Long Lost and Refound - A Zayn Malik Story

Chapter 21

Chapter 21 — Long Lost and Refound

[ trigger warning: depressive theme displayed at end of chapter ]

November 2013

Zayn’s POV

“Go on, Safaa, get anything you want,” I said, patting her on the back. She grinned up at me and scampered down an aisle filled with short novels and fantasy series. I’d brought her to a bookstore, wanting to make sure she still worked that imagination I’d always loved.

I followed her to where she was, hands deep inside my pockets. There were a few paparazzi outside the doors, and I hoped they’d take only a few pictures and leave. I was here today for Safaa, and I didn’t want them to ruin my baby sister’s day. She was running her fingers down the spines of some fantasy novels and she pulled a few out. I held out the basket that was on my arm and she dropped them in, turning right back to the shelves. I heard a few giggles from my left and didn’t look over. Surely enough, a moment later, I felt a timid tap on my shoulder. I turned, smiling.

“Yeah?”

“Zayn?” A young girl, barely thirteen, stood flustered with her phone clutched determinedly in her hand beside me. I stood, nodding.

“Yeah, that’s me. What’s your name, babe?”

“Ma-Maria.”

“Well, Maria, it seems like you want a photograph, yeah?” She nodded furiously, holding out her camera to me. I held out my arm and she immediately stood beside me. I crouched and took the photo for her, handing her the camera back.

“Thank you, Zayn,” she said. I nodded and she turned to leave, but it looked like she suddenly remembered something. She turned back to me and pressed a kiss to my cheek and ran off to her mother, who was waiting in the next aisle. I chuckled, picking up Safaa’s basket once more.

“Does that happen every day, bhai?” Safaa asked, pulling out the various Chronicles of Narnia books. I shrugged, taking them off her weak hands.

“Yeah, I guess. Why?”

“You have so many people that love you. I think that’s really lovely.”

I smiled and scooped her frail body up into my arms, grabbing her basket. “Well, my love, you’re the only girl in my eyes.” Safaa giggled, coughing when she laughed too hard. “Are those all the books you want, princess?” I asked, kissing her cheek. She nodded, rubbing her hand up and down the stubble on my cheek.

“You smell weird, Zayn,” she said, puckering up her nose. I laughed, puckering my nose up as well.

“You smell weirder, Saf,” I copied, mocking her tone. She protested loudly, shaking her head.

“No, you smell weirder.”

“Darling, I think we all know you smell weirder.”

“Zayn…” she whined, dragging out my name, but at this point her voice faded from my hearing. Something caught my eye and I froze to the spot, squinting to get a better look. Safaa tapped my cheek with her palm.

“Bhai!”

“Yeah, yeah? Saf, here, have a few pounds go pick out some bookmarks. I just need to look at something…” I set her down, not taking my gaze off of what had caught my eye across a few aisles. It was just a small image on the back of a paperback, but I could recognize it anywhere. I weaved through the aisles, not taking my eye off the spinning rack that held the book. With shaking hands, I pulled the paperback off the shelf and turned it so the back was facing upwards. Black and white, the picture was only large enough to make out the face. I stumbled back, leaning against a bookshelf for support.