Must Read: The Silent Lover - Season 1 - Episode 67

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: The Silent Lover - Season 1 - Episode 67

She couldn’t say a word. Instead, she just stared at him with trembling lips and blinking eyes.

“Suprised?” He asked, as their meal arrived. “I know even more, much more than you think.”
“What do you know?” She asked automatically.

He studied her closely for few seconds and then asked suddenly.

“You loved someone else, didn’t you?”
The question hurt as much as her answer.

“Yes.” She saw him close eyes and knew it was painful for him to hear too. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean, I can’t grow to care for another man.”
“You’ve been hurt a lot, right?”
She bit her lips in answer. From her trembling lashes, he could see very well that she was almost about to cry.

He raised his eyes upward to gaze at the wall lamps. “Love is very strange, Komal. It is an unconditional commitment to an imperfect individual. You need it but when you love, it’s like destining yourself for pain. You become addicted and dependent on the person.

You become strong and at the same time, you open yourself up to being hurt.”
She knew it was true but she didn’t have the power to nod her agreement.

“Did he love you?” He asked again.
“I think so.” Komal said without expression, her eyes staring absently at his face.

“Did he betray you?”
“No, he didn’t.” She straightened herself on her chair. “Only now I’ve understood that he had his own reasons.” She sighed coldly.

“The key to satisfaction is to know people and trust them to be who they are.” Sikander expelled his breath heavily. “Instead, we trust people to be who we want them to be and when they are not, we get hurt.”
Komal crossed her hands over her b0s0m and looked away. “Even if I was at his place, I probably would have done the same.

But sometimes, I really do think what made his heart love another woman, even more than he loved me.”
“Was she more beautiful than you?” Sikander asked with interest in his eyes.

“In some ways she was.” Komal shrugged. “She was more patient, more modest and had more trust in God. She was more determined and that’s why she got him.”
“You mean he loved her back?”
“No, the weird thing is that he hurt her even more than he hurt me.” Komal’s lips twitched. “Although she happened to be his wife.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” She sighed coldly. “He left her as well.”
“Well, it reminds me of a short story.” He tapped himself back and sighed.

“Which one?” Komal asked curiously.
“It’s about two teardrops.” Sikander smiled sadly, as he reached for his juice again and took it.

“Two little teardops were floating down the river of life. One drop said to the other, ‘I am the teardrop of a girl who loved a man and lost him, who are you?’ ‘Well, I am the teardrop of the girl who won him.’ replied the other.”

Komal was so touched by the little story that she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“I’ve never felt this lonely in my life.” Komal expressed painfully.

“Know what Komal?” Sikander asked in a very soft voice. “When it hurts to look back, and you’re scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your best companion will be there.”
On his remark, Komal, for the first time in her life, looked at him with a new, fresh hope in her eyes.

“There comes a time when we have to stop loving someone not because that person has stopped loving us but because we have found out they’ll be happier if we let go.” He told her with an ambitious look.

“I know what you mean.” Komal nodded in agreement.

“I was thinking of all the things I haven’t said.” He went on gruffly, as he put down his glass.

“It isn’t always necessary to put feelings into words.” She murmured gently. “If you love someone, they can tell.”

“So now you believe?” He muttered, eyeing her closely.

“You made me believe, but even before then, I had to believe in myself.” Komal replied, getting determinedly to her feet.

Sikander came to his feet with a lithe movement, succesfully reminding her of his superior height and build.

He moved aside, giving her way to precede him.

“Maybe you think no one will ever love you like the way he did.” He admitted, as they walked toward his car, taking short, slow steps.

“But I have my own way and I hope you won’t be disappointed.” He smiled soberly.

“You were never like this, Sikander.” Komal said breathlessly.

“I am still the same man.” He put a glance on her and grinned. “You never gave me a chance to express myself properly. You were always too absorbed behind that self-made shield of yours.” As he spoke, she definitely noticed a tone of slight criticism but he still made his expression gentle.

“But, I suppose it was my fault too.” He admitted. “Women need attention and I was too busy in my own matters.”
“Once you accept someone for whom and what they really are, they’ll surprise you by being better than you ever expected.” He smiled lively, as she got beside him in his car. “Love is accepting a person with all his strength and weaknesses.”
“Oh Sikander……. I… I don’t deserve you.” She hid her face in her hands.

“Hey…” He caught her wrists softly with one hand, his other hand on the steering wheel. “Who deserves whom, it’s not our task to decide.” He was as calm as ever.
Oh yes, he was not frigid. He was calm instead. Mature, sober and calm.

“I…. I know I ignored you.” She sobbed, trying to hold back her tears.

“The happier the memory, the deeper it hurts.” Sikander’s voice had never felt this gentle. “There are so many stars in the sky but only some are radiant enough to be noticed. Among those you choose to ignore, is the one which is willing to shine for you forever even if your glance remained elsewhere.”
“I have now realized that marriage is something totally out of our hands.” Komal murmured huskily. “You never know with whom God has made your match.”
“I agree.” Sikander agreed evenly. “But our happiness and grief are in our own hands Komal. Sometimes we are too indulged in aftershock of what we have lost to look at what we have gained at the same time.”
Komal nodded but said nothing. She was too absorbed in his impressive way of talking and delicate style of expression.

“Always remember.” He continued in the same s£nsat!onal tone. “In love, very rarely do we win but when love is true, even if you lose, you still win for just having the tingle of loving someone more than you love yourself.”
“Would you like to go shopping?” He asked as he changed the topic, looking hopefully at her.

“Ummm.”
“Just for a change.” He wanted her affirmation.

She smiled and nodded.

It was easy to relax in Sikander’s company.

He was an old family friend, solid and reliable, someone she could trust and respect. And Komal was grateful. In fact, for the first time in nearly two years, she actually felt as if she was beginning to relax.

Side by side, they strolled along the main London shopping area and gazed into shop windows. They stopped now and then to look and admire and then wander on.

Komal pointed out at a window. “Look at that! It’s fabulously feminine.” She exclaimed in approval, as she stared at the traditional Pakistani dress.

“Hmmm, and especially for the forthcoming Eid, it’s perfect.” He said.

“No. I’m one of those who wait until the ‘moon night’, the so called ‘Chaan Raat’, when it is just one day to Eid, then run around and try to everything at once.” She smiled at herself. “To me, that’s the real Eid’s spirit.”
He bought her many Pakistani Eastern cloths of her interest and traditional jewelry like bangles and bracelets to match with.

It was when they both climbed into his car and he was almost about to switch the key to start the engine that she stopped him and said in a strange voice.

“Once you asked me to marry you, Sikander…..and I did not reply. I’d like you to ask me again.”

There was a long, silent moment that she thought he was going to refuse.

“I would be proud to be your wife, Sikander.” She assured him. “And I’ll be a good one too. I’ll make sure you never regret marrying me.”

He was still silent. Seeing his hesitation, she decided to take no risks. She had to be clear-cut and straightforward.

“But at the same time I’d like to ask, are you prepared to live with a woman who was in love with someone else?” She challenged.

“I appreciate your honesty Komal.” He replied calmly after his silence. “I just wanted to see how honest you are.” He added gracefully. “In fact, I knew it since it all began.

Your mother didn’t keep me in the dark.
I just wanted to see if you were honest and sincere enough to open a new, fresh chapter in the book of your life.”
Komal dragged her gaze away and looked down. She was aware that her heart was beating far faster than it should, and in spite of the cold night, she was sweating.

“So, would you be happy to be my wife?” Sikander asked one last time, testing her real emotions, making her sure of herself. “It breaks your heart to see the one you love is happy with someone else….but it’s more painful to know that the one you love is unhappy with you.”
“Yes, I’ll be.” She nodded with happy tears in her eyes. “I’m happy.”
“And I’m happy to tell you did not disappoint me, finally.” Sikander told her with a satisfied expression on his glistening face.

“If that’s a proposal, I accept.” Komal laughed.

He laughed back. It was a rare sound and she couldn’t help liking it. Soft yet deep, it was nothing like his voice, which was always colorless.

The rest of the journey was spent in silence, both of them were too happy, too absorbed in the aftermaths of the happiness of their newfound real love.

“Wait, I’ve something to show you.” Sikander’s voice stopped her as she put her feet on the ground once they arrived in front of her house.

“There’s even a ring to go with the proposal.”He said as he climbed out of the car. Reaching in the side of his jacket, Sikander took out a small velvet box. Coming slowly in front of her, he knelt down on his knees.

She couldn’t believe her eyes. He was offering it to her like primal French knights.

“Bonjour de Madam, would you please marry me?” She was in doubt if he was the same man who was always absorbed and busy in his own matters, and who had never looked like a real passionate man.

She opened it and drew a breath of delight.

It was a simple diamond solitaire set on a wide band of gold.

“It’s perfect, it’s beautiful!” She exclaimed excitedly. “I love it.”
“Hmmm, and what else do you love Madam?”
“Hmm, one who gave this ring to me.” She smiled shyly and turned her face away from him to hide the heavy blush spreading on her face.

“Well,” She then sighed relaxingly. “I have to admit it again that you don’t look like the same Sikander I met years ago.”
“Trust me, you don’t look like the same Komal, either.” He smiled wonderfully.

With a satisfied grin on her lips, Komal remembered those words, which were mainly responsible for giving her hopeless life a dreamful direction.

“At some point of our lives, we all have to compromise, either for our career, or for our family, for our marriage or sometimes even for our love.”
“Compromise for love? But love can’t be compromised.”
“It can be. Sure it can be compromised. But only for another love.”
Indeed she had compromised her love, but not this one. In fact she had compromised the love of her past, but only for this present one, which was promising a better, brilliant future for her.

And it was not a bad business at all.
Komal took a steadying breath and smiled.

“Remember…..when you are down on nothing. God is up to something, surely.”