Hayat's POV

'Hayat, I want to say something,' Murat texted me.

My mind froze and my throat became tight. I didn't realize I was crying until tears fell on my screen. With trembling hands, I replied to him, 'Ha?' (yes?), and told Jannah about the miracle just happened.

'Please forgive me, if I have ever hurt you', he replied after a few minutes.

And welp! Teardrops formed into a fountain.

"Hayat! Take control over yourself and talk to him properly," I scolded myself and tried to get myself together.

After a minute or so I was in control and replied to him,
'There's nothing like that.
I'm surprised you still remember me'

'Why wouldn't I?
It's just that, someone made me miss you a lot'

'And who's that?'

'Just someone.
I'm sorry.'

'You didn't do anything to hurt me.'

'I didn't replied your last message sent for my birthday.'

'It had a reason behind it.'

'What?'

'You wanted to stay away from me, make a distance.'

'I keep my distance from everyone, not just you.'

'To paas aaye kyu the?'
(Then why did you come close to me?) Tears rolled down my cheeks as I sent him.

'That's the thing I came to apologize for. I think maybe, I'm a little late now. But still, I have hope you will forgive me.'

I closed my eyes and hugged my knees, sobbing in silence. The notification bell kept on pinging and I looked up at the screen. Jannah's texts brought me back to the world.

'WHAT THE HELL!!
HE TEXTED?
WHAT IS HE SAYING?'

I will deal with her later.

I got back to his chat and replied,
'I never kept any grudges towards you. Instead always prayed for you.'

'Thanks.
So am I forgiven?'

'Yes.'

'Thanks again.'

I didn't know what to say next so we just kept quiet for a while. But my fingers were itching to talk to him. So I texted again.

'Are you okay?'

No reply

'Your habit of vanishing didn't go away, hmm?' I smiled as I recalled the past moments.

'Vanishing?' he replied after a few minutes.

'Vanishing in the middle of the talk.'

'Ohh.
Actually, I'm working right now.
That's why.
I'm good, what about you?'

'I'm fine.'

'Good.'

'How are you online so late?'

'Working.'

'You couldn't stay awake more than 11 PM before'

'A lot of things have changed since then.'

'Yeah a lot.'

'Ji' (yes)

'I have one question
No, two actually'

'What?'

'You just came to apologize and go away?
Or keep talking on and off?
I won't annoy you don't worry'

'I don't know about that because I just came to apologize to you. Someone said a lot to me that I should talk to you, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. Hence, here I'm.'

'Okay.
And yes, my second question is, who is that person? Aamir?'

'Just a friend of mine.'

'Achha' (ohkay)

'Ji' (yes)

'Okay, we will talk later I hope. I'm off to sleep. Bye.'

I turned my phone off and stood up to pray Tahajjud*.

It was my first tahajjud prayer that I have ever did, to want someone, pray for someone, and thank the almighty with all of my heart.

.
.
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********

I was so excited to share this news with my friends, and whoever listened to it was shocked, just like me. So many questions were popping into my mind and I cleared them one by one. And damn, he always replied instantly just like before.

'I want to ask something.'

'Yes'

'If I ever need a friend, can I rely on you?'

'If it's about trust, anyone can rely on me.'

'I'm not talking about anyone, I'm talking about me.'

'Achha' (ohh)

'Ji. (yes)
Now answer me.'

'Nothing more than a friend,' he replied after a minute.

'Okay'

Nothing more than a friend huh?
We will see about that.

But anyways, I got my asshole friend back!
.
.

*********

'I have another question!', deja vu hits me as I text him again.

'Yes'

'What was your reaction when you saw my letter?
1) I'm so done with you
2) got lil bit emotional (i doubt that)
3) hah! I wasn't the idiot alone. '

'None of them above'

'Then?'

'I was angry with you at that time so couldn't give any reaction. But I read it all.'

'I see. You were angry for quite a long time.'

'Yeah and after cooling down, I didn't use to think much about it.'

'And when I texted Aamir, you were with him right?'

'When did you text Aamir? I don't remember honestly.'

'When you didn't give any response to my messages, not even a seen, (I know you restricted my account) then I texted him after getting frustrated.
To give you a tight slap on the back of your neck :) '

'I didn't restrict your account. I saw your text from the notifications and kept it untouched till my birthday.'

'Wow. You have quite a patience'

'I have a lot. I use my brain more than my heart.'

'Now tell me.'

'What'

'At first, Aamir pretended like he doesn't know anything, and in the end, he also knew I have sent you something for a specific day?
I mean suddenly?
He was pretending right? '

'Maybe
I don't remember much of the details'

'Ohkay'

'Yeah'

'Anyways, it's in the past now.
What are you doing?'

.
.
.

*********

Days passed by and our conversations were short and precise. It was awkward in the starting but gradually the tension eased. But it wasn't a daily convo anymore, because I was busy with some work and so was he.

But it gave me a sense of relief, that yes we are in contact. I can text him anytime for some help and he will respond nicely.

One day we ended up talking about our work stuff and he gave me some tips on it.

'Thankyou! I was so stressed about it. Why didn't I come to you before :") '

'It's all about timing
If you face any problem with that-'

'Just call me? ;) ' I interrupted him in between.

'Yeah sure. I will provide another trick then.'

'Number please :) '

We exchanged our contacts and I joked if this given number is even valid lol?

'Would I give you an invalid one?
Confirm it if you want to'

'My recharge finished just today, otherwise I would have.
Also, I can't see you on Whatsapp.'

'I don't use it anymore.
Is your sim premium?
I haven't seen a single sim that gets 35 days validity'

Instantly, an SMS popped up on my screen.
A Recharge of Rs199 is successful on your number.

What
The
Hell!

'Recharge kis khushi me kiya hai tumne mera?' (Why have you done my recharge?)

'I was just checking :")
It happened by mistake. '

'Seriously!?'

'Yeah sorry.'

'I get many offers from the company, that's why I got extra validity.'

'Wow.
You can take out the sim for a month.'

'Why?'

'To not use the recharge done by me.'

'I can't let your money go to waste now.'

'Itna lagav mujhse?
(This much affection towards me?)

My stomach twisted at his words and replied,
'I respect the value of money.'

'Yeah, me too
If we spend money on someone, it doesn't decrease, instead, we get more.'

'Kya tum mujhe Allah waste ka samajh ke de rahe ho lmao?'
(Are you spending on me with a thought of poor and needy lmao?)

'No why would I?'

'Because that's what happens in Zakat* and Sadaqah*. We get double of what we give.'

'No. It happens in all cases.
I just helped you.'

'I see.
You help everyone like this?'

'Yeah :) '

'Now you have made me your debtor.'

'It's not a debt, it's a gift.
And we don't owe anyone in gifts' he replied.

'Ohh. We give gifts in return for gifts.'

'Then give me my gift.'

'What do you want?'

'Whatever you like.'

'I will have to think about it.'

'Hmm. Think.'

'You aren't sleepy?'

'Yeah, I was about to go off.'

'Okay, I'm going now. My headache is increasing.'

'Okay, Khuda hafiz.' (bye)

'Khuda hafiz.' (bye)

And just like that, I called it a night, smiling like an idiot, despite the severe headache.

.
.
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*********

"Uffo! Now, what should I gift him!? And even if I get one, how will I give him?" I mumbled to myself as I was setting up my Almirah.

'Ask him for a meetup', my subconscious answered.

I stopped in my tracks and stared at the wall in front of me, lost in thoughts.

Meet him?
In real?
Like face to face!?

I mentally screamed and cupped my cheeks.

But then again.

WHAT SHOULD I GIFT HIM?!

.
.
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**********

Dictionary of the chapter-

• Tahajjud: voluntary prayer done in the middle of the night.

• Sadaqah: voluntary charity

• Zakat: payment made annually under Islamic law on certain kinds of property and used for charitable and religious purposes.