my senses, and I felt
like I could breathe again.
I hope he didn't
hear my heart beating out of my chest when he put me down on the bed, he was
completely over me, his face so close to mine when he leaned down to put me on
the bed that I could smell his breath, his favourite apple cinnamon pie and
coffee. He pulled the covers over me and I thought he would leave but I felt
him sit on the side of the bed on the floor.
I held my breath
as his hand reached out and brushed my hair away from my face, before his fingers
caressed my cheek. "I miss you." He whispered, his voice sounding
broken. "I love you Sanam, and I wish I could tell you that I only love
you because that's what it feels like in my heart but I don't know. I don't
know if there is someone out there who's waiting for me. And even if there is
someone I don't know how I'll deal with it because I feel like my heart belongs
to you." He whispered quietly, the tears evident in his voice. "I
miss talking to you and telling you about my day, I hate the fact that I am the
reason behind your sadness, I wish I just remembered something so I could do
something about it. I keep thinking that I should move out but my heart doesn't
agree with me, I don't want to leave, even though I should."
I felt him get
up off the floor after a while, he placed a kiss on my forehead before walking
out of the room and I let my tears fall, they didn't stop for a long time.
X-X-X-X
"Seher?"
I said shocked as I opened the door the next morning.
"Awww
Sanam." Seher whispered as soon as she saw me, her arms wrapping around
me. I was sure my eyes were bloodshot and I looked horrible, I didn't get much
sleep last night.
"Did dad
send you to keep a look out?"
"Mom did,
she knows you are going through a lot right now. And I missed my sister, I
couldn't not come after I heard your sad voice." She mumbled hugging me
tighter.
"I love
him." I whispered out loud for the first time.
"I know
Sanam." She said pulling away and wiping away my tears. "Now go take
a shower and make yourself look as beautiful as me." She said motioning
towards herself making me giggle. I was glad she was here, Seher had a special
talent, she could make just about anyone smile.
She was whipping
up pancakes when I came back, it was one of the only foods Seher could make,
she only learnt to make them because she loved them so much and mom refused to
make them everyday.
"Pancakes
for my favourite sister." Seher piped up as I walked into the kitchen.
"I am your
only sister." I laughed as she drizzled chocolate syrup on them, just the
way I liked it.
"Don't hate
appreciate sistaaa!" Seher laughed as Aahil's door opened behind her. He
was bathed and dressed for work, looking as gorgeous as he always did. I gave
him a small smile as he walked towards us.
"Aahil,
meet Seher. Seher, this is Aahil." I said introducing them.
"Hey."
Aahil smiled at her.
"Well hello
there! I've heard a lot about you, it's nice to finally meet you too."
"Oh, I've
heard a lot about you too." Aahil smiled looking towards me.
"What have
you been telling him sister dearest?" Seher asked me, arching her eyebrow
as I stuffed my face with pancakes so I didn't have to talk.
"Oh, just
the usual. How you are the messy twin and in love with fictional men." Aahil
teased.
"Ah, that
sounds about right dude. Want pancakes?" She asked.
Aahil looked
towards me, we hadn't really had breakfast or any other meal together in weeks.
"They are
really good. It's the only thing she can cook." I said to him, because I
wanted him to stay. I didn't want him to leave, I had obviously made him feel
like he needed to leave for him to consider doing so, maybe he wouldn't think
of it again if I tried to be his friend, just a friend, again.
He came to sit
beside me and my treacherous heart sped up with his proximity. Seher served him
pancakes with a huge smile on her face as she looked between the two of us.
"Wow, these
are actually good!" Aahil said as he took a bite.
"Why do you
sound so surprised?" Seher asked.
"Sanam told
me you burn just about everything." Aahil said sheepishly.
"How
rudeee!" Seher fake-gasped.
"I only
speak the truth." I laughed.
"I think we
decided early on that she would be the one who would cook between the two
us." Seher explained. "Has she told you that she won cooking
competitions back in Bhopal?"
"Bhopal."
Aahil murmured. "You never mentioned Bhopal." He said looking at me.
"We moved
to Delhi when we were pretty young, we have family there though." I
explained looking at the pensive look on his face.
"The name
seems really familiar, like I've said it hundreds of time." Aahil
murmured.
"Do you
remember anything of the city?" I asked suddenly intrigued.
"Uh, there
is this huge masjid by a lake..."
Seher's eyes met
mine with shock.
"I guess we
have another place to look now." I smiled at him reassuringly as he
nodded, a genuine smile grazing his face for the first time in weeks, and my
treacherous heart skipped a beat again because he gave me that look.
X-X-X-X
"AAHIL!"
Seher and I yelled walking in the door later that week. He jumped up from the
couch, his eyes wide, he was half asleep, his eyes hooded and his hair all over
the place. He looked so adorably lost that I wanted to hug him, but I had more
important things to take care of at that moment.
"What
happened?"
"Give me
your watch!" I said.
"What?"
He asked with an adorable confused look.
"Allah
Miyah! Explain this to him first Sanam." Seher said taking the watch off
his wrist.
"We were at
the mall, and there was a display of watches and I saw one like this. The store
manager caught me eyeing it and said that it's a limited edition, there is only
ten in the world. And I asked him if they would have a list of people who owned
the watches and he was annoyed at first but then I explained your predicament.
He gave us access to a website that keeps track of the Rolex limited editions
and where they were sold and to whom. So we just need to find your name on the
list and we'll find your last name!" I said quickly, I was beyond
ecstatic, after months of dead ends this seemed like a jackpot.
"For
real?" Aahil whispered shocked as I nodded pulling him into a hug and
jumping up and down. He froze for a second, and then I realized what I was
doing and I stepped away, blushing. He gave me a small smile and squeezed my
hand.
"Uhm, guys.
His name is not on here." Seher said.
"Maybe his
name isn't Aahil...or the watch was a present." I said.
"Seher can
you read all the names off the list and I'll see if they sound familiar." Aahil
said.
"Okay. Eric
Clapton, Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Zayed Al Nayhan, Rehan Imran
Qureshi-"
"Stop."
Aahil said.
"Rehan
Imran Qureshi?" I asked as Aahil stood there.
"I know
that name, Rehan. I know it."
"Is it your
name?" I asked but he shook his head.
"No, I see
another face, it's blurry but it has to be him." Aahil whispered.
"Okay,
finding Mr. Rehan Imran Qureshi then." Seher mumbled running a Google
search on him.
"Shit,
there are so many of them." She said as she scrolled down the screen.
"Try Rehan
Imran Qureshi, Bhopal." I suggested and Seher nodded.
"There is
nothing here except one article that mentions him signing a deal with another
company. There is no contact info for either though." Seher sighed sadly.
"Does the
website state where the watch was bought?" I asked.
"I can find
out." She said before typing and clicking things. "It was sold in
England, I have the number."
"Call."
I said and she nodded, Aahil sat on the sofa looking scared. I sat beside him
and squeezed his hand as Seher went off on the phone. The conversation started off
normally but her voice seemed to get louder and louder as Aahil and I sat
there.
"It'll be
okay. This is a huge clue." I whispered to him.
"I am
scared." He whispered. "What if I am not who I thought I am? What if
there is someone out there waiting for me? I don't- I can't leave you." He
whispered.
"It's a
bridge we'll cross when we get there."
"Stupid
idiots! They won't tell me anything!" Seher screamed hanging up the phone.
x-x-x
"You do
realize that there is the chance that we may never find where he came from, he
may not get his memory back at all. How can you push each other away with just
a what if?" Seher asked me later that night.
"Statistically
speaking he should get his memory back as his brain heals."
"You
yourself said his case is weird because he remembers his first name and nothing
else." Seher pointed out.
"But what
if we're together and then one day he realizes he has a wife and kids out
there. What if forgets this period of his life when he gets his memory back.
What are we going to do then Seher? It's wrong for us to be
together."
"That
doesn't change the fact that he loves you. Sanam, he looks at you like dad
looks at mom, he is in love with you,
like the real deal."
"It changes
a lot of things Seher, I don't want to talk about it."
"Knock
knock." Aahil said sticking his head out the door to the terrace. "I
bought chocolate cake for the Ahmed Khan siblings." He smiled.
"OMG I LOVE
YOU." Seher said running past him and into the house.
"She must
really like chocolate cake." Aahil said his eyes wide.
"Oh, you
have no idea." I smiled.
X-X-X-X
"Hey Sanam!
GET HOME ASAP THERE IS A GUY HERE SAYING HE KNOWS AAHIL! Bring Aahil with
you!" Seher screamed into the phone as soon as I picked up.
"Oh my god!
I'll be right there!" I said glad that my shift was over. I don't think I
ever walked as fast as I did that day, and that too without falling in the
slippery snow. I felt conflicted as I ran, I was happy that Aahil's identity
would be known, but I was scared because I didn't know what that would mean for
us. He would be excited though, I know how much pain his lack of identity
caused him.
I all but ran into the nearly empty caf
taking everyone by shock, I froze by the door when I saw him.
"Sanam, are
you okay?" Aahil asked, wide-eyed from behind the counter as he caught
sight of me.
"There is
someone looking for you." I said, my voice sounding out of breath.
"Let's go."
His eyes widened
and he stood there for a second before yelling goodbye to the owner and
grabbing his jacket. He didn't walk as fast as I had though, he almost dragged
his feet as we walked the small distance between the cafe and my building.
"I am
scared." He whispered. I didn't know what to say to him, I was scared too,
so I grabbed his hand and squeezed it with before entangling my cold fingers
with his.
"It'll be
okay." I whispered.
We didn't say a
word to each other as the elevator slowly rose to the top floor, my stomach was
sinking with every floor and Aahil was fidgeting with his jacket zipper
nervously. He took a deep breath before I opened the door.
"AAHIL
BHAI!" A relieved voice came and all of a sudden a man was flying across
the room and had his arms wrapped around a shocked Aahil. "Thank god
you're all right." The man whispered.
"R-Rehan?"
Aahil whispered sounding confused.
"I thought
he didn't remember anything." Rehan said pulling away from Aahil and
sending a glare Seher's way.
"He
doesn't, it's called post-traumatic dissociative amnesia, he remembers his
first name and other little things. The other day he said that your name seems
familiar and that Bhopal was familiar to him." I said to him, I didn't
miss the accusing looks he was sending our way. He nodded but hovered over
Aahil protectively and it pissed me off. Where the hell was he for all these
months if he cared about Aahil so much? Where was he when Aahil cried because
he couldn't remember a thing about his past?
I stepped
between the two of them and looked at Aahil. "Do you recognize him?"
I asked Aahil who nodded. "Do you remember how he is related to you?"
I asked but Aahil shook his head. "Do you trust him?" I asked.
"What do
you mean-" Rehan started.
"Shut
up." Seher said to him, he had clearly done something to piss her off
before we got there.
"Aahil, do
you trust him?" I asked again. Aahil took a long look at Rehan before he
nodded. "Okay." I said before turning to Rehan.
"Who are
you and how are you related to him?" I asked Rehan who looked taken back.
"I am his
cousin." He replied.
"And where
the hell were you for all these months? Why did we have to try to find
information about you to get you to come here?" I asked.
"I was
looking! Just in the wrong place, he was supposed to be on a business trip to
Belgium, I don't know why he is in New York." Rehan said and his voice was
firm, but the desperation in his voice evident.
"He was
beat and left to die in an alley, there was no one by the name of Aahil checked
into any New York hotels, there were no flight details for him, nothing.
Someone took his wallet and any means of identification from him. I am no
detective but it's pretty clear that someone was out to get him and I don't
know who-"
"His step
mother." Rehan sighed.
"Step
mother?" Aahil asked confused.
"Begum
Sahiba." Rehan said as I looked up at Aahil, his face scrunched up in
confusion.
"Do you
have a picture, I see someone but I can't quite..." Aahil trailed off as
Rehan took out his phone and swiped across the screen a few times before
handing it to Aahil. There was an elegant woman draped in a beautiful saree,
but the look on her face was malicious.
"Ammi."
Aahil whispered as Rehan nodded.
"Why would
she do that to her own son?" I whispered.
"He's the
Nawab of Bhopal, one of the richest men in all of India, she wanted his
money."
"Wanted?"
"I found
Aahil's passport and wallet with her, that's when I first got suspicious so I
hired a private investigator, let's just say he found enough evidence to have
her convicted for life."
"And you've
been looking for him all this time? Why wasn't it all over the news?"
Something wasn't right here, if Aahil was the Nawab of Bhopal there had to be
news out about him.
"It was.
All over European news channels." Rehan said exasperated, the desperation
in his voice and his eyes told me that he wasn't lying. He looked horrible,
like he hadn't slept in months.
"What's my
name?" Aahil asked Rehan.
"Aahil Raza
Ibrahim." Rehan said and I heard Aahil take a sharp breath in.
"ARI Group
of Companies." He whispered quietly. I looked towards Rehan who was
nodding.
"Aahil Raza
Ibrahim, the Nawab of Bhopal. Allah
Miyah, who could forget that they are a Nawab?" Seher teased poking
Aahil's stomach and a small smile graced his face.
"Rehan, I
am not- am I married?" Aahil whispered looking at Rehan and I felt my
breath hitch in my throat as I awaited the response that could break me.
"No."
Rehan said.
"Engaged? A
girlfriend?"
"You were
engaged." He said and I felt the air rush out of me.
"Were?"
Aahil asked the question ringing through my head.
"It was
arranged by Begum Sahiba for a merger of companies more than anything, her dad
got her married to someone else when you disappeared."
"Did I love
her?" Aahil asked.
"You couldn't
stand her. You don't believe in love." Rehan said.
"I don't
believe in love?"
"Well,
Begum Sahiba made sure you didn't. She kept you drunk and poisoned your mind
against love. You believed that it made you weak." Rehan said.
I didn't know
what to make out of that as I looked up towards Aahil who was smiling down at
me. "Well, I guess that's one good thing that came out of this. I learnt
to believe in love." He whispered and I felt the first of my tears stream
down my face as he pulled me into a hug. And for the first time in months I
felt whole, I snuggled into his chest and took a deep breath as his arms
tightened around me.
"Uh, am I
missing something?" I heard Rehan whisper to Seher.
"Oh they've
been in love for months but they stayed away from each other just in case Aahil
was married and had kids, because they are very morally upright people. I mean
if it was me, we'd be having babies by now." Seher said causing Aahil to
laugh as I flushed.
"Do you not
have a filter?" Rehan asked Seher, sounding amazed.
"Not at
all. And I hate guys who accuse me of kidnapping men." She retorted, ah,
so that's what he did to piss her off.
"I am sorry
about that." Rehan said sheepishly.
"Eh, what
the hell, you're cute. I forgive you. Now let me show you the terrace and we
can give the lovebirds some privacy so they can finally get on with it."
She said pointing towards the terrace door.
"Your
sister is crazy." Aahil laughed as they disappeared.
"My whole
family is crazy."
"The good
kind, mine is a bit deranged apparently."
"I think
I'll make do as long as you are around."
"I love
you." He whispered.
"I
know." I smiled.
"Seriously,
that's your response? After all of that?" He groaned causing me to giggle.
"I love you
Aahil Raza Ibrahim." I said and the smile that grazed his face was
blinding.
"I've been
waiting to hear that for months." He whispered kissing my forehead.
"Sorry I
made you wait so long."
"As long as
you make it up to me." He said with a smile.
"And how
exactly do I do that?"
"Ummm,
let's start with a billion kisses and I'll decide the rest later."
"Maybe we
should work on the first one first." I said.
"Maybe we
should." He whispered leaning in closer, his lips an inch away from mine.
My heart was pounding and my skin felt like it was electric, maybe because I
was so happy or maybe because the man
I was in love with was going to kiss me for the first time.
I felt my breath hitch in my throat as his hands moved from my sides
to the small of my back before he pulled me closer to him, his arms still
wrapped around me. I felt my own hands grab the sides of his shirt as his eyes
flickered down to my lips before he started moving closer, and closer. My eyes
closed as his lips touched mine for the first time. And suddenly my hands were
moving around his neck as our lips moved, slowly at first, as if testing the
waters, soft caresses that managed to leave me breathless. He pulled back a
little, our noses touching and our breath mingling together. "I have wanted to
do that for so long." He whispered against my lips.
"That was my first kiss." I told him.
"Ever?"
"Ever."
"It's the first kiss I remember, so I can say it's my first too." He
smiled against my lips and then his hands started moving on my back and our lips
met again, they were still sweet caresses of his lips upon mine, and then our
lips moved faster against each other, almost frenzied and his hands cupped my
face lovingly and I felt the tear roll down my cheek. "Why are you crying?" He
whispered.
"I don't know, I am just happy. It's - these past few months have
been crazy, for me and especially you, and now it-, I am just happy that you're
mine."
"Am I?"
"Forever, I am going to keep you hostage, I kidnapped you from the
hospital remember?" I teased.
"Ah, yes, for my money."
"It worked out too, the Nawab of Bhopal." I teased.
"You know when we get married you'll be the Begum of Bhopal then." He
said and the tears started again amongst little giggles as he attacked me with
kisses.
X-X-X-X
"Holy shit! She sent me here and then I was kidnapped! I remember
now!" He yelled waking up from his sleep a few weeks later.
"What?" I murmured yawning.
"I remembered something." He said, I rubbed my eyes and lifted my
head off his chest and looked at him.
"Can't you remember things in the morning Aahil?"
"Sorry." He said sheepishly.
"Tell me what you remember." I said turning on the bedside lamp in
my room. I turned around and smiled at how cute he looked when we woke up. I
cuddled up next to him again as he spoke, we did this a lot these days, he
would suddenly remember things or have nightmares. "My mother had me kidnapped,
I remember how I got here! I remember checking into my hotel in Brussels and she
called to tell me that I needed to get to New York for the merger deal with
Nida's father - I was confused but I went, the flights for New York were
delayed for some reason and I flew to Toronto and then got driven here! No
wonder there was no records, I was going to go check into a hotel but then I
was hit in the head. I heard men talking
among the sounds of traffic for a few hours but whenever I would try to say
something I was hit again. They beat me and threw me into the alley, they took
everything though, they were supposed to kill me but the man said he couldn't
do it, so he just left me there. He said that no one would find in a city so
big."
"They were supposed to kill you?" I cried, and for the first time in
my life I thanked the guy who beat him and left him in the alley instead of
killing him.
"I don't know why she chose to bring me to New York or why that man
didn't kill me, but it's crazy when you think about the amount of events that
had to line up for you to find me
Sanam." He whispered.
"Like fate." I said realizing that even from that first day I had
felt something for him, something that made me not want to leave him alone.
X-X-X-X
"Ammi nooo!" I groaned mortified as she handed me the Victoria's
Secret bag.
"You're engaged, getting married in a week, just be happy I am not
giving you an awkward sex talk." Mom said.
"I am pretty sure she knows everything already." Seher murmured as I
threw a pillow across the room at her face.
"Ouch! I just meant since you are a doctor and all."
"I still don't understand how they resisted each other for so long."
Mom murmured.
"Mommm." I groaned yet again, it was akward discussing your sex life
with your mother, no matter how cool she was.
"Sanam, seriously, you two have been in love for so long, you've
been together for two years, living
together at that. Even your dad wouldn't be able to resist me if we were in
that situation, and he's Mr. Akdu Ahmed Khan."
"I wanted to wait until we got married and he agreed since it was
important to me." I explained. "And we wanted to wait until he got his memory
back before we got married."
"He's a good man." Mom smiled kissing my cheek. "I can't believe my
daughter is getting married."
"Allah Miyah, how come no one got this excited when I got married?"
Seher rolled her eyes.
"Because you and Rehan went to Vegas and got hitched." Mom glared at
her.
"Yeah, because he wouldn't have sex with me until we were married, I
didn't know what's wrong with him, I was practically begging for it and he
wouldn't touch me. I was sexually frustrated, and drunk, we got married, big
deal!" Seher said.
"Such a romantic story to tell the kids." I teased my sister
laughing. But I was happy for her; Rehan was good for her. He was calm and
grounded while she was eccentric and flighty. He looked at her like Dad looked
at Mom and that's all that mattered. They were so excited about their baby,
Seher was four months pregnant now.
"We'll tell them about your story and how Rehan and I met due to it.
Then we got married because we were so in love, which is all true." She winked.
X-X-X-X
"Aahil, you can't come in!" I whisper-yelled through the door.
"But I can't sleep without you." He said.
"You have to, we can't see each other before the wedding."
"Sanammm." He whined.
"Aahil, no, Badi Ammi is going to kill us." I said.
"But she's asleep."
"Aahil, no!"
"Fine, slide your fingers through the bottom of the door, I am
sleeping right here."
"Aahil!"
"Open the door, I won't look at you, it's so dark too. I'll just
hold you, but you know just as well as I do that I can't sleep without you by
my side." He said.
"Keep your eyes closed." I said as I opened the door, because I was
a pushover when it came to him. And the truth was that I couldn't sleep without
him either, not anymore.
"I love you." He murmured as I felt him navigate us towards my bed. He
pulled me down next to him and lay down so my back was against the front of his
body. "See, I didn't even look at you." He whispered.
"You better sneak out of here before anyone wakes up." I warned.
"Yes, Mrs. Sanam Aahil Raza Ibrahim." He whispered causing a huge
smile to break out on my face.
"I love you." I whispered.
"You better since we're getting married tomorrow, and having like
ten babies, we're going to need a lot of love to get through the ten babies."
He teased.
"Aahil!"
"Yes friend?" He teased.
"Shut up and go to sleep."
I guess it's obvious that they lived happily ever after! So that's it for this story, I feel like writing more SaHil stories, so I will probably be posting some over the course of the next few weeks. Probably just short ones with two or three parts. You can check out my other work on SaHil here. At this point I have more AsYa stories than SaHil, but I am thinking of evening out the difference, but if you love AsYa, give the other ones a read too? :)
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