All Over Again

Chapter 19

Ibraheem's POV:

I was pacing back and forth in my lounge, impatiently waiting for the news. It had been seven hours. As of yet, there was no answer from ammi or abbu. I had expected ammi to call me with the good news already. But they weren't picking up my calls either. What the hell was going on? I combed my fingers through my hair in frustration.

"Dude, relax. You look like you are going to explode any minute now. Have a drink, calm yourself down." Fahad said as he poured himself a shot of vodka while reclining on a couch.

"Nah, I am good." I answered as I continued to look at my phone. No notifications. None.

"I am pretty sure auntie uncle has the entire ordeal under control." Fahad tried to assure me. "You know, Rubab still hasn't called me either."

"Really?" I turned to look at him as he downed the glass. That was a surprise. Usually girls called him within hours of him giving them his number but then again this was Misha's friends we were talking about, none of them were really typical or normal.

"Yeah. It's been a week. Oh and I am still blocked." He lit up a cigarette as he continued to vent. "I mean, I have her number so I can just call her and ask her what the hell is wrong with her but I want her to call me first. I don't get what her deal is."

I was about to suggest something to him when the door slammed open. I heard footsteps in the gallery and then I saw ammi and abbu entering the lounge.

"Asalam o Alaikum uncle, auntie." I heard Fahad say as he got up from the couch in respect.

"Walaikum Asalam Fahad beeta." Ammi greeted back soberly while Abbu just looked positively pissed off. I knew that expression all too well. I hadn't seen him this angry since that time when our opponents had shot me in the knee a few years ago. He sat down on a sofa and lit up a cigar with trembling hands as he looked at me with enraged eyes.

"Aj tak kabhi kisi ne Saqib Khan Narejo ko nah nahi ki. Aj tak kisi ne meri itni insult nahi ki. (Till this day, no one has ever refused Saqib Khan Narejo. Till this day, no one has ever insulted me this much.)" Abbu said as he took a puff of the cigar and then stood up emitting a dangerous aura. "Us mamooli se khandan ne humen thukraya hai? Log marne marane par utar atay hen humare sath rishta jorne k liye! (That ordinary family dared to refuse us? People kill to become part of our family.)"

"Misha ki family ne na kardi hai? (Misha's family said no?)" I had to swallow my own anger as I asked abbu this question.

"Unko shareef zaday chaiyen aur hum shareef hain nahi. AGAR SHARAFAT SE ZINDAGI GUZARTE TOU KABHI ITNA UPER NA JATAY! (They want a decent family and we are not decent. IF WE HAD LIVED MODESTLY, WE WOULD NEVER HAVE BECOME SUCCESSFUL!)" Abbu roared as he tossed the glass table upside down in anger, shattering it into tiny pieces. "Bohat bari galti ki hai. Ab aisa haal karunga inka k tarpengay. (They have made a huge mistake. Now, I am going to make them suffer.)"

"Abbu, you don't need to do that. I will handle it." I said immediately. All eyes turned to me. "Nobody dares to insult my family and get away with it." 

"You better take care of this. Consider it your first test as a politician. Aisay logon ko chup karana parta hai is se pehle ke bohat nuqsan hojaye. (You have to silence these people before it causes too much damage.)" Abbu said solemnly and I nodded in agreement.

"You are right. Now please go rest abbu ammi, you had a rough day. I will send the cook so they can prepare something for you." Ammi abbu nodded as they got up and walked towards their bedroom, leaving me and Fahad in the lounge. Fahad knew what I was about to do. Even I knew what I was about to do. I grabbed a revolver from the drawer and walked to my car with Fahad beside me. I needed to vent. The fact that Misha's family had insulted mine and blatantly refused my marriage proposal was ringing in my head repeatedly. I wanted to do this the right way. I wanted to make it work. Why did you go and mess it up, Misha?

I was driving to a night club when a car full of guys screeched in front of us causing us to almost have an accident. I stepped out of the car seeing red. She had refused me. I punched the guy who got out of the driver's seat of the other car. Her family had insulted mine. I landed another punch and then kicked him in the gut as his friends stepped out of the car as well. She didn't want to marry me. Fahad started to beat up the other guys. She won't become mine. Some guy's fist connected with my jaw. Does that mean it is over? I took out my pistol and shot the guy in the foot and everyone paused as they took a step back. Never. They all got into the car and drove away. This is just the beginning.

Misha's POV:

I barely slept last night. Yesterday was so happening. It was still hard to come to terms with what had happened but I had decided to put it behind me and yet I spaced out in all my classes. I had no idea what was happening. My shoulders hurt, my back hurt and my eyes stung from sleep deprivation. I sighed in relief as the last class of my day ended and I took out my phone to call my driver to ask him how long it would take for the car to reach.

"Hey, Misha, can we talk?" I heard Usman say as he blocked my way. He looked pitiful. I knew I had to face him eventually but I was so not prepared for it today. It was good that the bruises on his face had faded. Whenever, I saw them I was reminded of Ibraheem's reckless behaviour. His face wasn't as blue as before which was a relief. I sighed in exhaustion as I looked at him. "Look, I am not going to ask you who that was and what was your relationship with him but can you at least tell me what I did wrong? Why are you avoiding me like this?"

"Usman, just forget about it. I am too ashamed to face you. It's all my fault you are like this." I said averting my eyes.

"Ashamed? It's not your fault Misha. I chose to fight back then. Hey, hey look at me." Usman replied softly. "Don't blame yourself. It was my choice."

"Why did you do it?" I questioned, finally looking up at him. "Why did you interfere? You should have just left."

"You are my friend. I care about you."

"Thank you. But I don't think we should be friends anymore. I don't want you to get hurt again. It's for the better if we stay away from each other." I answered truthfully. I knew Ibraheem was out of the picture now but whenever I looked at Usman, it reminded me of Ibraheem and what he did and it just scared me. I was about to walk away when Usman's next words stopped me dead in my tracks.

"What if I like you?"

"Huh?" I turned to look at him, flabbergasted.

"I like you Misha. In a romantic way." Usman said as he rubbed his neck awkwardly. "I didn't want to tell you like this but I felt like I would regret it if I didn't tell you."

"Oh my God, Usman please don't." I groaned but Usman cut me off.

"Just think on it okay? I am not asking you to get into a relationship with me but just don't answer right away. I can wait." Usman said quickly. He sounded desperate. I sighed before nodding my head. I knew I was going to refuse him but I decided to wait it out like he wanted me too. Maybe, that way, he will understand. I did not have the mental capacity to deal with another guy liking me. I still had a hard time dealing with the first one. Speaking of first one, my mind drifted to what had happened last night.

If only, you had shown up at the right time, at the right place Ibraheem, things would have been different. Watching Usman's fading back, I wished with all my heart that it had been you who was confessing me to me like that and we would have ended up together. Was I an idiot for still feeling something for you? Probably. 

Oh how I wished you hadn't showed up and yet here I was still comparing other guys to you. Someone sad it right, 'you can never truly get over your first love.' But you put me through hell and like every single passing day, I will tell myself the same thing.

'No matter what happens, we were never meant to be.'