A Tale of Hearts

Chapter Thirty

Important Note:

Since there was some confusion regarding Kamran's mother so I have made a small edit in the previous chapter and changed it to Kamran's sister. Excuse the misunderstanding, I haven't been getting proper sleep lately.

Zoya's POV:

Looking at the shattered expression on his face, my hand involuntarily reached out to hold his hand as a form of comfort. I held it tenderly as I looked at him with a gentle expression. This was a sensitive topic so I had to be careful.

"I am sure you will find your sister eventually. I mean, despite my attempts at trying to avoid you and my dreaded past, you found me. So there is hope. Don't give up, Sher." Kamran seemed taken aback but then he gave me the smallest of his smiles as he nodded his head slowly.

"Yeah, I trust your words. Meeting you filled a void in my chest." His words overwhelmed me like always but I felt my heart beat race as my eyes met his. He seemed so sincere. It scared me.

I was glad the food had arrived because I didn't know how much longer I could stay calm under that intense gaze of his. He was holding unto my hand rather tightly. Well, it was my idea to comfort him so I will just let it slide.

"Kainat just left one day out of nowhere. She was my best friend. I was planning to make you meet her too when we were kids but that day when I left you at the hospital, I came back home to find her gone." Kamran trailed on without looking at me. He looked like he was reliving those moments. "We looked everywhere for her. We couldn't believe that she would leave such a heartless note and abandon us."

"I am sorry for what you and your family went through." Kamran's grip on my hand tightened as he continued to speak.

"Ammi and abbu have never been the same since then. Abbu has stopped smiling and Ammi doesn't like meeting or talking to anyone anymore. She was really close with Tayi gee Mehwish and Auntie Nisha. Now she just spends her time alone in the room." Kamran then finally looked at me and I felt my heart break at his wounded expression. "She was the perfect sister. One of a kind. I really miss her. She would be turning 33 this August."

"Kamran, trust Allah. You will find her. She will be fine. I am sure she will still be the amazing sister you remember her as. Happiness will return to your family too InshaAllah." I didn't know what else to tell him. I felt part of his sorrow and grief. His pain had transferred to me. I genuinely hoped that he could find his sister. I never thought he had experienced such loss. He seemed so aloof and emotionless that it was hard to tell such stuff. He had been through a lot huh?

"Thank you, Zoya, for the assurances. And for coming back into my life. I never gave up looking for either of you. You are my miracle. My hope. If I can find you 14 years later, I can find her too." I smiled at him and nodded my head. It was nothing short of a miracle that he was able to find me despite the fact that I had changed my name and detached from my past. Since he had opened up about such a private thing, I felt like I could tell him stuff about me too. He just seemed trustworthy like that.

"Kamran, I lost my memories of my life as Anushay. Rather than losing, you could say that my brain has repressed them due to the trauma I faced. This is probably why I didn't recognize you or remember the things you mention even now." I hesitated before saying the next line but Kamran deserved this explanation since he was quite literally a part of my forgotten past. "The nightmares I mentioned before aren't dreams but actual figments of my past. I remember small bits and pieces but my head throbs whenever I do. It's like my brain is trying its best to stop me from remembering. So many years have passed that I don't even bother trying anymore. Well, not until I met you again."

"If it hurts you, you don't need to remember. Our memories are safely engraved inside my head. If you ever want to know a certain bit, you can always ask me." Kamran had focused all his attention on me.

"No, it is fine. The more I talk to you, the more I want to know my past as well. Just what kind of bond we had that made you look for me all these years? What did I see that traumatized me to the point of losing my memories? How did I get this scar on my arm? I always find myself asking these questions whether I like it or not. It's like a part of me is empty."

"I can't describe what our bond was like. All I can tell you was that it was something out of this world. We had this special connection. You would cry whenever I would leave and hold onto the edge of my shirt. It was adorable really." Kamran let out a hearty chuckle while reminiscing while I just blushed in embarrassment. "As for your scar, that was my fault. I was about to get into a car accident but you pushed me to the side and saved me. Your head hit the concrete and your arm grazed on the road. There were glass shards on the road that stabbed you where your scar is."

"Wow, I was quite the fearless one back then huh? Risking my life to save yours? I can imagine how important you were to little me." I smirked proudly. I always had this protective instinct in me to put my life in danger to protect those around me. But to think I would actually jump infront of the moving truck to save Sher, wow. Well that explains the mystery of my scar.

"Yeah, we were really close. I remember being so upset about your scar in the hospital that I ended up almost crying. Abbu was so surprised because I hardly cried as a kid. You hugged me and patted my head and said-"

"I couldn't let you get hurt now, could I?" Kamran and I said at the same time as I remembered the words from the dreams I had. Kamran's eyes widened but then he smiled once again. "So that is why I was in the hospital. I always wondered why I dreamt of being in a hospital with a little boy who had fluffy hair."

"You remember that, huh? You haven't changed at all Zoya. No, wait. Actually you have, you are best version of yourself now. Even if you don't have your memories, you will always have a special place in my heart and mind. Nobody can replace you. Ever." And just like that, I felt my heart go into a frenzied state again. He really knew how to mess up my head. All this was scary but at the same time, I finally found peace in discussing about my past that had become a taboo for everyone.

After that we ate in silence, whenever I would glance at Kamran, he would already be staring in my direction catching me off guard. Once we were done, Kamran paid the bill and opened the car door for me. He waited until I sat inside and then he rounded the car to sit in the driver's seat. He made sure I wore my seatbelt and then he reversed.

"I will drop you back to your university so you can drive home. I want to drive you home myself but I don't know how your family will behave with me. Especially those cousins of yours."

"They are just really protective about me. There were people who tried to kill or kidnap me while I grew up." Kamran pressed hard on the brake causing me to look up at him in surprise. "What happened?"

"What do you mean people have been trying to kill or kidnap you? Why am I only hearing about this now? Should I send people to guard you?" Kamran panicked and I placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "I will hunt down whoever tries to hurt you. Never again, I will never let anyone hurt you again."

"Relax, I am fine. No one has ever succeeded in this. I actually don't know why I was targeted. At first, I thought it was because of my father's position as an influential judge but it turns out it was something else. It is connected to what I witnessed as Anushay. This is also why I had to get my name changed because those people continued to hunt me down. My family formed a whole new identity for me because of that. Ever since I have become Zoya, there hasn't been any attempt but my family still worries so yeah. Don't worry though, I am alright." I explained while looking down at my hands because I didn't have the guts to look him in the eyes right now. I felt like I would expose more than I should.

"I will protect you, from now on to forever. I already regret not being there for you for the past fourteen years but I am here now." Oddly enough, his words were reassuring for me. I didn't trust him enough to let him know everything yet but I felt like I didn't have to avoid him altogether from now on.

"Thank you, Sher."