#4

he bent maybe that would help, his breath sharp and aggressive, he really needed to survive, he really needed a chance to breath normally again, it wasn't the dark alone that made him suffer this much, the chaos in his mind, the sadness in his soul, the pain in his heart also suffocated him in way that they would kill him

" WAQAS!" came a sharp feminine tone from where he didn't know "are you okay!" the unknown female asked

Upon hearing her voice, his breath eased, slowly getting back to normal, the heaviness in his chest slowly lowered, chaos in his head disappeared, his sad soul found bliss again, his paining heart began to find solace again

He stood upright again, his head turned left and right like he was searching for the unseen

"where are you..... who.... Who are you... where...!" before he could finish his statement a petite female figure appeared before him

In a green shalwar khameez her veil falling neatly on her shoulders, with a neatly tied hijab, her back facing him

"who are you?" he questioned confusion all over his tone

"The one you have been looking for!" her calm tone kept on erasing his chaos, reducing his sadness, erasing his pain like she was a magician of solace

"What?..... what am I looking for?" he stepped closer to get a good view of whoever she was at the moment

"Solace!... peace!... you can term me as you want!" she explained

His steps hitched the moment he saw something unusual on her clothes "But.... B... blood" he pointed at the blood stains he noticed on her clothes

The girl scoffed "Sometimes to give people solace... we have to bleed a little!" her calm tone cut through his ears sharply as she started assembling herself away

"But.... Wait... where are you going..... what's ... your!" before he even finished she had already disappeared

"NAME!" 

with that he stormed out of the heavy dream that felt like real, holding his heart but it was okay, not racing, his mind wasn't chaotic as always, he felt inner peace he has never felt a long time and that's what made this dream feel more real than just a dream, he held his phone time checking

"Subh-Haana-Allah... what kind of dream is this Yaa-Rab!" he rubbed his face roughly, clearing his view "Or maybe it was an alarm for Tahajjud!" he corrected getting off the bed before he disappeared into the bathroom.

He laid his prayer mat, knowing for sure through prayer, through his conversation with his RAB is where he found peace and solace, he raised his hands and started to pray

--

While somewhere in Iqbal town, a figure sat on the prayer mat, soon after finishing her TAHAJJUD

she raised her hands, with eyes full of tears, the heaviness in her heart was now going to be expressed to her creator, ZAHRA

Her tears falling endlessly as they always does whenever she gets on her prayer mat, As she sits there expressing every pain with the heaviness it carries by her chest to her CREATOR, the only safe space that she expresses it all, her pain, her happiness, her sadness worries, everything..

After a long sad moment of sobs, and honest expression, she took her QUR-AN 

" BISMILLAHI- RRAHMAANI- RRAHIYM" she muttered before her sweet voice with tajwid on point, a Qiraa with some fewer mistakes covered her room. 

That's what she called solace and peace by her side.

----

Zahra ascended the stairs with her phone on hand together with her tote bag hanging by her shoulder neatly perfect, the rush by her feet speaking louder of how late she already was or maybe that's just how she feels

"where to miss.... Much knower!" a voice cut through her ears and suddenly she stops her walking and a bit pissed 

Biting the teeth under her cavity before they could turn and bite the girl obsessed with everything in her life 

"I'm off to the library... I have to finish an assignment!"

She rolled her eyes that came with that hand swing in air 

"mmh!... whatever!" then walked a bit closer forming an uncomfortable closeness between them

"daddy.... Is coming back tomorrow....." she paused letting Zahra get it clearly

While upon hearing that Zahra felt the uncontrollable bliss down her chest, a small twitch caved at the corner of her lips before she hide it beneath her jaws

"I dare you to tell him... or Aasif.. anything about me or mom?... you know what I will do to you" she warned fingers almost reaching Zahra's face

Zahra rolled her eyes in her head like doing it in reality would lead to them pocked out "I won't say anything.... Not even about you not wearing your hijab properly... I won't say it!" it came out more like a satire than obedience

"good girl.... Or else you know what I can do huh?" Zahra nodded in response to her cousin's statement, knowing the evil and inhuman things she can make her go through, she then turned and left Zahra standing there in a full packed bliss

In such a jiffy Zahra had already forgotten Alhaa's threats and now only one thing lingered in her mind 

"mamooni is coming ....... Yaayyy!" she smiled blissfully walking down the stairs before a masculine voice interrupted her moment

"mmh.. mhh!.. someone is smiling!" teased Asif playfully

Zahra twirled her shoulder childishly "it's sunnah isn't it?" Zahra shot back

"it is.... But alone?... why not share the happiness choti!" he pecked on her flat cheeks like he was playing with a little baby

"is it true that maamoni is coming tomorrow?" she asked curiously her tone more like a whisper

Aasif smiled sweetly already reading the excitement on her face "who told you...miss detective?" he gave her a suspicious stare

"Alhaa told me.... Please tell me is it true?" she questioned

"You and your cousin.... Are detectives and gossipers" he teased

"please tell me... Aasif bhai.. is he coming?" she spoke childishly curious

"well..... yes.. he is coming!" he winked playfully

"yaaay.....! she jumped joyfully like a little kids, jumped on Aasif blissfully

"yaaayyy.... Maamoni is coming... such a good news yaaarrrr... thanks bhai!" she let him go quickly like she wasn't holding him minutes ago

" bye ,,, I'm going to the library to study with Naysal" with that she walked away jumping like a child, while Aasif just stood there watching her cute actions that bough a smile on him unknowingly 

"such a cute and lovely girl you are Zahra...." He smiled "I'm such a blessed brother huh!" he added taking a long stride to his room

----

The excitement she carried reached the library with her, her face lit with bliss and unhidden smile line secretly grinning like a little kid she felt at the moment

"so much happiness this whole weekend" teased Naysal at the very moment she met Zahra

"is it that obvious?" she smirked

"too obvious ishq.... Too obvious!" 

" guess what...." She paused but didn't wait for her response " maamoni is coming back tomorrow In-Shaa-Allah!" she smiled blissfully

Naysal smiled sharing her friend's joy with her knowing how much she loves he uncle"no wonder you are so happy.... Look at her..." she pinched Zahra's cheek

"let's go and study girl!' she grabbed Naysal's hand as she led the way to the library

---

"so... how is the company doing mister chairperson?" Yazid's sarcastic tone cut through Waqas' ears drastically annoying 

"good...!" he shot back, harsh words with a calm polite tone

"mmhhh.... Okay... your mom trust you so much... just make sure to not let her down within these two years!" he bullied again

Waqas' gaze shifted towards Yazid fully "and you?" he finally asked his eyes locked directly into his father's

Yazid chuckled, not because it was funny but because he found it silly 

"you are allowed to let me down!" he raised a brow

"you know I'm not talking about that right!" Waqas' gaze ached right through Yazid like he was trying to read through whatever was behind those eyes

Yazid chuckled lightly as if he meant it to reach Waqas as a satire and it perfectly did

"ooh about trusting you?.... I don't have to trust you to know what you're capable of whatever you are doing... Mr. Waqas Mirza!! You have my father's blood by the way.... That man was extraordinary"

he meant it but didn't want to sound like he did

Waqas' eyes welled up, he almost cried before his dad, maybe just maybe he would give his love as a father but no, this man wasn't ready for that

"I will take a leave!" muttered Waqas before he turned and left while blinking his tears away, sliding into the his black Maybach S 680, his late grandfather gifted him, he drove off as fast as he could

Yazid stood there, eyeing his broken son wishing to heal him but his mind told him it was too late to do so

"you're strong like your grandfather Waqas, you are stronger than me... you will be fine!" he muttered inwardly as if saying the words out would annoy his sleeping wounds

On the road Waqas drove rougher his hands gripping the wheel tighter that his knuckles whitened , his heart ached over his chaotic, overthinking and depressed mind

"he can't even say I have his blood..... does he even hate me that much,,,, have I ever been his son ...even for a day?... have I?" his grip on the wheel tightened as his leg squeezed harder on the accelerator before they hit the brakes he was already at the gate of the great Quaid-e-Azam library

"my life is already boring ... my heart is also aching... maybe some poems would help" he honked for the gate to be opened, and good enough the gateman was quick

--

Assignment done and now the only thing the girls ended up doing is argues over which book to read this time, Naysal giving her forever recommendation that they have read countless times now, 

"Nay,,,there are other books out there by Nadeem Aslam, Mohsin Hameed..... aaah Bano Qudsia... even Umera Ahmed has other books apart from peer-e-kamil!" Zahra lamented clearly fed up with the book 

"come I will show you!" she grabbed Naysal's hand before they left together

Stepping into the library door, his legs directed him towards the novels and poetry shelves, 

hoping maybe reading would help distract him, but the more he walked forward the more he felt the calmness finding it's way to his heart

It felt like last night's dream, then the thoughts of her hit his mind again Zahra, and what he couldn't understand is how is she related to that dream, he shook his heading hoping maybe he would shake the thoughts away

"come and see....." she paused " there are good books here" she added her tone a bit above a whisper

His body froze for a moment, his legs stuck on the ground, he heard it again, her tone, though it came as a whisper yet his sharp ears heard her, and his crazy heart.... translated it as scream more than a whisper

"she can't be here... I'm overthinking a lot!" he brushed it off but his heart didn't, it was racing faster than usual a few more moments of the same rate he would be in the hospital bed as a cardiac arrest victim

He forced his steps forward before he heard her voice again, this time it sounded exactly like the girl in his dream 

"What's wrong with me?..." he held his chest maybe that would ease his racing heart tried to walk again this time his body didn't only freeze he almost fell on the ground as Zahra passed right before his eyes holding her best friend's hand heading to the novel's shelves

"Sub-haana-Allah!!! Its really her.. I wasn't over thinking" he spoke to himself his hand holding pillar tightly as if loosening the hold would send him to the ground

"here... here... look at these... there many books to read in here... but you only choose one book ... peer-e-kamil... peer-e-kamil... yes its good but pleased let it rest a bit!" she lamented forcing herself to whisper but still her tone reached his ears to his soul

Naysal stood still staring at the shelves before her "okay now choose a book... I will read anything you suggest!" muttered Naysal teasingly

"I always have the to be read books in my mind but today they all vapored!" she muttered walking further the shelves, with Naysal trailing behind her they walked from shelf to shelf

"look at this... it has a beautiful cover let's read the!" she muttered showing Naysal the book

"No.... rejected!" 

They kept on walking from shelf to shelf she kept on showing her friend different books but none of them satisfied her

" NO... rejected... ooh please... denied.... Rejected... no.... rejected!" Naysal kept on repeating over every book Zahra showed her

"Maybe you should try this one!" came a masculine calm and polite carried voice from in front of them

Zahra's eyes widened, both of them forgot to look down, they just looked up to him, his height consuming theirs in a disrespectfully annoying manner, and his eyes were everywhere but on them

" you!" muttered Naysal as if remembering something she once saw

Zahra starred at him then back to Naysal her face full of the confusion she couldn't speak out loud then she turned to Naysal as if waiting for proper explanation 

"that guy.... At the park... the one who.... Who... who!" explained Naysal on her defense hesitantly as if she was trying not to say something

Zahra pointed at him her eyes flicking towards him slowly waking her memories "ooh the one who fell in the pond!... okay I remember now!' 

muttered Zahra on realization before Naysal pinched her as if she wasn't supposed to say that loud but she already did anyways but surprising enough it didn't seem to bring even a single ray of embarrassment on Waqas' face