The Tangled Love

𝟐𝟏. 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬.

The dawn fell, demanding the moon to retreat to where it belonged, while the sun marched back with the pride of ruling the people in daylight. People rushed to work as each nook of New York City bustled with the sound of honking horns. Some drove their vehicles, while others walked to work as usual.

The sound of the phone blaring startled the petite figure hiding under the quilt. Her dark, distraught gray eyes surveyed the room as she stretched her arms, tucking her hair behind her ears, while the events of last night played on her mind, haunting her.

Answering the call, she placed the phone to her ear, confusion written across her tear-stained face as she wondered who was calling. Her eyebrows knitted together in perplexity as she combed her long hair with her fingers, trying to ease her mind.

❝ Hey, what's up? ❞ The familiar voice, filled with excitement and hidden agony, reverberated in the background, making Fayra hop with exhilaration. Her lips curled into a captivating smile, her dark, mesmerizing gray eyes brimming with happiness and tears, as the person on the other end chuckled, knowing Fayra all too well.

❝ Iram! ❞ blurted Fayra, jerking her hair behind her ears as she continued to speak, her heart bubbling with joy as a lone tear slid down her cheek. Her brows knitted together, but her lips held a delightful smile.

❝ I missed you, Fay, ❞ came Iram's voice, tinged with pain and dismay. Fayra cracked a smile, her heart filled with enthusiasm, her gray eyes shining with prosperity.

❝ Where were you, Iram? ❞ Fayra asked, gazing at the ceiling as memories of their time together flooded her mind, her eyes welling up with tears of joy.

❝ Sorry, Fay, I was busy with work, ❞ Iram's voice, laced with remorse, echoed through the line. She felt guilty for not being there for her friend, who needed her, even though they didn't share the typical bond of best friends. Fayra had no one who truly understood her or had known her for long.

❝ How have you been, Fay? ❞ Iram asked, the faint sounds of horns in the background. Fayra clasped her eyes shut as reality set in, drenching her in pain. An excruciating smile passed across her lips, her gray eyes filling with tears once more.

❝ Just like a bird caged and its wings yanked apart so it can't fly again, sentenced for sins it never committed, ❞ Fayra said in a pained voice, earning a sympathetic sigh from Iram. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling helpless in the face of her friend's suffering, unable to offer any real help.

❝ How are Mom and Dad, Iram? ❞ Fayra asked about her parents, who hadn't even checked on their daughter, leaving her to endure the monster they had married her off to, the man who was her husband.

❝ How could they not check on you, Fay? ❞ Iram said, holding back her outrage, trying her best not to hurt Fayra further. What did she know? This poor soul had gone through so much that Fayra now assumed pain was all she could hold on to.

❝ If they can sell me, they can do anything, Iram, ❞ Fayra divulged, her gray eyes holding emotions deeper than the sea. How could her own blood do something so horrendous? Her parents had sold her to a man who was a ruthless mafia boss—or had they sold her? Was there something more that needed to be unraveled?

How would they untangle this tangled past?

❝ Calm down, Fay. Everything will be fine, ❞ Iram consoled, her lips twitching into a broken smile at how viciously life had treated Fayra. She wished for nothing but joy and love for her best friend, hoping that by God's mercy, everything would be fine one day.

❝ Thank you, Iram, for taking time out for me, ❞ Fayra uttered, her heart full of gratitude for her friend's reassurance during this difficult time. Tears streamed down her face as her heart clenched with pain, yet deep down, a part of her soul clung to the hope that one day, her tangled life would be untangled by God's mercy.

❝ Friends don't thank each other, idiot, ❞ Iram said, feigning outrage, earning giggles from Fayra, who found her friend's antics amusing. After a few minutes of chit-chat, they bid each other goodbye, promising to meet soon.

Fayra unleashed an intense sigh as her eyes fell on a canvas. She took slow strides toward it, staring at the art she had created after a month—it felt like an eternity. She traced her finger over the canvas, remembering how she had sketched it last night, seeking an escape from everything that had transpired. Nothing could calm her like art.

She found her escape by immersing herself in the magnificent art.

A pair of ocean-blue eyes, darker in hue, and a man who looked like a beast in human form were beautifully painted across the white canvas, filling it with colors that seemed gloomy and colorless.

Her mind and heart knew it was her beast she had sketched here—the beast who seemed to have no heart, yet felt like he held it but had misplaced it somewhere.

Her thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of her phone, drawing her attention. Fayra stared at the notification, a message from an unknown number that made her both curious and bewildered.

Her eyes widened as she read the message, her heart sinking in contempt at the absurd and creepy words.

❝ I hold a deep obsession for you, my darling. ❞

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