House of Ashes [Complete]

62. Bravery | بہادری

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When they reached Shehryar's Residence, they found Sameena and Mr. Shehryar sprawled in the living room with their heads thrown in their hands. On hearing the footsteps they looked up. Their faces were sick with worry as Sameena immediately stood up and hugged her son.

"Did she speak?" He stroked Sameena's hair.

"No." She shook her head, pulling away. "We've been trying to ask her what happened but she's not opening the door. Locked herself up in the room as soon as she got home. We didn't wanna worry you but you're the only one who can crack her."

"Everything's going to be okay." He wiped the tears away from her face. "Lemme go talk to her, okay?"

She nodded before he turned away and rode up the stairs to Raina's room while Safa wrapped her arms around Sameena and sent a silent prayer to God.

"Raina. Come'n bacha! Open the door please! Everyone's worried sick."

It only took him one turn to make her open the door and when she did, a very disheveled Raina was revealed to him. Eyes rimmed red, hair sticking out on her face, and face marred with tears. A sharp knife pierced through his heart on seeing his baby sister's state. But before he could say anything, she turned around and sat back on the bed. He strolled inside and the condition of the room was no different with tissues strewn everywhere. Her bag was discarded by the foot of her bed with a few books peeking out.

"What happened, bacha?" He asked softly as he sat right in front of her.

She stayed muted like a statue, her face cowered downward.

"Tell me. I'm your brother. Did someone hurt you?"

She shook her head. "I...I can't tell you...I'm too ashamed."

He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion and lifted her face.

"Since when did you start getting ashamed of telling things to your best friend, hun?"

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she looked at him through a sheen of thick precipitation which then started flowing down in full torrent. Each drop of her tear fell on his heart like a bomb.

"This classmate of mine. He..." she stopped as if it was too painful to recall. He didn't urge her and waited for her to continue. Even if it would take a full day, he'd wait.

"He...harassed me."

And that was the final nail in the coffin.

He clenched his teeth. Just the thought that someone touched his sister without her consent boiled his blood.

"In front of everyone." The silence that had fallen was broken by her words and his eyes moved back to her. "And no one did a thing. No one came to help me. My own friend said it was my fault. That I wasn't supposed to befriend him. How was I supposed to know he was a harasser? It's not like he had it written on his forehead or something."

"Look at me, Raina." He held her face gently. "None of this is your fault. And you're not supposed to be ashamed of telling it to anyone. The only person who should be ashamed is him and him only, and he's gonna pay for it. I'll make sure of that."