Heart Echoes | ✔︎

(19) Believe

"For more than a decade, we all know Musa is not alright," Samira eyed each and everyone of them, everyone's gaze fell on her, equally concerned for Musa.

"And we all know that he was never like this," Samira's voice grew solid. "We should step back, and try to see where he comes from."

"Well he came from Murree that's for sure," Dawood nodded.

"Wait- are we going back in time as to when he was just a small, little lanky boy with a Spider-Man bag?" Bilal questioned, trying to figure out where this was heading.

Nani Samira exhaled slowly, eyeing Bilal as if he needed a hammer in the head. "Musa was never like this. He was never distant, cold, and- and, whatever your father ruthlessly made out of him!"

Something shadowed Bilal's face, for he had nothing to retort on that. He lowered his gaze, his hands on his thigh. "It's true. Baba never was light on anything that involved Musa... it was like he hated him, yet kept him near for his own security."

He passed down a dark look to the grass, voicing the memories in his head. "I never understood why... I never knew, I just don't know why it was always Musa, while he had always been the most innocent. When we were younger, we used to call him the goodie two shoes. Because he was like that, sweet, kind, reading all the time- while me, Karim, and Salih bhai were always on the go for another round of mischief. But no, he would stay back- not in the mood to join in."

He inhaled slowly, shaking his head. "But... one day, or, I don't know, maybe it was something building up inside him along the way- he took a turn. A turn that most of us were happy he did, because it seemed he was living life better, but some of us, like Ghazala Auntie- they regretted. Musa was always a weirdo- but I agree, this constant friction between him and Baba had been building up, to the extent he just needed a runaway."

"You're all the way on Musa's side aren't you?" Eshaal asked, her head tilted.

Bilal shrugged. "When you're in that position where you see both sides of the grass- it's easier to see which side is greener."

"Yet are you sure he read Zara's diary?" Dawood spoke up, looking intently towards Bilal.

"He did," Bilal affirmed. "He did, and it was only after that he left."

"Even though we all read his story, Zara, but recall- is there anything that you wrote in it, that might have been the push button?" Nani Samira turned to Zara.

Zara lowered her gaze, she felt utterly at a loss- for all that Bilal had said about what Musa went through, bit at her insides. For she knew, she knew no matter how much she tried to ignore, even when they were leaving the mansion- it didn't feel right to her.

It felt all wrong, that when Musa blamed her for leaving him wrongfully, why must she claim that statement true?

Her eyes stared down at her cold palms, her mind rasped in a blanket of bugging truths. She could see plain, grey eyes crying back at her, before she would cuddle the boy into her arms, and subside his childish fears when they were in the rain.

Musa was always afraid of storms.

And this was a storm in his life.

He needed an umbrella.

And she was his umbrella.

"He never fit in this house, is that what you meant?" Zara questioned Bilal, sternly.

"Yes... he actually never fitted anywhere... neither in school, neither at home, neither at social gatherings- he was always the odd one out."

Zara's brows creased together, trying to bring these blocks of information together, few more were missing. "How is his teacher like? Is he..."