Hasil e Lahasil | حاصلِ لا حاصل

10

Ibrahim only nodded his head. "Go and have some rest. You have to leave early in the morning." He stood up from his place telling Daud. And Sarah's head whipped up in his direction and she saw him leaving for his room.

"Where is he going?" Zahida inquired.

"Damage control. We have to provide aid to the ones who suffered." Ibrahim replied.

"Ammi, please get a room prepared for Dilawar." He asked Zahida Shah but before she could comply to the wishes of her son, Dilawar piped in. "Please do not worry yourself. I'll head home now."

"No, it isn't safe especially with the current circumstances and this late. You may leave in the morning." Ibrahim interrupted him and Zahida motioned for the servants to get done with the preparations. Meanwhile, everyone was dismissed to their rooms for a rest after a hectic day.

***

The fog dispersed in the sky amidst the eerie silence, it blanketed the Shah villa in itself. It was past midnight. Sarah had been pacing her room in agitation. And after much deliberation, she picked up her shawl from the bed and wrapped it around herself before leaving her room.

Treading softly in the hallway, she found herself standing before a certain door. Sarah exhaled a breath as she contemplated on whether to knock it or not. Before she had decided, the door whirled open to Daud standing in the doorway.

It seemed that he was about to head outside and his eyes widened in surprise acknowledging her presence outside his room at this time of the night. He perceived his senses as he stared around the hallway for anyone else's presence and then pulled her inside his room, securing the door behind.

"Are you even in your senses?" He whisper yelled at her who stood lost in her own thoughts staring at the mess in his room. A travel bag was placed on his bed with his clothes and other necessities sprawled along.

"You're leaving," she stated bewildered, tightening the hold on her shawl, "again."

Daud exhaled a sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair mussing them. "You are not supposed to be here, Sarah." He pointed out.

"Then where am I supposed to be?" She spat refusing to meet his gaze as a frown appeared on her face.

Daud moved forward and pinned his hands on her shoulders. "Look at me, love." He pleaded.

Choking back a strangled sob, she covered her mouth with her hand and shook her head whilst hot tears poured from her eyes. They knew their relationship was built on glass, fragile and brittle, and none of them wanted it to shatter.

"Sarah," his voice was so much deeper brimming with emotions as he called her name. Cradling her face in the palm of his hands, he wiped the tears from her face. His arm wounded around her waist, pulling her soft body into his taut one.

Sarah clutched his collar as she cried her heart out, drenching his shirt. Her shawl fell from her shoulders and piled on the floor by her feet. An unknown wave of panic darted through him when she sobbed against him, so, he smoothed his hand on her back, soothing her troubled self. A few moments passed and when she regained her composure, she sniffed out her breath.

None could feel the rawness of their pain except their own selves when they were left utterly helpless in the name of decisions being made by their elders. And the circumstances only reprimanded him to cradle his beloved more fiercely to himself. As if he was scared that if he let the hold loose, she might disappear into thin air like fragments of nothingness.

Sarah realized the forbidden proximity they were standing in and hastened to get out of the grasp of Daud. Instead she felt the hands on her waist, gripping together, holding her firmly in place. She turned a shade of crimson as she cleared her throat, wriggling out of his hold.