"People go but how they left always stays"

Friday - 6:11pm

The week passed without throwing any more pebbles in the water of life, a full, redemptive week after which lay a strong weekend yet intact. It had been physically draining, to say the least, mostly because Hemayal had resumed work after almost two weeks. The work piled up, the patients lined up but she wasn't complaining.

Oh, no she wasn't.

The days could drain all her physical energy until nothing remained and she still wouldn't complain - not once. The only time a spectator would see a cry of protest leave her lips would be when the seconds nagged at her emotional energy and prove to be draining - not physically but emotionally.

And fortunately, the prior week provided her with all the mental recovery that she desperately needed. No Ibrahim Yazdani trespassed in her private life; no ghosts of the past followed her and certainly no sadness dared to close in on her. Although the hollowness inside her had come to become permanence, she never let it overpower her, fighting her demons until a smile forced its way upon her lips, by hook or by crook.

Today, the weather was unusually warm, breaking the spell of dense coldness that had been prevalent for the past few weeks now. Enjoying a little stroll in the park wouldn't have hurt her; instead she knew that it would offer her all the peace and tranquility she yearned for so now, the trees and the flowers saw a woman in her mid-twenties dressed casually in a kurta pajama moving leisurely on the lush grass. She had made no attempt whatsoever to direct her path towards the jogging track; today was the day meant for calm strolls and peaceful walks.

"Hemayal?" She was lost in her thoughts when an unknown voice came from behind her, all but stopping her actions before a frown settled between her brows - Allah, she did not want to meet anyone right now.

Turning only her head around, Hemayal saw a tall man entering her direct vision and the frown only deepened. The man was dressed neatly in jeans and t-shirt but both were creased, all but indicating that he had covered a long distance before he arrived at his destination that happened to be Hemayal. Too bad, however, that the woman didn't recognize him at first glance. Maybe she was too occupied in her tranquil thoughts and was not willing to come out of them but she didn't recognize this man.

"Yes?" Hemayal turned, now completely and regarded him with an unsure gaze.

"You didn't recognize me?" The man now warmly smiled at her and Hemayal drew a deep breath because the realities of this man just crashed on her.

The voice, the smile, the gaze, and the features - oh, she knew this man all right.

"Mustafa, what are you doing here?" Hemayal sighed as the evening sun descended behind her, her face in the dark but still so beautiful.

"I came from a land very far away from here, Hemayal Khakwani, and this is the first thing you ask me?" Mustafa smiled without any trouble and Hemayal could not help but think how lucky the man was - the smiles and laughs didn't seem to come to him with much difficulty; he didn't have to force them on his face.

"I don't remember asking you to come here," Hemayal shrugged her shoulders, fighting all the instincts in her to behave kindly with the man. "And besides, Gujranwala isn't that far away anyway."

"Oh, it is alright when you are running solely on caffeine." Mustafa reduced his gaze to a glare and Hemayal knew it was meant in good humor, thus choosing to let it slide.

"Then again, when did I ever ask you to bless my soul with this unannounced visit?" Hemayal asked, turning her head to a side as she regarded the man who reminded her so much of his brother.

"Ahh, well, I had to come here once. The sooner, the better," Mustafa too cocked his head to a side, mimicking Hemayal's actions who attempted the urge to roll her eyes. "Can we take a walk?"

The sudden request wasn't all too unexpected and the words of denial were at the tip of her tongue when her eyes fell on his creased t-shirt and she found herself nodding her head. The man made an all-out effort to talk to her - she might as well listen to what he has to say even though she could give all away to avoid the conversation they were just about to have.

The deep sigh that left Mustafa's lips told her that he didn't expect her to agree with such ease but Hemayal was a little glad that she did - the sooner she was done with this conversation, the better.

"First of all, I want to apologize," Mustafa's voice was silk and Hemayal averted her gaze from him, both of them now walking together on the lush, green grass. "Ibrahim's actions cost you your grandfather and no words are enough to sympathize with you on that."

"Words are the last thing I need, rest assured." Hemayal spoke, voice small but composed and aloof.

"I know, I know but apology is the only thing I can give to you, Hemayal." Mustafa sighed and Hemayal chose to remain silent, eyes fixed far ahead at the play area where children ran without as much as a single worry.

Oh, how she wished she could get those days back.

"Look, Abi is sorry..." Mustafa began but this time, Hemayal silenced him, the temper in her suddenly rising.

"I'm sorry too if you look at it, I'm sorry too," Hemayal came to a halt and turned towards him, eyebrows furrowed and eyes narrowed to a glare. "I'm sorry and embarrassed that I am married to that man; I'm sorry beyond words that he holds such an important place in my life, that the world calls him mine. Oh, I'm sorry all right, Mustafa."

Mustafa seemed to be taken aback at her sudden outburst, his eyes widened and mouth slightly parted before he recovered himself with much slower speed as compared to his brother when he did the same almost a week ago when he came to her. After her small flare-up, Hemayal cast him a harsh glance before turning on her heels and walking further deep in the park, eyes still narrowed, breaths rapid.

"And I'm sorry that I agreed to talk to you." Hemayal yelled after a second while walking swiftly on the grass, moving further away from Mustafa who still hadn't reached up to her.

Boy, was he that shocked?

And not a second later, Mustafa jogged up to her, all but proving her wrong with that genuine and warm smile still lifting the corners of his lips. Hemayal returned her gaze after a quick glance in his direction who was all smiles and that did nothing other than add fuel to her already raging annoyance.

"I agree to whatever you said just now, you're right," Mustafa began, voice friendly but Hemayal remained passive as she walked with ease. "But Hemayal, we have to resolve this issue, do we not? We can't forever remain entrapped in this blame game. We have to reach to a solution."

"What solution do you suggest?" Hemayal asked while she scoffed, head shaking slightly. "Let me guess, actually. Of forgiveness, right? The only solution you will propose will have something to do with me forgiving your brother and Mustafa, mark my words. I'll forgive your brother when hell freezes over."

The coldness in her voice sent a chill down her own spine, her eyes narrowing and breath catching as she talked while walking. Such talks wouldn't have hurt her, courtesy to the stamina she had built over all the years but the chill and anger in her voice made her inhale a few heavy breaths after she finished and silence spread over them.

"He's repenting." Mustafa's desperate voice reached Hemayal who only threw her head back as she scoffed.

"And what should I do with that?" Hemayal asked, casting Mustafa a quick glance. "He repents for one time and you expect me to forgive all the things that he did? I'm sorry, Mustafa, but I'm not God."

"No, Hemayal, this is not what I meant. I know what he did was terrible but the least you two could do to resolve this issue is to sit down somewhere and try to fix this thing. Else, it will be prolonged until mere words won't be enough to solve this." Mustafa debated and Hemayal listened, not agreeing but remaining silent nevertheless.

"I understand where you're coming from, he's your brother and you're just looking out for him but please, don't ask this from me. I can't even stand to look at him; talking to him is a thought that I don't even want to entertain." Hemayal responded, this time composed as she conversed, knowing perfectly well that this anger won't lead them anywhere.

"There's no other way, Hemayal." Mustafa sighed and Hemayal only pressed her lips in a thin line.

"I don't want to find ways to make peace with him, Mustafa. What's done is done; I am not forgiving him for this and I most definitely do not want to sit down with him to fix our relationship. It's broken beyond repair." Hemayal punctured determination, rigidness and all the shades of resolve in her voice and felt Mustafa coming to a standstill beside her.

"You're being irrational," Mustafa remarked and a frown touched Hemayal's lips. "You can't go on forever without fixing this thing."

"Oh, yes, I can," Hemayal nodded as she too came to a halt and turned around to face the horrified Mustafa. "Your brother made it very easy for me."

"Okay, fine. If that is what you want, that is what you'll have. You're an adult and I can't force you to change your decisions," Mustafa said and Hemayal was halfway in thanking him for his understanding but Mustafa Yazdani wasn't done yet. "But I can try to make you see things you've closed your eyes to, Hemayal. You're his wife, he's my brother and both of you are extremely important to me. I can't look at the two of you destroying your life like this."

"He's your brother and I'm sure he means a lot to you. I, on the other hand, am nobody to you and I'd like to remain like that." Hemayal said, both of them now facing each other as the sun inched closer to its demise, the birds flying back to their resting places after a daylong work.

"You saying it wouldn't change the reality," Mustafa said, the richness that resided in his tone previously now towards a decline too, a hollowness taking its place. "And the condition I saw him in last Monday after he saw you, I don't ever want to see him like that again. And the condition I'm seeing you in right now, I don't want to wish it upon anyone either."

"I'm fine, don't stress yourself." Hemayal responded harshly, eyes narrowing.

"Yes, I'm sure you're trying to be fine but unless you face this problem head-on, you can't be fine no matter how much you try," Mustafa said desperately, as if he wanted to make Ibrahim an Hemayal's relationship fine anyway he could. "Look, Hemayal, I'm not asking you to forgive him. If you're not ready to talk to him yet, God, don't even think of doing that. But please, do one thing."

Mustafa silenced, his soft voice still looming in the air and the birds stopped to listen, all but forgetting their earnest desire to reach home on time. Softness is rare in today's times and when one dares to tread this unknown path, the nature has to come to a standstill to pay its tribute.

"Do what?" Hemayal asked.

"You're a doctor, right? Do doctors treat their patients by telling them to forget about the disease? Have any doctor ever cured an ailment by asking his patient to forget he's encountering it?" Mustafa asked and Hemayal had absolutely no idea where he was heading, "No, right? A doctor asks his patients to accept they are having the disease, have them tell him about everything and then treats it."

Mustafa silence, his voice hanging in the air and Hemayal's eyes were narrowed with a frown covering her forehead as she tried to decipher the meaning behind Mustafa's words.

"Why are you intent on forgetting everything that happened? Why do you not treat this thing, this disease of ache that is spoiling your heart?" Mustafa finished and Hemayal thought she would never be able to converse again.

And Mustafa understood the havoc his words caused for a small, warm smile ran across his lips and the glow in his eyes returned, all but replacing the hollowness that resided there a second ago. Hinting at farewell, he took a step back, his eyes fixed at a startled Hemayal.

"Good bye, Hemayal. Do think about what I said." Mustafa said and Hemayal managed a slight nod, all the words she had thought she'd say to him dying in her throat.

And with a slight nod in her way, Mustafa turned in the direction that went towards the parking lot, a small, contented smile lifting his lips, hope blossoming in his heart that maybe, just maybe, his brother would learn to smile again.

|¤¤¤|

10:21pm

"Lala?" Hemayal's unsure voice rang in the air for a second, generating all the right responses as the man seated on the balcony chair turned his head while the wind slowed down to give way to the woman who crossed the threshold and walked deeper into the balcony.

The Friday night hung heavily in the clouds and the warmth that previously seeped in her bones now replaced by a cold nip in the air, the mountains spread around their city giving their service effectively. Gathering the shawl tightly around her, Hemayal moved her head to a side, the dark brown tresses falling loosely around her face, all but adding allure to the already mystic night.

"You are still up, Hami?" Hadeed Lala turned his head towards his younger sister, placing the cup of steaming coffee down upon the floor.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep," Hemayal shrugged her shoulders just as the wind resumed its pace, a stray companion circling the woman who wound the fabric even tighter around her. "Besides, it's Friday, I didn't want to go to sleep so early."

Lala smiled as he tipped his head to a side, picking the cup back from the floor and offering it to Hemayal who shook her head with a smile of her own. A tranquil silence descended upon them for a second as the aroma of coffee spread leisurely in the air, triumphing over the coldness as the warmth heated her bones and blood.

"Why are you drinking coffee at this time? It's not good." Hemayal broke the silence, looking at him with wary eyes.

"I have to stay up for the night; some pending work is calling out to me!" Hadeed Lala joked and Hemayal smiled with pressed lips as she shook her head in disapproval.

"Then again, it's not good either." Hemayal said.

"I know," Hadeed Lala sighed before a sad smile touched his lips, lifting one corner of his lip and the expression that settled on his face made Hemayal' heart clench beneath her breastbone. "Things were so different just two Fridays ago, right?"

"Yeah, so very different." Hemayal joined him in the heavy sigh that escaped their lips and lost their identity in the chillness of the night.

"Do you remember how we used to spend our Friday night when Dadu was here?" Hadeed Lala asked without looking at her, trying to find the lost days somewhere between the stars. "Do you remember those days, Hami?"

"I can't forget them for the life of me." Hemayal's voice was small and distant and she too responded without looking at her brother.

"Wishing for those days seems so child-like but Allah, I would give up anything just to experience them for one more time," Hadeed Lala punctured chuckle in his desperate voice and Hemayal's lips wobbled but she bit on them to control the torrent. "We're all so broken after that incident, no? Everyone is torn apart. We can't even talk normally to each other. Baba is wallowing in his pain because he can't seem to find your kidnappers; Anisha fought with me yesterday because I don't give time to her and Musa and you...every time I look at you, Hami, every single part of me dies."

A lone tore betrayed the eyes and fell down the cheek, a shiver running all the way down her spine as the coldness outside lost its meaning for the one that resided inside proved to be a lot more catastrophic. A week, a whole damn week that she'd spent trying to put everything behind her - all the feelings, memories and pains - and all it took was a few words to unleash the torrent she'd been building a dam on.

"We'll be fine, Lala." Hemayal whispered more to herself than to her elder brother who nodded his head slightly with a slight murmur of hopefully.

"How did your week go?" Lala asked after a moment and Hemayal nodded her head with a smile curving her lips.

"Good, only half as bad as I expected," Hemayal replied with a shrug and a chuckle left Hadeed's lips. "Yours?"

"Exactly as bad as I expected." He replied and a small laugh left Hemayal, her refined cheekbones rising.

"Lala, you said something about...Baba not being able to find my kidnappers..." Hemayal remembered the words Hadeed Lala had uttered in the time of emotional outbreak and questioned.

"Yeah, we talked today. He can't directly seek help from the police but he has tried all other means and things are not leading anywhere," Hadeed Lala said, all the while looking closely at Hemayal who remained impassive as she listened. "But he's thinking of talking directly to you, maybe over the weekend."

Hemayal raised an eyebrow at the last information but kept her silence nevertheless, leaving that thing for later. She knew how most of the conversations with her father went - one of them would lose patience and walk out - so she chose not to worry about that for now. There was a more pressing matter at hand she wanted to discuss.

"Lala, can I ask you something else?" Hemayal questioned while forcing a frown on her lips, putting up an act of being in a deep thought and Lala only nodded.

"Is Ibrahim's family a lot more influential than ours?" Hemayal's question was out of the blue and Hadeed Lala didn't seem to expect it to the least for he straightened a bit in his place, eyeing Hemayal with a wary look in his irises.

"Yes, but why are you asking that? What does that have to do with your kidnapping?" Hadeed Lala asked, eyes still narrowed in confusion.

"No, it doesn't have anything to do with my kidnapping," Hemayal replied a little too quickly. "I met Mustafa today so I was just wondering."

"Mustafa came to meet you?" Hadeed Lala asked casually now, leaning back in his seat.

"Yeah, he was in the city so he decided to drop by," Hemayal shrugged, not revealing much about their encounter or the fact that Mustafa took a five hour route to come meet her. "Anyways, you were telling about their influence."

"Yeah, well, they are. Your husband's family is a lot more influential than your father's." Lala's joke and choice of words didn't settle well with Hemayal whose frown deepened but she didn't raise any objection, knowing how to sort out her priorities.

"Why is there such a big difference?" Hemayal questioned with furrowed brows.

"Not a very big difference, Hami, but it's still there, the difference. Mainly because Baba and Jahangir Chacho decided to separate their businesses when Dadu retired. Separation did have an effect; although they both established themselves but they could never completely recover from the parting," Hadeed Lala talked as if narrating a story and Hemayal listened to every word he said. "And after that, Ibrahim chose this field too; this helped his father's business a lot. None of us chose business or accounting or any of the related fields."

Hemayal nodded as if understanding everything that Hadeed was saying, hanging on to the precious information that her brother was providing. How she would use that was a discussion for some later time but right now, all she could do was listen to her brother and remember the information like water.

"And both of them, they kind of excelled in their respective fields. Ibrahim is not a name unheard of in the business circle; he's slowly made for himself a comfortable niche in the corporate world; he's taking over as we talk and I don't think he's slowing down anytime soon." Mustafa paused, looking at Hemayal closely who tried to remain unfazed at this information that she didn't know before but Allah, her heart stopped for a second at this revelation.

She had no idea Ibrahim would have made himself an all important figure in his profession at such an age. She expected him to be important, courtesy to the influential background he came from, but such value didn't settle quite well with Hemayal whose heart pumped loathe for that man instead of blood these days. Any other time and she would have been genuinely happy for his success, but right now she could only press her lips tightly in detestation.

"And as for Mustafa, well he's a sword of honor; there's no stopping him becoming a general one day. Morad Yazdani's sons are his real influence, if you ask me the truth." Hadeed Lala shrugged his shoulders as he said and Hemayal leaned back in her seat and gathered her shawl closely around her, the temperature dropping suddenly outside or maybe it was her insides chilling?

"So no one can harm them?" Hemayal mumbled more to herself than to her brother but unfortunately, Hadeed picked Hemayal's carelessly but thoughtful words and a frown spread across his forehead.

"Why would anyone want to hurt them? As far as I know, they're nice people." Hadeed Lala uttered in a confused tone and Hemayal was quick to gather, not only her shawl but herself too, forcing an offhand smile on her face.

"Yeah, they must be." Hemayal shrugged her shoulders, hoping that Hadeed wouldn't ask any more questions and let her loose remark slide.

Unfortunately, he wasn't in the mood.

"Look, Hami, I know that you don't know them and it's not your fault really. You never had the chance to interact a lot with Ibrahim or his family but take my word for it, they're good people. And Ibrahim, I've known him closely for what, eight years now ever since he came back from London and he's a good man," Hadeed began and Hemayal silenced as she sighed. "I know you're not happy with the way this marriage happened, none of us are but I don't think he'll prove to be a bad life partner for you."

"Okay, Lala, I get it. Stop this discussion now, okay? It's awkward." Hemayal said, shaking her head in an attempt to make a point.

Gladly, this time he did.

Allah, she'd go through everything all over again - all the pain she had endured throughout her life - if that is what it took to get Hadeed Lala to stop talking right now. Hearing someone so close to her praise Ibrahim in such high words disturbed quite a lot nerves in her; none of them leading to any pleasant center in her brain. True they didn't know what he did but nevertheless, Ibrahim Yazdani didn't deserve a single ounce of acclamation that Hadeed Khakwani was so willing to cascade upon him.

"Okay, okay," Hadeed Lala laughed and Hemayal tipped her head towards him in gratitude. "Get up now, it's late. Go get some sleep."

And she did get up without further protest for the weather was chilling her bones and ideas her mind but the last thought that went through her brain that night before sleep took her in was that of Ibrahim and the triggers Mustafa's words had set off.

She wouldn't try to forget the atrocities anymore, no.

She'd get back to the one who committed those.

|¤¤¤|

I'm so sorry for the delay but writer's block is one shitty thing, right?

As good news though, I've decided to do Camp NaNo this July so the next few updates will be a lot quicker and I'll try to maintain a schedule this time. About that, I was wondering what you guys would prefer:

Long and slow updates or short and quick ones.

Do comment to let me know; I'll plan the next updates according to that then.

How was the chapter, though and who do you prefer, Mustafa or Ibrahim?

Till next time,
Salam!