A Tale of Hearts

Chapter Ten

Zoya's POV:

"Anushay?" I flinched when I heard him call out my birth name. My eyes widened as I tried to find another way to escape. I had to get away but he was standing in front of the door like a boulder.

"Ple-please don't hurt me." I stuttered as I tried to cover myself. I didn't think I would get caught by Kamran like this. In a bathroom cubicle of all places. I looked up at him to see his reaction but he just frowned at my words. There wasn't a hint of anger or rage on his face.

"Why would I hurt you? Oh?" He looked at the heel in his hand and immediately put it down to look at me again. "I would never hurt you, Anushay. You are one person I can never imagine hurting. I will never let you get hurt by anyone else either. You have my word." It was my turn to frown now. A drop of blood trickled down from his hair and fell to the floor.

"You are bleeding!" I pointed to his forehead but he seemed unfazed by it.

"It doesn't matter. You are all that matters." He replied calmly while looking at me with an emotion I couldn't really place my finger on.

"But, why? Aren't I Anushay?" I said unsure. If he didn't want to hurt me, what was his deal? He was literally running after me with the intent to kill before. I was sure he was going to commit bloody murder today. He took a step towards me making me wince in a panic. He made a dejected face as he brought his hand towards me. I slowly backed away. Great, I am going to get slapped or something. I should have known better. My back touched the wall causing me to stop. I looked at him with wary expression as he placed his hand against my cheek gently.

"And I am Anushay's Sher. I promised you back then that I would always protect you. I am sorry for being this late." His thumb rubbed the area under my eye as I saw something in his eyes I never expected to see. It was care. Affection. A very deep emotion.

"Sher?" I felt the hair on my arms rise as my heart skipped a beat. The fear in my body dissipated slowly as the word Sher was absorbed into my mind slowly. Sher? The Sher from my fragmented memories? No, this was a trap. It was a ploy. He was going to kill me when I let my guard down. I felt my paranoia coming back.

"You don't remember me?" I could hear the disappointment and pain in his voice. "You are the one who gave me that nickname 13 years ago." I did? Why? Why would I give him a nickname? What was his relationship with me?

"Kamran? That is too difficult to say. I am just going to call you Sher." Kamran spoke up suddenly but the words sounded too familiar. I felt like I had heard them before somewhere. "Yeah. Because you look like one. A lion. With your fluffy hair and scary eyes." He repeated those words with such care and contentment while looking right at me. I felt an overwhelming feeling take over me as images started to flash in my head. "I have so many questions to ask you but I keep forgetting everything..."

Kamran's voice faded to a distance as I closed my eyes and let the images come flooding back. There was a young girl. I focused hard and realized that it was me. A younger me. I had a bandage on my hand. It looked like a hospital room. There was a boy standing near the window, his face was opposite the light. The sunlight was making it harder to see his face. Yet I could see his eyes. They were warm, reassuring as he took a step towards me. I didn't recognize these memories. They seemed new to me and yet there was a feeling as a hidden part of memories had started to unfold.

'Why did you save me? You should have stayed back.' I heard him say while holding my free hand. His body was trembling as if he was going to break down or something. 'What if you had died? I don't think I could-'

'Why wouldn't I save you? We are friends, aren't we?' I heard my younger self assure him while grinning.

'You can't even pronounce my name right.' He rolled his eyes while letting go of my hand. 'Repeat after me, it's Kamran. Kamran Khan Narejo.' He placed emphasis on each word but the little me just squinted in response.

"Kam...ran Kh...an Na-Na? That is too difficult to say." I watched my younger self trying, quite literally struggling to pronounce his name and failing badly at it. She settled on placing a hand on the boy's head and patting it. "I am just going to call you Sher!"

"Sher?" The boy looked at her confused but he didn't seem to mind the pat on his head. He looked like he was enjoying it. She nodded happily as she held his face with both her little hands and pulled it towards her face so that their faces were only inches apart.

"Yeah! Because you look like one. A lion. With your fluffy hair and scary eyes!" She grinned at him, one of her front teeth was completely chipped but for some reason, the boy started smiling as well. "Come on! Let's go to the sea!" She got up from the hospital bed while grabbing his hand.

"It's late already. How about we go tomorrow?" The boy paused while looking at the bandage on her hand with guilt on his face.

"Tomorrow? Do you promise?" Her eyes turned bright as she looked at the boy. They were drawing me in.

"Yes, yes, I promise." He ushered her back into the bed.

"Yay! You are best, Sher. My Sher!" She enveloped him in a hug that he returned carefully as to not hurt her.

"Anushay?" He was still holding her in an embrace.

"Yes?" I heard her little excited voice.

"I promise I will protect you next time." The little me just hugged him tighter at that.

"I know you will." I felt the images start to disappear as I slowly opened my eyes and saw Kamran standing before me. The boy from my memories had the same dark brown eyes as the man standing before me. He had the same fluffy hair and comforting aura. The way he was frowning and the assurance that his hand on my cheek brought felt so familiar. Despite the piercing headache, I could see the resemblance.

"Anushay? You don't look so good. Hey?" Kamran grabbed my shoulders but I had started to feel light headed again. It was always the same thing if I tried to think hard about my forgotten past. My body just couldn't handle it. My head started hurting and spinning out of control. Dark spots started to form before of my eyes. The memory overload was pushing my bodily limits once again.

"No, No! Make it stop!" I grabbed my head to stop the piercing headache but it was no use. I lost strength in my arms and legs as darkness engulfed me entirely and the last thing I heard was Kamran calling me out.

"Anushay? Anushay! Get a hold of yourself!"

Kamran's POV:

Anushay had lost consciousness. Her head was resting on my shoulder. Shit, Shit. I took out my phone and dialed Fahad's number. "Did you find-" Fahad's amused voice answered but I didn't have the time to answer any questions.

"Anushay fainted. Meet me at the entrance ASAP." I hung up as I tried yet again to wake her up but she was out cold. Her lips were turning blue and her hands were turning cold. Cold sweats broke out on her forehead. I slowly placed her against the wall as I put a hand under her knees and another behind her neck and picked her up. "Anushay, please wake up." I carried her out of the cubicle while everyone watched me and whispered to themselves.

I increased my pace as I rushed towards the entrance. I had to take her to the hospital. She didn't seem to be in a good condition. Why did she faint suddenly? She was perfectly fine minutes ago.

I saw Fahad and Rubab waiting at the entrance. Before I had a chance to say anything, Rubab lost her temper. She looked at Anushay with a worried look on her face and then turned to look at me with sheer hate.

"What did you do to her?!" She spat as she placed her hand on Zoya's face.

"I swear I didn't do anything. She just fainted all of a sudden." I explained but she didn't look like she was buying it at all.

"Calm down everyone. We can find the answers when Zoya comes back to her senses." Fahad spoke while placing a hand each on both of our shoulders. "For now, let's just take her to the hospital before she gets worse." He started walking towards our car. I followed him with Rubab following right behind me. We laid her down in the backseat of Fahad's car. I was about to let go of her when she unconsciously grabbed my hand.

"Sher." She whispered softly. "Where is Sher?"

"Right here."