"Your intense gaze shower fire lights on my soul,
It flicks and burn more aggressively with flames hot."

Layla's POV

My nose twitches as the foul smell pushed through my nostrils. Its so awful, like a rotten meat. The dry leaves crunch under our steps as we walk more deep into the woods.

Now, that I am coming here in dark, the familiar sight of rigid trees, their branches spread out in the air and leaves rustling as the cold wind blows by. It's the same place, and the same dread overflowing in my veins. It run downs all the way from my neck to palm. They are clammy now and the folder in the hands is slippery. Sweat began to break on my neck and back, even though its not that hot. But, it's not also summer sweat, it's more like a cold sweat.

Gulping down the bile curling scream in my throat, I hurry my steps near Sarafaz. My breath shallow and small with shoulders tightening with fear and dread.

"What do you think about that man?" Sarfaraz's sudden question startled me making my feet tangle with each other.

His hand surrounds me to hold mw steady, but I was fast enough to get back on my balance.

"Fine, fine, I am Fine." My voice comes out squeaky as I balances myself.

"Truth to be told, I really don't have any theories for now." I responded, my voice low so that it doesn't come out shaky.

The two other in our team Rahul and Angelina bickered about who will react first. Though we all know that Rahul is going to throw up as soon as he gets the first glimpse of the corpse.

The awful smell filled the dread inside me as we neared the place.

'Do not cross the line' tape screamed from the place with police and forensic team detecting the reason of the murder. The whispers of theory rang around us and I gulped every bile of rising truth inside of me. It scratched my throat burning it.

Tightening my jaw, I thinned my lips as we our steps ceased. I can hear Sarfaraz approaching the officer, I can hear Rahul gagging in the back, I can hear Angelina whisper yell at him. I can hear the chaos surrounding me, I can hear the destruction inside me, I can hear my heart yelling truth at me. And all of a sudden I can here too much. The trees infront of me blurred and the voices got heavy. I can hear someone breathing too hard. Susurrus surrounded me like a chaos, destroying my mind.

My chest heaves up and down and all of the sudden I realized I am attracting attention. That was the least of thing I want to do.

Snapping my eyes close, tightly. I ceased my breaths. My hands enclosed in a tight fists. The plastic folder in my grip shaking with my hands.

"Layla." And with the sudden call I was back to normal. Even if I was not okay, for the world I will always be okay, for it never learnt to console a victim.

Following on his call, I stepped forward. My eyes evading the corpse sight.

"Hello officer," I don't realise my voice, it is too strange for me too call my own.

"May I get some details about the case?"

Greeting me back, he gave a slight nod in response for my question.

His eyes were too black, like a black hole but it never attracted me. The only which attracted me were now lost in realm of kadota. I will never know when will I meet him.

Last nights event made me ponder over my feelings, that I was attracted. Attracted to someone who wasn't mine. It was not wrong, It was a major sin. And I never sinned. I wa-

"Layla." The call was back. Two pair of eyes bored holes into my body and suddenly I knew where was I. I never meant to thing about him. Never.

"I am sorry for losing from the track. But, please answer the questions. How did you get to know about it?" My question came out very raw.

Clearing his throat, he began, as I managed my folder and began to write his answer.

"The passerby complained about the smell. Thinking it was some animal, we didn't pay any heed over it. But, when few days ago our team was patrolling here, we got to know about this." His voice was muffled due to the mask he carried over his face.

"Okay. And do you or your team never got any report of a missing person about?" Something clicked in my mind.

"The reports were surely there, but it never was about a man."

"What does forensic team has to say about the corpse?"

"The face is brutally smashed. It looks like the murderer had especially targeted his face. No organ or body other than that has been found harmed. It is very difficult to know who's body is this buy our team is trying their best."

"We wish them the best, also for how long the body has been decaying?"

"Three weeks and some what-?"

Author's POV

At her pointed question the officer gave her a stunk eye and cleared his throat before answering. Suspicious stirred in his mind.

"Three weeks and four days."

Goosebumps erupted at his chilled down but she didn't budge away from her ground.

"Okay, and-"
Before she could indulge more into her query Sarfaraz nudged her, breaking her demeanour. Her eyebrows drew closer with confusion.

"I don't really think we can photograph him, but is there any photo of him or any information about his family, so we can let the people know about his murder." Sarfaraz words cut sharp through the air. His voice reminded her of Baraq, but he was no where near to Baraq.

Inhaling sharply she backed away from their discussion. Her shaking fingers managing limp papers in her hands. Faint voices of her colleagues still lingering in the back of her. Her eyes snapped close themselves as she remembered how his eyes softened when he let her lean on his chest.

"Shaitan is riding on my head." Muttering under her breath she hastily jogged over to the other side of the woods. Where their conveyance stayed still, waiting for their owner.

She gulped down the dry lump in her throat as her breaths picked up their speed. They came out hollow and heavy, she doesn't know what was happening. Chanting Astagfar under her breath, she stood under the blue sky letting wave of zephyr calm her nerves.

Even after letting the calmness of nature wash over herself, a question lingered in the back of her mind. Mocking her every step, every glance, every breath, every beat.

How? How? How could she let herself be attracted to a na-mehram. A man who never belonged to her, in every senses. A man who will never be hers; no matter, even if she wanted wait for him.

A/N: please know that it is not edited. I always edit completing my first draft.