Running Away ✔

BONUS

| Dedicated to Everyone ♡ special thanks to my Potatwin
for that beautiful cover :) |

~ZARA'S P.O.V~

~The Past~ (Around 1989-1990)

"One Gin and Tonic please" I placed my fourth shot of vodka on the counter bar while the waiter shot me a concerned look.

Was he really concerned? I can't seem to differentiate between what's real and what's not. I don't give a fuck anymore. Nothing in my life seemed to be constant and I was ready to give up.

My attackers were thrown in prison but what now? Can I get back my dignity? Can the past be erased? What about my future? Everything seemed so uncertain.

From the outside I looked perfectly normal, one would seem to think that I'm a happy person with no issues but how many people could see the real me? Who am I from the inside?

I looked at the bubbly liquid kept in front of me. I dint enjoy drinking or smoking, I never ever wore short clothes, I didn't ever rile up anyone, I always did everything on time, I was a perfect goody two shoes.

"Stop pushing yourself so much; once you get the gist of it, you will begin to enjoy it." They all laughed at me, all my pleas seemed to turn on them. One by one they all took their turn. Farah had somehow tracked me down but the deed had been done. I could see my life falling apart; everything came crumbling down one by one.

Farah filed a case to the police so the attackers stooped even low and took away her legs. I was a failure. I couldn't protect myself nor the person dear to me. I wanted to take away my life but Shahid helped me to cope up with everything. He got us justice by throwing the scoundrels in prison. It's been exactly 6 years since all this has happened, time is not healing my wounds; time is keeping the burn alive. Bloody fucking painfully alive.

"Ma'am I think you should go home." The bartender backed away from thinking that I would explode on him.

I stepped out of the bar without feeling self-conscious in my life, for the first time I didn't care if I lived or die. Who would remember me? What difference will it make if I were not to live anymore?

With brooding thoughts my legs began to take longer strides to a dangerous location that no person with a sane mind would ever go but then I felt the clicking of boots behind me.

Whatever happens, next might make it to another set of my life's misery, should I fight back? Should I let it be or let it go?

"Zara?"

The voice called out to me but I couldn't make out the figure of the person as the shadow looked like a large blob of black mass.

"It's me, Arpit! Shahid sent me to get you to the hospital."

Negative thoughts began to swim through my mind but I placed them at the back of my mind. Shahid was a really good person, I hoped everything is alright with him but then I noticed that bad things often happen to people who are good... perhaps people who are bad must have been good people before something bad happened to them that changed them for better or for worse.

"Are you coming or not?"

I didn't utter a word nor did I take Arpit's hands in my hand.

What if he just wanted a reason to touch my hand? I think my small pocket knife would be enough to take him down if he tried to do anything on me. I won't commit the same mistake I did of not being ready to protect myself. If I die, I would die naturally or with my own hands but never through someone else.