Obscured Affection (Slow Updates)

Abdullah and Safoora were talking while seated in Arsal’s office. They were discussing a new project, but Azlaan and Sara, who were sitting with them, were clearly bored. They had no interest in the project whatsoever. Sara sat watching with disinterest while Azlaan played a game on his phone.

When Arsal’s eyes landed on the two of them, a wide smile spread across his face. He stopped Safoora and Abdullah and said, “Both of you go have lunch… this is going to take a while.”

“No… we’ll wait!” Sara replied quickly, and Azlaan nodded in agreement.

“No, seriously, it’s going to take a lot of time, and it’s important. Go have lunch and head home afterward. I’ll join you as soon as this meeting is over.” Arsal said this while signaling something to Azlaan, who looked at Sara and stood up.

“Let’s go, bhabhi (sister-in-law)… bhai will take a while!” At Azlaan’s words, Sara quietly stood up.

Hearing Azlaan call her bhabhi felt strange to her, but she said nothing.

As Arsal suggested, the two of them returned home. Aijaz was home too, so the three of them had lunch together and then went to their rooms.

Sara got a call from Rida and was chatting with her mother while sitting in her room. After ending the call, she remembered that Arsal had given her a gift meant to be opened alone.

She immediately got up, took the gift out from the wardrobe, and sat on the bed with it. It looked like some kind of box, so Sara carefully began to open it.

Inside was a wooden box with something written on it, which Sara began to read.

For My Beloved Wife! If you ever miss me terribly or feel troubled, read this. Yours, Arsalan!

A big smile appeared on Sara’s face. She ran her fingers gently over the engraved words and began opening the box. It contained many colorful envelopes.

She picked one up. It said:

When You Feel Alone!

Smiling softly, she opened the envelope. Inside was a letter. She unfolded it and started to read:

Some relationships don’t need a name — like your presence, which I always feel around me. If you ever feel that no one is with you, no one is listening — just listen to your heartbeat…Because someone has always been there and, In Sha Allah, always will be. You are the part of my life without which I am incomplete. Your presence has made my life better, and believe me, when you're with me, it feels like I’ve conquered the world. If you ever feel alone, remember this — your lover is always with you… in your memories. I will never leave you alone because I made a promise to myself to stay with you until my last breath. But if ever, you miss me and I’m not around for some reason, just try calling out to me — I’ll be there! I’m just one call or message away!

Sara read Arsal’s letter with tears in her eyes, hugging it to her chest with a smile. She didn’t know what Arsal was thinking when he gave her this gift, but these words were exactly what she needed. Even though she was with Arsal, she often felt lonely — especially because he had yet to respond to her proposal. But this letter brought her a great deal of joy.

She picked up another envelope. It said:

When You Want to Feel Happy!

Smiling excitedly, she opened the letter and began to read:

Some people smile, and some become the reason for smiles — you belong to the second category. You might not remember, but you once brought me a coffee that had Sorry written on it. Since that day, I haven’t changed my phone wallpaper. It might sound silly, but every memory associated with you has become a reason for my happiness.Whenever you laugh freely, I feel joy. You might not be very happy with our marriage, but I… I smile like a fool just by seeing you up close — far more than I ever did watching you from afar. It may sound crazy to you, but when I think about you, I start blushing like those teenage boys who fall in love for the first time. You are the first woman to enter my life and, In Sha Allah, the last woman I’ll ever love. Most men wish to have a daughter one day, but I don’t — because until my last breath, I want you to be the only and most special woman in my life. You entering my life is my greatest fortune, and I never want to live this life without you.