A little life, A little wish & A little heartbreak.

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▪︎ London, 2021.

She was walking on the roadside, her body was freezing, the cold winds slapping her face now and then. Her skin was getting red, the blood was all rushing to her cheeks. Her eyes were ready to kill anybody that came in her way.....and maybe she was going to Kill someone, if not with eyes then maybe with her words.

"Ana."

She stopped walking, when she heard him.

'him not again!' thinking she rolled her eyes and started walking again.

"Ana. Ana. Please stop listen."

She stopped in her tracks, because he was standing infront of her. His muscles were visible in thin white T-shirt, his jaw was clenched and she knew why. His emerald eyes fixed on her with a longing,messy blonde hairs were touching his forehead. She had to avert her eyes from his face. He was truly a Greek God in every way.

"Ana..."

"Firstly its Anah not Ana, lastly move out of my way."

Anah gritted her teeth in frustration when he didn't moved out of her way, instead focused his gaze slowly on her cheeks, which were red partially due to anger and the cold weather.

"Anah i just wanted to talk with you. I'm sorry.....

"I don't need your sorry Daniel. Move out of my way."

Anah cut him off again, when he didn't move an inch. She walked past him and he grabbed her elbow unintentionally. He left her elbow as soon as he realised what he had done in ignorance.

"I'm sorry Anah."

"Why don't you get it Daniel, I'm not interested in you."

Anah was facing him, her eyes were blazing with fire.

"But why Anah?"

Daniel's radiant face was now telling a story of one sided love. Ah! This one sided love, firstly rips your self respect apart and slowly starts to poison your inner peace. He was going through the same process.

"I've told you this a thousand times in the past three years. I'm not interested in you. Now never show me your face again."

Anah started walking again, her head was heavy.

"Anah please."

"I love you Anah. I can't stop thinking about you. Please don't do this to me."

Daniel's voice was breaking, he was on the verge of crying. But Anah just rolled her eyes, she was really a cold stone hearted person.

"Daniel the only reason why, I'm hearing your bullshit is that you were my childhood friend. And then you ruined it all........." She paused for a second taking a deep breath, "I'm not the right one Daniel, stop going after me."

Daniel bite his lower lip, he was thinking about something and said, "I will stop going after you, just tell me why are you doing this to me?"

Anah inhaled, her eyes that went a little calm seeing his broken plea, are now gleaming with bitterness.

"You know you're not the kind of person, i will ever like ever accept in my life as a Husband. Firstly you're not Muslim, you're not rich, you don't know who your father is and lastly you eat pork. Ewww. I hope you got your answers now and i hope I'll never see your face again."

Daniel was standing froze in his place, he never thought that the girl who taught him Kindness, will broke his heart like this. He saw Anah's retreating back, her Hijab was crowning her head and he saw her walking out of his life, breaking his heart and self respect into million little pieces. That time she was anything but not the Anah he fall in love with unknowingly. Sweet, soft spoken and Kind, Anah. His Ana.

***

Anah was looking at the pandora box in her hands. She was afraid and nervous, she had stole it from her Father's room. And All she could think about, what was inside it? That her baba hides it from her, but Always looks opens it before sleeping and cry lonely.

Anah was ten when she saw her father crying for the first time, holding the pandora box close to his heart and now she was a twenty one year old, young lady, still witnessing the ritual. But something went wrong when her father stopped doing it and for the whole week she was getting impatient, in her recklessness she didn't realised she had broken someone's heart with her cruel words. But what she didn't realised is that her words will comeback to her in a way, she'll be wanting to hide but there's nothing left for her.

Anah opened the pandora box that lead her into the past........

▪︎ Indore, October 1995.

"Qubool Hai."

"Qubool Hai."

"Qubool Hai."

A sixteen year, timid and terrified voice, echoed in the room and everyone's smiled brightly.

"Mai sadqay vari meri jaan, saba mera maan rakhna bache."

Saba's now mother-in-law hugged her and kissed her cheeks affectionately. Meanwhile Saba was sitting horrified, she had just came home from school and her Bua (caretaker) told her that everyone was waiting for her in the Baithak, for her nikkah. At first she thought she heard something wrong, but the expression on Bua's face was saying the samething. She was just sitting their silently, she knew she had to sign those papers.

Saba did signed those papers, but she was still trying to process that they had arranged her marriage with Zakariya Islam. Hafiz Zakariya Islam was now her husband, the man who was ten years her senior and always scolds her. She still remember how yesterday, Zakariya made an issue of her applying Nail polish, that day her Taya Abbu (Zakariya's father) shouted at her for the first time. And now they were punishing her like this, by marrying her to the beast.

A lone tear fell from Saba's eyes and she shooked her in disappointment. She was cursing her friend who had given her that nail polish and weeping silently on her cruel Fate.

"Ammi where is Saba's bag?"

Saba's little bubble of thought broke, when she heard Zakariya's voice and her name.

"Zakariya atleast give me a moment, i will tell her...."

"Ammi please bring her bags."

Saba was just looking at them, mouth opened and eyes trying to figure out the whole scenario.

Zakariya sat beside Saba on the sofa and waved her palm infront of her, bringing back her to reality. Saba looked at him and her breathe hitched in fear.

"Don't worry Saba, everything's fine. We are going to Delhi. Come on get up and go change your clothes."

Saba nodded her head like a robot and walked towards her room. All the way thinking what is happening? Firstly Her Nikah and then Delhi.....Delhi, where Zakariya Islam lives, Alone.

Saba's eyes widened with horror and she felt as if someone has thrown a bucket of cold water on her. She was going to be all alone with Zakariya Islam....alone.

"Saba."

Zakariya was standing behind her, she can feel his warm breathe on her neck. Droplets of sweat formed on her forehead and she turned around shivering. Seeing her shiver, Zakariya's jaw clenched, holding her by shoulder blades he looked deeply into her eyes and said, "I will always protect you Saba. I will always be there for you. My sweet little Saba."

Saba nodded her head and ran into her room locking the door, she placed a hand on her heart which was beating so fast, her feelings were changing and she was unaware of this beginning of sad, beautiful, tragic love.

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Note: do let me know your views on Saba and Anah.

I'm away from Wattpad, because i couldn't write anything accept Anah. The time i heard this story, i wanted to write it. And here it is. I hope this will touch your heart.