𝑬𝒏𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒚

30.

Stirring with a low groan upon the onslaught of the sun rays that fell directly on his face had him shielded his eyes with his arm. For some minutes, he lay there without moving awake from his sleep. Removing his arm away from his eyes he looked up to the unfamiliar ceiling blinking twice he turned his face to his side where the warm rays of the sun were making their way into the room.

And everything from yesterday rushed back. He shut his eyes and ran his hand on his face, rubbing them frivolously with a feeling of regret yet again.

His heart pinched painfully when a certain someone's face made its way into the forefront of his mind. He sat up and held his head in his hand, penitence of the night that had made things terrible for both.

Arsalan had stayed the night in one of the guest rooms in the main portion of the house itself. He didn't dare to go to his room after doing what he had done. He still can not believe he had done such a thing to Sofia in an attempt of making her quiet he went way too far with being physical with her. She might have not hated him before but would hate him now for his existence and loathe him with all her heart. And the thought of that was making him feel miserable when he should not give a shit about it.

He was taught to never raise his hand on a woman, he was taught to be gentle with them, taught to respect them, value them, cherish them and all of this was taught by the man who he'd always idolized, his dad Niyamat Ali Abidi and what a disappoint he had turned out to be not only to his late father but for his mother too. If she comes to know she will be heartbroken and ashamed of him. 'What a monster you have become Arsalan?!' He thinks as he rues upon his action.

Maybe the idea of not making her part of his life, not giving her the right, making her suffer and seeing her getting along with everyone he loves created some resentment inside him that had led him to do things he had never imagined he was capable of. He just wanted her to get off his back to leave him. But was it all worth it? Hurting her so much that she could leave him was his plan but he never thought it would get out of hand and that it would come back to bite him. It's true what goes around comes back around. Behaving badly to her had eventually ended up making him guilty of himself.

After debating for a long time he musters up the courage to go inside his room. As soon as he opens the door a scent he was so familiar with hits his nostrils. Rose. Reminding him of her presence, her existence that even if he tries hard but could never erase. He walks in his eyes looking around for her to wherever they can land but can not spot her. He looked at his closet, his ensuite, and terrace but she was nowhere and that made him nervous. 'What if she had left?' Suddenly the thought was dreadful to him but when he saw her things still in her section of the closet it oddly relaxed him.
***
Sofia wanted to clear her mind and wanted to be distracted from yesterday night's incident. She couldn't sleep the night, the hurtful jumbling thoughts made her awake the entire night. She couldn't come up with a decision for her betterment; she wasn't able to think straight and all of those thoughts ended up giving her a headache. So she decided to take a break from all of this and headed to the kitchen after doing her morning routine to help Shirin with the breakfast.

Shirin protested as soon as Sofia asked to help her out with breakfast but after a lot of pleading, she gave up and allowed her to help her.

Even though the pluses in her temples were pounding hard she continued to do the work. An hour later Jasmina with Malakeh greeted both Sofia and Shirin as they entered the kitchen.

"Sofia what are you doing here beta? You don't need to work in the kitchen my dear" Malakeh asked as soon as she saw Sofia working around the kitchen. She could see the gloominess shadowing her face that had her worried but she decided not to talk about it now. She knows who to confront.