Kismat aur Hum

29.

- Haniya -
After I had finally cleaned the front hall, I moved on to clean the kitchen. The blood was making me sick, but it had to be cleaned. Putting on a new pair of gloves, I picked up a wipe and started cleaning.

Most of the kitchen was cleaned now, I just to clean the sink. I was moving the broken piece of glass and things when I noticed something. I reached towards it. It looked like a ripped piece of cloth, but what surprised me was that it didn't look like Mehr's clothes. It had blood on it, I looked at it and realized it was from the clothes Bijan was wearing this morning.

As I kept looking at the fabric, something was unsettling to me. Maybe it was something that wasn't adding up. Maybe I could ask Dua more questions later.

After finally cleaning, I quietly walked to our room, kind of hoping he wouldn't be in there. I quietly opened the room, and thankfully, he wasn't in there. I walked towards the closest and picked a new outfit, and headed into the bathroom to shower.

Once I was done, I came out to an empty room. I was still in no mood to go to Malik, but I decided better than later. After drying hair, I walked to his study where I had an idea I would see him. I knocked on the door, and once I heard him say,'Come on,' I walked in.

"I thought I had to wait the next day for you to come." He said, flipping through a file. I decided to act cool and talked like nothing was wrong between us. "I decided to clean before, or else blood stains are hard to get out." I said casually, walking towards his desk.

"And I asked to see you. That was more important?" He asked coldly. "No, but um -" I tried coming up with something. "But um, what? I called you so many times, I texted you, and you didn't even care to call back. Where were you even?" "I know, I was wrong. I should have called you back, but I was at Mehr's house, and -" I was explaining, when he cut me off again. "And who did you ask before you went?" "What?" I was shocked at his tone.

"You didn't ask and just went over to my sister's house." He said again. "I know. I was going to ask you, but Mehr was worried, and I just wanted to make sure she was alright." "Haniya, you can't just get up and leave whenever you want." "I know, but I was just worried. You had a fight with Umar. Do you know how worried Mehr was? She was in tears. Why did you have a fight with him in the first place?" "That's none of your concern, and about my sister, I'll talk to her. This is between me and her. You don't have to involve yourself."

As soon as he said that, I stood there shocked. Between them, it's none of my business? "I don't have to involve myself?! Malik she called me because she was worried because of you!" I pointed to him. "You punched Umar, hwr husband! And she called me because she was worried. I didn't involve myself, she called me because she called me Api. You want to know why? Because her brother has mood swings where he doesn't talk to anyone and gies cold. I felt how Mehr might have felt before I came. Oh wait, she had it harder." I burst out. It had taken everything in me to stay calm.

"I know you might be going through things, but becoming cold isn't helping. It's just making it harder for others, and I've told you before-" I tried softening my tone, "- I'm always here to listen to you, so if there's any problem, just tell me." I said, looking at me, but he doesn't look too happy. "There is nothing to talk about, Haniya. There is nothing wrong. So stop being concerned and meddling into other's lives." He shouted at me. "And who's others? You? Are you other for me now?" I asked, tears threatening to fall

"Yes, for you I always was. You accepted my sister, heck everyone before me." He shouted back. "You're bringing this somewhere else. But to answer your question, yes, I did. I was forced to marry a stranger and just move into his home. Anyone at the point would be scared of anything. Your sister was nice to me, and maybe she's the reason I didn't go insane, I've gone through things I had never seen or heard about." I stated, I knew I started crying, and maybe he noticed that too.

"Are you saying that I'm the reason for all this?" He asked back. "I never said tha-" "You know, I'm sorry I married you. Maybe being hasty wasn't a good idea." He said as he slumped into his chair. "What are you saying?" "I'm saying, maybe I shouldn't have married you in the first place. It was a stupid move from me, and now I apologize."

I stood shocked, I couldn't believe what he was saying. "So it's that easy for you? You're not happy with marrying me, and now you just apologize? I can't believe you're the same man I was ready to spend the rest of my life with." I said as I walked out of his study and into my room. I was upset, and staying here didn't help, I felt like the walls were closing in, making it harder for me to breathe. I wanted to leave.

I decided to pick up my bag and pick a few of my necessities. Maybe I just need space from him because of his foul mood. We're only having arguments. I picked up my bag and headed downstairs.

I was standing outside the door when I realized I didn't have any way to leave. 'Great!' I thought walking out to the gates with my bag, I wouldn't be able to leave with Malik's guards at the door. I had only one solution.

I took out my phone and dialed her. "Hey, yea, everything's fine. Um, could send you're driver to pick me up? I'll explain everything later, please? Okay, thanks." I put away my phone, and after a few minutes, her driver pulled up. I quietly woke towards the gate, hoping the guards wouldn't say or do anything. Thankfully, as I passed them, they said nothing and simply let me go.

Releasing a sigh, I sat in the car, saying hello to Uncle Raiz, Laiba's driver. As we were on the road, I told Uncle Raiz where I wanted to go. He nodded after a minute and brought me where I wanted to be right now.

Stepping out of the car, I thanked Uncle Raiz again. "Thank you once again, Uncle Raiz. Oh, and if Laiba asks anything, tell her I'll call hwr later." He nodded and left, and I rang the doorbell.

Minutes later, the door opened, and Asfa opened the door. "Api?" She looked surprised. "What? I can't come to my own home?" I joked, coming inside. "Of course you can!" She said, hugging me. "Everything okay?" I asked. "Api, everything is okay. How are you? The last time we all saw you, you were in bed." "Much better now." I smiled as I patted the place I was shot. "Come, let's go inside."

We both walked inside, seeing the rest of my family as surprised as Asfa was when she saw me. It was nice being back after so long. I missed it.

Having dinner as a family again, out little pist dinner game we sometimes played. Then, heading to pray, Isha. Wlaking into my room, it looked spotless yet the same as I had left it, I was happy with it like that, though.

Sitting down, I finally picked up my bag to take my phone out. There were only a few missed calls from Laiba and a few texts from her, and other than that, there was nothing else.

The sight of that kind of disappointed me. I put my phone down on my dresser and moved to brush my hair, but my mind was somewhere else.

I had gone on brushing my hair for more than five minutes when my phone vibrated, grabbing all my attention. Dropping my hairbrush, I immediately picked it.

Only to be disappointed with a sale ad, as much as shopping sale sounded great, this wasn't it. Should I text first? Or should I wait?