"Pasts and future only meets in present,
And present never lasts forever,
It disappears into the whiffs of memories,
And is reminded back with scent of nostalgic."

♤

Layla felt dizziness hitting her head like a train. It felt heavy and her throat was dry making her gulp her own saliva to moisten. Fingers twitched as she felt cool air hitting her bare face, it was surprisingly peaceful for her. Some calloused and warm caressed over her head. And she felt air lightning.

Brightness if sun, blinded her as she opened her eyes, unprepared. Squinting them she blinked several time before finally letting the eyes witness the surrounding.

There sat Baraq on the ground with his hand kept on her head in a painful manner.

He shifted sensing someone's stare on him. His face hidden behind the keffiyeh as he slowly blinked open his eyes and they settled on her lain form.

"How are you feeling now?" His voice groggy and hoarse from sleep made her sleep fly away from the window.

She noticed how the cot was now beside the window and how intensely close he is to her.

"Fine but hot." She grumbled under her heavy breath.

Baraq simply detached himself from the cot. His bones twitching with pain from sitting there uncomfortably for too long.

"Do you feel hungry?" He again questioned fixing his keffiyeh on his face, something deep settled into those liquid sandy eyes of him; which once were empty.

"Not really." Murmuring she struggled to get up.

"He-?" An empty whisper left her murmur.

"Why are you expecting so much from him?" He asked unaware of the chaos in her mind and heart.

"I told you the first day, he doesn't care." Rubbing his eyeswith his thumb, he  reminded her.

Something unhappy settled deep into the core of her heart. Settling heavily. Exhaling a heavy sigh she hummed and nodded with her eyes closing slowly. Energy draining away.

"I will bring something for you." His eyes twitched as sunrays fell on them, softly caressing his thob, he padded away from her.

She glanced at his figure blurring away. Blinking her eyes she waited for something to be felt, but nothing. All she could feel was nothing, maybe her heart finally began to grasp the reality.

Her ears perked up listening him entering the room. Various varieties of food sliced neatly served with honey and milk in the small earthen cups and ajwa dates on the plate, he carried near her. It looked beautiful and a lot for. A bizarre feeling steered and coiled around her stomach, but seeing him bring her fruits. She ignored the feeling and began to cherish the food.

"Bismillah." Saying she began to eat but was stopped by the loose veil still tied on her face. Shock registered on her face. He was alone with her, he could have slide down the veil, but he didn't. The conflict hit her hard. She couldn't comprehend if he was really a beast or just a facade.

Her fingers brushed over the veil and she slide it down smoothly with a swift motion.

It was like he was enchanted by her. He didn't wanted to even look at her but his eyes betrayed when they decided to take a small glance and a glance turned into gaze.

She could feel the intensity of his gaze warming her face. But, she ignored and continued to eat.

Her stomach couldn't take anymore slices of apples than four. The morsel began to choke her, threatening to come out of her throat. Her body was with fire of embarrassment. She gagged making Baraq break out from his reverie.

His hands circled around her as he made her drink the lukewarm sweet milk. It calmed her heart. But, him crouching beside her warmed her heart. He could have made fun of her.

Having to think nothing about or just simply accepting the fact about everything going in her life, messed her mind. She questioned herself, why she liked his care?

"You want to eat something else?"

"No." The whisper came out with embarrassment and colour coated her cheeks.

His eyes glistened with mirth, but he denied to let his tongue slip a bit.

"Its better time-"

"For what?" Her question cut him off and he glared at her.

"First, never cut me off while I am speaking," gone the mirth shining in his eyes. They remained still with sudden sternness and his voice hard and cold as ice, sharp from the edges piercing through her heart.

She felt the embarrassment rushing back to her stick on every nerve of her.

"Second, I am ready to finally carry you all the way to your place." He continued, tilting his head slightly and his daring at her to let out a single world.

Gulping down the embarrassment, she nodded and her fingers worked hastily in fixing herself.

Nearing her, he held the slightest pinch of her abaya and wandered to her place.

The sudden hit zephyr made her aware of her surroundings, she still couldn't grasp the reality of him. A question of curiosity danced in her eyes.

"Who are you?" A whisper of question felt heavy in the evening and he narrowed his eyes at her and began to take back steps. His eyes fixed on hers.

The car and the house stood where it was maybe the time did too. But, her luck didn't.

Feeling of dread coiled under her spine as she slowly turned around and stared at the entrance of her house, whiffs of memories hit her hard and all the walls and the bricks suddenly began to talk.

Tears glisten under the evening of dusk.

Blue hues against orange and they never met. May be red did appeared too but it was orange and blue, like the sun and the moon, like Baraq and Layla too, parting their ways with littlest of the memory, like the twinkling stars in blue.

She stayed busy in the nostalgia and he gazed at her feeling her became his nostalgia.
Her fingers shook as she coiled them around the knob and dread filled her heart again.

Assalamualaikum guys!!

I hope you all are doing well!!

I am happy that we passed the mile stone of 20 chapters🎊🎉 and with the pace this story is going. I guess it will cover 50 chapters. Also please be genuine about your theory of this book.

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