HONEYDEW (A murder mystery)

Chapter 5

My day at the university was spent trying to link the weird happenings around me.

It had been a few months to dad's death. lnitially, I had stopped socialising. The loss had been too unbearable for all of us and I couldn't meet my mother's eye. The sadness in them made my heart shatter and I had preferred the privacy of my room.

Ali and Isaac had been my constant strength during the dark days and they had been successful in pushing me back to my normal routine. But surprisingly I had developed a deadly feeling of being followed. Wherever I went, whatever I did, the feeling remained. It was making me insane.

Ayath's confession had only reinforced my belief that something was terribly wrong.

It was true, that right now I knew nothing, but I wasn't going to allow the fear to ruin me. My dreams wouldn't be shattered just because someone out there tried to disturb my sanity.

My dad had thought me that daughters could be brave too and I was about to prove that to the world.

                    *~*~*

I woke to the sound of breaking glass and looked around, groggy with sleep, still unable to decide my next course of action.

My mind was rapidly losing control from the extreme fear that gripped my chest and I decided to lay still but my mother's piercing scream made me jump up in haste and within seconds I was dashing down the stairs.

All the lights went on in the house and Ayath stood in the living room soothing my scared little mother, "Mom, please stop crying. There is no one around," Ayath said gently.

I scanned the room, my heartbeat accelerating unbearably, "Look at that," I shrieked, pointing towards the broken window pane.

All eyes turned towards the source and Ayath gasped out loud, "It means mom wasn't having a nightmare."

My mother broke down once again, "I came to have a glass of water while I heard footsteps in the living room and I thought that it was Ali. I was about to speak to him when he pushed me to the sofa and ran away breaking the glass as he couldn't open the latch," her sobs got louder.

"Mom, I'm terribly scared," Ayath stated in a meek voice.

My throat felt dry and tears filled my eyes. What did anyone get by harming others? Why had they targeted us?

"Ayath get my phone. I'll inform Haroon," Mom said between her sobs.

"Stop freaking and get back to bed. I'll inform the police," Ali replied calmly and that made me lose my self-control, "How can you act so normal?" I screeched, "What is going on?" I demanded furiously.

"Why are you screaming?" Ali questioned through clenched teeth.

"It's because I need answers. I'm done with being silent."

"Answers to what?"

"Ali, please don't do this. Why are people watching are a house?"

"What -----?"

"Why would anyone break into our house?"

"I told you that I'll inform the police. Let them do the investigation. How am I supposed to give you answers to things that I possess no knowledge about."

Silent tears of helplessness slipped through my eyes, cascading down my cheeks and I made no effort to wipe them. I stood there with numbness empowering me.

When Ali enveloped me in a brotherly embrace and whispered, "Don't worry, everything is going to be fine," I did not make an effort to rebel, rather I made my way to my room without any more fuss.

The remainder of my night was spent staring at the backyard but the night held no more surprises. By dawn, I felt like a zombie and I crawled back to bed, the familiar comfort of my mattress welcoming me into alluring unconsciousness.