𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

Chapter 7: New Beginning or Old Shadows?

Zehra was jolted awake by the loud knocking on the door. She looked around the room. Abbas was not there. Her eyes darted to the door, which someone seemed to be trying to break down. Fear made her breathe quickly.

Thoughts raced through her mind.

Someone had attacked Abbas.

Could it be that the person at the door was him?

And where was Abbas now?

With a loud crash, the door flew open. Zehra shrank back on the bed, her breath caught in her throat.

A girl walked in, holding a gun. She glanced briefly at Zehra and then started scanning the room with the gun pointed ahead. When she saw that no one else was in the room, she lowered the gun and approached Zehra.

"Are you Zehra Pathan?" the girl asked, concern in her voice as she looked Zehra up and down.

"Y-Y-Yes, that's me," Zehra replied, her voice trembling with fear.

The girl nodded and gently grabbed Zehra's shoulder. "I'm Naila, a police officer. I've come to take you out of here."

Zehra's fear quickly turned into confusion. "You've come to get me?"

"Yes." Naila glanced around the room and asked, "Is there anyone else with you?"

Zehra quickly answered, "Abbas-I mean, my kidnapper. He was with me, but I don't know where he went."

Naila looked back at Zehra and took her wrist. "We'll discuss all that later. Right now, come with me."

Saying this, Naila grabbed Zehra's wrist and led her out of the room. Zehra struggled to walk but didn't stop. Once they were outside the hotel, Zehra sat in the car and fastened her seatbelt.

She turned to Naila and asked, "Did you come alone? Aren't there any other officers with you?"

Naila glanced at her and then began to drive. "The other officers are working on a critical case. That's why I had to come by myself."

She took her eyes off the road to look at Zehra. "Your parents filed a missing persons report for you." She looked back at the road, "They were very worried."

Zehra felt a jolt of realization. She understood how distressed her parents must have been. She suddenly wanted to talk to them and said to Naila, "Please, can you let me speak to them? I... I want to talk to them."

Naila's face went pale.

After a moment of silence, she said softly, "Alright."

She handed her phone to Zehra. Zehra quickly dialed her father's number and put the phone to her ear. It took only two seconds for the call to be answered. "Dad..." There was hope in Zehra's voice, hoping for a response from the other end.

"Zehra, tum theek ho?" Owais Pathan's voice trembled with anxiety.

("Zehra, are you okay?")

Hearing her father's voice, tears welled up in Zehra's eyes. "Dad, I'm sorry," she sobbed uncontrollably.

"Zehra, ro nahi bachhe. Mera dil baith raha hai." Owais Pathan said, his voice filled with pain. He was heartbroken; he couldn't stand to see his daughter in distress.

("Zehra, don't cry, my child. My heart is sinking.")

"Mujhe yahan nahi aane chahiye tha," Zehra sniffed. "Mujhe aapki baat maanni chahiye thi."

("I shouldn't have come here,")

("I should have listened to you.")

"Where are you now? Who are you with?" Owais Pathan asked with concern.