" I'm sor-"
"DON'T, JUST DON'T SAY IT. YOU DO NOT EVEN DESERVE TO SAY IT AFTER WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO ME! I BEGGED YOU, SCREAMED AND PLEAD, BUT YOU DIDN'T HEED MY WORDS. THEN WHY SHOULD I!"
I yelled with tears streaming down my face when witnessing m...
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The clock pulsed with a steady rhythm, each tick blending seamlessly into the next, a quiet metronome marking the passage of time. The room, once cloaked in an oppressive hush and shadowed by the ghosts of violence, now brimmed with vibrant life. Lighthearted laughter, animated chatter, and the deliciously conspiratorial gossip shared only among sisters and dearest friends filled the air. The girls, once torn apart by distance and danger, were reunited at last, their circle enriched by new faces. They eagerly caught up on the whirlwind of chaos life had flung their way, their voices weaving a tapestry of shared stories and rekindled bonds.
"God, it's downright blissful to talk to actual people again," Elizey sighed, stretching languorously across the couch like a contented cat basking in sunlight. "When I was stuck with Deenaz, I swear I nearly lost my mind. His men? Emotionless statues, every last one of them. I could've had a more engaging conversation with a potted plant."
"Tell me about it," Amina chimed in, collapsing onto a plush cushion with theatrical flair, her dark hair spilling over the vibrant fabric. "Our mansion is practically a gilded cage. Rafeeq's always off working, leaving me to wander those endless halls alone. I've resorted to whispering secrets to the curtains, for heaven's sake. He won't even let me wash a dish! As if touching a mop might shatter me into a million delicate pieces."
"Ugh, same!" Sharmila exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with mock exasperation as she tossed her braid over her shoulder. "Bhai treats me like I'm spun from the finest glass. That mansion is so mind-numbingly dull I started counting the living room tiles, backwards, just to keep things interesting. But now, here with all of you? I'm alive again. The gossip, the snacks, this company, it's pure, unadulterated heaven."
I smiled, letting their infectious laughter seep into my soul like warm sunlight filtering through a canopy of leaves. How long had it been since my heart felt this full, this unburdened? My brothers, their wives, my closest friends, Sharmila. It was as if someone had pressed pause on the relentless pain of the past and set a perfect moment in motion, one I wished could stretch into eternity. Yet, beneath the joy, a faint whisper of unease lingered in the recesses of my mind, an unnameable foreboding that refused to be silenced.
Please, God, I thought, my heart tightening. After everything, I'm finally laughing again. Don't let this slip away.
A gentle nudge on my shoulder snapped me back to the present. "Why are you staring like you've turned to stone, Amu?" Anjali di asked, her eyebrow arched in playful curiosity, her warm brown eyes twinkling with affection.
I blinked, a soft smile curving my lips. "It's just, it's been so long since I've seen everyone like this, so carefree and together. It feels like a dream I'm terrified to wake from."
For a fleeting moment, the room fell silent, each of us lost in the same unspoken wish, that time might freeze this perfect scene, preserving it like a cherished photograph. But then, BANG!
The door flew open with exaggerated bravado, startling us all. In strode Rehan, chest puffed out, carrying a tray as if he'd just returned triumphant from an epic quest across a mythical realm. His grin was wide, his presence commanding the room like a seasoned performer.
