Red. Red is supposed to be the colour of her attire today. Red is the colour of happiness, the colour of a new beginning, as they said. But it's not.
Today, on a beautiful spring, the hall is filled with hues of pastel shades and happy smiles. Red is not her colour today; she is clad in her pastel golden lehenga. Something she chose for herself. When Shaziya asked her, why not red? The answer was simple, last time she wore red, it was anything but happy.
Sad smiles, guilty glances.
Half a decade has passed, but pain stays somewhere, somehow.
As Rubina and Saira enter the bridal room, tears form in their eyes, different reasons, different smiles.
Rubina is admiring the little girl, the little Amy, her husband used to love like a daughter of his own. She is witnessing a beautiful Amaya, a gem, she wanted for her family. She is looking at an elegant woman, Zain's Amu, perhaps, a happy bride today. Only if. But this is not a time for that, she is happy for her, more than happy. Amaya Kareem is a gem, and Zain Amir affords this gem, he didn't.
Saira on the other hand is looking at this beautiful girl, her Zain is going to spend a lifetime with. A person she already loves a lot, a person who has fought the battle of reality, who survived alone, who knows to cherish relations, perhaps someone, her son is happy with. What more a mother can ask for?
Sitting next to her, she opens the box, legacy is what her mother-in-law used to call it.
"Amaya, this is our family jewellery, I wore it to my wedding, Zain's mother too, and now it's your turn."
"Tayi Ammi,"
Words. Amaya doesn't have those today. Always she has this feeling that this is not the first time, but everything is.
This is good, way too good for her. Happiness is coming her way, and fear too. For someone who had fought every battle for a single ounce of happiness, this is nothing but a beautiful dream. Perhaps a beautiful reality.
Standing in front of the mirror, a happy bride looks back at her. As she closes her eyes, fear engulfs her.
Marriage ruins.
No, Zain loves her.
He loved her more.
The present is perfect.
That's why you shouldn't ruin it.
The present is perfect, but the future?
No one knows.
Air choked in her throat as she takes a step back, she can't. Zain is home, and she can't lose the home. Looking around, there's no one here. She needs to get away from here, but what about her home, her Zain?
Standing by the door is the certain person she once lost herself to, her beautiful dream once who turned out to be her worst nightmare later. But his eyes today show her a lot many emotions which she can't deceive all at once.
Seeing Amaya clad in her bridal attire his heart misses few beats, his breath hitched and for a second time stops around. His mind goes back to the time, he saw her for the first time.
Since then, he had imagined her like this, getting ready as a bride, perhaps the only difference he always imagined her to be ready as his wife, which never happened. She never got the chance to be ready as his bride and today when she is ready as one, he has lost all his rights way back.
Clutching the bedsheets, she looked at him with some unknown fear engulfing her. Amaya never thought to see him again, at least not today. Deep down she always knew one day she has to face him again, but meeting him today was not at all expected.
He was never ready to let her go and today when she is getting married to Zain Amir, he is here standing in front of her door.
He enters the room with unsteady steps, his heart racing to its highest peak yet he feels the oxygen supply stops in his arteries.
It's killing him, chocking him but for her happiness, it's all worth it.
Getting on his knees in front of her, he looks at the little girl, who is soon be someone's wife, someone that's not him.
"Are you afraid?" He asked her.
She just nods her head as she lost all her word right in the moment.
"Don't be. It's quite normal for brides to be nervous before the wedding. But you don't have to, Zain loves you a lot."
"It's not like that it's my first time."
"It is your first time. Last time I never made you my bride. We simply signed those wedding papers; I didn't even give you the chance to say yes or think twice about Us. This is a whole different scenario. Today you are looking beautiful, an eternal beauty."
"What if he... he does the same?"
"He is not me. He will never repeat the mistakes I did, the sins I committed back then."
"But what if..."
"He loves you, Maya."
"You... you loved me too."
Pain stays, everywhere, anyhow.
"Zain loves you a lot"
"You love me a lot more."
Truth, one can't deny. A bitter truth one can't accept.
She knows he knows, destiny knows.
"He is not me; he is Zain."
"He will be good right?"
"He will be. You will be happy with him."
"Sure?"
"Positive"
Charcoal against hazel brown.
Smile against a smile.
"Why are you here Ahad?"
"To say sorry, Maya. To tell you how much I regret everything I did to you. To tell you that what you are doing is the right thing, you deserve happiness Maya and your happiness lies with Zain Amir.
I am here to take you to him, to walk you down the aisle. I never got the chance to tell you this Maya but today may be the last chance I have to let know that you are a gem, a precious one which I can't afford.
My love for you is eternal but, still, then I know I can never love you the way you did. Even when I asked you numerous times to leave, you stayed there with me. And no words can ever define that feeling.
Today you are getting married to the person who will keep you happy and that's the thing that matters the most. Remember you said in the letter, we will always be called as lovers, that's exactly what we are. We were Lovers, not Companions, and that's alright.
I want you to be happy always and if anything, remember I always want that for you. Meri har dua mein tumahari khushiyon ki khawish arzoo hai Maya."
"Zain is good to me. He loves me and I am really happy with him."
"Then what are you waiting for Maya. Let's not make your groom wait much, come let's go."
"What about you Ahad?"
"Zain calls you Amu, right? And everyone else calls you Amaya. No one calls you Maya. Because you are only my Maya. My beautiful illusion with which I can spend my life with.
My happiness lies with your smile now, and there is nothing more I can ask for other than your happiness.
You had suffered enough, now let the last bit of fear go and walk down the aisle, happiness is just a few feet apart now."
He found his happiness in hers. Just like she found hers in his, years ago. Love does that to them
"You won't move on?"
"I moved on Maya. It's been years and I really moved on in my life. But certainly, moving on doesn't mean stop loving you right.
I never got a reason to stop loving you, whereas you got numerous reasons to hate but still you couldn't make yourself to do so.
Trust me, Maya, if there is anything, I am blessed to have in my life then it's You, having you as my Lover because a life without you won't be worth it.
Promise me that you will be happy always, promise to put yourself first always, promise me, Maya, that you will live your life on your own rules to its fullest."
"I promise Ahad. I will be happy always." He smiles and this time it reaches his eyes so does hers.
Putting her heels on her feet, he extends his hands towards her, maybe for the last time.
"Let's go Zain is waiting for you." Nodding her head, she takes his hand.
This walk would never be possible for her if she was alone but now, she is not.
Walking to the entrance of the hallway her eyes keep their focus on the man she is walking with. Her ex-husband, her lover is taking her toward her nikkah field.
All the memories from school and then their six months of married life plays a troll in front of her eyes, she feels numb but the moment they reach the entrances her eyes falls on the man standing there for her.
Zain Amir smiling at her, and at this moment, she knows what she wants. She wants a lifetime with Zain, she wants to live with him, she wants to be happy with him and she wants to be with him. And at that moment, she knows infinities exist, they are here.
Making her sit on the other side, Ahad goes to Zain. Giving him a brotherly hug, he whispers in his ears," I messed up but I trust you won't do that. Keep your Amu happy always".
Zain smiled," Always, forever."
And that's it, in next few moments the Qazi reads the nikkah nama and they both accepted each other.
Zain Amir and Amaya Kareem are married now.
Standing next to each their eyes scream their happiness. Amaya Kareem never thought that this day can ever come in her life. She never thought after everything she will ever get married that too with someone like Zain Amir but alas destiny plays its own rules and today, she found her happiness.
Her eyes involuntarily go towards the door, where she watches a certain person going away, fading in the crowd. Ahad Ahmed let her go finally not only that he walks her down the aisle.
Undoubtedly it was the most difficult walk she has ever taken in her life but indeed A Walk to Remember.
And maybe without Ahad, it would have never been possible for her. There is no doubt that she loves Ahad way too much.
But she is in love with Zain, so when you are in love with someone, hold their hand and that's what Amaya Kareem did. Holding Zain's hand, she smiles at him, and Zain just holds her tight.
His Amu, his best friend, his love, his home now lies in one person, his wife Amaya. The girl who lightens up his life, the girl without whom this life won't mean this good to him.
Kissing her on the forehead he lost his heart again and he himself doesn't know how many more times will he lose it to her.