Fizah

خطرہ|Khatra

‎جو باتیں پی گیا تھا میں"
"‎وہ باتیں کھا گئیں مجھ کو

Nothing could be as painful as the death of someone so beloved– the heart mourned for the soul that rested in peace while having no peace. The deceased person would always leave only one thing with people who stayed behind, grief. Grief of not being able to see them, feeling them again in life. All they could do was just move on and live a better life for their sake.

Zahid lived in the same pain to this date. The traces of Manahil were still carved in the walls of his heart even when his love for her faded. He let it fade because he didn't think he deserved her love, he wouldn't have let her die otherwise. He would never forget the way her eyes displayed pain when she was taking her last breath before he closed his eyes. It was unbearable.

Eight– almost nine years. He tried to erase the lingering traces of her from him but he failed every time. It was as though she had become a part in himself. Manahil helped him lock his darkness away. She taught him to forgive because he would never have learnt to do it by himself. She would cup his cheek whenever he remembered his sister and told him things about how Farasha would be happy to see her brother bringing changes in himself. She would rest her finger under his eyes to stop the tears from falling. She did everything she could do to save him because he had become her everything. He became the most important person in her life when nobody even wanted to talk to her. As they said, two broken hearts beat for each other. But hers gave up on him way before it should have.

"Shouldn't you be in the office now?" A voice reverberated in the empty hallway as Saleh marched in with his other two friends.

"I'm in no mood to entertain Zahra and her colleagues. She already emailed me in the morning asking about yesterday because she is my junior and because she has the right to know. Her words, not mine."

"So you are going to sulk here? At home?"

Zahid looked at Saleh for a second before darting his eyes back at the laptop, "Yes."

"You got anything to eat or drink?" Ehan piped in. Zahid didn't look up or say anything but pointed his fingers at the fridge. Understanding what he was meaning to say, Ehan walked to the fridge and got himself a can of coke. He stopped sipping on the drinking when his eyes caught Arham glaring at him, with his hands crossed over his chest.

"What? You drove my ass all the way here while I was still asleep."

"I gave you time." Arham protested.

"Yeah, to wash up. Ten minutes was barely enough." He argued and stuffed his mouth with a bread slice. Arham rolled his eyes and decided to work. He brought some files from Zahid's study and started to read them.

"Did you hear from Izah?" Saleh questioned out of blue.

"I didn't." He grimaced, typing something on his laptop. After he dropped her at her place, he really expected a text from her to know her well being and it had been bugging him ever since and all he could think was her safety.

"Did you?"

"I feel guilty. I didn't go to see her after I left the place with you. I took my time to think about it and don't give a shit if you don't consider this because honestly if I have to marry her off to you for her personal safety, I will not hesitate." After a stretched silence and to break the tension in the air, Ehan coughed loudly as if he was choking on the last bite of bread. Arham slapped his back hard.

"How can you expect me to marry her? Marry any woman for that matter. You know my history, you know what I've been through. It would be unfair to both of us. I have regrets that weigh down my entire existence."