Daastan E Ishq - داستانِ عشق

N&A 21.

"What? Who?" He asked pulling her back a little.

"I couldn't...." Her breath hitched as she's sobbed while he held her arms to keep her from falling to the ground "I couldn't save her" she sobbed making him gulp his anxiety down as he sat her down, his eyes caught movement in the corner and he found a now calmed Ayat standing in the doorway with a frown on her face.

"What's going on?" Her voice rang in the now silent room and Nuha's head snapped in her direction.

"Ayat" Nuha sobbed making the woman run to her side and hold her extended hand.

"What happened?" She asked embracing Nuha's trembling form.

"She... She's... She's go... Gone" Nuha hiccuped making Ayat frown at her broken state.

"I... I... p.... promised myself I'll save her... I.. failed" Nuha cried in her chest and Ayat frown dissolved into shock, her hands turned cold as she pulled Nuha's face back to stare in her eyes questioning her.

"Nuha?" She asked in a small voice indicating that she had caught the hint.

"She overdosed" Nuha sobbed making the man stare at the two girls in confusion. He caught the hint that someone close to them had departed from this world but... Who?

Ayat mumbled a prayer for Nuha's mother under her breath as she rubbed her back letting her friend wail at her shoulder.

"Can.." Ayat started but her voice cracked and she shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"Um... Haider can you... Like...." She was trying to find the words but her tongue didn't want to say something.

"Are you sure you don't need me here? Nuha...." He said taking the hint and nodding towards the hysteric woman.

"I'll take care of her, don't worry. I'll tell you everything later, but right now I have to take care of her" Ayat whispered softly as the woman in her arms had now gone quiet, her silent tears soaked Ayat's shirt, her own eyes teared as she tightened her hold around her.

How can life be so cruel to her friend? Just when her mother was starting to get better, just when Nuha had held onto hope of maybe having her mother back life took her away from her.

Haider left with uncertainty in his mind as his heart yearned to go back to her and comfort her but right now he knew only Ayat could handle her.

"I fucking failed" Nuha yelled pulling at her hair making Ayat to hold her hands and stop them from hurting her.

"If only I had been stern with her. If only I hadn't listened to her" she sobbed making Ayat gulp the lump in her throat down as her nose turned red and she wiped her own eyes.

"Nuha... Have patience jaan..." Ayat mumbled against her hair making Nuha fist her shirt and let her tears out.

"How?" Nuha asked brokenly, her brown eyes swelling with every minute, her face turned red and soaked with her tears. Ayat's lips quivered as she gazed into her friends eyes.

"I lost her Ayat" Nuha whispered as her tears came to a halt.

"No you didn't" Ayat said scooting closer to her.

"She's here Nuha" she said pointing to her heart "she'll always be a big part of your heart Nuha, maybe this was for her own good. She's in a better place now Nuha. This life was already a hell for her, don't you think? Living on the streets and I taking those deathtraps?"

Nuha listened to every word she said and let herself loose as she slumped in her place.

"I'm sorry mom" Nuha cried making Ayat stay mum beside her. Her own tears falling one after another, as her eyes wandered to Mihrimah's room to find her standing in the doorway wiping her own tears.