After a light meal, Layla felt full. She haven't eaten much, but she couldn’t eat much. Her throat felt tightening too much. And she felt it, how much she changed from last time. If she was the earlier Layla, she would cry herself to sleep. But now crying was something, she couldn’t do. Even if she forced herself to cry, there were no tears left. What all left was her numb pain, with which she growed to live. Sleep less nights where she could feel surroundings made her numb to everything.

Her dainty fingers worked her hijab as he undid it and jekr her burqa off of her body. Her fingers raking into her hair as she sighed and sat on the bed. Darkness surrounded her when suddenly she stilled. The air around her changed as she felt him before he entered her room. She didn't lean on the other side of the bed where she left her scarf. She waited for him to come out of shadows. She knew he was there, but didn't voice it out.

"You must be feeling very satisfied with situation." Baraq didn't questioned, stated. Listening to his voice Layla didn't jerk her head. Nor she was startled, she just sat queit locating him with her eyes and her eyes found him hiding behind curtains.

"Why do you think I want you to feel hurt?" She questioned instead, her head tilted as she leaned herself on her palm on the soft mattress.

"You hate me?" He answered without coming out of the shadows. His heavy voice making her skin pebble under the pleasure. What was happening? She couldn't locate the answer in her mind.

"True." She sighed and plopped on the bed. Her eyes going on the ceiling as she saw the pretty chandelier hanging from it.

"Then why didn't you liked it?" He questions confused with her answer. His thick eyebrows going up in his hairs as leaned on the window. Cold wind greeting his back as waited for her answer.

"Because, I hate you. And I hate you so much that nobody, that isn't me, shouldn't get your hands on you."

Air stilled around them as Baraq hovered over her out of nowhere stealing her breath. He saw her eyes going wide and  goosebumps on her arms. All her courage that she had gathered flew out the window as she laid back on the bed with him hovering her.

Baraq smiled under his mask as he leaned more, tasting her breath and muttering heavily against her face.

"Are you sure you are gonna hurt me?" He questioned as he leaned more and Layla hated herself for feeling the itch in her stomach to uncover his face.

"One day, I w-will." She stammered and almost cursed herself then asked for forgiveness from her God. He was driving her insane. The girl who never cursed, was now on the urge of cursing all because of the man who was hovering her.

Narrowing her eyes, she felt the renewed anger building in her and she pushed him away. To her dismay, he didn’t budge.

"What’s your problem?" She gritted her teeth making his eyes intently stare at her.

"I just want to know." He murmured still gazing into her brown eyes.

"What?"

Her breathy question made his fingers close into a fist as he questioned.

"Why don't you hate me?"

"Baraq, I guess you are going through a serious hear loss problem. Because I just admitted I hate you." Her eyebrows frowning together as she answered with  confusion.

"Nope," he sighed his face dropping to her cleavage and she hastily held it, muttering under her breath. "Not right now." He almost laughed, but then continued.

"The people who hated me took their revenge on the spot and you are all just meow and not bite."

Layla cackled on his choice of words making him frown.

"Can we focus on the situation rather than words?" He pressed on his words making Layla nod her head and sigh.

"I don't know Baraq." This time he got up, knowing she was confused now and didn't know how to face the current situation.

"Don't stress too much on your head." And he vanished from her sight after saying those words.

She breathed in sharply on his actions. Out of nowhere he was here, confronted her and was now vanished into this air.

"Ugh." Groaning she curled into a ball and fell and shoved away his every thought or that was what she thought. Because her head was still swimming in his thoughts. Now that he was gone, she fell deep into thoughts.

Baraq was a human too. He didn't deserve all he went through. Shaking her head she shoo-s away every thought and tries to sleep.

♤

The morning comes bright with cold breeze making her sigh. It had been days since got a good sleep. Her eyes fluttered open as she looked around herself, and found herself laying proper with duvet on her. She wasn't sleeping like a very elegant lady last night, she remembers. Remembers, very properly. Her eyes roams around as she looks around for something and finds keffiyeh. Picking it up, she sniffed it. Scent of olives and spice wood engages her nose making smile faintly. Keeping down her one leg from the bed she almost screams when stumbles across a pair of legs.

"Ya Allah," gasping for air she straightens herself and turns around to see who was the person laying on the ground. Her eyes witnesses Baraq's huge form sprawled on the floor like a carpet. Crouching down, she feels the urge in her fingers to caress his face. But she didn't want to disturb his sleep. This was all new and overwhelming. Not only that, but seeing sleeping with her scarf I'm his hands makes heat churn into her guts and she stands raking her hand through her hairs.

"First he melts my heart, than wants me to hate him."

"Pure, idiot." Muttering she runs towards hamam knowing Nazreena and Hafsa will be there.

Something strange blossoms in her heart as she sense her fear for Baraq erasing away with something bright. Her eyes shining as if she was a whole new person. Layla was renewed and she thanked her Almighty for bringing this change in her.
Things change surely they does, twisting her mouth and her way she only thinks about him. Praying for his life to take a beautiful turn without knowing it already had taken a turn towards her, and he was here only because Layla had agreed with Nazreena's plan.