All Over Again

Chapter 14

Misha's POV:

The car ride was so silent I could hear my the sound of my own heart thumping against my chest if I focused on it. Ibraheem was driving while I was for some reason forced to sit in the passenger seat while Fahad was in the back seat on his phone. This was absurd on so many levels of absurd.

"Can you stop looking at me and focus on the road?" I told Ibraheem who would full-fledge stare at me every five minutes. "The navigation bar is down there. Don't get us killed." I pointed to the screen that had the GPS on.

"I will never let anything hurt you." Ibraheem said as he turned to look at me while making a sharp turn. I just gulped as I decided to ignore him and call Zoya again.

"So what's wrong with Rubab?" Fahad popped his head from between the two seats and looked at me.

"I don't know and why do you care anyway?" I countered and he looked like he was thinking of a reply.

"Oh, I am just curious about what Zohaib said." I was about to retaliate when I noticed that Zoya had picked up the call. There was loud music playing in the back and I could barely hear what she was saying.

"Zoya, I don't think you can hear me."

"Yeah, let me just turn the volume down. SAAD TURN THE DAMN VOLUME DOWN!" I heard Zoya yell over the phone. I was pretty sure both Ibraheem and Fahad had heard that part.

"I just saw my phone. It was in my bag and the music was too loud so I didn't notice your calls. Rubab called me as well. All good?" I heard Zoya say in a normal voice and I glanced at Ibraheem and Fahad who looked like they were just focusing on the road but I had a strong feeling they were listening in on what I was saying.

"Forget about me. Rubab's date went south. Zohaib uh, said some stuff and she is having a panic attack now. I am going to her now. I am sending you her location. Get there a.s.a.p." I told her in one go and I knew what was coming next. I messaged her the address while minimizing the call tab.

"WHAT? Ugh, what did that guy do? Damn it, I am going to kill him." Zoya replied as I heard more shuffling in the back. "Hey Saad, turn the car around and go to the location I am about to tell you. I will be there in 15 sis. Meet you there." I replied with an okay and Zoya hung up. Silence fell on us again as Ibraheem took another turn.

"So, how have you been?" Ibraheem asked suddenly and I gave him the 'really?' look.

"Now is not the time Ibraheem." I sighed as I looked out the window.

"So you mean, there will be a time?" I could hear the expectation in his voice.

"No." I replied immediately.

"What were you going to say in the café?" Something I knew I would regret saying. I let my emotions get the better of me back there but that wasn't going to happen now. That chapter of my life closed ages ago. It's over. Forget about it. I might have lost myself in the moment when I saw Ibraheem's pained expression but I was not ready to fall back into that vicious cycle again. Remember the looks your family used to give you, Misha. Remember how you survived those years all alone.

"Nothing that matters anymore."

"Don't lie to me Misha. You know I hate liars." I was so grateful when Fahad declared that we had arrived because that meant I didn't have to reply to this. I was the first to step out. I could hear Ibraheem swearing at Fahad saying something like tu kiski side par hai Fahaday? (Whose side are you on Fahaday?) And Fahad replied by saying something like yakeen kar, teri behtari hai ismen (Trust me, this will be in your favor.) I then tuned them out as I rushed into the restaurant and quickly scanned the area to locate Rubab. And then I saw her. She was sitting alone, looking down while her hands wrapped around her upper arms. The closer I got, the more I realized that she was trembling slightly.