7. Fragile Hearts

...

Katrina Khan couldn't believe how lucky she had gotten with Ashiq Salehin.

They had met in university. He was the cute guy who often stared at her in the middle of Sociology 101. He offered her shy smiles whenever their eyes met, and found excuses to talk to her in the name of class projects.

Katrina nearly forgot how to breathe when she first realized what his attention on her truly meant. Tamara, her cousin and then classmate, sniggered to her one day and said, "that boy is so into you."

Katrina had never, in her life, even entertained the ideas of relationships like that. Being raised in a religious family, also as the eldest sibling of two brothers, her focus were set straight since childhood – education and ambition.

Katrina cut off the chord before he could even approach her. Told him flatly in the middle of a lecture one day that she wasn't interested and didn't appreciate him staring at her.

Ashiq was embarrassed, but he was respectful enough to stay clear off her from that day.

University ended soon, and they were throwing their caps into the air with the burden of entering the real world on their shoulders. Having excellent grades and top-notch extra-curricular participations to display – Katrina was immediately offered a position in her top choice of organization; where she also happened to randomly stumble into that boy from Sociology one day.

It was expected that things between them would be awkward considering their history; but it wasn't. She was exactly at the stage she had preparing herself for her entire life. Now after that achievement was unlocked, her focus had moved onto the next. Her parents were easing her into the idea of marriage, and got excited every time she went near a man during social gatherings.

So when she saw Ashiq the next time, her feelings towards him were more welcoming. Their chemistry was completely different this time; and coming across him felt like nothing but Fate.

He was sweet, respectful and kind – the kind of guy she knew her father would be proud of. It helped that their beliefs and view of life just aligned perfectly – like it was meant to be. After a couple months of lunch-room talks and stolen glances across the room, she told him directly if he wanted something serious with her, he would have to ask for her hand in marriage.

Ashiq was the embodiment of honor and respect, so he did not waste a second. Problem arose when their families entered the picture.

Arif Khan was hesitant when Katrina first spoke to him about Ashiq.

"Politics is a dirty business," he had said all his life.

However, her father gave in when he saw his daughter's face. He knew the girl was the kind to sacrifice her own wishes if he asked – without a word; and his love for her couldn't let her do that. So he gave the couple his blessings.

Ashiq's family on the other hand, was nowhere near as graceful.

The Salehins simply couldn't accept a girl like that into the family; whose status did not match theirs. He was the son of a politician, set to become one someday too; she was a simple girl of a clerk manager with a house near Chowkbazaar.

This started a conflict between the families, not only the couple. Katrina being the realistic person she had been all her life – knew it was better to end the relationship and put a stop to the unnecessary pain. However, Ashiq did not have it in his heart to let her walk away a second time.

He pleaded her to fight for him, them, and Katrina couldn't break his heart again – not when this time her own heart was in the line too.  The drama stretched on for months. After a lot of crying, arguments and heart-wrench – both families set aside their egos for their children's feelings.

As Katrina took the last couple of steps towards the lake beside their office, her two friends on either side, Ashiq's figure was visible even from the distance. A warm smile graced her lips, like it always appeared in his presence. She resumed her walk through the pavement of the serene residential, with the exception of the stray rickshaw bells tinkling once in a while.

He caught sight of her too, the warm breeze blowing moving his wispy hair and clothes with it, and his eyes lit up. Katrina soon covered the space between them, as her friends lingered at a distance - by the vendor uncle that always sold them spicy puffed rice.

"Assalamu 'Alaikum," Ashiq said, eyes intently set on hers. "I missed you."

A warmth spread across Katrina's chest as his voice reached her ears. Her eyes trailed on his features momentarily, eyes, nose and lips that now felt as familiar as the corners of her own home. She could say she missed him too, but that would be an understatement. Sometimes being apart from him made her feel restless, lost and floating in space. What she felt seemed too profound to be described as missed; but she didn't know how to say what she felt too.

So she resorted not to. Her grin widened as she lowered her gaze. " You can't say these things, we're not married yet. Besides, I was only gone for a day," she told him.

This was their ritual – he coming to visit her during her lunch breaks now that they no longer worked together.

"I know, but that day seemed to stretch on forever."

Before Katrina could reply, a gagging noise echoed behind them. She turned around, and they both looked over her shoulder, to find Tamara making a face.

"Just keep it PG, will ya?" she snorted. "Some of us are being held against our wills here."

Katrina rolled her eyes a her silly cousin as she turned to face Ashiq again, who was staring at Tamara with his brows raised.

"Don't mind her. She's just cranky because she's hungry."

"Katrina!" Tamara cried.

"It's true," Zeenat chimed in.

They all chuckled at her enraged face as Katrina and Ashiq drew each other's attentions again.

Ashiq let out a sigh as their eyes met again, a look of something else descending on his face. "As for the not being married part, I know. I get carried away sometimes. But you know I'm working on fixing that."

A fissure appeared on her happy expression too. She knew Ashiq meant more than keeping his behavior in check. The Salehins were yet to give them a date for the wedding. Katrina, and her family, were getting agitated. They did not practice long engagements, neither did they let their daughters' future dangle by a thread with this kind of uncertainty.

There was moment of pause between them. Katrina knew Ashiq was trying. He was doing everything he could to speed up the process. She knew his feelings for her were genuine, he would never let her down.

However, in the little duration she had known his parents – she also knew the Salehins were as proud and stubborn as they came.

She let out a deep breath to lighten the heaviness in her chest, and pushed back those unfavorable thoughts at a little corner of her head – for the time being. Katrina forced a smile on her face again.

"I know," she said. She briefly looked over her shoulder, where her friends were quietly chatting between themselves. "I can't keep them waiting any longer," she said, turning to him again. "I better go."

Ashiq nodded, albeit reluctantly. "I should too." He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again.

Something stirred in Katrina's chest. The way he was looking at her, she's never seen him like that. The sadness that still lingered in his eyes was painfully profound.

"Hey, I know in my heart it will all workout, okay? In shaa Allah."

Ashiq swallowed, but nodded nonetheless. "In shaa Allah."

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"I promise."

The employees of Chatterjee Foods Limited flew back to their city of operation the day after the exhibition.

Salman took a moment to catch the skyline of the city through the window of his hotel room, breaking his heart anew and leaving a piece of it in the city that was now Farrah's new home – he started for his.

The moment he landed his phone began buzzing with texts from the ones he had left behind – his mother, Malika and Kaveh. There were new messages from Fardin too.

Deciding to deal with them later, he took the couple hours of journey from the airport to the office as they were still required to attend for half day. The day flew by quickly, hustling to catch up with missing emails all the whilst dealing with the day's one in the shortened time – Salman barely even had time to acknowledge the exhaustion seeping into his bones.

As the day was drawing to an end, one of their colleagues announced it was their birthday and requested everyone to be present at the nearest Chinese place. Everyone was beyond tired and wanted to go home; however, nobody had the heart to decline.

"Of all the companies in the country, I had to choose the party one," he heard a Sales Executive grumbling.

As they gathered to leave and head towards the birthday venue, Salman took a moment to text Zakariya, asking if he'd like to go together. The bespectacled boy replied within minutes and told him to meet him and Arafat in the parking lot.

He soon found the two guys where promised – gathered around one of their cars - and headed for the birthday party. The plan was to just make an appearance and leave as soon as possible.

The venue was just across the block. It was a small Chinese place plastered to the side of some residential building, a place they frequented for lunch. The narrow glass door enabled a view into the cozy room which was actually bigger than it appeared from outside – warmly welcoming customers into one of the only restaurant that served authentic Chinese food and not the masala-packed Desi version of it.

Zakariya pushed through the door and they entered together after the bell overhead tinkled lightly. The room was filled with familiar faces. They exchanged greetings with the birthday girl and proceeded to walk inside as Salman said to her, "Nearing thirties and still no ring on that finger."

She merely rolled her eyes, used to his impertinent sense of humor, and ushered them towards the empty chairs. They chose a table near the wall, and as they were about to take their seats, Salman's eyes landed on Katrina on the other side of the room.

He furrowed his eyes and turned towards Zakariya. "Hey, who's she?" He beckoned towards the girl.

"Who, Katrina?" Zakariya asked, looking over Salman's shoulder. "She works in HR. Why?"

"No reason." He shook his head. "I'm just surprised I never noticed her before."

A playful smirk appeared on Zakariya's face as he narrowed his eyes at him. "So, absolutely nothing has changed for Salman Bashir since high school. You're still the same."

Salman's heart-melting, larger than life grin appeared on his lips, yet, the warmth was missing from his eyes. "If it ain't broken why fix it."

"Sounds like you're lying."

Arafat's uttered the words with nonchalance, his piercing eyes on him. Salman whipped his head to look at him, taken off-guard.

Zakariya rolled his eyes, shooting his friend a look. "Don't mind him," he said. "The filter between his brain and mouth is slightly faulty, it sometimes doesn't work as it should."

"Was I being insensitive again?" Arafat asked, amused eyes darting at his friend.

"As always," Zakariya sighed.

Salman let out a laugh, the momentary tightness in his chest dissipating.

Food was served. They started discussing about their respective works again. A sudden hush of whispers filled the room. Salman looked over his shoulder. The television was going on at full blast, the news anchor's stoic voicing was ringing louder each second. All eyes were darting towards the all-girls table at the other end of the room. Tamara Khan had slapped a hand to her mouth as she stared at the screen on her phone. Katrina had gone still. Salman's heart sank to his stomach as he saw the expression on her face, the look in her eyes.

A terrible feeling was brewing on his stomach. He tore his eyes from her face, almost forcefully, and darted it back towards the television screen, where the other half of the people of the room were staring.

The news anchor was announcing the wedding of the Prime Minister's eldest daughter. The picture flashing besides him, and the name written beneath it, told him the groom was Ashiq Salehin.