𝐀𝐘𝐀𝐓: 𝐀 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐐𝐮𝐫'𝐚𝐧

chapter 26

It was evening in London, and the sun was setting, casting shadows as Ashar drove his car quickly toward the location Kinza had sent him. The area was a jungle, and soon he found himself out of phone range. Moments later, as he entered the location, his eyes roamed everywhere until he spotted her car. He applied the brakes and got out, heading in her direction. There, he saw her sitting inside the car, shedding tears.

“Kinza!” he called out, opening the car door. She flinched at his sudden appearance and immediately hugged him tightly. He was stunned but placed a reassuring hand on her back, rubbing it gently.

“Why are you crying, Kinza? It’s okay now; I’m here!” he tried to console her. However, she simply held onto him without saying anything. After a few minutes, she broke the hug but remained close to him, wiping her tears and looking into his eyes.

“Let’s go!” he said, stepping away and heading toward his car. But she grabbed his wrist to stop him, causing him to turn around and glance back at her. Kinza was staring at the ground.

“What’s wrong, Kinza?” he asked, turning to face her. She looked up at him and shook her head, leaving him confused and a bit irritated.

“What is it, Kinza? Say something—I have other things to do!” he said, his voice laced with irritation. Kinza took a deep breath and stammered, “I want to talk to you about something!”

He gave her a skeptical look. “What?” he pressed, waiting for her to continue. Kinza raised her eyelids and gazed directly into his eyes, her hands clutching his shirt tightly.

She closed her eyes, took another deep breath, and exclaimed, “I love you!” After a moment, she slowly opened her eyes, hoping to see a reaction on his face, but his expression remained neutral, without any sign of change. She raised her eyebrows in confusion.

“What?” she asked, giving him a little shake. He shrugged his shoulders, still showing no emotion.

“I just confessed, Ash!” she reminded him, disbelief etched on her face. He rolled his eyes, and Kinza searched his face for any hint of a reaction she was desperate to see.

“Ash, are you deaf? I just confessed, damn it!” Frustrated, she shouted. She released his shirt and stepped back, watching as he raised an eyebrow at her.

“So, what are you expecting from me, huh?” he scoffed. Kinza stared at him in disbelief.

“At least a reaction?” she replied, her eyebrows raised, her eyes wide in shock. He folded his arms across his chest, standing firm.

“Okay, so what reaction should I give? A response to your so-called cold, mere crush?” he mocked. Kinza’s eyes widened further as she processed his words.

“It’s not a mere crush, Ash! I’ve been in love with you since childhood—I just realized it years ago! I really love you!” she insisted, her voice defensive, but he seemed uninterested.

“Do you even know what love means?” he questioned incredulously. She lowered her eyelashes, a pained smile creeping across her face.

“Love is a disease, and it has already taken hold of me. I know it doesn’t have a cure!” she said softly, her gaze dropping to the ground. To him, she seemed like a poet, but he continued.

“But you forgot that love also requires patience. A person would rather die than live with someone who isn’t their true love, right?” Ashar stated. Kinza lifted her eyelids.

“Yeah, that’s true... and maybe I will count myself among those who feel that way... some people,” she replied, her voice laced with pain. However, he remained practical and unyielding.