His Unreasonable Love (Completed)

29

Daniyal helped me lay on my bed and tucked me in. Something that I would have never imagined him doing for me. He sat on the floor and held my hand while he asked, “how are you feeling?”

“I’m actually feeling a little better. I should carry those meds with me everywhere, just in case.” I said softly as I didn’t want my voice to increase the banging on my temple.

“You won’t have to anymore. We are done with Safa and Ayaan.” He said sternly. His pale cheeks and nose had turned red and it pained me to know that I was responsible for it.

“You know that we aren’t. There’s no way that I’m going to let that maniac win.”

“Even if it costs you your life?”

“What life are you talking about Daniyal? You really think that my life is worth living? Watching the love of my life move on with another guy..” I sniffed as my heart got heavy. But I pulled myself together and continued, “even after everything that he did to her. She still chose him over me.”

“Then let it go Bhai. You have to accept things the way they are and move on. Holding onto her has never got you anywhere. She has made her choice and now she will have to face the consequences too. You can’t protect her all the time”, He said with teary eyes.

“Like I said before, it’s too late for that. And it doesn’t matter now. I’m in too deep. By the way, you shouldn’t have spoken to Marwa that way.”

“She’ll be fine.”

“Still. I never knew that my brother had a spine.” I joked.

He lifted his head off of the bed and said, “what do you mean?”

I chuckled and said, “You know exactly what I mean. Please talk to her. I would hate to be the person who causes trouble.”

“ I’ll give her a call in a while.”

“ No. Talk to her right now. Go.”

He gave a gentle nod with a smile and left. I looked at the ceiling in front of me and went into a trance. Safa and I were at the lake. The way she looked at me with her bright eyes, was slowly turning red and a tear escaped from the corner of her eye. Her eyebrows creased in, pulling them together and she opened her mouth wide to scream but her voice was lost. No matter how hard she tried, she wasn’t able to. She kept pressing her neck as through she was trying to kill herself. She fainted on the floor, face first. I ran towards her and tried to pull her up but I didn’t have the strength. Panting, I turned her over and her tears were turned into blood which ran across her lifeless body.

I kept panting, pressing her chest with rhythmic motion hoping that she would respond but it didn’t work. I screamed as I realized that I lost her forever and it was too hard to bear. Just as I hugged her tightly, someone was trying to pull me away from her. I screamed at my highest pitch to let me go but the unfamiliar arms were too tight for me to fight. As the grip around me got tighter, my hands were loosening around Safa. It started raining and the lake responded with heavy waves and roars. With every second, the wave started getting stronger until it pulled Safa in. I kept fighting the arms around me to let go and just when I thought that I broke free, cold water splashed across my face and I woke up.

“Bhai! Bhai! Are you alright?” daniyal screamed. But my vision was blurry and mind fuzzy. I wasn’t able to understand what was going on. I rubbed my eyes and got up, only to find myself in my bedroom.

“Bhai, sit.” Daniyal helped me sit up and started rubbing my palms.

“Safa….”, I wanted to say more but my panting was stopping me from uttering another word. “I need to find her.”

“She is fine. She is at home. There is nothing to worry about.”

“No she is not. She is in danger. I need to find her.”

I stood up and felt a little lightheaded. I sat back and shut my eyes while holding my temple.

“Bhai are you alright? Are you getting a headache?”

“Just a little light headed. No headache.”

“You had a nightmare. And it’s over.” He said and handed me a glass of water.

I took a sip and asked, “ what do you mean she is alright. Did Marwa say something?”

“I spoke to her and she said that Safa’s phone was on silent as she was watching a movie with Ayaan. Now she’s back home.”

“But my nightmare. She died.”

“You know that nightmares are from shaitan (devil). Don’t think too much over it.”

“Yeah. You are right. I need to get some fresh air. Can we get something to eat?”

“Are you well enough to go?” He asked a bit concerned.

“of course.” I said and stood up.

**********

As we were leaving, my mother saw us and sternly instructed us to eat at home. I couldn’t argue much as she was worried about me. We had just a few days left for the surgery and she didn’t want to take any chances with me eating outside.

Daniyal had become my shadow. Every move I took, he took too. He had his eyes on me 24*7. It was annoying but I soon realized that it was my family’s love that was making them so protective of me.

All the years that I had spent missing Safa, making myself miserable for the empty space she left in my heart. I didn’t realize the permanent place that my family held. They stuck with me through everything and I was prioritizing someone else who didn’t think the same of me.

Safa was leaving in two days and in a way, I was happy. I was happy that she won’t be able to hurt me anymore but a little worried about her safety. No matter how much I tried convincing myself that she made her choice, I couldn’t let it go. I knew she made the wrong choice and it would lead to her destruction someday, but it wasn’t any of my business. Or so I thought, until I received another text…

Getting a little hungry?
Perhaps you have a date.
Meet me in an hour
If you want her to be safe.

I tried calling the number but to vain again. I called Safa to check how she was and then later Marwa too. Just when you need someone to pick the call the most, is when they most disappoint. I went over to Daniyal’s room and saw him fast asleep. I didn’t want to wake him up as he was already doing a lot for me. I was hoping that Safa and Marwa were asleep too as it was 8:00 am but I wasn’t sure if it was worth the risk.

I didn’t know where I was supposed to meet this mystery person. But if it was really Ayaan, then I would probably have to meet him at the same restaurant that we had met earlier. Hoping that I was right, I got dressed and saw the time before leaving. I still had half an hour before the deadline.

The entire way to the restaurant, my heart was racing. I wasn’t having a good feeling about what was going to happen there. I started second guessing myself if I should had woken Daniyal up. As I parked my bike and made my way in, my eyes looked for Ayaan. Something that I wouldn’t have thought that I would ever want.

I looked around and saw that the table that we were seated on the last time was empty and I went and waited there. It has already been way passed the deadline but he was nowhere. I tried calling his personal number, but he didn’t respond. As I felt my head get heavier, I ordered for a cup of coffee. Once I was done with the coffee, I saw that it was already 9:45 am. I asked the waiter to get me the bill and he obliged. But instead of the bill it was a note.

The deadline is almost near,
Its time to have some fun,
Follow these clues all around,
For a surprise when it’s all done.

“Great! This is what my life has become. Playing scavenger hunt with a psychopath!”

I went to the main desk as I didn’t notice th face of the waiter who got me the bill. I handing him over the note and said, “What is this?”

He took over the note and said, “I’m not sure sir.”

“I asked the waiter for the bill and he handed me this. Please call him.” I was starting to get irritated but I couldn’t remove my frustrations on the wrong person.

“Give me a minute sir.”

I stood there while he went and spoke to the waiters and came back before saying, “I’m sorry sir but no one knows who was attending your table. No one from my staff did.”

“Then who got me my coffee? Is this some sort of a joke?”

“I understand that you are irritated sir but believe me, no one was attending to your table. Do you remember how the waiter looks?”

“I don’t! I didn’t care enough to look.” At that point I was screaming. As I saw the manager take a step back, I came back to my senses. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shout.” I looked around and saw that there were CCTV cameras.

“There are cameras here, I need to see who was attending to me. Right now.”

The manager nodded and took me in. As they played the footage, a man wearing the waiters uniform appeared but the manager denied knowing him. It was someone who didn’t work there. Someone who Ayaan might have hired to give me the note. But why was he doing this? It wasn’t making any sense.

I left from there in anger and rode my bike into unfamiliar streets. I wasn’t sure where I was going as my mind was trying to figure out what Ayaan wanted. I went over to Safa’s house and called her and Marwa. When neither of them answered, I knocked on their door but again nothing.

My phone started ringing and I answered, “hello.”

“Bhai where are you? Mom is worried.” Daniyal said with concern.

“I’m at Safa’s house.”

“What are you doing there? They aren’t home.”

“Where are they?”

“Ayaan and her family have gone to a resort for the day. A family trip before Safa left for Kerala. Can you please come home now?”

“Ok.”

**********

I went home and got a earful from my mother for leaving home without informing anyone. As much as I was enjoying all the attention that I was getting from my family, it was starting to suffocate me. On one side, my famy was trying to take care of me and on the other, the mystery person was making me go insane. What did that person want?

It could not be Ayaan as he was out with his family. How could he possibly know that I was waiting in the restaurant. He was insane but not insane enough to hire a person to be my waiter just to hand me the note. He didn’t seem like the type who would go through all the trouble just to annoy me.

I went over to my room and sat there in despair. All I could do was just wait until I received another text. So helpless. I had a problem in hand but I couldn’t solve it.

“Can I come in?” Daniyal asked as he peeped into my room.

I nodded and he sat in front of me. All he did was just look at me and I told him everything.

“What is wrong with you Bhai? Why didn’t you wake me up? What if something happened to you?”

“But nothing happened! Nothing happened! And it’s getting on my nerves that nothing happened! What is going on? Why is this happening to me!” my eyes filled with tears and I shut them tight. I was feeling helpless and weak and it was making me feel miserable about myself.

“Maybe, he wants you to know that he is watching you!”