Scene: Study Room – A Quiet Night
The soft tick of the wall clock mingled with the rustle of papers as Haroon sat in the study room, hunched over a pile of case files. A pale yellow light illuminated the table where he worked with methodical intensity. It was just past 10 PM, and the rest of the house was quiet.
The door creaked open gently.
"Haroon... green tea," Maryam's soft voice announced as she stepped inside, a tray in her hands, the aroma of fresh lemongrass tea filling the room.
He looked up briefly, a soft smile on his lips. "Thank you, jaan. You're an angel."
Maryam placed the tray on the table and sat beside him. Her eyes fell on the chaotic yet oddly organized spread of papers, highlighters, and his notepad.
"Still working? It's late. Don't you have to rest too?" she asked gently.
"Just a few more notes. This case is complicated," Haroon replied, flipping a page.
As he became engrossed again, Maryam sipped her tea silently, her gaze wandering across the shelves and eventually landing on a small black leather-bound notebook—a diary. Curiosity twitched her fingers.
She leaned in, fingers brushing toward the diary. Just as she touched it, Haroon's hand swiftly intercepted.
"That's... personal," he said softly, looking at her with a mix of seriousness and affection.
Maryam froze, her hand halfway in the air. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to pry," she said quietly, pulling her hand back.
Haroon looked at her for a long moment and then sighed. He gently slid the diary toward her. "Actually... you can read it."
Maryam blinked. "Really?"
"Yes," Haroon said, pushing the diary closer. "There's a lot in there about you."
She opened it slowly, almost reverently. The first page was dated a few days before their wedding. In Haroon's strong but elegant handwriting, poetry danced across the pages.
Scene: Diary Reading – Words of the Heart
Maryam read aloud, her voice trembling slightly:
"That night of stars and crimson veil, Her eyes, two candles in the gale. She walked, my fate beneath her feet, In that red dress, my heart's heartbeat."
Her eyes widened. "You wrote this... for me?"
Haroon smiled, watching her closely. "Every word."
She turned the page.
"The mehndi on her hands was brighter than the moon, Her laughter sweeter than a monsoon. In silence, she took my breath away, And yet, in her silence, so much she'd say."
Maryam placed her hand on her chest. "Haroon... I didn't know you wrote poetry. This is... beautiful."
"I started writing again after meeting you," he said softly. "It's how I poured out everything I couldn't say aloud."
She continued reading, stopping often to wipe the corners of her eyes. Haroon got up, poured the tea into their cups, and sat beside her.
"Do you want to hear my favorite one?" he asked.
"Yes," she nodded eagerly.
He took the diary, turned to a page, and read:
"In her silence, I found peace, In her eyes, my thousand dreams. When she stood beside me that day, My heart, my world, found its way."
Tears shimmered in Maryam's eyes. "I never imagined you had this inside you."
"That's why I didn't tell you. I wanted the words to speak first."
Scene: A Quiet Embrace
She placed her head on his shoulder. "You've made this marriage more than a promise. You've turned it into poetry."
Haroon gently kissed her forehead. "Because you gave me the inspiration."
They sat there, green tea cooling beside them, as the night deepened. In the silence, words weren't needed. Their hearts spoke louder.
Scene: The Promise
Maryam turned back to the diary, tracing a half-written stanza.
"Will you keep writing?"
"Only if you keep reading," Haroon replied.
She chuckled, "Deal."
Outside, the wind whistled softly through the trees. Inside, two souls sat side by side, bound by love, by poetry, and by promises only the heart can keep.