Salaam readers,

Phew.

It has come to an end and I'm unable to express my emotions. It has been a wonderful journey with awesome readers. Thank you so much.

I feel so emotional.

This chapter is so very close to my heart as I have exposed a part of my soul in it and a real-life experience has been sprinkled into it.

I hope to see all my readers in my next novel and there will be some of these characters in my other book too.

Fee amanillah <3

The bright sunlight poured across the interior of the house adding a touch of orange as the soft rays weaved their path through the huge bungalow.

The colourful flowers of the garden played with the morning breeze and small drops of honeydew danced on the leaves.

I marvelled at the sight in front of me and bent to inhale the scent of fresh blossoms of tiny red roses.

Almost a year had passed.

It was time for new hopes.

A new beginning...

For the past three months, it had been just the two of us, without any worse scenarios to spoil the serenity. We had developed a new stronger bond as the days had passed, there was only tenderness and rekindling of passion and desire.

But most importantly there was always that interminable understanding that I had needed during those early days.

I shuddered as I thought about that dreadful night, they had taken me to the hospital in no time, sirens blazing and light flashing all through the journey.

Aahil had been beside me, his strong hand holding mine and repeating the mantra over and over again that everything was going to be alright.

Only it wasn't.

Emotion squeezed out from between my closed lids as I blinked back the memory.

The next few weeks had been the hardest battle of my entire life, but Aahil's unflinching love and support had kept me going.

Initially, he had blamed himself for what had happened, as he considered that he had failed miserably in protecting me. But, the doctors had assured us that it would have happened anyway, that there had been other factors involved which would have prevented me from carrying my baby to its full term.

Sunlight spilt across the floor as I opened the door to the nursery. I had been here for long spells at a time in the past few months, cuddling the soft tiny toys, fingering the small delicate baby clothes and the bedding in the unused cot.

Everyone had been very sympathetic towards me and though I was glad to have them around, I had chosen to stay away during the initial months.

But now it was time to put the past aside and bury the traumatic memories forever.

'Well, honeybunch...Are you ready?'

I turned around swiftly as Aahil came up behind me. He was casually dressed in a dark padded jacket and jeans, waiting for me, a discerning movement of his lips, as he noted where my interest lay, he shook his head and assured me that he understood.

But did he? Could a man ever really know a mother's fierce love for her baby that I had almost lost in the initial weeks, and then my hopes had rekindled when they had assured me that the baby would be fine as long as I took complete rest, and relentlessly I agreed to their every command, had obeyed to every rule set by the doctor's, taking every possible precaution to avoid further risks to the precious life of my little one ---- anguish filled me as I thought about the desperation that had filled me when it had all started to go wrong and the hollow that filled me when the baby couldn't make it to the full term.

I had been only stepped into the seventh month...

There were lines permanently etched around his eyes that hadn't been there last season, and now, as I noticed the tension in those otherwise strong features, I thought, of course, he did!

_______

There was lotus everywhere as we set out on our journey from the villa towards the city. Small, bright heads of flowers flecking verges and banks with white and pink.

Bright yellow sunflowers filled alongside russet beds of wildflowers.

The hill looked green and shiny and rose to reach the clear blue sky above the town, young calves gambolled beside the calmer, sedate figure of their mothers.

The whole world, it seemed, was drunk with a new life.

'How are you feeling?'

I glanced across the car to catch Aahil's warm, sagacious smile.

'Nervous,' I admitted, knowing that my hair pulled pack and covered in hijab, exposing my face to him, I couldn't pretend anything else. 'You?'

His lips moved inexpressively wry gesture, but he didn't say anything.

He was the most self-confident man I had ever seen. He gave television interviews, submitted various research papers to international conferences, conducted executive-level meetings, dealt with a lot of important people. Yet, I realised, he was feeling jittery this morning.

'Will everything be alright?' I asked much later as we were nearing our destination.

He laughed affectionately at my over-anxious question and glanced at my hands that were moving nervously in my lap.

'Our parents have already thrown a party in the evening in honour of your success and Ali has decided to ask Haania's hand in marriage.'

I gasped at the information and closed my mouth with my hands. 'Now did he?'

Aahil nodded his head with a wicked grin.

'I'm so happy for Haania. I knew that she had feelings for Ali, but with so much on my mind I couldn't afford to help her.' I replied grimly.

'Oh, darling, never mind. It is wonderful that they themselves have realised that they love each other.' He gave me a lazy, appreciative smile, which in spite of the importance of the day, sent a throb of familiar excitement through my veins.

'Are we there yet?' I questioned nervously.

'Yes, we are almost there. It's a matter of a few minutes.'

I let out a deep breath. 'Are Safwan and Rushda attending the party too?'

'Of course, they are.' He gently patted my shivering hands.

As Rushda had been kidnapped and had faced extreme torture, she had lost her sanity. She had been put through counselling to get her self-esteem back, it had been a terrible journey for her but she had been able to carry it out because of her husband's determined love and support.

Yes, Safwan had proved to be a perfect husband. All those months he had stayed away from her in hopes of solving the mystery as he had complete faith that Uncle Haroon had been innocent.

Isaac and Safwan had tried their best to gather clues against Dilshad. Mrs Mariam had helped them in their endeavour, but when they had finally confided it to Aahil, it had been too late and I was already taken captive.

But, as they say, all is well that ends well.

The most wondrous part was that Detective Hamilton was involved in solving this case even before dad's murder and that was the reason Uncle Haroon fled when he spotted him. Hamilton had joined Rizwan Farooqui in attempts of gathering information but unfortunately, he didn't come across any strong evidence, on the basis of which he could arrest Rizwan.

He believed that he wouldn't have been able to rescue us if Dilshad hadn't confided to him during the crucial hours.

Dilshad had tried to contact Aahil and Lissa a number of times but both had avoided communicating to him.

On numerous occasions I had asked Aahil to forgive him, to which he had simply replied that he would forgive him the day Lissa would be able to let go of the past and make a new start.

The loud sound of the engine dying brought me back to reality and I smiled as I took in my surroundings.

'Don't worry,' he advised softly, and then with a teasing light in his eyes murmured, 'You are going to pass the interview with flying colours.'

'I have already got the job.' I replied quietly.

'And you are going to handle it as only you can.' He reassured me in a gentle, understanding voice as we got down from the BMW in the parking lot and made our way towards the modern red-brick building.

'Just one thing ----' A restraining hand on my shoulder made me stop in my tracks.

He went back to his car and retrieved something from the glove department.

A ring! I realised when he opened the little box.

'What's this for?' I questioned as I gazed mesmerized at the shining circle of diamonds which surrounded the deep blue sapphire.

He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead before he lifted my hand and slipped the ring onto a finger, making excitement course through me.

'That's just to say, I LOVE YOU.' He whispered, bringing emotions surging through me as he dipped his head to press his lips to the finger he had just adorned.

'Aahil ---' I closed my eyes as tears of happiness slipped through my eyes.

I felt his lips brush the tip of my nose. 'Now go in there.' He murmured with a lift of his chin towards the building. 'A new and wonderful journey awaits you.'

_____________

I almost ran along the clean, scrubbed corridor, hurrying ahead of him though I knew he was right behind me.

He would always beside me, I thought joyfully. Controlling my nerves at the sight of the familiar pair of doors and wetting my dry lips.

The door opened a few seconds later by a woman whom I recognised and I smiled at her, which she fully returned.

In the past few months, this woman had turned into my best friend, with whom I had shared all my fears and anxieties. She had been very supportive and helped me through the difficult times when I thought that I couldn't handle the pressure anymore.

She hugged me before she went back to the room and I was glad that finally I wasn't invited to accompany her.

Satisfied, I waited for her to return.

She came a few beats later, holding my small bundle of joy in her arms.

He had weighed less than two pounds when he had been delivered by Cesarean section that awful night. The emergency delivery had been insisted by the doctor's as it had to be done for my sake as well as the baby.

When I had gone through the operation, I had fervently prayed for the baby's safety and had been restless the whole time, asking them repeatedly if the baby was fine.

It had seemed like an eternity before they had told me, though it might have been a matter of minutes------- or just a few heartbeats the whole world had seemed to hang in the balance before someone had assured me that my son was alive.

I had mumbled Alhamdulillah several numbers of times.

But, I didn't have the privilege to touch him or even glance at him, as they had rushed him to the NICU.

They had put a tube in his nose to shoot that first, life-giving puff into his tiny lungs to start him breathing. And from then on he had done it all by himself, although technology and most importantly Allah's mercy had been there to assist him through the long, worrying period in an incubator.

I had come day after day, hour after hour, to just stand there and gaze at his innocent sleeping form, unable to lift him in my hands or take him away with me.

The heart-wrenching pain had only increased with each passing day, as the doctor's had kept saying that his condition was deteriorating. But, Allah had been very kind to all of us.

I smiled down at his small lovely face as I pressed him to my heart, sending a thousand prayers of thanks to my Lord.

Amazingly, he had stopped crying as soon as I had taken him into my arms and was now making small contented noises.

'Thank you,' I looked up with appreciative eyes, smiling at her, 'Thank you for everything.'

The woman, an understanding grandmother and in her fifties, touched my hand. 'You did your part too---the both of you. The dynamism of the baby's father is something that has made the whole hospital envy you. Supporting the little one and putting all those positive vibes to help him on his way.' She laughed softly, 'As for you Aleena if you hadn't been here every few hours, providing for us all those nourishing milk to freeze....'

I just shrugged my shoulders and gave her a side hug.

'Don't worry about his size. He may not be the size of a three-month-old but believe me he will have caught up by his first or second birthday, they usually do.'

She walked with me to the end of the corridor until she spotted my huge family waiting for the glimpse of their small prince.

'Bye, Asad.' The nurse crooned, as she bent to peck gently on his head.

Both my mom and Aahil's reached out simultaneously for the baby and I laughed out loud at their enthusiasm to take up the role of a grandmother.

Everyone was excited about their turn and when Haania bumped into Ali in her haste to hold little Asad, she turned bright crimson, making Ali rush outside the room in mortification, leaving everyone laughing at the encounter.

It was a joy to see Rushda laughing hard as safwan whispered something in her ears. Her laughter reached her eyes and they sparkled like diamonds, as she gazed at her husband lovingly.

Uncle Haroon took Asad from dad's hands and as he passed the baby to the next person, he began wailing at top of his lungs.

'He has got quite a pair of lungs on him,' Isaac remarked with an amused smile and gave him to Noor.

'Bro, learn the skills before you get married,' Noor teased Isaac.

Isaac was getting married next month to Sameera Fiza Ahmed and was way more excited than necessary. She was Aahil's cousin whom he had met during a family gathering and had instantly turned cold feet. Her lovely face and soft manners had turned him into a romantic hero, who had outright proposed her and had turned lucky when she had shown him green card a few months later.

'And, quite a pair of a temper too.' Habeeba grinned as she gently took Asad into her arms.

'In that case, he takes after his father.' I giggled and caught the laughing challenge as I looked up into Aahil's mesmerizing eyes.

The scar above his eyes was slowly fading day by day, like the emotional scars of my past.

'You better believe it.' Aahil drawled, his remark sending warmth through my body.

The most self-confident person I knew him to be would even accept negative shortcomings now, just to hear people say that his son was like him.

That is fatherhood!

My smile held a hint of wry indulgence, 'You are hopeless, Aahil Hussain!'

'Yes, without my honeydew, I am.' He agreed seriously. 'And it's because you are a beautiful fairy who has the power to make every moment enchanting and magical.'

'I love you so much.' I murmured against his chest as his hands slid around my waist, holding me close with a tenderness that cherished me beyond anything else.

'I love you too, darling.' He whispered, as he bent down to kiss Asad and my heart and mind soared in perfect harmony.

THE END.