Hooreen was avoiding his gaze; seeing this, Kayan used his right hand (which was behind her head) to lift her face up and spoke:
"I didn't know, Hoor, that my anger could bring you this close to me and make you this bold... That was unbelievable and hot."
Hooreen was already standing with her head bowed in embarrassment, and Kayan's words and his smoldering eyes were making her even more confused. With great difficulty, she looked at him and spoke:
"I... I have to tell you something...!"
They were so close that their lips brushed against each other as they spoke, and their warm breaths scorched each other's faces. At her words, Kayan spoke with dissatisfaction:
"Not now, Hoor."
Saying this, he placed his lips on Hooreen's neck. Hooreen squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Kayan's lips moved from her beauty bone and settled on her mole. He pressed his teeth against that mole. One by one, old scenes began to flash before Hooreen's eyes, and she began to tremble with fear. Her body started to go cold. Kayan pulled away and looked at her. Where madness and passion had been dancing in her eyes moments ago, there was now only fear. Kayan looked at her with surprise and a heavy heart, but then, understanding the reason for her fear, he bowed his head in grief and shame. He was the reason for that fear. Because of a misunderstanding, he had turned from a human into an animal and broken the pride of his own love.
He moved away from Hooreen and spoke in a moist voice:
"Hoor, go home. We will talk in the evening."
"Kayan... I... I am fine. I want to stay here with you... I... want to forget everything and start a new life... with you... and our...!"
Before she could finish her sentence, he spoke:
"Hoor, what I did cannot be forgotten so easily... and the proof is the fear in your eyes. I should have stayed away from you... I'm sorry."
"No... Kayan...!"
"Hoor, go home for now, we will talk later."
Seeing Hoor not moving from her spot, he took the car keys from the table, held her hand, led her outside, and brought her home in the car. They both remained silent the entire way. After dropping her off at home, he drove away from there.
He drove aimlessly on the streets for a long time. Exhausted, he pulled the car to the side of the road and rested his head on the steering wheel, taking deep breaths. Just then, he heard the sound of the Azaan (call to prayer) nearby and went into the mosque.
While praying, tears flowed from his eyes; his heart was filled with melancholy. His conscience was reproaching him. After the prayer, when he raised his hands for supplication, his lips were trembling.
"O my Lord... bless this sinner with Your mercy. I seek forgiveness for every sin I have committed from the depths of my soul. There is no one besides You who hears my cry, who helps me, or who shows the way to the one who has strayed. I kneel before You, O Most Merciful God, shower Your mercy upon me. I am tired of all this. I disgraced my own love with my own hands and caused her pain. In my wandering, I had strayed from Your light. End this burden on my heart... apply the balm of Your grace and kindness to my soul, which has been shredded. Forgive me for all of it. I seek Your forgiveness. Grant me my love, my life. Ameen."
Even long after finishing the prayer, he remained sitting in the mosque. His heart felt a strange peace, as if a great weight had been lifted. After sitting there for a while, he set off for home because today, along with his birthday, it was also the New Year's party, and his presence was mandatory.
Hooreen had been lost in deep thought for a long time. The disbelief and pain in Kayan's eyes were making her restless again and again. She was also angry at herself; if she wanted to start a new life with Kayan, why was she still terrified of old memories? What has passed cannot return, and she would not ruin her future by dwelling on it. She made a firm decision not to delay any longer. Today, she would tell Kayan about her feelings and the "new guest" that was arriving. Getting up, she packed Kayan's gift and began to get ready.
Today, she wore a black Indian net saree that wasn't too heavy. Despite its simplicity, it was very decent and graceful. When she donned the saree, her beauty was enhanced manifold. She paired it with matching silver earrings and light makeup. She left her hair open and straight. Today, she had dressed up for Kayan from her heart. After getting ready, she looked at herself in the mirror and was momentarily stunned. Seeing herself like this, Kayan's words came to her mind—the ones he had said on their wedding day when he saw her in her bridal attire:
"Did you even look at yourself in the mirror before coming out...? If you had, you wouldn't have made the mistake of appearing before me, nor would you have asked me this question."
Remembering his words, the colors of modesty spread across Hooreen's face, and her heartbeat increased. Placing her hand on her heart, she immediately stepped back. Then, relaxing herself, she went and sat in the car with Mr. Jilani, who had been waiting for her for a long time since the party was at a 5-star hotel. He too was amazed to see her and, placing his hand on her head with love and affection, said:
"Masha'Allah, my daughter truly looks like a Hoor (celestial beauty) descended from the heavens. May Allah protect you from every evil eye. Ameen."
She began to smile at his words. Her gaze fell on Kayan, who was getting into his car, dressed in a black four-piece suit, hair set with gel, wearing a branded watch—looking royal and majestic. Seeing him, she immediately got out of the car and said to Mr. Jilani:
"You go ahead, Dad... I will go with Kayan."
Completing her sentence and without waiting for his reply, she stepped out. He was surprised at first, then began to smile and told the driver to proceed.
On the other side, Kayan had already started the car. Before he could drive away, Hooreen quickly entered and sat in his car. He was startled for a moment by someone suddenly opening the door and sitting inside, but the jingle of the bangles on Hoor's hands broke the silence, making him realize it was his Hoor. She loved bangles and carried them with every outfit. Besides, only Hooreen could come to him with such authority and without permission. Kayan drove off without looking at her. He had decided he would not look at this "enemy of his life" because whenever he looked at her, he forgot everything and yearned for her proximity, which often made him cross every limit. Therefore, he had firmly convinced his heart not to look at her, but his heart found no peace without catching a glimpse of the beloved. His heart was rebelling against him: Just once, let a look at her grant you peace... Because of this, he started feeling frustrated, and in that frustration, he hit the steering wheel with his hand. Hooreen, who was watching him, jumped in her seat at his action. Then, normalizing herself, she addressed him:
"Kayan, I want to go see the sea right now."
At her request, Kayan turned the car toward that route without saying a word. For him, Hooreen's happiness came first, and for that happiness, he was willing even to arrive a little late to the party. He still wasn't looking at her. Hooreen was well aware of the state of his heart. To tease him further, she turned her entire body toward him and sat facing him. This made him even more irritated and disturbed. Still looking straight ahead while driving, he spoke:
"Don't look at me like that... You will regret it, Hoor."
She spoke in a tone of assertion:
"I'll not regret it, Kayan."
Out of anger at her reply, Kayan stopped the car. When the car stopped, she couldn't help but ask:
"Why did you stop the car here...?"
Controlling his anger without looking at her, he said:
"So that I can relax myself a bit. Your antics are not letting me drive in peace."
Saying this, he got out of the car. Inside the car, Hooreen's laughter was easily audible to him as she laughed at his statement. The sound of her laughter was so captivating that his heart began to yearn again, though he was scolding himself, insisting he wouldn't look at her. Hooreen also stepped out of the car and stood before him, looking at him with eyes seeking love. He was leaning against the car with his eyes closed, fighting himself. Hooreen felt a surge of love for him. She moved a little closer. As she neared, Kayan smelled the scent of his own cologne on her, which meant clearly that Hooreen was drenched in his fragrance today. Feeling this, Kayan squeezed his eyes shut tightly. Hooreen was truly testing his restraint today, just like every other time. The more he fought within himself to stay away from her, the more she was making him lose control by coming close. Hooreen reached up slightly and began to tie a blindfold over his eyes.
"What kind of act is this, Hoor...?"
Saying this, he reached out to untie the blindfold, and his hands brushed against Hooreen's. He was already struggling to stop himself from losing control, and the touch of Hooreen's hands felt like an electric shock. He immediately pulled his hands back. She spoke with a smile:
"You were already standing there with your eyes closed and avoiding looking at me, so I thought, why not just tie a blindfold? Now, you will not open it until I say so."
He spoke in an exasperated tone:
"Hoor, stop this childishness... Open it... otherwise, who will drive...?"
"If it's childishness, then so be it. And as for the driving, I will do it."
"When did you learn to drive...?"
At his surprised question, she replied:
"In those months when I wasn't with you, this is exactly what I learned. Now, you just sit quietly."
Saying this, she took Kayan's hand and led him to the front passenger seat. As she was buckling his seatbelt, feeling her so close, he spoke again:
"Hoor, you... all this...!"
Before he could finish, she placed her index finger on his lips and mimicked his style:
"Not a word, Kayan... not a word...!"
A smile appeared on Kayan's face at her gesture, and he fell silent, while his heart skipped a beat at her action.
Reaching her destination, she stopped the car and, holding Kayan's hand, led him out. She untied the blindfold from Kayan's eyes. She herself was standing behind him. As soon as the blindfold was removed, his gaze fell on the scene in front of him, and he froze in his tracks.
On the seashore, there was a beautiful table decorated with candles and flowers. The path leading to it was also lined with fresh roses and scented candles on the sides.
As evening faded, the shoreline was softly illuminated by flickering candlelight, creating a warm, dreamlike glow. The table was elegantly set with fine china and shimmering silver, surrounded by the glow of candles and the soothing melody of the ocean. Hooreen had planned this special surprise to celebrate Kayan's birthday; being Mrs. Kayan Zarrar, arranging this secluded setup was quite easy for her.