5| Grumpy pants

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ZEESHAN'S POV:

"Zeeshan tell me the truth." Ahaan Bhai entered my room. Tomorrow is my flight to New York. I just got done with my packing. I made a mental note not to miss anything. "Truth?" I eyed him. What he's talking about?

"About you going to New York. You have Aerophobia." He was concerned. "I know, but it's important for the company." I lied. I would never go if it wasn't for Waniya.

"Is it about Waniya?" As I heard her name escape from his lips, a suffocating sensation gripped my chest, making it difficult to draw breath. I struggled to contain my emotions.

How could he possibly know? He handed a glass of water to me, his eyes filled with concern. I accepted the water and drank it, feeling the cool liquid soothe my parched throat. As I lowered the glass, I met his gaze, searching for any hint of understanding in his eyes.

"I know." He sighed. "Zoya told me almost two years ago." He explained. "I tried looking for her, everywhere, even her house but they told me —," I didn't let him complete. "That she's dead." The statement sent shivers down my spine.

It was almost six years ago when she left, handing me a piece of paper with a message advising me not to search for her. However, I couldn't accept her request. I scoured every possible place, from hospitals to hotels, restaurants, and different cities.

Eventually, I even went to her family's home, despite knowing their strict nature and her strained relationship with them. When they informed me of her passing, I couldn't bring myself to accept it. My heart still refuses to believe that she's no longer with us. I searched tirelessly everywhere, except for the airports, and now I'm filled with regret for not having done so.

"Zeeshan?" My brother called me, breaking my trance. I looked at him. "I have always supported you take care of yourself," he left my room.

I needed to get to Waniya before it's too late! What if it's already been too late? What if she had already married someone? No, no Zeeshan stop or else you'll lose it. Be collected. I sighed heavily. I hope everything goes well.

I have a flight scheduled for tomorrow morning, and I'm feeling quite anxious about it. I've never been comfortable with heights and flying, which has kept me from taking any flights for a long time. I know that I need to address this fear, so I'm planning to speak with my doctor about my phobia before the flight. The anxiety is starting to set in, but I'm determined to overcome it and not let it hold me back.

I dialed up the therapist's number. I don't usually take therapy as there's no need, but I did contact them once related to my phobia itself. I have the therapist for at least forty minutes. She told me different alternatives to calm my anxiety during the flight.

One, I plan to take some anti-anxiety medication to help me stay calm during the flight. If I start feeling uneasy while traveling, I will remind myself to relax, take deep breaths, and try to calm down. Second, I'm also considering taking sleeping pills, but I'm aware that there are both pros and cons to this option. Despite the potential drawbacks, I genuinely want to take them because they would help me sleep better. I'll need to carefully weigh the decision before making a choice.

I'm at the airport now. My mom was really worried about me because it was only the second time I had taken a flight since I was a kid. It was during this trip that we found out about my phobia.

My brother, Ahaan, wanted to join me, but I had already told him that Obaid was going with me. As we boarded the plane, I started feeling anxious. Thoughts like "What if something happens?" and "What if the plane crashes?" kept running through my mind. I was also worried about not being able to find Waniya.

Stop, stop! Kuch nahi hoga. "Sir, water," Obaid handed me a bottle of water, and I acknowledged him with a nod as I reached for it. I retrieved the sleeping pills from my pocket, took two of them, and then washed them down with a few swallows of water from the bottle.

I hope everything goes well.

"Sir, are you okay?" My assistant asked me, I wasn't able to breathe properly. The plane was suffocating me. I nodded. But I wasn't okay.

"Shan, I love you," her voice reverberated in the chambers of my ears. "You are going to be okay, just breathe," it felt like she was here with me. I felt better. The plane took and the next moment I remember was dark engulfing me.

AUTHOR'S POV:

"Ezzah, give me your hand," Waniya was finding it difficult to control Ezzah, her excitement as she hurriedly made her way through the airport. Despite her best efforts to control her excitement, she couldn't resist the urge to break into a run.

The airport, while not overly crowded, was bustling with the usual amount of travelers. The prospect of spending the next six months in Pakistan filled her with a sense of anticipation.

"Mama, let me go," Ezzah tried to loosen Waniya's grip from her hand. "Ezzah," Waniya called her name in a harsh tone. "Let her be Waniya, Ezzah come to me," Shayan took Ezzah and she happily went to him. "Sha, you know she's not good," Ezzah whispered in his ears. "I know," he replied back.

"Ezzah, he's elder, don't call him that," Waniya corrected her. "Sha, do you have a problem with that?" Ezzah pouted. Shayan took his head. "Can we go there?" Ezzah wanted to explore the airport as it was her first time here. "You wait here for Mirha, I'll be back," Shayan announced and took Ezzah with him in his arms.

Waniya reached into her bag, her fingers closing around the familiar shape of her phone. She was just about to tap on Mirha's name when she glanced around the coffee shop. Mirha was supposed to meet her here, but there was no sign of her yet. As Waniya turned back to her phone, a sudden voice made her freeze, her breath catching in her throat.

"Obaid, where are you?" Zeeshan's voice resonated through the area, a familiar and comforting sound cutting through the noise. Waniya, caught amid the bustling crowd, felt her heart skip a beat as she recognized his voice. Despite the urge to look around, she resisted the temptation, knowing deep down that it was him. However, an overwhelming desire to catch a glimpse of him tugged at her, creating a whirlwind of emotions within her.

"Jab tumse itna dor jarhi hu toh baar baar samne kyu aa jate ho." She said to herself.

(When I am going so far away from you, why do you come in front of me again and again?)

Waniya didn't move. She was too numb to move. She couldn't hear anything anymore.

"Excuse me," she brought back to reality. She didn't want to turn around. But she did, she was disappointed. There was no sign of him. Maybe she was hallucinating. "Yes?" He wanted to ask something related to the directions. She guided him and he left. "Niyaaa," Mirha finally came.

"Where were you?" Waniya was trying to sound calm. "Waniya, are you okay? You look as if you have heard a ghost," Mirha could sense it too. "Pre-flight anxiety," which was half true. Mirha nodded.

"Where is Shayan and Ezzah?" Mirha asked. She told them Shayan took Ezzah. It had been fifteen minutes and they were waiting for them.

~

Shayan carefully placed Ezzah on the ground and instructed her to stay put while he attended to something. However, Ezzah's attention was quickly captured by a charming gift shop nearby. Intrigued, she couldn't resist the temptation to explore it. As she wandered through the aisles. When she finally realized she was alone, instead of panicking, she remained composed and handled the situation with remarkable maturity beyond her years.

She saw a man, almost thirty-two years old, and decided to get help from him as he seemed nice to him.

"Uncle, can you lend me your phone?" Ezzah asked Zeeshan. Zeeshan was dumbfounded looking at a five-year-old asking for his phone. "Huh?" Zeeshan couldn't understand. She gestured to him to come close as he couldn't hear her.

But before she could say something he said.

"Go to your Mom. Or you'll get lost," Zeeshan was never rude to children but he was tired after an eighteen-hour long flight. He wanted to rest even though he slept throughout the flight but he was tired.

"Grumpy pants," Ezzah called him. Zeeshan choked when unknowingly Ezzah called with the same name Waniya used for him years back.

"You know what my Mama says, if you would help someone in the time of need you would get help from God in the time of need." Zeeshan thought she was too small for these talks.

"Okay, I'll help you," Zeeshan said.

"I am lost and I don't know where Sha went and my Mama must be worried," she explained her situation. "How can I help you?" Zeeshan raised his eyebrows. "Are you dumb?" Zeeshan couldn't help but chuckle at her confidence.

"You can call my Mama," Ezzah said. "Okay, I'll call your mama first come here," he took her to a bench. "What's your name?" He asked her. "Ezzah." He smiled. He didn't know why but he felt like she was a lot more than just a child he saw at the airport.

"Will you call my mother now?" Ezzah was being impatient. "Do you know her number?" Zeeshan asked. "Umm... Yeah I guess I know it," she didn't know the number but she had an idea of her number.

"Uncle, apne help karni hai toh batao nahi toh main jao," Zeeshan was shocked when she spoke his native language Urdu but with an American accent. (Uncle, help me if you can or else I'll leave.)

"Acha aap ruko main phone karta hu," Zeeshan took out his phone which he knew was of no use as she didn't know the number. (Wait, I'll call her.)

"Sha," Ezzah called Shayan the moment she saw him. Zeeshan looked in that direction. He ran towards Ezzah. "Ezzah, where were you?" Zeeshan sighed when he thought she was united with her father. "Sha, grumpy pants was helping me reach Mama," Ezzah said. Zeeshan couldn't help but smile at the nickname she gave him.

"Ezzah, he's elder, don't call him that, I am sorry and thank you," Shayan said. "It's okay," Zeeshan smiled and went away.

"Mama," Ezzah said the moment she saw Waniya. "Dekh liya Airport? Chalo ab chalein," Waniya was worried about but Shayan didn't tell her that she went missing. (Have you seen the airport? Let's go now.) "Mama, I met grumpy pants," Waniya choked on the air she was breathing.

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aesthetics

Finally Ezzah met her Dad!!!!

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Zaar.