𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐯𝐚𝐬.

𝟑𝟑. 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐮𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠.

The sun rays peeked the earth, the birds flew across the sky, perhaps in search of food, some sat over the giant trees and chorused, whilst butterflies could be seen admiring the different flowers across the world.

❝You've always loved butterscotch since childhood, don't you?❞ came Fayra's voice, followed by a hearty titter from the person sitting across the wooden bench. Her eyes gleamed in contentment as she gazed at Fayra, who rolled her eyes in exasperation.

❝I missed you, Iram,❞ came a soft, excruciating voice from Fayra, as intense quietude encompassed the air. Fayra muffled a deep breath to gulp down her painful tears, her pair of gray eyes becoming blurry due to her heavy lashes. An excruciating smile spread over her lips.

❝Dude, I missed you like anything,❞ said Iram, playfully smacking Fayra's arms, making her glare at her best friend vexedly. But then her lips cracked into a spectacular smile, making Iram chuckle. She took a spoonful of her favorite butterscotch ice cream, making her eyes shut as she devoured it heartily.

❝Fayra, I promise I'll come to meet you again,❞ continued Iram. She had come to surprise Fayra with her presence at the ice parlor of Mr. & Mrs. Johnson. Fayra's cheerfulness showed no signs of ceasing after she met Iram after a long time. It had been an hour since the duo had started to chat about everything with their cups of ice cream. When the time elapsed, Iram stood to leave.

Life is full of surprises and everything; it takes brutal turns and beautiful endings, or the other way around. Everything is worthwhile because the greatest planner has designed it, and what is asked of us is to lay faith in Him. Life turns beautiful even in agony and hardship. What needs to be done is to confront it but never give up.

Bidding their heartfelt goodbyes, Iram made her way out. Fayra stared at her retreating back as she walked with elegance, her slim-fit jeans showing off her figure, while her black crop top displayed her back. Her blonde hair spread over her shoulder. She was the exact opposite of Fayra.

♔

❝Ma'am, here is the money,❞ After an hour of completing her labor, Fayra beamed at the customer, taking the money. She leaned on the chair, worn out, as it was a weekend with many customers to manage.

❝Thank you, sir,❞ whispered Fayra kindly, offering a smile to the kid who waved at her in happiness, which brought a huge smile across Fayra's cherry lips. Her gray eyes gleamed in contentment as her heart whispered about how enchanting the kid was.

She stood up, walking towards the opposite side of the parlor with a peevish expression on her face. Her eyes surveyed the area, perhaps to make sure that no one could glimpse where she was heading. Setting her hijab loosely over her shoulder, Fayra rubbed her fatigued eyes. She ambled towards the familiar way.

A familiar ligneous door came into her vision, bringing cascades of tears to her pair of dazzling eyes. A shattered smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she grasped the bolt to unlock it. But the unfamiliar shuffling noise from the other end startled the miserable soul.

Her pair of gray eyes were suppressed in terror as her heart beat in palpation. She trudged ahead, her mind sprinting a marathon, her heart dancing into the abyss of darkness.

Her eyes held myriads of questions. The giant trees came into her vision as she stared ahead to see the person whose head was concealed in a helmet, as usual. She inhaled an anxious breath as her eyes endeavored to take in the man's attire.

The man took a dangerous step ahead. Fayra's eyes were intently fixed on every one of his moves. He then dropped a brown envelope on the ground, signaling her with a finger to perhaps pick it up. But in a few seconds, she saw him taking steps back while he walked the other way around.

Taking slow steps ahead in dread, Fayra's heart pounded in anxiety as her gray eyes fixed intently on one spot. The air played with Fayra's hijab, making her set it back adequately numerous times.

Fayra's eyes scrutinized around, perhaps in trepidation that anyone would glimpse what was happening. As she picked up the brown envelope in her palm, wiping the dust off it, what she read next made a tear roll down her enchanting pair of gray eyes.

❝Tsk tsk, you are mine the moment I laid my eyes on you, bitch.❞ Her tears showed no signs of ceasing. Her mind commenced to run into the deep abyss of gloom. Her body quivered in fright and repugnance, while her mind collected the scenes that occurred earlier. She was now sure that it was him who had dropped such an envelope to her, but the question arose: what did he want from her?

It was not until she was pulled by a harsh grip that made her collide into a familiar chest. She took in the cologne, making her heart sprint into the arms of tranquility, her tears cascading freely.

❝Who the fuck dropped this?❞ The familiar rage-filled voice throbbed across the place, making her snap back to her hideous reality. Her pair of tear-filled eyes met the ocean blue ones, which normally exuded might and beauty but were now filled with rage and revulsion. Snatching the envelope from her palm, he hurled it harshly, his breathing heavy with rage.

Making Fayra sob hard in fright, he was in his gray suit, his hair messy, and his eyes clenched with a hue of ruddiness. It felt like he had run here, leaving everything behind. But what alarmed her was how he ended up here.

The flashbacks of what happened last night raced through her mind. The taste of his lips still lingered over hers. Her eyes flashed with myriads of emotions that couldn't be inscribed in any form.

He held her palm and placed it on his heart, perhaps asking her to feel how abnormally it was beating. This earned her a mystified stare as her tears found no reason to cease. Taking a glimpse at his bizarre actions, Fayra commenced to bite her lower lip in trepidation and fright, her eyes intently staring at his, which clasped intense emotions without his consent.

While his next statement made her eyes widen and stare at him blankly, mystified.

❝Do that again, I promise I'll kiss the shit out of you, wifey.❞

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