My Soul Beloved(short tales)

She could not understand much because of the age she was going through. She never understood anyone. Who she could hear, could be understood, was not present before her.

All were engaged in their works, no one cared for her. The one who was left with nothing was only eleven years old, but the world was still troubled by it. That day, everyone whom she could call hers, left her alone in the hands of the cruel world.

Her big teary eyes were waiting for him, getting impatient for him who was hers after her parents.

She was sitting on the stairs looking at the door where a lot of people were coming in and out. She was looking for his face in all of them and then finally she saw him. She could not find herself knowing when she stood and moved towards him.

She ran and went into his arms that were already opened to her. The coming one took her from the ground, putting her with him. He knew that her little soul had no place on earth except himself.

He brought her into his chest, caging her in his arms securely. Took her to his room, sat on the bed and pulled out the vet tissue from the side table, and cleaned her face which was full of tears.

"Zara, stop crying, see I am in front of you... don't cry like this."

"But now Tai Ami will throw me out of my house."

She was confused watching him while she held his fingers firmly, probably fearing he would leave her like everyone else.

"Who said that to you?"

He confiscated his anger, but the tone was a little harsh.

"Tai Ami was talking to the bari phopho that she didn't want to keep me with her. She wants phopho to take me with her. Ain I don't want to go." She again started crying.

Of course, he became furious.

"Zara this is not going to happen okay." He knew this would happen, but it would come so soon he didn't know that.

She slept a while later, but he was still awake. He knew he had to do something right away.

Life was never easy for anyone, life was made to give trials. From the sincere adoption of love and endurance above all that he had to do most at that time. He was only twenty years old but was a mountain of intelligence.

He made a decision but didn't know it was right or wrong. But when he heard the call from his Creator. He understood that he had to ask from his Maker.

There was peace in his heart when he was prostrating. When he was done with his prayers and turned away from prayer. What he saw made him know that he had received the answer to every question he had.

The innocent girl was prostrating in his shadow. He smiled powerlessly. She was only nine but understood all his words. Sometimes he even felt that only she was the one who knew him.

She finished praying, looking at him, and smiled adorably. He came close, holding her little face in his hands and read something under his breath, and breathed at her face in his hands.

"Will Zara do as I say and believe me in one thing?" He asked her in a whisper.

"You know, I obey you always Ain."

"So then right, in the morning, do as I say, you will not ask anyone any questions, and you will not tell anyone anything." Made her understand everything, asking her to sleep in his room. He went out locking the room. He knew he couldn't trust anyone at that time and never on that little soul.

He went straight to his bara Baba's room. Seeing him praying, he sat beside them.

Syed Sikandar Ahmed was the only person who understood him. He was his most beloved one. He knew him through his soul, which no one else could see.

He finished praying and smiled seeing him and that smile was just for him.

"Bara baba I had something to talk about." He was shocked at his unsteadiness. His eyes knew he was going to do something big.

"I know you won't say anything wrong, don't fear anyone, my child, never."

His Bara Baba was his courage, to give him the strength to do what he wanted to.

"I..."

And make him know what he was about to do and...

He did what he said.

He went through what he thought was right, without anyone caring.

He completed the settlement.

He cared only for her.

The thoughts were only of her.

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Syed Muhammad Ahmed was a very tough man. Being in the army, his personality was such that everyone was afraid of him. There were three sons and a daughter.

The elder son Syed Sikandar Ahmed joined the army like his father. Never married because his life was all for duty.

The second son was Syed Taimoor Ahmad, who had his own business. They had one son. Syed Ain Ahmad, who was the dearest of everyone in the house. Intelligence and bravery were all inherited. A man living in his world. Who only knew to give the best.

The third was Syeda Fatima, the only daughter of the house. Two daughters were Jannat and Arwa.

Then the youngest Syed Noor-ul-Hadi, who was the only person in the house who made that house feel to be home. His mother died on his birth. Syed Mohammad Ahmed did everything for his children. Taught every aspect of life. Every morality was verifiable, but the one thing he couldn't do or teach them was loving and caring for each other.

While they lived together, they lived as students of the same class. There was one man who dared to love. And perhaps for the same plea when Syed Noor-ul-Hadi took his love's name, she was accepted with a great heart.

But shortly after the marriage, God's commandment came. Noor-ul-Hadi had one daughter Seyda Zara Noor-ul-Hadi. She was only nine years old when they both left the world.

At that time, Muhammad Ahmad came to know what he forgot to teach his children. But it may have been late then.

Zara had much more to suffer after her grandfather's death. The suffering she had to go through after her parents. The anger of her Tai Ami was the resentment of her eyes, the scourge of her words that was counting her bread bites. The silence of her Taya Abu was whacking her from inside.

The sight of Phopho, where there was always disgust, resentment, and dread. The signs of Arwa and Jannat made her inferior every time. The only difference was that she no longer had a mother in front of her to kiss her face, not her father who would pull her to him and shut everyone with one word of his own.

It all felt more when her parents were gone. Years passed. Seasons testified to her existence. Thunderstorms hurt her documents.

Soon her life was placed with death in her eyes...

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"These are her university reports." A man showed him one file where every bit of information was written. Her friend's information, their grades, families, other activities.

"These are her monthly expenditures." Again one another file was transferred towards him. In which there was a single page, only about two books, one register and that was it. He was nothing but furious. The man in front of him emotionlessly gave him another file.

"This was her routine schedule and outgoings." He didn't for once bother to open another file.

He knew well what exactly was in them. Like every other time he knew. A little pain of frustration arose in his chest. The heat-strengthened in his throat to his head making hard pain in his head.

"Leave." His voice was a mare whisper but a hard one. Without any other movement, he took a deep breath...

"Sir, there is something you should be informed about." He gave him just one look at which the man in front of him cleared his throat, and continued...

"Your mother will send her to your aunt's place, possibly next week." His jaw clenched as he blinked twice to control himself.

"Last week, a boy from her university came to your father for her hand. He lied in front of your father that she was involved with him."

Looking out through his immense office glass window he was very close to destroying everything. From inside he was brimming with hostility. He wanted to only focus on taking as many normal breaths as he could.

It was usual for him to get this angry but he was the one who would generally stay in control. He looked at the man in front of him again to give him hard look.

"Make sure of her security." After giving him a dismissive nod, he moved his eyes towards the files in front of him. By looking at his dark grey orbs anyone would not be able to stand.

But there was someone on the other side of the world who was the only one who could...

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"I told you to shift this stuff to your room. Move it aside."

She quickly picked up her father's stuff and ran towards her room, somewhere between stopping her tears.

After half an hour she took everything in her room which was already full. Dust was everywhere as she was cleaning everything and then placing them on the shelves and the corner of the floors.

She didn't want to put anything in the boxes and leave them somewhere in the storeroom. She had a full wall of paintings that were made by her mother. Every crafted piece was present in that room or in her wardrobe, where a small bundle of clothes was kept on one shelf.

"Zara your Tai Ami is calling you." Their maid came to inform her. But she already knew what she was going to say.

After some moments she was in front of her Tai Ami room. She entered after getting permission, moving forward she stood in the middle of the room. Looking straight, head held up high, her straight nose was telling she was not some weak human.

Yes, she had many hardships in her life. She had to go through many sleepless nights, but she was taught to never look down.

Yes, she had panic attacks while crying but she knew everything will be all right. She knew when to cry and when to keep quiet. Sometimes no matter how much you try to speak your heart out, words are not just enough to describe how you truly feel.

"Pack your bags, you are going to your Phopho place in a week." She nodded without any response or any reaction.

"Make sure to take as many things as you can because no one from there will let you come back and take them." A single node was given again.

What thing she was going to take with her. Her countable piece of clothes, her three pairs of shoes, her old abaya, her books maybe, her mother's jewelry. They simply didn't want her in their lives. Why would they? She was not important to anyone in that house.

Yes, she knew, she was important to someone. But was that importance any different from being unimportant? NO, it was not different. It was sad when you realize you weren't as important to someone as you thought you were.

While packing every stuff, every single she was putting her hands on, she remembered why and when she was given those. Some things were used by her cousins. They didn't want to wear them more, that was why they were given to her. Some were new especially her study items.

"ZARA" She came out from her thoughts and ran downstairs as the shout from her Tai Ami was very loud and full of anger. She made herself ready for that long scolding lecture of how much she was useless, wasteful, unlucky, and a burden she was.

"I told you to dispose of all those old tea sets and set new ones there. Now tell me what all of these are still doing here." Her Tai Ami came in front of her, holding the cups in her hands. It was above twelve and she was there to answer those questions this late just for her satisfaction of insulting her in front of all the servants.

Without any second her Tai Ami was throwing every piece on the floor.

"What you were thinking? That you can live here, in my house just like a princess. You will just spend all our money, our food, and have a comfortable life that you don't even deserve? You thought that you will only eat and sleep, Will only do dirty behind our backs all the time." She was saying all that between breaking those cups, knowing well what else she was breaking.

"You will clean this all before going to bed." Another punishment like always. She was used to it but that didn't stop that tugging happening in her heart.

While crossing her she stopped beside her...

"You are useless Zara, a very spoiled brat." She pushed her to the side, walking satisfyingly upstairs.

She sat down on the floor collecting pieces, taking long breaths to calm herself down. It was getting worse day by day for her to stay there. She was planning to run away from that house.

How? She had planned everything already, even where she was going to live next. She was only going to live in this city for the next few months and then she would go somewhere else. She first had to complete her graduation which would be done in two weeks.

No one was going to go after her, she would be free and would live her life freely.

But as returning to her room she thought about how she will attend university while staying at her Phopho house.

And in answer, only one option was coming to her mind. To not go there in the first place. She would cry every single night, would not be able to sleep at all. It was not the story of one day, it was happening for many years.

Growing up she knew, she had to leave, no matter what happened. About midnight she was able to clean up all the mess, after getting many cuts on her palms.

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She knocked on the door and entered the room. Closing the door behind her, she moved towards the rocking chair. Lights were dim like always.

"You wanted to see me." She sat in front of them on the carpet. He was getting older day by day. He would no longer be there with her. He was not before but she was a little convinced due to his presence.

"You didn't come to see me for two days." She sniffed because she was again going to lie in front of him. And like always he would know she was lying but he would not stop her.

"I was busy in my studies." She was but not that much. She hardly got the time to open her books.

"Place ointment on your cuts Zara." His every remark was addressing her to bend her head on his lap like when she would do it when she was little. And she would do it, but it was the most difficult now. Because it was the hardest time to control her tears.

"I will." They both knew she was not going to do that. It was not like she didn't care. It was more about nobody caring.

"When are your exams?"

"From next week bara baba." Their conversation was always formal. He stopped asking more because he knew she would not give him honest answers. And he didn't want her to be guilty about giving lies to him.

She went to her room after some time, but he spends his whole night right there. Remembering her true nature, expressions, questions, voice, her father, his father, and especially the one who made the promise to protect her from everyone.

What he was going to answer them? That he failed!

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"Sir we are ready." He was supposed to be there after one month, but he couldn't.

As he was exiting the plane, walking towards his car he was feeling less stressed.

The first place he was going to visit was his father's office. Which was soon going to be his. He wanted to make sure to make that clear to every mouse in that den.

"Sir, we are here." He looked out to see an immense building that was running under his father's supervision but not now. He made his way to the front, guards were around him like always.

From one look, anyone could tell he was off-limits and not to question at. Without addressing a glimpse to the receptionist, he went towards private elevators.

Reaching the fiftieth floor, he was straightly going towards his own office. From where he knew what is where? He was paying many people to spy on that place when he was not there.

His assistants were right behind him.

"I want all the female receptionists gone in twenty minutes, arrange them somewhere else find some new one." He was not the one who liked females nearby him, but that didn't mean he would not give them any job.

He would just make them all out of his sight.

He was addressing matters with his men when without knocking his father came barging in. He made his father not say anything by moving his finger and motioning everyone to give them a little expanse.

"What is it?" No attraction or emotion could be found in his eyes. Taimoor Ahmad signed and sat on the sofa in front of him.

"You forgot the manners to meet elders first?" He was looking at him to make his father know such an obvious matter.

"Your mother would be glad to see you." He inhaled breath and while opening the file in front of him he started...

"I am not interested in meeting anyone at this time. I am surely not here to please you and mom. I have many other and many important responsibilities to take care of."

Before his father could reply he cut him off...

"Without my permission you let many people enter my building. Without informing me you made deals with them which I do not appreciate. You were not allowed to do that for five years as I am the head now. But you did and as compensation, I sent dismiss orders to all those projects on your behalf."

"Ain wh..."

"I do not want any of your interference in my work. I made that clear five years back. You should have stayed on your words before going that way."

"But Ain new projects are with your mother's brother company." He well knew everything about why all of a sudden his cousin was so interested in his company.

"I don't give a damn, My company will do as I order and it's final."

He stood up, fixing his coat, he made his way to exit.

"I am going home, make sure to excuse me from my dear cousin who was so interested in my position."

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"I will just leave him a letter. He will find it..."

"No, what if he couldn't? What if he doesn't come back home? Is this possible?"

"Uff... Why I am thinking so much about him. Stay angry at him Zara, he left you here." She was mumbling to herself while packing her bags...

She already delivered her many stuff to her friend's house, who was gracious enough to let her stay at her place. She was going to stay there at rent.

She was going to leave tomorrow. She thought to leave in my morning from the back door of the house which was only used by the servants.

She was laying on her bed when her thoughts were running wide. He was always there, sometimes she would smile, sometimes cry. Sometimes angry, and sometimes she would just look at the roof.

He was there when her parents left her, he was there when his parents were sending her to the orphanage.

He was there when her Dada Abu passed away. But he left after some time, he had to. She was 14 when he left to look after his father's business and to study further. He was supposed to be back in five years but he couldn't. Or he didn't want to.

It was not like he was oblivious of her. He was never. He was just far away because of many things. She knew he would get mad at her but what she was supposed to do.

She knew she only had to call him ones and he would neglect everything for her but she didn't want that. When he was going he made her know that he was only one call away. But she also made him promise that he won't come back before accomplishing everything he had to.

Why she didn't? Because she didn't want to keep a burden on her mind. Why she was angry? Why she was frustrated with him? She didn't know that too. Whenever he would call her Bara Abu she would hide in her room.

After everything he was late. He was supposed to be here one year ago. It was not her fault he wasn't.

She closed her eyes to sleep.

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He entered his room after many years. Finding everything in exact places he smiled.

After taking a shower he went to his bed and was placing his wallet and watch on the side table.

When he saw something, the manner it was placed, he thought it was not there for too long. He also knew who that belonged to.

Making him sign heavily. He wanted to go straight to her after entering that house but he couldn't. It was 1 at night by that time. She must be sleeping, he thought to go and see her for once.

What about the world? What was the world going to say? He didn't care any bit.

His deal was done. Now he was going to deal with her.

Entering her room, he found the lights on. But he didn't go back, didn't want to waste any more time. Moving forward he closed the door behind him slowly. Looking around he found a pile of packed boxes, a single chair, and a study table. He found her body on the bed. Because of the curtains, he couldn't see her properly.

He turned around and locked the door first. Moving slowly towards her he took in her appearance. She was just like before, simple and innocent looking. But now she was a grownup beautiful woman. Yes, he saw her in pictures but that was a different experience.

He left her when she was 14, he was 25. Now she was 20, a grown-up girl who was simply beautiful. Her face was so delightful that he could look at her the whole day.

Sitting on the chair which was in front of her bed for two hours. He forgot to look anywhere else. It was about 4 in the morning when he looked around and found stuff that he never expected to be there in the first place.

"What are you trying to do?" He looked at her while mumbling to himself. Going back to his room he knew what she was planning to do. He knew he had to move fast. He would chase her anywhere but right then he was getting impatient. He did what she wanted him to do, he got what she wanted him to get. Now it was his time to get what he wanted.

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She was up early the next morning. After getting ready she went downstairs, placing her bag and files on the couch, she was wearing her abaya.

"Good morning Bara Baba." She saw them sitting on the dining table, feeling strange to find him there. Because he would always have his meals in his rooms.

"You are going to university? Why today? You should stay home and spend time with us." She moved towards him feeling exceptional. He was smiling so brightly! Why? What happened? Before she could give a response she heard someone coming down the stairs.

In seconds she saw her Bara Baba eyes shined brightly. Only one thought crossed her mind.

He was the only one who could bring that brightness to Syed Sikander Ahmed's eyes.

Before she could turn around, she felt her breath stuck in her lungs on hearing his voice.

"Good morning Baba." She bit her cheek to stop herself from running away. After soo many years she was hearing his voice and it felt to her like everything was over.

Before she could turn around she felt his presence just behind her. In a trace, she was breathing in his manly clone.

"Zara look who came back last night. He didn't notify anyone about it. I am feeling so carefree that your pack is not on me now. Ain my son you are back so please make sure to fulfill your responsibility for my girl especially." Zara could see in their eyes that how much he was feeling better on his return. Like someone gave them a new reason to stand again. She wanted to dig the ground and bury herself in it.

She turned around slowly facing his suited chest. Greeting him she was strick on herself to look on the ground only.

"Common let's have breakfast together." Mr. Sikandar Ahmad turned to the table leaving them behind. They both stood there for many minutes. It was like both were waiting for the other one to move first.

She was battling herself in her mind whether to skip breakfast and run to university or sit in front of him for half an hour and torture herself. But before she could make any decision he moved first.

She looked up when she saw him stop in front of her. It was like something passed from her eyes for seconds. She was seeing him after so many years but still, she felt that liberty from his sight.

He was precisely not like ordinary men around her. He always had that aura around him and she felt it was stronger than before. Maturity took him very generously.

He was finding her stare amusing on another level. He never liked anyone staring at him. But it was like she was the only one in his world who had the right to even look at her.

"Ah... I am getting late, So I am leaving. Will meet you in the evening." She picked up her bag, pushing the thought of breakfast to the very back of her mind.

"Stay Zara." And before she could process his words, he moved towards the dining table without sparing her any more glance.

She was in mental war with herself whether to leave or sit with them. But she also knew her Bara Baba would be hurt if she would leave like that. On second thought she slapped her inner self for thinking of running away.

Why did she want to hide? She was not doing anything wrong? After sitting on the opposite side but in front of him she was only focused on her food.

They were talking continuously but her focus was only on, how she was going to leave today. Of course, she had to change her plans because now he was here.

Was it necessary for her to leave now when he is finally here? Was it needed now? Was he going to let that happen?

Looking up, a shiver ran down her body. Looking into his eyes, she found herself in there. And at that moment she found all her answers.

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All-day in the university she was only thinking of him. How yesterday she was thinking of all about escaping and preying to have no rock in her plan. But now there was a mountain standing in front of her. Which she could not pass no matter what happens.

Deep inside of her, she knew she don't even know the way after him. He was her end. He would never let her stay away from him at any cost.

She was going through her files when her friend Saira tapped her from behind. She smiled towards her smile vanished when she saw her looking at her apologized.

"What happened?"

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"Make sure to let her know today."

"Fine..." After getting his answer he cut the call. The person on the other side stood at her place for a few minutes, before marching towards her friend who was supposed to shift at her house today but not anymore.

"Let's see what you will do now." Life makes you do much stupid stuff, calling his wife's friend was one of those ones. Anger was rising in him again and again thinking about her leaving him like that. What stupidly she was thinking of. He didn't even know she was trying to run away from him or from something else.

"Nothing can separate us nor come between us. Not time and space, not angels nor humans, not you nor I. I will never leave you, my heartbeat. Whatever is the reason you are staying." He whispered bending down towards his table, near where her frame was present.

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Leave a comment to let me know how it was.

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