It was raining cats and dogs and tomorrow was going to be the day of saluting. Ahmed wasn't one to worry over things but Wali's extreme calm attitude, considering the fact that this man actually cried over wasting toothpaste, was bothering Ahmed beyond compare. He kept on glancing at his roommate who was calmly singing songs in his native language, Pushto. 

        Ahmed walked out of his room and headed over to Taimoor and Daud's room. These guys were his platoon mates and extremely good friends as well. Taimoor Laghani and Daud Chisti, both were from Ghaznavi Coy,1st Pak. 

        Ahmed knocked at their door. Daud answered it. "What's up?" Ahmed glanced sideways to see if no one was coming, then he hurriedly sprinted into their room. "I don't know why but Wali's giving me anxiety, yaar!"he whined. 'Yaar' is a term used to address a person whom you're very open with in a friendly manner. Daud burst out in laughter,"Don't tell me he's singing again?"

        "YES AND THAT TOO BEFORE THE DAY OF SALUTING!"Ahmed whisper shouted. Daud laughed even louder,"You should check his pants, he's not doing good down there."

        "I'm just-"Ahmed sat on Taimoor's bed,"I don't know man."  Taimoor glanced at him,"You okay?"

        "I guess,"Ahmed listlessly nodded. Taimoor was a sensible man, he had the ability to read people's face. "You look like you're about to pass out cold,"he turned over to him. 

        "I'm not passing out cold...it's sort of exciting and nerve wrecking at the same time. I don't understand this anxiety, I never got it before,"Ahmed looked into space. Daud eyed Taimoor, he looked confused. "You don't have a girl out there for you?right?"they quizzed.

        "Uh n-no-"

        "You like someone?"Daud urged. "Uh...no...it's not like that." Ahmed denied,"I have a lot of people I missed during these past few days and I want to see them all. Family, mom and dad, my friends, all of them."

        "Don't worry,"Taimoor stretched his back,"you're going to meet your girl and your family. I know you'll past the test before anyone of us does. That's one thing I'm sure of,"he stood up from his chair and walked over to his bed. "The seniors might be on round, you should get back to your room before someone sees you." He warned Ahmed.

        "Yeah you're right, thanks man." Ahmed walked out of their room to his room, Wali was sitting silently on his chair. Still in the same position he had left him in. "You're not singing anymore?"

        Wali stayed silent. Ahmed frowned,"You okay?Wali?"

        Wali didn't reply to him. Ahmed walked over to him and patted his shoulder,"You okay?" Wali looked up at him and asked him something deep,"Did you ever fall in love with someone?"

        Ahmed was taken by surprise. This was something new out of Wali's mouth. "Why you asking that?"he asked him. "I wanted to know...you never told me about this girl you keep calling in your dreams." Ahmed's eyes widened, even he did not know about this. "You're kidding right?What girl?"

        "The one who keeps on coming in your dreams to ruin the atmosphere of my peaceful sleep?"he asked. Ahmed hesitantly processed the thought of him calling a woman's name in his sleep. "Do I call my mom?"

        "No..."Wali thought for a moment,"her's names like meh...sounds like it."

        "Meh?"Ahmed pondered. Meh who? Mehek?She's never going to be my dream girl...jeez this guy has lost it for sure.

        He glanced over to his roommate with a disappointing look. "Have you ever fallen for someone?"Ahmed asked him back. Wali looked up at the ceiling,"I like someone but she doesn't even know about my existence." 

        Ahmed never guessed for Wali to be such a deep person, not to mention having a one-sided love. "I-Is she someone from you family?"

        "No."

        "Is she someone you met or saw?"Ahmed queried. Wali denied. "Then?"

        "She's beyond my reach,"Wali mumbled. Ahmed felt ridiculous. "This doesn't sound like you at all, you're Wali Khan for crying out loud man!"he exclaimed. "If someone like you isn't confident in his love then I believe no one can be!"

        Wali lifelessly gave him a glance,"That's garbage talk."

        "Oh come one! who is she?"Ahmed pried. 

        "She's...uhm she's Anjelina Jolie from The Simpsons!"he yelled with full enthusiasm. Ahmed fell silent, a dark aura started leaving his body. He came near Wali and with full force smacked his head. 

        SMACK!

        "Ouch!"

        "FUCK YOU!"Ahmed kicked him. Wali broke into laughter as Ahmed climbed his bed cursing him. "You really thought I like someone!"he chuckled.

        Ahmed was pissed off,"GET TO BED AND DON'T TALK TO ME OR ELSE I'LL KILL YOU!"

        "Okay okay,"Wali kept on laughing as he turned the lights off and went to bed. But he kept on insisting that Ahmed was calling a girl in his dreams and Ahmed kept on asking him to shut up and sleep. 

        ~

        "We're going over to get Asher today, I packed some clothes in case we spend the night in Abbottabad,"Emel's mom told her. "Sure,"she whispered, gathering her stuff from the lounge's table. "Where you going?"Mrs.Tariq asked her. Emel was new to this inquiring and worrying attitude of her mom. "I'm going to change,"she shrugged. "Oh...and dad's going to be back in an hour, get whatever you need and let me know, I'll pack it,"she smiled at Emel.

        Emel patiently refrained herself from inquiring her mother. She felt like asking her a lot of things now that she was finally getting some interactive attitude from them. 

        "I'll be back." She went upstairs to her room.  She took her medicines, her books, her necessary items and the small wooden chest she had. It contained all sort of gifts and treasures her friends had handed over to her. Even the small shepherd was locked up inside of it. She didn't think too much about it but shoved it into her bag. 

        They left for picking Asher up on his first leave. The buses were going to drop the cadets up till their designated locations. The drove their car to the stop where Asher was about to be dropped. 

        Emel took a gander out of the car to get a glimpse of the outside. The whole traffic was jammed because of the cadet's first leave. A bus drove near them and waited in line to get past the jam. Emel looked up at the people sitting inside unintentionally. She had no idea that it was occupied with boys who were dying to get a glimpse of everything.

        She froze in her tracks and stared at this familiar face. It was Ahmed!

        She tried to steal her glance and look somewhere else. Her eyes met with the guy sitting behind him. He had a blank look on his face, as if he saw her look at Ahmed and try to look away immediately. 

        'What are you doing?!'Emel panicked and moved away from the window. Her mom turned back to look at her,"Did something happen?"

        Emel waved her hands,"Ah no nothing...I just wanted to move here since Asher's going to sit in that spot!"

        They turned to front, convinced by her words. She sighed deeply. Her heart was beating faster again. She didn't know why but it made her feel warm, worried, frustrated and somehow a bit happy that she took a glance of Ahmed's face. Too bad he hadn't noticed her.

        The car parked at the spot Asher was about to be dropped. They patiently waited for him. Emel rested her head against the windshield. She was drowsy so soon. 

        A guy came up and knocked at their window. She panicked looking up at the stranger. It was Asher but in a more cooked up and ten years younger version of himself. 

        "ASHER!"Mrs.Tariq exclaimed. He chuckled in the cutest way possible on their reactions. They hurriedly got out of the car and hugged him. He hugged his mom, then did a bro hug with his dad and turned to Emel. "You didn't call,"she mocked him.

        "Yeah about that,"he winked at her,"I'll buy you something to make up for it." He hugged her. She hugged him back. "I missed you kiddo,"he whispered to he. She hugged him tighter,"Me too."

        They weren't too open or standing out as siblings but the gap had made them realize each other's importance. Asher had been through a lot and he couldn't share it with anyone, but he knew the only place he wasn't going to be judged was his sister's space. She would listen to him and help him make the best decision. He had so much to share to her and the coming week seemed to little for it.

        The sun shone brighter than ever. Emel felt a chill of air engulf her. She turned to her right, the traffic had finally started moving. The bus went pass them, he was staring out at the magnificent green mountains of Abbottabad when he saw her hugging Asher. His heart skipped a beat and paced faster. 

        Things didn't seem to be right for him, but he just wanted them to stay the way they were six years back. He somehow missed that girl he had passed that gift to, in hope of meeting her as the way it was. Her smile as she embraced her brother, he felt envious. 

        "Ahmed you okay?"Wali patted his shoulder. 

        "Hmm?"he snapped out of his thoughts,"yeah...I'm good." He glanced back at Asher and his family. He sighed heavily, asking himself what all of these rubbish thoughts were, that he got whenever he saw her. It didn't make any sense. But neither did that panic in her eyes when she saw him in the bus earlier. Yes, he had seen her staring at him with her big dough eyes. He felt the warmth of her presence but when he looked down, she was moving back with panic all over her.

        "Why?"he questioned himself. He hated the way he was feeling. It wasn't like he and Emel were ever going to be the way they had been since the first day he met her as a baby to her smiling at his shepherdess. 

        Or maybe this all was his misconception. Destiny had started a game that was written for them since their first encounter, the feelings they felt today were engraved in their pages long ago. Only that destiny was turning the pages right now, at the right time and at the best moment possible.

~

♡"I'll wait for you. And I'll keep on waiting for you, even if it takes forever. I'll be here, right here...till you let me be the one."♡