"Behind your beautiful smile you still hid the pain and you still fought the storms.
Behind your kindness and generosity,you still had your demons and remorse consuming you.
Behind your love there were still fresh stains of memories and ropes of other relationships that stopped you from loving and going to the one person you loved...."
You ever experienced that uneasiness where you feel like you're choking and all the air s just sucked out of you, your tears are threatening to fall and they blur your vision while it takes every ounce of energy to control the sob that your lips just want to release?
Well, Anabiya was suffering through it at this very moment.
No matter how confident and positive she looked from the outside, from within she was suffering.
She may have wore the facade of carelessness and acceptance in front of Arhaan and in front of the world, but only she knew the pain she was suffering beneath the mask of fake emotions that were now stitched and sewned into her skin.
Anabiya didn't take the news of transfer in a good way.
She might have pretended to, in front of Arhaan but in reality the thought of her going away from Arhaan and losing the only chance of seeing him was killing her.
Wasn't it something she actually wanted?
She might have tried to avoid Arhaan in every possible way but there were no second thoughts on the fact that catching one glimpse of Arhaan and hearing her name from him always lighted a spark inside her and gave her life.
But sadly, the person about whom this all was, is the only person who snatched away the only, tiny leaf she was clinging on.
Anabiya almost ran towards her office, holding her broken self only wishing for this ground to open and swallow her.
As soon as she reached to her office, she slammed the door shut and the tears started to flow freely as if the clear, salty water was waiting for an eternity to be released.
Sobs started to escape her lips and Anabiya felt weak in her knees and she finally slipped on the floor, giving up.
She covered her mouth with her palm to stop herself from being vulnerable but all in vain.
So she gave up. She let her heart throw off the grief, pain and melancholy which it held in for a very long time.
Anabiya could feel her face getting hot while her lungs ached for the air.
She took deep breaths to calm herself down which only resulted in her crying some more and hysterical sobbing.
After being drained of energy and tears being dried, Anabiya's emotional attack finally came to a halt.
Her whole body felt numb while her eyes and head were the exact opposite.
She massaged her eyes and her forehead to cease the pain but it didn't help.
Anabiya tried to get off the floor, only to be dragged down again by her own physical self.
Who said emotional trauma can't affect your physical form?
After calming herself for a few more minutes, Anabiya was finally able to get up and walk towards her chair.
She opened her phone's front camera and winced.
Her face was red and pink, her kohl was smudged, lipstick a bit out of place and her hijab needed to be fixed too. Dried tear stains were clearly visible on her cheeks and she knew she had to fix her face before anyone notices her.
Anabiya grabbed the face wipe from her bag and wiped her face in an attempt to wipe away all the pain too.
Only if it was that easy.......
......................
Arhaan Abdul Saeed.....
He always had this different aura.
He was brave, confident and smart.
People always said he had two personalities.
Unlike his brother. Humaid was always easy going. Be it work or life.
But Arhaan?
The guy was just like his brother when it was life.
But when it came to work or his goals, Arhaan was a strict one.
Arhaan must've achieved almost everything he wanted or was certain on achieving, but he surely did lose the one thing he truly wanted.
Love.
And the only person who was the definition of love for him.
Anabiya.
Arhaan stared at the paper in front of him. The paper which had contents relating to Anabiya's transfer and her signature.
Arhaan's hold tightened over the heavy pen he was holding and he could feel the nib pressing against his skin. But instead of loosening his grip, he held it more tighter, as he let his anger drown him.
He was pissed off at himself for taking such a rash decision of transferring Anabiya. He wasn't in favour of letting her go but he knew he had to.
It wasn't easy for him to see her everyday and not feel for her. He knew it was wrong for loving someone who was not even his to love, while cheating on someone who loved him.
He couldn't hopelessly be in love with Anabiya and care for her while she was with Omar and he was with Sanaya.
Arhaan winced in pain as he felt the pen getting broken and the nib thrusting more into his skin, thus cutting it open.
He could feel the blood dripping and the flesh ripped more and more.
But trust me, the physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional one.
Arhaan knew he should let go of Anabiya and move on and get over her. But there was just one thing that was stuck in his mind.
"But what if I can never get over you?"
........................
"Anabiya I'm so done with all your tantrums!", Anabiya could sense the anger laced in her mother's voice over the phone.
"Mumma but I'm actually really tired....", Anabiya weakly protested for the fifth time.
"You're twenty one and you're behaving as if you're sixty. I'm forty five and after teaching around five hundred students if I can have the energy to shop, then you can surely have some too.", Fatima commanded and Anabiya sighed.
"You obviously didn't cry for thirty minutes straight!", Anabiya commented, obviously inside her head.
"Mumma you know what I like and what I don't. Just buy whatever you feel will look good on me!", Anabiya tried once more.
"No. Your taste is different from mine and we are going for shoe shopping too. So obviously I'll need you. So no more tantrums and be here with Sanaya!", Fatima ordered with finality in het voice and ended the call.
And Anabiya knew today was definitely not her day.
After about thirty minutes, Sanaya arrived.
"Arhaan will be dropping us.", Sanaya informed.
Anabiya who was lightly massaging her forehead immediately looked towards Sanaya and raised her left brow.
"My car still hasn't arrived and my work was done so I directly came here. A friend from work dropped me. Hafsa aunty ordered Arhaan to take us to the mall.", Sanaya informed and Anabiya nodded.
Anabiya's crying session and the stress was killing her in the form of headache and as a result, she soon caught fever too.
Arhaan on the other hand now had a pretty bad wound on his right hand which was bandaged. Thanks to his personal assistant who was like a friend to him.
"I'm sorry for making you ladies wait.", Arhaan apologised as he approached the girls.
He noticed Anabiya's swollen face and puffy eyes.
Though Anabiya had tried her best to cover it with makeup and even took Tanya's help in doing so but well, Arhaan remembers Anabiya's face more than his own self and he instantly knew something was wrong.
Anabiya too noticed the bandage around his wrist but decided to keep her mouth shut.
To be honest, she was mad at Arhaan for dropping such a bomb.
The Saeed Industries was like her second home and leaving it and her friend Tanya was really upsetting her.
And leaving Arhaan? Well that pain was inevitable.
As they walked towards the car, Arhaan was just waiting for the moment to be left alone with Anabiya but that was impossible with Sanaya being clinging to his side.
Arhaan brought the car and came out to open the door for the ladies but to his disappointment, Anabiya opened the back door and settled in the back.
"Ahem.... Anabiya. You don't look too well.", Arhaan said and Sanaya abruptly stopped.
"She's tired.", Sanaya replied instead.
"It looks more like fever.", Arhaan replied back.
"Why does it matter?", this was Anabiya.
Arhaan and Sanaya looked at her who was peacefully settled in the back.
"Uhm... uh.... because it's said that if you're feverish and feeling nauseous then you should sit in the front....", Arhaan tried his best to come up with a logical explanation but the girls weren't convinced.
Arhaan wanted Anabiya by his side and our boy was trying hard but to no avail.
"She looks comfortable in the back though.", Sanaya said and Anabiya nodded.
Arhaan sighed and held open the door for Sanaya and Sanaya settled in the passenger seat.
As Arhaan came to his side and settled in the driving seat, he stared Anabiya through the mirror and when their eyes met, Anabiya took a deep breath and averted her eyes.
Reluctantly.
Anabiya's gaze went towards Arhaan's bandaged hand and she couldn't help but get worried.
Sanaya was going on about how beautiful Bali is and Arhaan was politely listening to her and was just replying whenever necessary.
As the car started moving, Arhaan rolled the windows down and Anabiya smiled. It was a reflex actually.
Sanaya scrunched up her brows in confusion and Arhaan just concentrated on driving.
"Why did you roll down the windows?", Sanaya finally asked when she realised Arhaan ain't looking at her nor her expressions.
"Anabiya gets kinda nauseous whenever the car is packed. And as she's already not well, I guess it's better to keep the windows down.", Arhaan replied and Sanaya gave a stiff nod.
"Thankyou.", Anabiya thanked him and Arhaan nodded.
The whole ride was silent except for Sanaya and her complaints regarding how polluted the air was and how everyone should keep their cars packed.
Anabiya sighed and was about to tell Arhaan to close the windows but was interrupted by her phone.
"I like me better when I'm with you.....", the ringtone busted through the speaker and Anabiya quickly answered the call.
Yeah our girl likes keeping her favourite songs as her ringtone!
"Assalamualaikum..... Yes yes. Yeah she's with me. Arhaan is dropping us, don't worry....", Anabiya was talking in a low voice but Arhaan was able to hear it all, obviously his attention is always on his girl.
"No it's fine, Omar! You don't have to. We'll be with our mothers so don't worry, Doc!", Anabiya said and Arhaan slammed his palm on the vehicle horn and then tightened his grip over the steering wheel.
Sanaya ignored it thinking it was traffic taking a toll on Arhaan's patience while Anabiya thought the same.
Anabiya ended the call and her eyes again went towards Arhaan's hand which was now again bleeding.
Before Anabiya could say anything, they reached and Sanaya immediately got out, looking pissed off.
"It's so hot and you decided to keep the A.C. off and the windows open! My hair is a mess and I'm literally burning because of the heat!", Sanaya said fanning herself.
Arhaan and Anabiya alighted from the car too.
They both looked at each other because they knew Sanaya was overreacting because let's be honest, it wasn't that hot and Sanaya's hair looked perfectly fine.
Anabiya stepped towards her to calm her down but she was again interrupted by her phone.
This time it was Ruhina.
"I'm heading inside. Finish your call and stuff and meet me inside.", Sanaya said and left.
Arhaan sighed in relief and Anabiya immediately rushed towards Arhaan.
"Your hand is bleeding!", she whisper yelled and Arhaan looked at his blood soaked, bandaged palm.
Arhaan felt a spark when Anabiya held it for a second to check out the wound and then rummaged through her bag.
"You're so careless.... Who told you to let your frustration out on the poor steering wheel? Infact who told you to drive in the first place?", Anabiya scolded and Arhaan just smirked.
Anabiya sighed in relief as soon as she laid her hands on the ointment and bandaid she'd been searching for in her bag. She pulled them out and she caught Arhaan smirking.
"And you have the audacity to smirk? Unbelievable, Arhaan Abdul Saeed, Unbelievable!"
Arhaan smirk changed into a boyish grin.
"I love seeing you getting mad at me.", Arhaan teased while Anabiya shooted him a glare as she grabbed some tissue papers. Again, from her bag.
"That's what you've been doing since the day you stepped into my life.", Anabiya muttered which fortunately or unfortunately, Arhaan didn't hear.
"Haath dijiyein...", Anabiya ordered.
"Haath kya, aap dil bhi rakhlo.", Arhaan muttered under his breath as he pulled his hand out.
Anabiya was opening the bandage that was now kinda soaked with fresh blood and Arhaan could see how concentrated and focused Anabiya was.
"Anabiya...."
"Hmm?"
"Why do you have a whole first aid kit in your bag?", Arhaan questioned and Anabiya chuckled.
"According to my Mumma, I'm clumsy. And there have been times were I've injured my self while travelling. So she always asks me to keep extra band aids and this skin ointment with me.", Anabiya explained and then discarded the blood soaked bandaged.
"I can see Snickers popping outta your bag too.", Arhaan pointed out.
"Yeah, I have a mini snack machine in there too.", Anabiya joked which was partly true and Arhaan laughed.
Anabiya was always scared of blood. She always used to give the doctors a hard time whenever she would go for a blood test or anything. She almost fainted when she saw her father's bleeding hand which he managed to accidently cut while peeling some veggies. Anabiya even avoided watching the goats getting slaughtered on Eid.
But here she was, cleaning up Arhaan's wound, leaving all her fears behind.
She loved Arhaan. No doubt. And there's no chance of her leaving him with a wounded, bleeding hand.
Anabiya carefully applied the ointment and then the bandaid at the main wound.
"Why is this wound like a weird.... hole?", Anabiya's question bursted the bubble of joy Arhaan was feeling.
He remembered the dumb thing of transferring Anabiya he did today and again regretted it.
"Uhm... I accidently kept my hand on the pen....", Arhaan lamely said and Anabiya looked at him suspiciously, obviously not buying it.
She shrugged and again concentrated on the wound.
"Okayyyyy! It's done. This is for you for being a good boy!", Anabiya grinned as she gave Arhaan the Snickers bar.
"Thanks, Ma'am.", Arhaan thanked Anabiya and opened the chocolate wrapper and gave half the bar to Anabiya and ate the other half himself.
Anabiya saw Ruhina's missed calls and hurriedly grabbed her bag.
"C'mon. Everyone's waiting.", she said and Arhaan looked at her as if she had grown three heads.
"I'm not coming with you ladies. No.", he said in utter horror.
"There's no way I'm letting you drive with that injured hand of yours. So yes, you're coming with me.", Anabiya stated and started walking and Arhaan sighed, but nonetheless grabbed his phone and car keys and followed her.
Our boy is smart. He knew there's no point in arguing with your girl when she's already upset with you.
He texted Reza to come pick him up and then followed Anabiya, catching up with her in just two long strides.
And as they walked together, all Arhaan wished was for this moment to never end.
He lost himself inside of her, she found herself inside of him....
Oh how much they loved this game of Hide and Seek!
..................
A/n: Okayyyy so here's the new chapter!
I'm so sorry for this late update but I've been so busy with uni, health and stuff. Also my exams have started from today itself so yeah.
Please remember me in your Duas.
Also Vote, Comment and Share.
Oh btw, I'm very much excited for the new book which I'll be updating soon.
I'll soon publish the prologue or Intro.
Oh and that's Arhaan in the media section. *winks*
I LOVE RAFAEL!
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