Finding Love

Chapter 8

A sudden coldness took over Kabir's soul, as he stepped down on the Indian soil. The pain and sorrow, suppressed for so long, was fretting to find an outlet. He wanted to hate everyone and everything around him, in this very moment. His heart ached. Ached for love, long lost. Ached to turned bitter. He felt like he was lost in vacuum. Where, all he felt was a growing urge of indifference. He wanted to push hard, with all his might. But he didn't know where. There was this heaviness that had begun to take over his being. He was being crushed under the weight of the past, as he struggled for breathe, trying to desperately hold on to the moment before him. He didn't want to lose himself, now that he had already lost his gem, in this very land, forever.

As he pushed Noorie's wheelchair for her, with Saif in tow, he took on a sudden but visible stiffness. The ice blue orbs turned just a little darker, as they grew colder, with every passing moment. He was now Kabir Amaar Abdullah, CEO, Abdullah Group of Industries. All that good cheer from the past three weeks seemed to vanish in just a split moment.

Sensing the sudden shift in his attitude, Noorie looked up, staring into those stone cold blue eyes, that's seemed to be transfixed straight ahead. For one long moment she observed him in silence, before she turned to look at Saif, only to notice that he too seemed as worried as she was for Kabir.

"Beerah", she tried to draw his attention. She so wanted to believe that he was okay, but she knew something was wrong. Kabir had always shown his distaste towards India, but she didn't know when he had developed such a strong hatred towards the country. She remembered, the first time he had snapped at her when she spoke about India. That was when they were about eighteen or so. Back then, she thought that it was the loss of his mother, that drove his bitterness towards life in general. But in the years that had gone by, his every action, and his every word, clearly reiterated, that his trouble lied in the country itself. He never delved into it any further.

Nobody, except Amaar, knew what it was, about this land, that made him hate it so much more, with each breath that he took. Nobody, not even Noorie, dared to ask him the reason for his contempt, for every time they'd try to broach the topic, he would turn so rigid, upping all his guards, that it would become a Herculean task to even talk to him, for at least a week after. Noorie had tried many times. He would never snap at her, like he did, with the rest, but he would slip into a cold and almost killing silence. Those ice blue eyes that the world knew of, were indeed cold, as Noorie knew them to be. At one point, Noorie just gave up on this aspect. She didn't care what it was that had affected Kabir, but she knew, that Beerah needed to be back. She knew, that Kabir, needed to be his original self. She knew, that emotions needed to be expressed, so one could move on. And she knew, that this trend of shutting himself into a shell, would not help Kabir very much.

Exhaling a breath, that she had mindlessly held back, Noorie tried once again. "Beerah, Listen, na!" She thought he'd answer if she was chirpy in her tone. But he didn't even as much as acknowledge her call, as he looked straight at the exit, not caring about anything in specific, at that moment.

The presence of Saif's hand on his shoulder, stopped Kabir in his stride, as he looked down at the floor, for one solemn moment, before letting out a deep sigh, and looking up, to meet his brother's worried gaze. He looked at Saif, questioning, before his shoulders slumped just a little, letting him know that he was on the verge of an emotional collapse.

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Saif didn't know how to react at that moment. Sure he was nineteen, and he was a boy. But that didn't justify why he shouldn't have feelings! He had lost a major chunk of his life, in just a sudden moment. He wasn't even sure if what he was being told was the truth! As he slumped against the wall, and onto the ground, he couldn't help the tears that spilled out of his eyes. He had always been expressive. And she had only encouraged that in him. He stared up, into his father's moist eyes, as he stood by his side, shocked. He couldn't believe she was gone. So sudden. So wordless. So quick. She wasn't even old enough to die! As he buried his head into his knees, tears streamed down constantly. There were so many relatives around, trying to comfort him, but miserably failing at the task.