'So...? That's it?? Is there nothing else you want to tell or ask me?' he asked revealing
no emotions in his tone.
Laila just shook her head from the passenger's seat.
It had been only a handful of minutes since Laila got into Adil's car but they felt an
eternity had passed with the thick silence floating between them. She buckled the seat
belt and Adil gave a slight smile seeing that she had finally remembered his safety
rules.
'I never thought this would end up like this.' Adil whispered, his words underlined
with melancholy.
'Neither did I! See, I knew there were going to be some or the other problem but deep
inside I always believed that things would fall in place!' Laila spoke, her voice on the
verge of breaking.
'Again, some things are not in our control, right? Some things are not destined to
happen as we wish them to!' he said and aimed for her hand that was resting on her
lap. But before he could get hold of it, she pulled it away. He grew red and that was
the first time Laila turned to look at him properly. His sunken eyes and unshaven
beard were not a pleasant sight for Laila. He looked back at her, though he was
driving. His gaze was piercing into her eyes until she could no longer bear it. She
blinked and looked away.
'Adil, I am sorry. I tried my best. I gave all I could to convince my family to agree to
marry you. I did everything I can. Trust me, Adil!' Laila began sobbing.
Adil wanted to hold her and wipe her tears, but he sat there concentrating on the
steering wheel, the clutch, the gear and the accelerator.
He felt powerless. He was helpless.
He would cry any moment too. But that would hurt Laila. He couldn't afford to get his
eyes blurry. So he swallowed the lump that was stuck in his throat.
'I know you did your best. I trust you!' he finally spoke. He pulled the car to a stop
near a closed shop and exhaled loudly.
'You know this is the last time we are seeing each other, don't you?' Laila's tears had
stopped but her sobs accompanied her words.
He nodded staring at the road, his face grim. She slowly grazed his fingers on the
steering wheel and he immediately held on to her hand.
'Remember, how we used to say, if our relationship was not going to work out, we
will party, have a good last day and then go on our own paths?' Laila reminisced.
Adil frowned and said, 'But we planned all that because we were confident that we
wouldn't have to part ways!'
'Hmm..'
'Hmm...!
'Say something.'
'You say!'
'What do I say?'
'Anything!'
'Anything?'
'Yes, anything and everything. Tell me everything you would have said if we had a
forever.'
'Okay!'
'Okay!'
The loud sound of vehicles passing, the honking, and the shouts by vendors faded
away the small sound of two hearts breaking inside a car.