The other side of Love

"Do I really love her"?

The question struck in Zia’s mind for quite some time. It was treacherous of him to think so. Considering the fact that he had even slept with her; in the bottom of his mind he knew the answer. He kept it to himself and decided to move on.

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The ring of a bell and his beloved was in front of the door. The very sight of her soothed his senses. Or did it? A strange thought was dancing in his mind. For that once he decided to shun his thought. She the darling of his dreams, the mother of his children, the lovely doll whom everyone adored was his wife of 10 years.

Zia hugged her and gave her a peck on her cheek, aware of the fact that he was carrying with him the odor of airport from all the different countries he had hopped in and come in his exhaustive journey from the American town of Bentonville.

It was quarter past 3 in the wee hours of the morning yet he found his dear Yasmeen as wide awake as she could be. It was not her habit to lay awake in the night. She was the kind to hit the bed immediately after her night prayers. The disciplined life that she led had made her tune to go early to bed and rise early as well. In spite of all that here she was gazing incessantly at him and at his every action as he undid his dress and unpacked his luggage;

Dinner was served on the table once he finished his shower. The delicious curry satiated all that he missed the moment he put the first pinch of Chappathi mixed in it to his tongue. Zia loved his food and equally loved the cook!

Usually the first thing he did after returning from his office journeys was to discover his lost love with his beautiful damsel. Not today but. He felt a strange tickle in himself. But he didn't want to show anything. Reluctantly he gave in to the ritual. His mind elsewhere; his thoughts loaned.

Within a few days, Zia regained back his old self. His life got back on track to how it always was. Yasmeen once again looked like the most beautiful thing to inhabit the planet.

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"Does he love me"?

She tried asking herself. As much as she knew the answer to her inane question she wasn't willing to erase it from her mind yet. She was prepared to live in a fool’s world just so as to revel in her treacherous thoughts! Life went on but she seemed stuck on a strange mind stuck elsewhere across the ocean.