Beintehaa Ishq

Khamoshi

Chapter 27

Khamoshi...

Rhea was still reeling under the heaviness of Zains words, as her thoughts became more clear and her breathing more subdued, did the gravity of the situation started sinking in.

Zain drove as though he was mourning, the silence was threatening Rhea, he had never been quiet around her in the past month that she had come to stay with him.

Zains eyes were still blazing and his mouth was dry, the pain that his heart felt was indescribable. He wanted to shout aloud, get angry...but in front of her he felt helpless. Aaliyas separation had altered him, a mellowed down version with a constant and hovering fear of losing his love. He was a pale shadow of his former self, the zeal of Zain Abdullaha was eclipsed in his past. He was scared to even remain angry at her, constantly questioning his acts had become more of a habit for him.

From the corner of his eye he looked towards her, She sat like a hurt dove over casted with guilt for her unexplained behavior. Zains heart melted at the very moment, he wanted to hug her ...but a streak of self-control stopped him.

The car stopped and finally Rhea ducked her little head up when a soft hand opened the door, he stood there waiting for her to alight. She stood out like a shunned child, he closed the door and walked inside.

Rhea walked behind him, still unable to muster up the courage to speak. Zain accompanied her to her room...waiting at the door to see that she enters in. She walked in and turned to say good night, but he had disappeared ...she pepped out to see him walking in the corridor, his coat was hooked in his finger dangling on his back, another hand in the pocket of his trousers ...slowly mingling in the darkness.

Rhea put her head on the pillow, gently letting a single drop of tear wet it...closing her eye.

The images never left the iris of her eye...a struggle of 4 hrs later awakened her ..the agitation had peeked now. She slowly walked out of her room, with no lights in the corridor she hurried towards his.

The glass door had a drape of the curtain blocking her site...she silently opened his door, assuring no noise ever aroused. He was sleeping on the couch ...holding a pillow ...Rhea walked near him and went on her knees, the moon light entering inside had soaked his face with a serenity ...an untouched aura...

She covered him with the blanket, gently pulling the pillow away. A mere touch of the pillow awakened her senses as though she had slept on it for many a nights.

His hands were holding something below the pillow that got Rheas attention ...She starred at his wrist...a red mark still buried around his skin ...a sight that hurt her ...he was holding something very close to his heart...she slowly pulled out...and turned it around ...

Her hold shattered beneath her feet...it was her picture ...but when had she clicked it ...and how did he get it, the most pressing question suddenly erupted...why was he holding her picture...did he too love her ...just the way she did.

She starred back at the photo ...she was in a heavy dress... with rich jewelry...nowhere looking like the care free face she had now...a streak of faded red mark had smeared the picture.

She touched it ...a flash appeared now ...a picture frame once lay broken with a blotch of blood ...the same one that she had picked up the pieces from ...keeping the picture back ,she had walked away from his room ..his life ...

The flash dimmed ...the grip on the picture was steady now, she absent mindedly let the picture fall on the ground and walked out. The memories were pricking now...she ran towards her room and closed the door...tensed ...she had to talk ...had to tell him ...she needed help ...

The morning marked with a soft sunrise ...Rhea got up ...still holding her head. The pain was still sharp...what a weird dream she had seen ...that she had seen her picture in his hand at night ...smiling to herself she got ready. He would be waiting for her near the car like every day ...

By the time she finished her quick breakfast and rushed outside, she saw Fahad standing and smiling ...

Aree Aap ...Zain kaha hai ...

Woh toh office ke kaam se seher ke bahar gaya hai...

Kab, she asked surprised ...

Pata nahi subhah subhah aaya aur bye bolkar chala gaya ...

Chale ...Fahad insisted ...Rhea sat in the car ...with a sad face ...

He had left without saying a bye to her, he always used to tell her ...she realized that he was angry and was staying away from her intentionally...the thoughts crowded her face with a sadness...

The next 24 hours were miserable, everywhere she saw he was there ... His smell his smile his face ...the way he talked ...the way he smirked ...even the way he held her hand ...an invisible appearance started gaining prominence in her mind now...

Once she saw him waving at her from behind her mami ...at other instances he was sitting on the couch and working ...and the worst was his pseudo image ...the permanent appearance of a silhouette on his chair ..she had walked into his cabin several times to smell his presence...every time taking a deep breath and touching his chair , spinning it with a force ...she hated herself

...why had she crossed the lines and hurt him ...now he was not around a constant reminder to her that his physical absence was purposefully done. Her unruly feelings were going in a shell...she had called him several times, but he had not returned her single call, and her edginess had increased with every missed call.

Two days later, when Rhea reached Barkat villa, she saw his car parked outside. Like a hail stricken person seeking for a shelter she rushed towards his room ...it was locked ...she caught her breath ...where was he ...

She walked towards the pool

...searched the kitchen

...peeked into his mom's Fahad's and even Rehmaans room...he was nowhere

...the antsy feeling had peaked now...defeated she walked back to her room and closed the door ...a lonely tear escaped her eye now ...

She wiped it and looked up ...he was sitting on her bed ...waiting for her in her room ...

She rushed towards him to embrace him in a tight hug ...he stood there still cold, not touching her ...his hands still on his sides not even moving an inch towards her ...she looked up ...those mystic eyes...the brown paradise her heaven ...she had missed his touch, his musky smell...she had terribly felt his physical and emotional absence haunting ...

Kaha gaye the ...bataya bhi nahi ...she held him tightly ...

Pata hai ...kitne phone kiye tumhe ...poore 2567 baar ...ek ka bhi javab nahi diya ...

Ek message hi kar dete...she was blabbering non-stop now...

Kitkit ke bina ...neend aayi tumhe ...she finally saw his eyes, they were soft yet hushed ...

Kit Kit baat karo na mujhse ...she was gently pleading now...

He finally held her hand and placed something on her palm ...she looked down ...it was her necklace that he had gifted, realization drawn on her that night it had fallen in the car ...he had just come to return it ...he started walking out of the room ...and never turned back ...

Rhea stood there in a non-vocal mode now ...submerging herself in her new friend ...Silence ...

Ek Khamoshi si tere ab mujhe bezubaa si ...

...jakadne lagi hai ...

Nagin jaise yeh tanhayi ab dasne lagi hai ...

SIMPre-cap : what will Rhea do ...to win him back ...