Afloat [Complete]

Chapter 4

Flashbacks are in bold*

Waniya had never felt this kind of uncertainty in her life. She was stuck. Neither could she stay here nor could she go back. What ifs were lurking in her mind. What if Yumna threw her out if she tried getting there? What if they all were thinking Waniya had chosen sides? She hadn't. She couldn't. She knew who was at wrong and who needed to be confronted for the mess he had created. She didn't tell Ahmer Hayam's whereabouts because she knew an angry Ahmer wasn't easy to reason with. He would've done some major damage making this situation stickier than it already was. She wanted him to calm down. More than that, she wanted to be there close to him. To tell him he wasn't alone. They were in this together.

It pained her to think that she couldn't go back. She should have. It was her house where her husband and family were but she didn't want to do any such thing which would make it worse. She wanted to know from Ahmer what they should do next. So here she was. In his office.

She knocked at his cabin door with a thudding heart. He was just Ahmer but still an unknown fear was clawing at her heart as if something bad was going to happen.

"Come in."

Entering inside she saw him standing close to his chair. He had looked up with an emotionless face. There was nothing to decipher from him. It was scary. It was foreign. Like she had never seen before. But she still took small steps towards him.

"How are you?"

She had standing close when he smiled bitterly.

"How do I look? Fine? Yeah."

Waniya shook her head and tried cupping his face when he held her hand.

"Waniya, I've got a question for you. But promise me you'll tell me the truth. Because these days you have started hiding things from me."

She felt her heart had stopped beating. She had seen a furious Ahmer shouting and giving angry looks but this calm and composed Ahmer with indifference in his eyes was a stranger to her.

"Did you know Where Hayam was when I asked you about it?"

She widened her eyes.

"Ahmer..."

"Yes or no!"

"Ahmer, I had a reason..."

"I said yes or no, Waniya!"

He said stressing every word.

"Yes..."

She had whispered looking away. He left her side and took a step back.

"Ahmer, just listen to me once."

"No, Waniya. You listen to me. I had expected everything from everyone but had no clue of all the people you! You would betray me!"

She shook her head and tried holding his coat but he shrugged her hand away.

"Between two families you chose them even after knowing how wrong those people are. Still you stood by them. Why, Waniya?"