Chapter 51

Faizan watched Zarmeena closely as she lost at Ludo for the second time. It was clear her mind was elsewhere, giving him the perfect opportunity to use his usual cheating tactics. Though she was physically present, her thoughts were far away.

A sly smirk spread across Faizan's face.

Oh, my daughter, you've underestimated him. Salaar Malik-winning hearts comes naturally to him.

"What's wrong, buddy? You seem distracted. Is something bothering you?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about my finals. Anyway, Dad, I need to study now. I hope you don't mind," Zarmeena replied, getting up.

"Not at all. Studies are more important," Faizan said, his tone laced with meaning.

"Where are you going? Come join us for tea," Warda exclaimed with much concern. A servant behind her carried a tray with a beautiful tea set adorned with an intricate design.

"Sorry, Aunty, I don't feel like drinking tea. I'm going to study," Zarmeena replied.

Warda nodded, and Zarmeena left.

"What happened to her? She seems low today," Warda asked Faizan, her voice etched with worry.

"Oh, my dear wife, you are so naive. She's missing your son," Faizan said amusingly, leaning forward.

"Oh," she let out a chuckle in response.

"When will Ammi come back? She already took a long break," Faizan asked, his worry for his mother evident on his face. He knew how mentally disturbed she was after losing her friend.

"Faizan, actually, after everything that happened, she feels responsible for it and can't find the courage to face Zarmeena," Warda explained, increasing Faizan's concern.

"That is not good, Warda. If she keeps avoiding it, she'll only get sicker. I think she should come back and face it. I'll talk to her," Faizan said with concern etched in his voice. Warda also nodded in compliance.

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Ahmed was amidst a variety of feelings-pain, protection, suffocation, thirst, vulnerability, love, and, at times, even a sense of being blessed. Sometimes, he felt as though the darkness of the room closed in to suffocate his very existence, while at other times, it seemed as if his soul was soaring through the depths of the vast universe.

The presence of Zubair was a source of relief for him. Zubair was like a father, teacher, friend, and protector. He had devoted himself to the boy who had grown very close to his heart. Ahmed was a responsibility that Zubair had accepted to ease the burden of his angel as a virtue, but now, he felt a strong, never-ending bond with him.

Zubair was there for Ahmed during his most extreme urges, trying to quench his destructive thirst with affection. Together, they offered prayers and recited verses of the Holy Quran. Ahmed found deep peace in his closeness to his religion, realizing that only God is the one in front of whom no pretension is needed.

Zubair took Ahmed to motivational lectures daily. They spent time with others who had overcome the menace of drug addiction, drawing strength from their shared experiences. These interactions gave Ahmed the courage to face his struggles with greater resilience.

Due to the lack of internet access in their remote location, Zubair recorded videos of Ahmed's progress and sent them to Salaar whenever he could find a place with internet signals. In return, Salaar sent his own video messages, which Zubair shared with Ahmed. These videos became the only form of communication connecting them during this challenging time.

That day, Ahmed was battling his urges. He requested Zubair to take him to a motivational lecture to strengthen himself and regain control over them. He tried to distract himself by immersing himself in the moral lecture. For a while, he was successful, but soon, the building thirst returned. Helpless, he looked around for Zubair, but he wasn't there. He asked the bodyguard.

"Zubair wanted to send your video to Salaar, but there were network issues, so he went outside the building," the bodyguard explained.

Ahmed went back inside, but the thirst, the urge, didn't let him find peace. He felt himself in drowning in the ocean of never ending thirst .
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"Zarmeena, what are you doing here? Didn't you say that you'd only come to attend the examinations?" Sajida asked as she entered the library, finding Zarmeena deeply engrossed in her studies-something she hadn't been able to do back at Milak Villas.

"Was it a final verdict that couldn't change?" Zarmeena replied, not even lifting her head from the book. She feared that someone might glimpse the secret of her heart through her eyes. Ever since Salaar had left, her heart seemed to soften for him more with each passing day, the sweet pain of it leaving her restless. She hated herself for allowing this unsettling change to creep into her life. She had always believed she wasn't the kind of girl who could let someone occupy her heart. Yet she started missing him. Every little thing at Milak Villas reminded her of him, and in the end, she had to run away from there to concentrate on her studies. Now, even here, her friends weren't letting her have peace.

"What's the matter? Why are you here like this in the library?" Sajid asked, equally surprised to see her there just two days before finals. Everyone would have imagined her at home, completely immersed in her studies.

"What is it? Why does everyone have a problem with me being here?" she snapped in frustration, her irritation more directed at herself than at them.

"Okay, okay, calm down. I only asked because I thought maybe you were missing Salaar and couldn't focus at home," Sajida teased in her usual carefree tone, completely unaware that she had hit the truth.

"Sajid, take her away, or I swear I'll let out all my frustration on her," Zarmeena growled through gritted teeth.

Sajid couldn't help but burst into laughter at Sajida's innocence and Zarmeena's reaction. He could easily sense what his friend was going through, though she was clearly struggling to deny the feelings overwhelming her.

"Why are you mad at me? I was just saying that Salaar-" Sajida hadn't even finished her sentence when Zarmeena abruptly stood up.

"I've realized I can't study here," she declared, tossing her things into her bag. She zipped it up, slung it over her shoulder, and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Okay, Allah Hafiz. See you soon. Have a nice day."

With that, she stormed off, exasperated.

"What did I even say?" Sajida shrugged, confused. Then, turning to Sajid, she added, "Will you stop showing your teeth like that? You look disgusting."

Her taunt wiped the grin off Sajid's face, his expression shifting to one of pensiveness.
"I think I should have let Zaro deal with you," Sajid exclaimed, regretting saving her from Zarmeena's wrath.
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Leena was lying on her bed in her room. There was complete darkness around her. Her head leaned against the bedside, but her mind was somewhere else-lost in thoughts of the person who occupied every cell of her body. Her entire being longed for him, cried for him. The person who had never let her into his life. Who had never even thought of her.

She loved him so much that she never considered anyone else in her life, yet he so easily became someone else's. Only she deserved to be Mrs. Salaar Malik, Leena Salaar Malik, but now someone else's name was attached to him. That day, when she returned from abroad, she flew to him with the hope that he would deny the fact of his marriage.

"Salaar," she called his name. The hall was full of people, and he was standing with Fahad and Jawad.

He looked at her, and she could easily feel the fear creeping over his face-the fear that someone might misunderstand their relationship, the fear that his material life would be disrupted, and the fear that his new partner would be heartbroken.

He strode toward her, intent on suppressing the whispers.
"Leena, come outside," he said. His voice was firm and emotionless. He walked past her, and she quietly followed.

Outside the hall, he stopped and turned to face her.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded, his tone still cold and detached.

I couldn't take it anymore. I ran to him and embraced him, wrapping my arms around him and resting my head on his shoulder. I felt him so close to my heart, and I wished for more. I wished he would put his arms around me too. I wanted him to collect all my sorrows and insecurities and toss them away. I wanted him to reassure me that he belonged only to me and that his marriage was just a nightmare.

I wanted to merge with him, to become one. But... but... but...

That "but" always stood between us.
But he didn't feel for me.
But he didn't like me.

These "buts" were bearable because I believed a day would come when he would be mine.

But he belonged to someone else.
But he loved someone else.

These "buts" were killing me. They were hard to accept. But I believe one day, he forgot her and came to me...

But he was married to someone else.

That but was not acceptable. I couldn't let anyone else have him. He was mine. Only mine.

And then, he said it-the same "but."
"Leena, until today, whatever you did, I let it go. But... but now, I am married. You must stop now."

Those words... those cold eyes... they were enough to ruin me, to shatter me into pieces. How could I survive now? How could I breathe under the crushing weight of that "but"?

But... He is married.

She closed her eyes as if shards of glass scratched against them. Her hot tears streamed down her beautiful face, creating trails of pain and heartbreak.
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Zubair returned and called the guard.
"Go and check if Ahmed sir is free. Tell him to come out. It will be dark soon."

The guard entered the hall and soon came back, his face pale with worry.
"Sir, he is not inside. I searched for him. The hall is almost empty; the lecture finished nearly half an hour ago," he informed Zubair.

"It can't be... Were you sleeping? Go and search everywhere! I want him safe and sound, or else no one will save you from me!" Zubair roared at him.

How would he tell Sir Salaar if anything happened to Ahmed? Fear overwhelmed Zubair as he recalled his promise to Salaar-that he could entrust Ahmed's responsibility to him.

His men searched the entire area, but Ahmed had disappeared as if there was no trace of his existence in that place. At last, they returned to the farm.

Zubair collapsed onto a chair outside near the gate used by the guard. His heart sank at the thought of Ahmed going back to that trash. His hand rose in desperation.
"Oh my God, please save him. Give him the strength to overcome this difficult phase of his life. God, he turned towards You; don't let him turn his back again. He is very immature... God, don't let anyone crumble his innocence.

Oh my God... You took my whole family, but I never complained because You gave me Sir Salaar. If You take him away... my angel will lose trust in me. Please..."

His hands were still raised in prayer when a guard ran outside.
"Ahmed is here, sir! He's inside his room!" the guard exclaimed excitedly.

Zubair ran inside.

Ahmed was on the prayer mat, performing Esha prayers.

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