I'm sure you've heard a lot about unrequited love, but what if I say there exists an unwilling love, hidden somewhere between the echoes of silence and the whispers of the heart's secrets? A love that fights to stay buried, yet yearns to be discover...
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๑ 🥀 ๑
Shazal woke up around noon the next day, and from the moment he did, there was barely a second of peace. Every member of the household visited his room at least once, some bringing food, others bringing stories, and a few simply sitting beside him to make sure he wasn't alone. Everyone seemed determined to keep his spirits high and help him recover, which he was, quite well.
Yet despite all the company, a restlessness lingered beneath his skin, because the one face he wanted to see hadn't appeared.
He had texted Yusra hours ago, but the message remained unseen. Naturally, he assumed she was asleep. After all, she had barely rested while he was unconscious. Perhaps now that he was finally awake and stable, she had allowed herself the luxury of sleep.
That explanation comforted him.
Until it didn't.
Her parents arrived sometime later and casually informed everyone that Yusra had been awake for quite a while, helping around the house and catching up on chores she had neglected over the past few days.
The information landed like a punch to the stomach. They assured him she would visit later, but even then, doubt had already crept into his mind.
Something felt off.
By eight in the evening, his patience had worn dangerously thin.
When Zayd walked into his room, Shazal finally gave voice to the question that had been bothering him all day.
"Why didn't Yusra come?"
Zayd, who had been busy talking to Shayan, shrugged casually.
"I told her I was coming here. She asked me not to disturb her. Said her semester exams are around the corner and she needs to study."
Shazal frowned immediately.
She could have told me that herself.
That wasn't the real reason.
"And since when does she study in advance?" he muttered bitterly.
"You should be focusing on the other part of what he said," Shayan interrupted. "Apparently your exams are around the corner too."
Shazal dismissed him with a wave of his hand.
"I know that."
And he did. Between being kidnapped, nearly blown up, and spending days unconscious, academics had understandably slipped to the bottom of his priority list. At this point, he was seriously considering taking a semester break.
But none of that mattered right now. He wanted to see Yusra.
Without wasting another second, he dialed her number.
