☆☆☆☆☆ Naya Saal Bohat Bohat Mubarak ho (very happy new year) ☆☆☆☆☆
~*~
Furious at the sight of Ahad with another girl, Kanwal barged into the bedroom and start pacing around. She wasn't sure what irritated her the most, him leaving her at home alone, coming home with an unknown young girl, or not allowing her to contact her family. All she knew that she was angry and wanted to take her anger out on someone or something. Therefore, she grabbed a pillow from the bed and take out all of her frustration on it.
After a while, she calmed down a little. Kanwal's brain started to think properly and the question that popped up in her mind was who is the girl that came with Ahad? And why didn't Ahad come to her?
Unable to find the answers on her own, Kanwal thought of going out to ask directly. She didn't fear Ahad, so there was no reason for her to sit back and not question him. Slowly, she got up from the bed and made her way to the living room, where she found Shahina watching television alone.
On feeling another presence in the room, Shahina turned her face to the entrance and find Kanwal standing there. Her eyes were roaming around the room like she was looking for something.
"Assalam o Alaikum, Bhabi." Shahina said and Kanwal got startled on hearing the word 'Bhabi' from a girl's mouth. Because the only person who called her 'Bhabi' was Ayan, so she wasn't used to hearing the word from anyone else.
"Wallaikum Assalam." Kanwal didn't understand why the girl called her 'Bhabi', but she answered her Salam either way and turned her face to look for Ahad in the room.
"Ahad Bhai went out for some work. He asked me to tell you he'd be back early." Guessing Kanwal's searching gaze, Shahina answered her.
"Like I care." Kanwal scoffed.
On her tone, Shahina glanced at her and quickly lowered her head.
"Who are you?" Kanwal asked, looking at the skinny girl before her. Tanned skin, black hair tied in a braid, wearing a printed green shirt with light pink trousers and dupatta covering most of her hair. She looked a few years younger than her, but the look on her face showed that she was mature than her age.
"I am Shahina." Shahina answered.
"I know your name. What I want to know is who are you to Ahad?" Kanwal couldn't help her tone from being slightly strict.
"I am... Ahad Bhai's daughter." She answered awkwardly.
"WHAT?" Kanwal couldn't get her point.
"I am Ahad Bhai's daughter." Shahina repeated her, thinking that she might not have heard her right.
"Huh???"
"I am Ahad Bhai's daughter." Shahina said again, but this time a little louder so her voice would reach Kanwal clearly.
"You don't have to repeat again and again." Kanwal got a little irritated.
"Sorry." Shahina lowered her head again.
There was a minute of silence, while Kanwal waited for Shahina to say something else to explain what she meant earlier, but she merely remained standing still, looking down.
"You can sit, you know." Said Kanwal. The awkward situation was starting to make her confused.
"Yes." Said Shahina, but she stayed still.
"Uh? ...um ....what I mean is, you should sit down now." Kanwal said, looking completely confused.
"Huh? ...oh! Sorry." She said and abruptly sat down.
Is this girl normal???
Gingerly, Kanwal also sat down on a sofa away from her.
"What did you mean by you are Ahad's daughter? You just called him Bhai, didn't you?" Asked Kanwal.
"Ahad Bhai adopted me a few months ago. He is my guardian now."
"So, you live here?" Shahina shook her head in negative.
"Then where do you live?"
"With Moosa Bhai and others in the main house."
"Oh! You know Moosa too?" Shahina nodded in affirmative.
"Who else lives in there?" Kanwal asked without thinking.
"Moosa Bhai, Amma-bi, Owais Bhai, Bo-... I mean Yawar Bhai, me and other people. And sometimes Nats Api comes to stay too."
"And who lives here with Ahad?"
"Nats Api said he lives here alone." She said before going silent again, looking at her hands on her lap.
What's with this girl??? She talks like a sane person, but...
"You are going to live here from now on?"
"NO." She denied abruptly, "Ahad Bhai said that he will take me back home at night."
"So what's the purpose of you coming here?"
"He said he wants to introduce us and... you are missing your sister."
On Shahina's explanation, Kanwal went silent. She wasn't expecting this. To her, if Ahad would let her speak to her family even for a few minutes, it would've been better than this. But considering the generosity of the timid looking girl, Kanwal stopped herself from making any bitter comments.
"So... you are Moosa's sister?" Shahina shook her head in negative.
"Then?"
"I - I....." Shahina hesitated to answer, "Ahad Bhai will tell you."
"Why can't you tell me?" Kanwal frowned.
"Moosa Bhai and Ahad Bhai told me not... Bhabi, I will bring chai (tea) for you." She said abruptly and ran towards the kitchen.
"O-Kay." Kanwal mumbled, looking towards the exit of the room.
~*~
Kanwal spent her whole day on failed attempts of getting some inside information from Shahina. Ahad wasn't at home, so she could be a little relaxed and inquired Shahina. But every time Kanwal tried to ask something deep, Shahina's face quickly paled, leaving the impression on Kanwal that she might be experiencing something terrible which she is scared to tell.
Keeping this in mind, Kanwal tried her best to give her a good time and for a while, Kanwal felt relaxed. But her attention soon turns to Ahad who just came into the house. Wearing blue jeans and grey coloured shirt, he looked like the old Ahad on first glance, but on a proper look, his branded clothes, shoes, and his expensive wristwatch which peeks outside of his full-length sleeve every now and then, can easily differentiate the old and new Ahad apart.
Ahad casually walked into the dining room, where both Kanwal and Shahina were having dinner. He stood there, putting his hands on the back of Kanwal's chair. As soon as Shahina spotted Ahad, she quickly covered her head and got up.
"Have dinner with us." She invited Ahad, as her Amma-Bi taught her to invite the person who came in during your meal, to eat with you.
Ahad smiled at her sweet gesture and said half-jokingly, "Well, I cannot say no to my daughter, right?"
Shahina lowered her head on hearing his comment, which made Ahad chuckle.
"I'll be back after washing my hands," Ahad said, lightly brushing his fingers on Kanwal's cheek and left the room. Leaving something stirring up within Kanwal.
Disturbed by her feelings, Kanwal tried to focus on the delicious food Shahina made, but the food also failed to hold her attention any longer, especially when Ahad took a seat beside her. Kanwal squirmed in her seat, which didn't go unnoticed by Ahad.
Instead of giving Kanwal some space, Ahad brought his chair closer to her and asked her to serve him dinner. Kanwal frowned on his order, but remained silent and did what was told. They ate in silence. After dinner, as promised, Ahad dropped Shahina back at the main house and because of her insistence, Kanwal agreed to come with Ahad to drop her home.
On their way back home, Kanwal kept her attention towards the lights that pass by out the window, but still, she noticed how Ahad kept stealing glances of her and every time he looked at her direction, her heart makes a flip. She thought that Ahad wanted to say something, but no words came out from his mouth. On reaching home, Kanwal stormed into their bedroom. She wanted to sleep as soon as possible. Therefore, without wasting a single minute, she made her way to the bathroom and changed into her nightclothes. But to her luck, Ahad was standing next to the door of the bathroom when she came out. He grabbed Kanwal's arm and pulled her towards him.
"Aren't you done avoiding me?" Ahad said, looking into Kanwal's eyes. He knew that it wasn't easy for her to forgive him, but he wanted her to let out her anger instead of keeping it bottled up inside her. Her silence is making Ahad restless and he felt like he will lose his patience soon.
Kanwal stared back into his eyes and lowers her gaze, but didn't answer him.
"Kanwal?" Ahad lowered his face to her.
Yet again, she didn't answer him.
Ahad sighed, slowly circling his arms around Kanwal and put his head on her shoulder. His one hand-pulled Kanwal's body closer to him and the other slide into her loose hair.
Kanwal stood still, unable to understand Ahad's intention. But her heartbeats and breaths weren't steady as her position. His touch and breaths on her neck were making her knees weak. She wanted to cling to him too, to steady herself or to respond to his feelings, she wasn't able to understand her own self.
Kanwal's hands reached Ahad's back, but before they could touch him, Ahad suddenly tightened his grip on her, so tight that Kanwal is starting to suffocate.
"Ahad." Kanwal managed to choke.
"Hm?" He answered without raising his head.
"You are suffocating me." Ahad quickly loosens his grip but remained in the same position.
"I am at home." He whispered as he was reminding himself.
"Huh?" Kanwal couldn't understand what he meant.
Ahad didn't answer her. How could he? There is no way he could admit her the pleasure he felt when he touched her, how his nerves relaxed when Kanwal accepts his embrace, how easily she calms his restless soul. Ahad once feared that he might have lost Kanwal, or that she might have fallen in love with someone else, but having her in his life, in his embrace, after knowing that his place wasn't replaced, was more than he expected. How can he make Kanwal understand this?
Ahad pulled back his face to glance at Kanwal, who gave him a confused look then looked away when he silently stared at her.
If you avert your eyes from me, I don't know what would I do...
Ahad turned Kanwal's face back to him and gently press his lips to hers.
~*~
Kanwal was sitting on the stairs leading up to the roof, crying, while remembering her family. She wanted to talk to them, see them but Ahad wouldn't even allow her to talk to them on the phone.
Kanwal put her head on her knees when she saw Ahad approaching her.
"Get up. I'll drop you home." Ahad said and left.
She couldn't believe what just happened, but she rushed behind Ahad, wiping her tears. She didn't want to miss this chance, who knows if his mind will change. But it didn't change. Within half an hour, Kanwal was back with her family. Alina also called Mahnoor to come over to their house and Mahnoor came rushing to meet Kanwal.
Kanwal was happy to see her family and her best friend. Her mother made all of her favourite dishes for lunch, but when they were about to start eating, a loud bang on the door caught their attention. Before someone could open the door, it was broken down by some armed men - Black Eagle's men.
Without hesitating, they charge into the house, followed by Moosa, and behind him was Ahad.
"Why are you here? Ahad, what is all this?" Kanwal asked.
"I am sorry, but going against the rules wasn't the right thing to do." Ahad sighed and took out his gun, "Now I have to pay for my own mistake." He said, raising his gun towards Kanwal's mother.
"Ahad, what are you doing?!" Kanwal shouted.
Mahnoor was standing behind with Alina, trying to send her away through the back door, but was instantly caught by a man. Mahnoor tried to resist but was quickly held by Moosa himself from behind.
"You're a feisty one!" Moosa said, holding Mahnoor from the neck.
"Mahnoor!" Kanwal breathed out and quickly turned to Ahad for help, whose gun was aiming at her mother.
"Ahad, please don't! Please!" Kanwal pleaded, but soon her attention was diverted to Mahnoor, who was still struggling. But on the next moment, Moosa held her tightly and snapped her neck. The sound of a gunshot is followed, taking her mother to the floor, who was standing beside her.
"AMI...!" Kanwal screamed and tried to bend down to her, but was instantly pulled back.
~*~
"AMI...!" A loud scream from Kanwal woke Ahad up from a deep sleep. In the startled state, he sat up.
"Leave me!" Kanwal screamed again and that's when he realized what was happening.
"Kanwal, wake up." Quickly leaning towards Kanwal, Ahad patted her cheek and she instantly opened her eyes.
"It's okay, it was a dream." Ahad tried to calm Kanwal, sliding his fingers into her hair. But she quickly shoved his hand away and move to get off from the bed.
"Kanwal, wait." Ahad tugged her arm and pulled her onto the bed again.
"Where are you going?"
"Away from you."
Ahad made a displeased face and said, "Whatever I did in your dream wasn't my fault, so don't take out your anger on me."
Kanwal didn't answer, just stared down at her lap. Taking the hint that Kanwal might get his point, Ahad pushed her back onto the pillow by holding her shoulders and hover over her.
"Now go back to sleep." Ahad said in a low tone, despite the hateful look in Kanwal's eyes. As a response to disobedience, Kanwal turned her face to the other direction.
"I am not that bad that you despise me like this." He said, turning Kanwal's face to him again.
"I didn't see anything good in you in the past few days." Kanwal said with a straight face.
"Then give me a second chance." Ahad said, lowering his face to her and lightly brushed his lips on hers.
"I don't believe in second chances." Kanwal frowned and answer.
On hearing it, Ahad gave Kanwal a satisfying smile and place his head on Kanwals chest, after giving a kiss on her forehead.
You are free to believe whatever you want Kanwal, but you will eventually give me chances again and again...
Was the last thought in Ahad's mind before he went back to sleep.
__________________________________
Salam and hello everyone!
How was the chapter? I hope you all liked it.
Finally, the dates of my exams are announced, it is starting from 8 of Jan to 13 of Jan, means no more updates during this time.
I am sorry for making you wait again but... but.... but..... I will update a new chapter tomorrow. As your new year gift. :)
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Take Care :)