Hoori tapped the corner of her phone restlessly as she stared down at the dismal massage glowing on her screen.

For five weeks she had heard absolutely nothing from her parents. She never thought they would break their absent spell in the form of a bleary two-line message. But there it was:

We're sorry we couldn't phone earlier. We're happy to hear that you're doing better.

That was it. She had even considered waiting for five extra minutes before she replied in case they considered sending a second message but she had learnt long ago not to expect much from her parents. To expect more would just be a foolish, childish fantasy begging to break her heart.

Thank you.

What else could she possibly say to that?

"Hoori," Aunty Mariam came rushing into the lounge, trying button up her shirt in the process.

"Hmm?" She looked up, smiling at the yellow skirt her aunty had decided to wear. She always did look nice in yellow.

"Taariq and Raaiq are alone so I need to keep an eye on them. Their parents are gone to some conference or the other I think," she grumbled. She was too old to be looking after a set of frightful toddlers. She was supposed to be enjoying her retired life. "Will you be okay?"

"Ya, I'll be fine." She reassured her aunty.

"Are you sure?" She stopped by the door to look back, her face shadowed with concern.

"Yes, Aunty Mariam." She laughed. "Please go."

"Okay, but I'll be right next door if you need anything."

"Alright."

"Let me go before they kill each other." She waved quickly before she tottered out the door, still trying to fit on her other shoe before the door closed quietly, its click echoing throughout the room.

The house descended into a somewhat eerie quietness that she didn't favour at all. It only left her feeling just a little too uncomfortable and a tad bit more lonely than usual.

...

Will you please visit me today?

Mikaeel stared down at his phone, amazed.

Neither of them had actively sought out the other's company, so for her to  ask him to visit her was pretty outlandish and just about bordering unreal.

"Hey, did you get the samples from the second floor?"

"What?" Mikaeel asked, still distracted by the message.

"The samples." His supervisor repeated. "Did you get them? They need to be scanned by tonight."

"Ya. I'm halfway done." Mikaeel looked up him before he tucked his phone back into his pocket.

"Who were you texting anyway?" Aaron asked curiously. He had never seen Mikaeel so much as glance at his phone in the year that he worked for them. His dedication was, in his opinion, just a little too overpowering sometimes.

"My wife."

"Your wife?" He asked, incredulous. "You're married?" He should never have asked in the first place.

"Ya. For almost a year." Mikaeel turned around and began to prepare the samples for testing.

Ya, never should have asked. 

Aaron stood dumbfounded for just a second. He was so sure he had seen him at Tanner House just the week before. Mikaeel was definitely the guy Karen was dancing with before he disappeared. Not that he was complaining. There was a reason why he was going out with her the next night. Aaron just happened to appear at the right time to ask her to dance.

Wasn't she kissing him too?

But he had no time to dwell any further on the topic. There were far more important things than his colleague's love-life anyway. 

...

"Hey."

Hoori jerked back, dropping the brush to the floor as she heard his voice.

"Hi." She eyed him carefully as he walked up to the bed to pick up her brush. "I didn't think you were coming."

"I was working the late shift today."

"Oh." She felt a little shy considering she was already in bed and it was hardly even 8-o-clock.

"So, what's the special occasion?" He looked down at her nightie, surprised that it was one of her more revealing numbers.

"Nandi had other ideas when she heard you were coming." Her cheeks coloured at Nandi's frank reasoning as they argued over what she would be wearing.

"I thought she didn't like me." He handed her the brush back, surprised to see how slow her arm moved as she reached up to brush out all the tangles.

"She doesn't," she answered bluntly, secretly pleased at the look of displeasure etched across his face.

He sat on the armrest of the couch, feeling somewhat impatient at how long it took for her to run the brush down her hair just once. It literally looked as if she was going in slow motion. And her hair was so God-damned knotty, he would wait the whole night just for her to be done with it. "Should I do that for you?" He stood up, holding out his arm for the brush.

"Excuse me?" She looked up, bewildered at his question.

"Just pass me your brush." He sighed, not willing to ask her again.

Okay.

She hesitantly handed it over, perplexed at his peculiar behaviour.

He moved to sit behind her, pushing her pillow away in order for him to fit into the small space. "Nandi really had other ideas when she heard I was coming," he mumbled too softly for her to hear as he looked down, startled at how truly revealing her nightie really was. It left her whole back practically exposed as the silk dipped down till the small of her back, with only a sheer, gossamer fabric to obscure his view.

Hoori cringed as Mikaeel worked his way through another knot. He really didn't know the meaning of the word gentle but she couldn't bring herself to complain. He was actually doing something nice for her and-

She enjoyed the attention. No matter how short lived it may have been.

"Damn girl, how many knots do you have?" He sighed exasperated at yet another snag. He was only too thankful that he had short hair and hadn't had to go through such bullshit every morning.

Hoori was actually convinced that he would leave her bald with the way he was yanking that brush through her hair. Tears prickled at her eyes as he brushed out a knot near her scalp and had to resist the urge to reach for a mirror just to see what the damage really was.

"Finally." He muttered as he ran the brush through her hair one last time, somewhat pleased that he was met with no resistance. He dropped the brush on the table before he stood up, straightening his rolled up sleeves. "Okay, I think I'm going to leave."

He almost jumped when he felt her hand close over his as he picked up his watch.

"Will you please stay the night?" She cringed at the thought of how that sentence might have sounded to him.

He was sure he would keel over.

He had fallen into an alternate universe.

"I don't have anything to sleep in." He tried excusing himself, though he wasn't sure why.

"You and I both know that you don't sleep in pyjamas," she cocked her eyebrow as she looked at him, seeing through his feeble excuses.

"Fine."

"Thank you."

She smiled at him.

It was a slight, barely there smile yet it was genuine. He had almost forgotten what her smile looked like considering how long it had been since he had noticed it.

"Don't mention it."

Her breath rattled as the machines were switched off one by one.

She couldn't believe it. This was her sister.

She didn't want to look as she took her last breaths. She couldn't see it. She couldn't see the life leave her body. But it was her sister and Hoori owed it to her to be there until her last breath.

They only had each other so she had to be there. She couldn't leave her alone.

Then the room went quiet. There were no beeps from the machines nor a buzz of activity as the last of the nurses left. It was just them.

She didn't care for the doctor in the corner nor hear the regret as it seemed to have been ripped from the very depths of her parent's hearts. It was just her sister and her and their promise that she would never leave her till the very end no matter how scared she was. And she was scared. She was very scared but she wanted to hold Jannat's hand one more time, just to feel the last embers of life that still clung to her skin.

She knew it the second she heard it.

The last breath that took her life with it...

And then she was gone.

"...Coming. Stop your whining," Mikaeel's hushed voice echoed from the other end of the room. She opened her eyes to the darkness of the room. It must have been late considering he was still busy with his work when she had gone to sleep.

She turned her head in time to see him button up his shirt as he picked up the spare remote from the table.

She closed her eyes against her silly expectations.

She didn't even see him leave the room before she turned over and went back to sleep.

...

"I didn't know your friends were coming today." Hoori closed her book as she heard her Aunty's voice.

"Which friends?"

"A boy and a girl. I think they followed Mikaeel. They just pulled up outside." Aunty Mariam said, clasping her watch around her wrist. "I'm going out for milk and bread. Do you need anything?

Hoori shook her head.

"I'll see you later, okay?" She stooped down, brushing a gentle kiss across Hoori's forehead but Hoori could only smile halfheartedly up at her.

He wouldn't dare bring him.

She placed her book carefully on the table before she straightened out her clothes and ran a hand haphazardly through her hair. Her heart seemed to go crazy as she waited for them to ring the doorbell. She prayed fervently that she was wrong and that her husband wasn't really the asshole she thought he was.

Her eyes closed involuntarily as she heard the loud, echoing chimes of the doorbell.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Ihsaan and this is my wife Dahlia."

"Come in. Hoori is in the lounge." She almost wished her aunty had never heard of the term polite.

"Hey," Mikaeel greeted. She thought he looked almost apologetic as he made way for his friend to pass.

"How are you, Hooriya?" Ihsaan beamed down at her.

"Good."

"Good, good. Happy anniversary!"

Her gaze slid to Mikaeel for a split second, gauging his reaction. 

Whoops.

"Thank you." She wanted him out of her house. Him and his wife.

She wanted them gone.

At least he couldn't stare at her. There was no one else to distract Mikaeel so Ihsaan had no chance to stare at her as he often did. Mikaeel's eyes were trained on him as Ihsaan spoke about shit at work or something or the other. She zoned out of their conversation, not bothered enough to respond to anything. She could feel Mikaeel's annoyance. It always irked him that she never made an effort when it came to his friends. But this was beyond not making an effort. She knew she was being downright rude as she simply ignored the man sitting opposite her.

"Shit, man, I forgot my wallet." She heard his voice from the foyer. She was so sure he had already left. She had even begun to relax and lean back against the couch thinking he was gone.

Where the hell are you, Nandi?

Of all the times, Nandi had to choose today to visit her daughter!

"I'm sorry, I forgot my wallet." He smiled at her from the doorway.

He was good looking with his hazel eyes and his perfect teeth and had he been anyone else, she might have felt flustered at such a smile. But his smile only left her feeling slimy and oily and she didn't like it.

"So, your first anniversary?" He spoke as he walked into the room. His footsteps seemed to echo under the high ceilings, allowing her to feel even more anxious with each step.

"Uhm hmm." She answered, not trusting herself to actually speak.

"What are you going to do?" He was in front of her now as he bent down to pick up his wallet from the coffee table.

"I'm not sure."

"That's a shame." He walked around the table, fitting himself in the narrow space between the table and her legs. She could feel the material of his jeans against the light fabric of her skirt. "Don't you want to know why?" He asked when she stayed silent.

"Why?" Her voice broke as he nudged her knees apart with his leg before he leaned forward towards her.

She made to push him back but he caught both her wrists in his hands before he held them captive above her head.

"If you were with me, I wouldn't let you leave my bed for even a second."

He moved closer towards her till his mouth was right next to her ear. He was so close that she could hear him licking his lips as he prepared himself to speak.

"I wouldn't leave you till the night was over and when we were done, you'd be nothing but a writhing, moaning mess and the only words from your lips would be my name as you called it over," his mouth seemed to pressed even closer to her ear, "and over," his hands tightened over her wrist as he moved his body closer to hers, "and over again."

She could feel his cheek against her own as he continued to whisper every intimate, disgusting, lewd detail of the things he would do to her unmindful of the way she kept shrinking away out of his hold. 

"Did you get lost or something?" Mikaeel's voice called out from the passageway, interrupting his vile words as he straightened up quickly before grinning down at her.

"Happy anniversary, Hooriya." He ran his tongue over her earlobe, biting down gently, before he straightened his jersey and walked out the door.

The way he said her name made her feel sick.

She felt violated by his words. Her heart was beating so fast that she could feel it pulsating throughout her whole body. She couldn't breathe. She was so sure her lungs weren't getting enough air as her breaths came out as short, quick gasps. She had never in her life felt as terrified as she was in that second. She couldn't even call for Mikaeel because it seemed as if every one of her senses and abilities had shut down at his onslaught.

"Hey, listen sorry that-" Mikaeel started to say as soon as he walked into the lounge.

"You tell your sick, depraved friend to leave me alone." She interrupted him, speaking slowly as she tried to catch her breath.

"What did he do?" He came to stand before her.

"I told you he wasn't welcomed in this house." She spoke quietly, forcing herself not to freak out at what had just occurred. But her back still spasmed and her thighs hurt from being so tightly clenched. Every muscle in her body felt taut and on edge as if trying to protect itself from Ihsaan's disgusting imagination.

"I'm sorry. I didn't tell him to come. He followed me himself."

"You shouldn't have let him." she seethed.

"Stop acting like a bitch. I can't just tell him not to come." He frowned down at her behaviour. 

She ignored his vulgarity, unwilling to concede to this. "Tell him not to come near me again."

"Fine." He shook his head, unwilling to deal with the melodramatics before he stood up to leave.

...

"Mikaeel?" Dahlia opened the door, surprised to see him standing there.

"Where's Ihsaan?" He wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.

"Come in." She walked away. "I'll call him for you."

He walked into the flat, feeling assaulted at the bright green paint on the walls. His friend had pathetic taste.

"Howsit?" Ihsaan walked in, barely bothered about the fact that he was shirtless.

"Okay."

"Did you need something?" He asked, confused at his friend's odd, slightly aggressive demeanour.

"What did you do to Hoori?"

"Oh shit man." He dropped his forehead to rest in his palm. "I forgot that she wasn't like Faarah and Naazli so I kissed her before I left."

"You kissed her?"

"Ya, it was just a goodbye kiss."

"How the hell do you just forget that?" Mikaeel looked at him, annoyance streaked across his face.

"I mean... I didn't think she was that big a prude to be upset about a simple kiss."

Mikaeel looked blankly at him.

"Sorry man." He clapped his hand over Mikaeel's shoulder.

"Just leave her alone from now on."

"I said sorry." Ihsaan repeated, offended at his friend's constant rebuking.

Mikaeel turned towards the door without another word, leaving his friend to stew like the petulant child that he was.

...

"I spoke to Ihsaan."

For someone so adversed to her company, Hoori thought he felt just a little  too comfortable barging into her room whenever he felt like.

"I didn't hear you come in."

"Nandi was sweeping the stoep when I came."

"Oh." She looked away from him, her attention turned back towards her movie.

"He told me he kissed you."

"He did." She pushed the pause button before she turned to look up at him.

"Where?"

"Why?" She asked, feeling embarrassed about the entire ordeal. She still felt sickened when she thought about the things he had said. They were so, so highly personal and the way he described her body just left her feeling as if she would rather rip off her skin than have Ihsaan think about her in that way.

"Tell me where?" He asked her again.

"On my earlobe." Her voice was so soft as she spoke that he had to read her lips to figure out what it was that she had said. He moved to sit on the edge of her bed as he considered her words.

"Oh."

"Ya."

"I told him to leave you alone."

"Thank you." She turned back towards the tv.

"He kissed you on your earlobe?" He asked her again.

"Yes." She looked at him again, wishing he would just drop the subject entirely.

Instead he stared at her face as if trying to figure something out.

"What?" She asked, feeling uncomfortable under his look.

He leaned forward, catching her earlobe between his lips before tugging at it lightly with his teeth.

"Stop it, Mikaeel." What was he trying to do?

"Stop thinking about him." He kissed her ear once more before he stood up and walked away.