Burn the truth (ENG)

| 4 |

The bell rang as I was cleaning the tables. "We are closed!" I yelled wearily and pushed the chairs against the table.

As soon as I felt a presence behind me, I turned in shock and leaned against the table. A pair of brown-green eyes looked at me with a smile.

"Imran." His name left my lips with a sigh.

With a grin, he leaned forward and caged me between his arms. "Zara."

I swallowed a chunk and pushed my black hair behind my ear. "Hey."

"Finished?" he muttered as his eyes passed lovingly over my figure.

Hearing a cough, I looked to the side. Esma stood there, grinning.

I gently pushed Imran away and walked into the kitchen. There I took my apron off my hips and placed it in the sink. I took steps towards the office. "Mary, I'm done for today. Can I go?" I asked my boss.

Her blond hair was in a neat bun as she looked at me from her laptop. She nodded. "You can go, Zara. I'll see you on Thursday. Have a nice evening," she wished gently and turned back to her laptop.

I hooked my bag to my shoulder and walked out of the kitchen. Walking out of the kitchen, I saw Imran talking to Esma.

As soon as Imran saw me approaching, his lips formed a smile. "Ready?"

I bit my lip with nerves and nodded. I put my arms around Esma and whispered, "Wish me luck."

Esma laughed, shaking her head. "Just be yourself, Zara."

Imran's fingers entwined with mine as we walked out. I closed my eyes feeling the cold blow and felt myself relaxed. "Where are we going?"

He lifted a paper bag of food into the air. "I got some food. We can eat at a park somewhere."

I nodded in satisfaction and enjoyed his presence.

I had missed him so much.

I looked at our hands and a smile formed around my lips.

We walked to a wooden bench in the park and took a seat. Imran unpacked the bag as I looked around.

The tail lamps radiated light. A sign that the evening had approached us. A woman in her thirties jogged past us and a few were picnicking on the grass further on. A number of young people were playing football on the grass and on the side of the path was a man with his calibration cart.

I felt a bottle of Coke pressed into my hand and a box on my lap. I gave Imran a grateful smile and took a sip from the bottle.

I licked my bottom lip clean and closed the cap before opening the box and taking out the burger. My teeth bit into the burger when I took a bite of it. I nodded my head in satisfaction and enjoyed the taste.

When I saw Imran staring at me, I looked at him confused. "What is it?"

He shook his head with a smile and took a bite of his burger. I rolled my eyes and continued eating my burger.

After a few minutes, we had thrown the empty boxes away and were staring at the sky. I let out a comfortable sigh and closed my eyes.

I felt happy after a long time.

"Zara." Imran looked at me with a serious look and I sat up. "I want to talk about our engagement."

I swallowed a chunk and nodded.

Inhale and exhale.

He pressed his jaws together and looked deep into my eyes. "I haven't seen you in a year. I want to know our status." If we are still engaged.

I fiddled with my fingers nervously. "We are still engaged in my eyes."

Imran took my left hand and ran his thumb over my fourth finger where my engagement ring was gone.

The question, where is your engagement ring, hung in the air.

I felt my eyes sting when I thought of that. "He-he-" I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked away. "When I- when they took me, they took the ring off my finger and threw it away. I'm sorry, Imran."

Inhale and exhale.

His fingertips gently pushed my chin his way. "It's not your fault. Don't apologize for those f*ckers." He let out a sigh and closed his eyes. "Okay, this is harder than I imagined."

Inhale and exhale.

"Zara, I don't know what they did to you in those six months. What you went through and what trauma you suffered, but I want to be there for you." What? "If you will accept me, then we will continue our engagement and get married."

I looked at him with wide eyes. "You still want me?" I asked softly and bit my lip. "Without knowing what they did?" I held his hands and looked at him weakly. "Imran, you have no idea what they've done. I'm not the Zara you knew before. I'm f*cked. My body is scarred and I'm mentally unstable-"

Imran pressed his lips against mine and stroked my hair. I closed my eyes and leaned against the bench. Heat echoed through my body as I grabbed his shirt.

"I've wanted to do that for so long," he laughed and held my face. "I don't care, Zara. You're still the Zara I know. I still love you."

A tear fluttered down as I flew around his neck. "I thought you'd break off our engagement."

He rubbed my back and rested his chin on his shoulder. "Me?" He shook his head. "I thought you wanted to break off our engagement. You left me in the dark for six months, Zara. I tried to contact you so many times after you were found, but you avoided me on purpose."

I pulled away from him. "I'm sorry," I muttered truthfully and leaned my head against his arm.

He let out a sigh and slumped back. "You are forgiven." He took my hand. "I want to get married. As soon as possible, Zara. We've waited long enough."

I froze. "How fast?"

"Preferably within 3 months." His fingers played with my fingers.

I bit my lip and stared at our hands. "I-I have to ask Faid first. I don't want anything big, Imran. I'm fine with a little party among us."

Imran nods in agreement. "I'm okay with that."

I let out a sigh and closed my eyes. "Imran, are you sure? There are things you don't know about that could destroy you one day."

He tightened his jaw and stared hard at the sky. "I don't need to know." He glanced out of the corner of his eye. "Unless you want to tell me yourself?"

I shook my head.

He pressed his lips to my forehead. "Then I don't need to know. From now on we start with a new beginning."