KHAARZAAR

۲۷: دھمکی / Threat

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It was already nine in the morning when Miraal's eyes stirred open. She shifted around before sitting up on the bed. She stretched her arms and stared into nothingness to drain the sleep away from her eyes. For a while, she doesn't remember anything about the last night.

And then after few seconds, a switch clicked and it all dawned upon her. Slowly by slowly, she started to remember the whole fiasco of last night. Her breath hitched. She looked around the room as if someone would jump out of thin air and attacked her.

But then the familiar paint and walls of her room calmed her racing heartbeat. She took few big deep breaths before standing up from the bed. She needed to leave soon for the office. As she headed to the shower, her mind was still playing the horror of the last night. How the gunshot rang scaring everybody. She couldn't forget the chaos that erupted after that.

She was so sacred that she thought her heart might come out of her chest. But she wasn't worried or scared for herself. She was scared for Irtaza. She couldn't find him anywhere when the shot rang and her mind created all the worst scenarios. She was so worried that she couldn't even think straight. She tried to run and search for Irtaza.

But few people pushed her away. She doesn't know how she passed those few minutes when Irtaza was unable to find her. But when she saw him standing infront of her safe and sound, her mind was out at ease. And that's how she realized that she might be having really intense feeling for Irtaza. She wasn't just seeing him as her cousin and soon to be husband anymore.

She was seeing him in a very different light. She doesn't want him to get hurt at all. The fear that appeared into her chest when her eyes couldn't find his figure, it was the most all consuming thing. She felt like her heart was constricting and someone was pulling it out her chest.

Coming out of the shower, she was already changed into her work clothes. She combed her hairs and after making her bag, she headed downstairs. Almirah and Saima already knew what happened last night. She couldn't hide it from them and told them everything as soon as she came home. She needed to lift that awful weight off of her chest.

As she made her way into the dining room, she found everyone in the living room. The atmosphere looked tense. The elephant in the room fully apparent. She took her seat next to Irtaza's. He glanced in her direction and silently asked her

"How are you feeling?"

She nodded her head giving him his response.

"Irtaza. Miraal. We heard what happened last night."

It was Suleman who said that. Their eyes turned to him before Irtaza nodded his head.

"Are you two alright?"

It was Hashim.

"G, Mamu. We're both fine. Alhumdulliah."

Miraal replied. She doesn't want to remember last night. She had already locked it away in the deepest part of her brain. Never to be open again.

"It was God blessing that you both return safe and sound."

Almirah stated while entering into the room. Her face was still contorted into worry. Mothers are never rest assured when their children experience a situation like that.

"Irtaza, please give sadqah for both of you. You're both are getting married soon. We can't take any risks."

Saima laid down her worry. Irtaza nodded his head. He knew his family wasn't accustomed to situation like that.

"Are you sure this won't happen again?"

Farheen asked for the first time. Irtaza's eyes turned out to her before he answered honestly