Azmaish-e-Ishq

Ch. 19: The Paper Balls

🎶"Mujhe kaise pata na chala ki tu mainu pyaar karda ae? Mujhe kaise pata na chala ki mera hi intezaar karda ae?

How did I not know that you love me? How did I not know that you are waiting for me?"🎶

- Mujhe Kaise Pata Na Chala | Kumaar | Papon

Salaar's P.O.V.

My arms shook with anger, my knuckles white from clutching the side of Heer's grey bedframe tightly. Rage rushed through my veins as my vision blurred from tears. What would prevent me from ripping Kamran apart into shreds if I ever saw him, I wasn't too sure. My heart shattered from hearing what Heer went through, thinking of how my butterfly must have felt, remembering her state the night we arrived to my flat.

I was broken out of my fury-filled reverie when I heard Heer whimper after she concluded by explaining to me what Kamran had told her about his father before they started dating. She began sobbing silently. I moved onto the bed, sitting in front of her, and swiftly pulled her into my firm embrace. Her arms wrapped around me as her small frame shook with sobs.

I pressed kisses to her head. "I'm sorry, Heer," I whispered.

She pushed herself away from me, sobbing, "Sab ne mujhse baatein chipayi. Baba, Anne, Ami, Uncle, Dadu, Dadi, Bilquis Chachi, sab! Sab jaante the Kamran ke waldein kaun hai, ke Baba jaante the unn sab ko, aur phir bhi mujhse sabhi ne raaz rakha! Mujhe andhere mein rakha!"
(Everyone hid things from me. Baba, Anne, Ami, Uncle, Dadu, Dadi, Bilquis Chachi, everyone! Everyone knew who Kamran's parents were, that Baba knew them, yet everyone kept it a secret from me! They kept me in the dark!)

I gripped her arms in attempt to console her, "Heer-"

She shook her head as she cried, her light-blue eyes flowing endlessly, "Koi nahin hai. Mera koi bhi nahin hai."
(There is no one. I have no one at all.)

I cradled her cheeks with urgency, trying to get her to look at my eyes, "Main hoon."
(You have me.)

She shook her head again, gripping my wrists gently and lowering my hands from her face. She held onto them in her lap, her lips trembling, "Tumne bhi mujhse baatein chipayi."
(You also hid things from me.)

My eyes frantically searched hers, fear rising in me of having hurt her unknowingly. "What did I hide?" I questioned softly.

Heer's P.O.V.

I observed him with wet, soft eyes as I revealed, "You didn't tell me you are in love with me."

Salaar froze entirely, staring at me.

My gaze lowered to my lap, tears soaking into my hospital gown. "When I returned home from his house, I went to my room. And then I finally read your paper balls," I whimpered.

As I was reeling from what I had witnessed, it felt like I didn't even know what I'd just experienced, and at the same time, I wanted to make myself small and sit in a corner, be unseen by everyone and everything, to simply just disappear.

I locked the door and my legs just about gave up as I reached my desk. I collapsed onto the chair, my body hitting against the table, my palms flat on its surface. The bottom drawer pushed open due to the impact, several of Salaar's paper balls moving forward.

One of them loosened from its ball form, a shiny gold glint catching my eye.

I reached for it and unraveled the paper to find a Ferrero Rocher, my favorite chocolate, inside.