Khauf; fear.

Whispers spokes in her ear making her duck her head under her blanket covering her face with her hands.

She brought her feet upto her chest shrinking herself to be as small as a ball and hide under the weighting blanket, she broke out in a sweat making her hair stick to her forehead, she breathed heavily trying to make her lungs expand forcefully even if the oxygen supply ran out under the covers.

She suffocated herself in it.

She could feel it.

She could feel him.

His cold yet hell hot breath falling over her covered head heating the blanket even more.

He was getting on her, trying to get inside her head. His whispering was getting harsher and harsher.

Long, pointy, slender fingers grazed the soles of her feet from underneath her blanket making her pull them even closer to herself, compressing her chest in, her heartbeat was irregular totally against the doctor's advice.

She wanted to turn over and hug the body lying beside her, hold her husband till the figure left knowing that her savior was right there but she refrained knowing how uncomfortable her husband got when she would his him tightly like her life depended on it. Quite literally.

Her toes curled and sweat broke on her body, the beat of her body and the warmth of the blanket was making it hard for her to breath.

Feeling the heaviness subside she pushed her face half out of her blanket slowly and dreadfully opening her eyes. Her eyes stuck on the large silhouette standing at the end of her bed now slowly crawling on top of her.

It's long, shadowed arms crawled on top of her making her voice to clog her throat, her heart thudded violently in her ribcage making her tremble.

The featureless face of the figure hovered over her at a good distance. She stared at it paralyzed, trying to manipulate her self that it was all her vision playing games in there dark and her hallucinating. Hot breath fanned her baby hairs away nearing her. Her eyes closed as her breath came out Shakey and short.

"Little koi fish" a bone chilling cold echoed in her ear making the hair on her arms and nape stand up.

"No...." She cried, long dagger like nails poked her cheek making her cower into her pillows. Sweat trickled down her forehead.

The head of the figure moved in sickening ways, disoriented feature came into light. Black small holes instead of skin, black eyes, long pointed red teeth snarling at her.

The eyes staring at her as its mouth stretched in a horrifying grin till a loud bone chilling deep scream left the figures mouth and it dropped it's head with it's mouth open.

A shrill scream left her mouth as she covered her face with her blanket breathing heavily. She didn't stop till the hands of her husband shook her out of it.

"Wafa! Snap out of it for God's sake" her husband yelled startling out of his deep slumber. His eyes fell on his wife's shaking form as the scenario soon registered in his mind.

"Wafa!" He yelled making her throw herself in his embrace, shaking in fear.

"What's wrong with you? Calm down" he said pulling her back.

"He... He was here Buraak. I swear u saw him with my own eyes. He..."

"Enough of your nonsense. There is no such thing as the he you describe. Stop fooling around" he snapped making her tears leave her water line glide down her cheeks.

"I.. I told you not to close the lights. He come out when it's dark" she cried covering her face with her hands.

"I can't sleep with the lights on. Learn to sleep like that or sleep outside" he seethed.

"You know what! You sleep here. I'll leave" he said grabbing his pillow and proceed to get off the bed but a small hand on his wrist stopped him.

"A.. aap yahan so jaayen me... Me Bahar chali jaati ho" she whispered in a trembling voice.
(You.. you sleep here I'll leave)

"Please do" he said making her stifle the sound of her hiccups while she left.

"Hundred" she heaved breathing heavily. Her fingers on her wrist and eyes stuck on the wall clock.

She wiped the sweat off her forehead and neck, her shoulders moving irregularly to the rhythm of her heart.

"Breath. Wafa. Long deep breaths like Safa told you to. There is no such thing as that monster. He doesn't exists" she mumbled repeatedly moving her hand up and down along the movement of her chest.

"In and out. In and out" she whispered.

"Calm down Wafa. Calm down" she cooed to herself. A sudden desire to write and paint filled her being making excited Jitters run through her body.

She tip toed inside the room finding Buraak a sleep on the bed. She turned on the bathroom light and silently reached her journal.

"Go back to bed. You can keep the bathroom light open" she froze hearing him whisper looking at her with half hooded eyes.

"I appreciate the thought but I'm not sleepy anymore. Sorry" she mumbled making him sigh and roll away from her sight. Her lips pursued together as she shrugged her shoulders.

She walked out of the room turning the lights off.

"Okay.. time for some creative Wafa hours"

She spent the entire night writing poems and drawing in her journal. Her eyes refused to leave the blank papers as she focused on the spreading colours.

A surge of satisfaction made her smile at her accomplishment. The beautiful landscape gazed back at her, the free verse poems were her thoughts jumbled all in one.

"You're still awake?" Buraak was surprised to see her still sitting on the couch as energetic as ever. She didn't look even an once tired after only having an hour worth sleep.

"I couldn't sleep so I painted, how is it?" she asked excitedly turning around to face him. Her cheeks had paint smeared on them. .

Fingers coloured ever paint there in the pallet.

She showed him the painting she was so proud of.

"It's a but childish" he said making her frown at her hardwork.

"Well practice makes perfect" she shrugged placing the journal back on the table.

Buraak shook his head sighing at the different habits of his wife. It's been the same ever since they got married two months ago. He rarely ever saw her sleep since she'll always wake up in the middle of the night crying and screaming in horror of a monster, that only came out in the dark.

"Is my breakfast ready?" He asked adjusting his cuffs and walking in the kitchen to find the table empty.

"Uh.. I didn't realize what time it was." She said scratching her nape.

"You spent the entire night doing nothing and you don't realize that it's eight in the morning. Wafa how absentminded do you have to be to not realise that" he said in a Stern voice making her look down in shame like a child.

"Sorry"

"Whatever, now can I have something or do I starve myself this morning?" He groaned in frustration rubbing his hand on his face.

"I... I'll go call Sabra Apa real quick" she said running out of tht kitchen but stopped hearing his words that were maybe meant for only his ears.

"Damn it. I forgot you're useless" he groaned taking his bag and leaving the house slamming the door harshly.

"Khuda Hafiz" she waved behind him with a sad smile.
(Good bye)

Sometimes she really wished to be like Safa. Her elder sister. Someone who everyone liked.

But then the thought always came back that she was Wafa not Safa. They're two different people and no matter how hard they try will never be like one another.

She kept mindlessly staring at the door until a hand on her shoulder made her jump.

"Sabra Apa aap ne mujhe dara diya" she gasped making the lady chuckle at her.
(Sabar Apa you scared me)

"Buraak Chala Gaya Kia?" The woman, Sabra asked.
(Buraak left?)

"Jee. Nashta bhi nahi Kia, me bhi kitni bewakoof hon kuch bana kar bhi nahi de saki" Wafa mumbled sadly.
(Yes. I'm such an idiot I couldn't even make something for him)

"Chalo koi baat nahi. Nashta tu kia nahi hoga tumne" the woman said making her smile at her.
(You must not have had breakfast)

"Mujhe konsa banana ata hai. Pehle tu Safa aapi bana deti thi" she mumbled, her cheeks turned red in embarrassment.
(I don't even know how to make it. Before Safa aapi used to make it for me)

The two walked in the kitchen and talked as Sabra prepared breakfast for them both.

".. and you know the two love interest turned out of be half siblings" she said in disbelief making the Sabra choke in her tea.

"So they were in a relationship without that knowledge. And..."

"I know right. I was so shocked and embarrassed and all over the place when the parents were introduced. That's a different kind of heart break" Wafa said with wide eyes and jaw hanging open.

"That's a really...."

"Fucked up stor— oh gosh sorry. I shouldn't have said that sorry" Wafa gasped and covered her mouth. She mumbled apologies against her palm making the other female shake her head at her unprocessed thoughts.

"You should think before you speak Wafa, thank God it's only me." Sabra sighed turning Wafa a deep shade of red.

"I try" she mumbled smiling guiltily.

"Keep trying you'll get there." The olde woman said.

"That's what Safa aapi says" she exclaimed with a bright smile on her face.

Time was always hard to catch for Wafa, her brain seemed to ignore all timelines in life and only made her live in the moment effortlessly. Wafa was a free bird who soar only higher in her kingdom of thoughts away from all boundaries.

Assalamualikum guys how are all?

Here's another one.

I've been getting thoughts of this oje for quite some time now so I expect a nice response otherwise I wasn't planning on publishing it now.

Good response I want.

Allah Hafiz.

Love
Hafsa_tahir