Page 26 of First Comes Marriage
Zafar couldn’t even begin to understand what Reshma would have gone through. To face that kind of loss, displacement and abandonment at the young age she had been would have had a profound effect on her. And then to have her only surviving parent not make the effort to be a part of her life was something that had the potential of causing her pain every single time she thought about it.
And what about him?
Guilt reared its head, loud and proud, as Zafar saw his own actions fall into place in Reshma’s life.
No wonder she had resignedly told him to go back home. She was used to not being a priority to people. He had so much to make up for, he wondered if he’d ever manage.
Zafar turned his face from looking at her to looking at the ocean. The tide was creeping in and the sky had darkened. He heard the distant roll of thunder.
‘I think we should head back. I don’t want Daadi to be any more worried than she already was when I left.’ Reshma got up and brushed the sand off her trousers as she spoke.
When Zafar got up, there was barely a foot between them. ‘Thank you for sharing what you did with me, Reshma. I know it couldn’t have been easy. It probably brings all those feelings back to the surface for you.’
She looked up at him, her eyes sad but clear. She shrugged her shoulders and lowered her gaze.
Zafar placed two fingers under her chin and with the slightest pressure, lifted her face to look at him. ‘I know my opinion doesn’t hold a great deal of weight right now, but for what it’s worth, I think you’re incredible.’
Slowly, he lowered his head, his lips hovering over her forehead. He only waited a scant few seconds before she moved forward the last centimetre and he brushed his lips on her forehead, inhaling the scent of her shampoo.
They stood there, suspended in time, as Zafar savoured the feeling of closeness to Reshma. Even though it was her who had spent the last hour going through an emotional wringer, he felt like he needed the comfort of her touch.
He eased away slowly, reluctantly, and looked down at her, her nose stud catching the dim light and twinkling. She gave him the smallest smile, slowly lifting her hand and placing the cool tips of just three fingers on his jaw.
Her eyes roved over his face, seemingly cataloguing every part of it, and Zafar did the same, moving from her eyes to her lips, where the tip of her tongue came out and ran across her lips before disappearing. He moved the hand that had been gently holding her chin further up, cupping the side of her face with a light touch, afraid that she might not welcome more from him. But she surprised him by closing her eyes and leaning into his hand.
Zafar felt a zing of energy go from his hand all the way through his body. His nerve endings tingled to life, his heart racing.
Gradually, she opened her eyes and eased away from him, putting a few steps between them. Zafar put his hands in his pockets, acknowledging that the moment was over, and they both made their way back to the villa. The silence between them simmering with tension, but less fraught than before.
12
Reshma
Two days after the arrival of Ahsan Mir and his family, the brother of the bride hosted a games night in honour of his sister and future brother-in-law. The central garden, which was surrounded on three sides by hedges and was rectangular in shape, had been set up with various games and groupings of chairs for those who wished to spectate. Through an archway on one of the sides was another smaller paved terrace, on which buffet tables had been set up with a steady supply of food and drinks for the evening.
Reshma walked through the entrance of the garden with Haniya, watching the finishing touches being added to the space. There were fairy lights and colourful lanterns lighting up the garden, with two fire pits in opposite corners.
Energetic music was already pumping through the speakers, adding to the party atmosphere, and with people spilling into the garden one after the other, it didn’t take long for the party to get started.
Young children rushed for the giant snakes and ladders and connect four and Reshma saw Uncle Imtiaz make a beeline for the chess table.
‘What are we playing first?’ Haniya asked as she looked around with wide eyes.
Reshma spotted a mat to her left and grabbed Haniya’s arm, pulling her in its direction. ‘Here. Let’s play noughts and crosses.’
In no time, the pair of them were in hysterics, falling over each other and pushing each other out of the way, flagrantly ignoring any rules of the game. Shoaib and Khalil came and decided to join in with a doubles game, pitting themselves against her and Haniya and they started mucking about even more.
Reshma felt a lightness that seemed to have eluded her since her meltdown in front of Zafar and then more so after her father’s arrival. She hadn’t spoken to her father since then, though she’d seen him around obviously, because every evening the entire wedding party gathered to have dinner together at Auntie Ruqayyah’s villa.
She was also in a strange place with Zafar where she wasn’t saying anything to him as such, short of what she had to say or if they had an audience, but he was being as attentive with her as she’d always seen him be with others. More than he’d ever been with her before.
When he’d followed her to the beach, after her father’s shock arrival, she’d been somewhat surprised, but that was nothing compared to the surprise she’d felt when he’d held her hand and then held her after she’d given in to the torrent of emotions that had reached breaking point inside her. It wasn’t just a case of using him because he’d been the only one available. She’d seen compassion in his eyes, a connection, and at that moment she’d felt a deep need to be held by him and she’d given in to it, something that had later confounded her.
Why she had sought consolation in the arms of the man who had no interest in her, she couldn’t fathom, but it was as if a greater being had pushed their differences to one sideand allowed her to seek comfort from him and he’d offered it to her unconditionally. And then she’d gone on and unburdened herself to him while they’d both sat there watching the waves slowly make their way towards the shoreline.
She’d felt a strange sense of peace after that, but she’d also felt a bit rattled. How was that for a confusion of feelings?
‘Right, what next?’ Shoaib asked of no one in particular, looking around him to see what was available. He spotted the twister mat and made his way towards it.
