House of Ashes [Complete]

46. Unsettling | بے چین

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The next morning when Azlan Shehryar woke up, he found himself leaned against the foot of the bed, his knees pulled into his chest, the piece of fabric still nestled tenaciously in his hands as he held onto it with his dear life.

He swiveled in his position as he looked around feverishly, trying to make sense of everything – his head heavy – until his gaze settled on the piece of cloth in his hand and his breaths hitched.

She was still missing.

And he was here sleeping.

He cursed under his breath at his nonchalance as he stood up on his feet in an instant. The sudden head rush made him stumble and he almost fell on the bed. He was in severe need of proper medication as the effects of beatings from the other night kept on worsening. But he couldn't care less about it. There were better things that needed his attention.

Pulling himself together, he made his way towards the annex in hope that she might have returned. Maybe. Just maybe.

But to his dismay, Asmara shook her head in the negative yet again without uttering a single word, lips pressed.

"Where's Arham?" He asked, his voice hoarse.

"He went to the office. There was some important meeting and he didn't wanna bother you with it." She divulged as her eyes bored into the piece of cloth in his hand. And that was it. This was enough of a proof that Safa didn't leave for no reason. Something had happened between these two. She was sure now.

She had never seen her boss in such condition. For all she knew, her boss was a well-dressed man with trimmed stubble, his aura always composed. And now here he was with his unkempt hair, crumbled clothes, eyes bloodshed as if he hadn't rested in centuries.

The façade of impassiveness he had always managed so well was now torn apart, the remnants of which were clear in his wistful eyes, longing for her and her only.

"You need a shower." Her sudden statement left him surprised.

"What?"

"You need a shower, sir. And proper rest. I mean, I don't want to be disrespectful but have you even looked at yourself in the mirror?"

"Excuse me?" He gaped at her with eyes widened at her sheer audacity as he raised a perfect eyebrow, clearly offended.

"I'm just stating facts." She before going inside the room and coming a minute later with a pocket mirror in her hand. Whipping it in front of his face, she chided. "Look for yourself."

His eyes dilated as he caught his reflection in the mirror. With locks of his tangled hair falling on his forehead and stark cuts decorating his worn out face, he looked no less than a homeless person. Asmara herself didn't look in the best of state but at least she had gotten a hold of herself unlike him who seemed to have forgotten everything.

"You are right. I should go home and take a shower." He craved it anyways – for his nerves to relax.

"There's a bathroom in the shack in case you didn't know." Her tone was clearly sarcastic.