White Rose

CHAPTER SEVEN

"After every storm comes peace" ~Nahar

It was raining, very heavily and she was there bundled up between the blankets shivering in fear

"Mama, the gunshots"

"Baba is that a bomb again?"

"Nahar go to your room"

"Nahar, my child, it will be alright"

"Nahar, it will soon go away, after every storm comes peace"

"Nahar, hide"

The memories, Maiduguri, Boko haram, bombs. She could hear them again, she was far yet they were sounding, she was stuck in the memories she tried to forget

She closed her eyes tight and hugged herself closer, thunder had her screaming in fear. The rain was once beautiful yet now it is the scariest thing ever

She didn't know how long she sat there, she didn't know how long the rains lasted, lost in her screams, in her head and in her memories

*

Ahsan looked at her moving around his kitchen, she was dressed in an oversize hoodie and sweatpants, she looked pale and scared and her golden eyes looked more broken than usual. She was lost in her head, in a world HE can't access but hopes one day, she'll trust him enough too

He watched her absentmindedly pick up the hot kettle, she was going to injure herself "Yasna" he called her sternly

She snapped her head to look at him in confusion "I'm about to ban you from the kitchen, you really wanna kill yourself in here? Please watch what you are doing"

She nodded and continued working though he could tell she wasn't paying attention, she was making custard AND cutting the fruits for a fruit salad but with the way she looked, she could burn the house down

Tired and scared he moved towards where she was standing mixing absentmindedly and collected it, she looked up at him with teary eyes and he sighed and dropped it "what's wrong Yasna?"

She looked down intwining her fingers then sniffed "I miss them"

Her parents. She has never spoken about them, not to anyone since she got there yet today, she looked broken. He pulled her to him hugging her tightly and she stood there in his hold crying, tears soaking his shirt. He whispered sweet nothings in her ear and that's how they stood, him offering her comfort, the pain will never dull but you get used to it and all you can do is PRAY. Pray they enter Jannah and you will be reunited with them. He knew the pain, he knew how painful it is watching them lowered to the ground forever and he hugged her offering comfort to both of them and sending prayers to their late parents

She fell asleep in his arms, after all the cryings she finally got to sleep and he was glad, just like the first time, he took her upstairs to her room, it smelled like her mixed with the scented candles she likes to put around the house. Her laptop, a couple of books, pens, a novel and phone were on the couch charging or just sitting there on the ash couch or glass table and her windows and balcony were locked, her curtains for the glass wall were also drawn in. He laid her down on her peach and ash coloured bed sheet and covered her with the similar coloured duvet, her small frame almost disappeared, he didn't remove the cap from her head knowing she'll rather have it on and walked out switching off the room light

Walking downstairs he couldn't help but wonder, what had happened to trigger her? Will she be okay?

She was getting better, her weight had improved though her pale skin was still a matter of concern, all of a sudden it was like they were ten steps backwards