chapter 2.

---

❝In the Weather of Love❞

Poem

When the sky turns pink with unspoken words,

And wind carries names we dare not say,

Hearts bloom in silence, like spring’s first rose,

Waiting... even when seasons drift away.

---

Ayesha’s POV

I parked the car and exhaled deeply. The day had drained me, and all I wanted was to bury myself in silence. Stepping into the house with my eyes fixed on my phone screen, I called out, distracted.

“Assalam-o-Alaikum, Mama. I’m sorry I’m late, actually—”

I froze mid-step.

Three unfamiliar women sat in the drawing room, dressed in formal clothes, a young man beside them. All eyes were on me. My heartbeat stalled for a moment.

“Assalam-o-Alaikum,” I greeted softly, straightening my dupatta.

“Wa-Alaikum-Assalam,” they replied in unison.

My mother stood up with a proud smile. “This is my daughter Ayesha. She’s a doctor.”

One of the women stood to hug me. I managed a stiff smile.

You once said I was yours, Haadi.

Then why aren’t you here to claim me?

They made me sit beside them, and soon, the interrogation began—hobbies, future plans, where I see myself in five years. Their questions hit like dull raindrops against a closed window.

“Ayesha, why don’t you and Zuhaib take a little walk in the lawn?” Mama suggested sweetly. I narrowed my eyes slightly.

Zuhaib—that was his name.

I didn’t argue. I gave a tired smile and stepped into the cool shade of our small lawn, once my father's pride and joy. The marigolds and jasmine swayed gently. The air carried the scent of watered earth. But my heart was dry.

He walked beside me silently.

“Why do you want to marry me?” I asked abruptly, before he could speak.

He blinked. “I... I don’t know.”

I stopped walking and turned to face him.

“Why are you even interested in this proposal?”

He looked stunned. “You’re not?”

“No.”

He frowned. “Then why don’t you say no?”

I sighed and rubbed my forehead. How do I explain something I’ve kept buried for twelve long years?

He looked at me, confused but curious. “Tell me. Why don’t you want this?”

My eyes welled up. “Because... I belong to someone else.”

His expression softened. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know,” I whispered, ashamed.

“Will he come back?”

I looked away. “It’s been twelve years.”

“What?” he almost shouted. “You’re still waiting after all this time?”

I nodded slowly, tears slipping out.

He exhaled and watched me for a long moment. Then he asked gently, “What’s his name?”

“Haadi,” I said almost soundlessly.

Before we could continue, Mama’s voice called us back inside.

As we turned, Zuhaib said, “Wait.”

I looked at him.

He offered a small smile. “Will you be my friend? Maybe I can help you find your Haadi.”

A smile broke through my tears. I shook his hand.

Later, in the quiet of my room, I sat on the bed and finally allowed myself to cry.

Haadi… I kept you alive in every breath, every quiet ache.

I never stopped loving you.

I took off my bracelet gently—the one with “AH” engraved on it, your last gift on my seventeenth birthday. I held it to my lips.

Come back, Haadi.

This waiting… it's killing me.

---

Haadi’s POV

“Hey bro, how are you?” I asked as Zuhaib appeared on my laptop screen.

“I’m good. You?”

“Fine,” I lied.

Zuhaib was one of the few people who had stood by me in the darkest time of my life.

“So when are you coming back to Pakistan?” he asked casually.

I looked away, forcing back the sting in my eyes. I couldn’t let him see my turmoil.

“Life’s okay,” I said, changing the subject.

He chuckled. “Guess what? Today I went to meet a girl. Marriage setup. But…”

I leaned in, curious. “What happened?”

“She rejected me. She’s in love with someone else.”

I smiled faintly. “Tough luck.”

“You know, she’s got this presence… this pull. Like someone carved her out of memory.”

My breath hitched.

Ayesha.

That same presence. That same light I once fell in love with under the shade of gulmohar trees.

I barely heard the rest of what Zuhaib said.

“She said she’s been waiting for this guy for twelve years. Can you believe that?” he laughed softly. “Whoever he is… lucky bastard.”

I forced a nod.

After our call ended, I shut the laptop and lay down on the couch. Her face swam before my eyes.

Ayesh… do you hear me?

Every day I spend without you crushes me.

I’m sorry for everything.

But I promise—when the time is right, I’ll return…

In the weather of love.

---

Ayesha’s POV

“Why are you doing this, Ayesha?” Mama yelled.

I stayed quiet, my head lowered.

“This is the third proposal you’ve rejected this month! What do you want?”

Tears stung the corners of my eyes. I looked at my Taayi Ammi. Her eyes softened, but she said nothing.

“I’m asking you something, Ayesha. What’s going on?”

“I don’t want to marry,” I whispered.

“Why not? Give me a reason!” Mama demanded.

I looked up slowly. “Because I’m waiting for someone.”

Her voice faltered. “Who?”

I turned away. My hands trembled.

“Who is he, Ayesha?”

“Haadi,” I said finally, my voice breaking.

Mama stepped back in shock.

“I can’t be anyone else’s, Mama. I’m his. Only his.”

Tears ran freely now. I collapsed into her arms, trembling.

Taayi Ammi brought water and sat beside her.

“Beta,” Mama said softly, brushing my hair, “It’s been eight years…”

“But he’s still here,” I whispered, pointing to my heart. “He’s with me, Mama. In every breath, every silence. I’m his. All of me.”

Mama’s eyes glistened, and Taayi Ammi—Haadi’s mother—nodded tearfully.

“He will return,” she said with certainty.

I smiled faintly.

Yes.

He will return.

When the sky turns pink again…

In the weather of love.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***