Ishq Kinara[Love Ashore] Complete

12. Too Much Work

The call ended. Elaf hurriedly picked up her bag and dashed out of the room to tell Yusra that she was going to Safwa's place.

Neither Elaf noticed.

Nor Sarim pointed out.

But they were doing it like a team.

_______

Hearing the beep of the call ending, Sarim sighed and took the phone away from his ear. He looked through the widow at the lights reflecting through the mirror. Everything was yellow and orange with red hues covering the perimeter. City of lights for a reason.

But something was amiss. The beauty of this city wasn't reaching the point it always did. As Sarim opened the group chat which was a home in itself for as long as he could remember, his fingers didn't have to scroll up to find the message which had him doing a double take a few hours back.

Hesham: Guys, I've broken up with Safwa. I didn't want you to know from someone else so thought of dropping the message here.

No conversation had flown after. No question asked. As people who'd share everything in the group chat with each other, all three of them were silent. Hesham didn't elaborate, Sarim didn't know what to ask so he did the only thing that he found fitting. Meeting Hesham in person.

Sarim moved the steering to get back to the route leading to DHA. He hadn't thought a situation like this would fall upon them. Hesham hadn't called him and Izaan. Just a single text which announced that him and Safwa weren't together anymore. Something which was so like Hesham but still felt alien.

Sarim wanted to curse out loud. He'd be a liar if he said he didn't see it coming. Yeah, he never thought a breakup was on the cards but last few weeks had somewhere left a mark on the back of his mind that something was wrong. Something wasn't adding up. He wasn't the best at reading the signs but it was about Hesham, and Sarim somehow always knew if things were not quite alright.

He had decided to give Hesham the space when Hesham asked for it. This is what friends are supposed to do anyway. But he never knew Hesham was considering doing this. Ending his relationship with Safwa, sure as hell none of them thought he'd do something like this. Not even the always perceptive Izaan.

Another thing which was bothering Sarim was Izaan's silence over the matter. Since the time Hesham had texted them, Izaan hadn't commented on anything. It was as if he had gone silent. Maybe he was analyzing the situation of maybe he didn't know what to say. But Izaan always knew what to say.

Stopping his car in the driveway of Baig House, Sarim took hurried steps towards the inner house. Rashid had already seen him through the large windows and not asking any question he had opened the doors. Sarim gave him a slight smile and taking long strides he was right in front of Hesham's room in no time.

He knocked at the door with a slight tremor of hesitancy. The person on the other side of the door was his best friend. They were each others' brothers, support system and personal roasting machines. There had never been an awkward moment between them. Sarim wanted to know Hesham's reason behind what he did but with that he also wanted to know if Hesham was fine because Hesham being wouldn't just end things with someone like this, least of all with Safwa Kirmani. It wasn't him.

The opening of the door had him snap of out of his predicament. Hesham sighed and gestured him to come inside.

"You don't look pleased seeing me."