16th Sept, 2019

Longing was the word, Shumail could best describe his feelings with. His friends that were his life, he didn't even try to meet them or at least be in contact with them, for one whole year. He went away from them, changed his contact number, stopped checking mails, as if he practically deleted himself from their lives. All that because of just one incident.

He didn't know what he should think himself of. An idiot? A fool?

Even after knowing everything, he still ended up falling for that innocent face of the only girl that dared to mess with his life so beautifully, though just because of a plan but she still ended up entering his life and changing it drastically. It was just a facade but not only his, her heart too began to beat for him, and they both fell for each other, hard.

They both knew well enough that they both would have to separate ways sooner or later, but they could do nothing in the matters of hearts. They were helpless.

Guess that's why they not only ended up hurting each other but themselves too?

Shumail sighed unable to get control over his emotions. Returning back to Toronto after almost a year, his emotions were all over the place. He was reminded of the situations and those conditions because of which he had left the country and returning back felt overwhelming. Still putting aside every thought, he put on a broad smile as he took hold of his bagpack and threw it over his right shoulder casually and holding onto his small of a suitcase, he began walking out of the airport.

He had just exited when his eyes landed on his friends who were awaiting his arrival and upon noticing them, he felt his eyes moisten. He began taking quick steps and upon noticing him coming, Zaid was the first to run his way only to land a punch on his jaw out of anger. Shumail's head fell to the side and Zaid immediately caught his arm when he lost his balance.

"Do you have any effing idea what you did? To us?" Zaid's anger knew no bound. "What on earth where you thinking when you casually decided to walk out of our lives! You don't care a single percent about us, do you?"

Shumail opened his mouth to speak but Zaid cut him off as he said, "Not a single excuse I want!" Zaid's anger filled gaze made Shumail shut his lips tight as he pressed them in a thin line.

Shumail's gaze travelled to Shahmeer and Aahil who were standing a step back from where Zaid stood as he looked at them for help, but their gazes were filled with hurt and anger too. How else were they supposed to react!

"I'm...sorry." Came an apology in a mere whisper from Shumail.

"Wow!" Zaid exclaimed. "A sorry and an year long punishment should be forgotten, right?"

"I wasn't in my senses. I had to go away in order to not let my wounded self harm my loved ones." Shumail said, trying to get a hold of himself as he tried his best to keep his voice stable.

"You idiot!" He exclaimed as his fist went up to hit him again and Shumail's eyes closed on instinct but Zaid just couldn't bring himself to hit him again and instead, holding Shumail's hand he pulled him and wrapped his hands around his neck, hugging him tightly. Zaid wasn't ready to pull back, he missed him so much. Unknowingly his tears spilled and Shumail's eyes were shedding tears too as his hands went around Zaid's back and wrapped while he rested his head on his shoulder, finding comfort after what felt like an eternity.

"Meri drama queen. Tujhe aadat hai na sab akele sehne ki! Kyu tu hamesha sari taqleef akele jhelta hai!" Zaid complained, pulling back from the hug as he wiped Shumail's tears with his thump before he wiped his own cheeks.
(My drama queen. You always keep everything to yourself! Why don't you ever share your problems!)

"Apno ko kaise taqleef du yaar." Shumail answered, giving Zaid a sad smile.
(How can I burden my loved ones with my problems.)

"Teri yahi aadat dil jeet leti hai." Aahil spoke before pulling him a tight hug. "Mai to yeh bhi nahi pooch sakta kaisa hai. I can say, simply looking at you, that you aren't fine."
(And that's the habbit of yours that wins everyones heart.) (I can't even ask how you are.)

"Whatever it was you shouldn't have left!" Came a cold voice belonging to Shahmeer and Shumail pulled back, wiping his tears as he looked at Shahmeer who stood facing the other side, trying to hold back his anger and tears. "It meant you consider us nothing." The hurt on Shahmeer's face couldn't go unnoticed by Shumail. He moved to him and wrapped his hand around Shahmeer, resting his head on his shoulder. Though Shumail was just 6 months younger to Shahmeer but Shahmeer still treated him as his baby brother, taking care of his needs, likes and dislikes from the time they met. Knowing Shumail's personality, Shahmeer knew well enough that Shumail never speak for himself, nor does he let anyone know if he was hurting, Shahmeer would always be very protective of him.

"It's because you guys mean everything to me, that I left." Still hugging Shahmeer, Shumail answered. He noticed that Shahmeer didn't hug him back as he pulled back to look at him.

"You knew I will hack down your location, that's why you changed every contact detail of yours, didn't you? Not even your secretary knew where you went!" Shahmeer complained still looking away from him and Shumail felt tears brim his eyes again.

"I wanted to be alone." Came his answer in a small whisper, fearful of Shahmeer's reaction.

"Why! Why would you even want that! Why everytime you want to cage yourself in your shells! How many more times Shumail!" Shahmeer exclaimed in anger. "At the time of your parent's accident, you had totally shut us out. It took months for us to make our way back in your life! This time again?" Shahmeer couldn't control himself and his voice trembled at the end, his words showing his anger clearly.

"I'm sorry." Shumail choked on his words as he tightened his grip around Shahmeer and hugged him again. "Please."

On his plea, Shahmeer couldn't control himself as his right hand went around Shumail and he hugged him back. "I won't forgive you ever for doing this to yourself." Shahmeer said and in answer, Shumail just hugged him more tightly as if feeling safe in his embrace.

The three were hurt, but they were hurt because Shumail was hurting himself, going through all the pain and hardship alone. Instead of letting it all out, sharing his pain with them, he was burying everything in himself, not wanting to burden them with his problems.

"Repeat such a stunt again, and that will be the end of our friendship." Zaid threatened pulling him back by holding his overcoat collar from behind. Shumail couldn't say anything as his head went down in guilt.

***

"You sure you don't want us coming over?" Aahil questioned over the phone and Shumail nodded as if he could see him. He took a turn and was out of his neighbourhood, walking in the chilly night, his hands stuffed in his overcoat pocket to keep them from freezing.

"Yeah will be going to office after almost a years, have so much work to get done. I guess I'll be staying up all night?" Shumail spoke unsure, his lips curling in a frown. His footsteps echoed in the silence as he walked but the silence was immediately gone when he entered the main street. The noise of cars coming and going, people chatting around as they walk by, faint music that could be heard coming from a nearby shop from where Shumail passed by, disturbed the defining and comforting silence, making Shumail shake his head in disappointment.

"Be sure to have your dinner and don't stay up all night." Came the instructions from Aahil as Shumail smiled, nodding again.

"Yeah I'm heading to buy myself some pizza. I'm taking all you guy's advice and tryna return to my normal life. It will be tough, nearly impossible but if you guys promise to be there, I'm sure I will." Shumail said, putting on a smile. He spotted the pizza place and taking the small of a stairs, he headed to the door and opening it he entered, the bells ringing indicating the owner of a new customer.

"We're always there for you, unless you decide to shut us out again." He could sense the hurt in Aahil's tone but not wanting to bring up the topic again, Aahil quickly changed it as he questioned, "So, will you be joining us to the gym tomorrow morning like you used to?"

"If I could win against the temptation of not leaving my bed in the chilly morning then sure I'll join." He chuckled, scratching the back of his neck.

"Chicken cheeseburst pizza with extra olives please. It's a take away." Shumail placed his order at the counter and until it's ready, he decided to sit at one of the empty tables in the corner, watching the people pass by.

"Shumail?" Aahil's voice sounded unsure as he spoke.

"Yeah?"

"What have you decided?" He questioned making Shumail's eyebrows to furrow in confusion.

"About what?"

"You really don't want to get back with Eram?" Came the question he was dreading that he would be asked. Shumail simply didn't knew what he wanted. Neither he wanted it nor he wanted to let go.

"Aahil please.."

"You can't run away from it everytime Shumail. Either you want to get back with her or just let go of her. You have to choose!" Aahil said and Shumail put his face in his hands.

"I mean I don't know. What she did, I can't bring myself to forget it. I don't think I will be able to trust her again." Shumail answered honestly.

"But you're doing much worse to her Shumail." Aahil reminded making Shumail sigh. "If you had been living hurting yourself this past year, then she was no less." Shumail went all ears as Aahil spoke. "Not a week went by that she didn't call me to ask about you. She would go to the Ibrahim mansion every week, just to feel your essence in it. Did you not find your house just the way you left it, she made sure of it. If she could wish for anything then that would be to meet you in some different circumstances." Aahil said.

Reminded of her, a tiny part of him too wished that he should've met her in different situation and not through the one which destroyed their lives so drastically.

"How will I be able to trust her again!" Shumail said as if more to himself.

"Then just let her go. You move on and let her move on too. She's still in your nikaah remember?" Aahil's voice rose a bit.

Shumail didn't wanted to think about it the least bit.

Letting go, he didn't think he could do that.

"Today or tomorrow, she'll surely visit the mansion to know your whereabouts and when you both come face to face, have you decided what you will do?" Aahil asked. "Will you run away again?"

It had already been a week that I came back. If she visits often like Aahil is saying then why hasn't she visited yet?

Instead of what Aahil was asking, Shumail's mind was running elsewhere.

He wouldn't admit but he still was thinking about her.

"Are you even listening to me!" Shumail was brought out of his thoughts on Aahil's voice but before he could reply anything to Aahil, he saw a commotion outside. His eyebrows srunched and he wondered what happened.

"I'll call you back." He informed before he cut the call and removed his earphones, even before Aahil could say anything, and without taking his order, he headed out and towards where the people have began to gather. He walked himself ahead of the crowd with much difficulty and when he reached the front, he saw that a car had hit someone. His eyes went to the person who was hit and he found a girl lying on the street, bleeding severely.

The car driver approached the girl and cautiously turned around and Shumail was left shocked and frozen on his place. There lay Eram, on the cold street covered in blood, groaning in pain. He stood numb on his spot for a minute until he was pushed by the crowd. His eyes went around and back at the semi unconscious form of Eram. In that moment, everything that had happened was forgotten. Nothing mattered as if it had never happened.

In a quick moment Shumail was beside her form lying on the ground and looking at her face, he could see she was in immense pain.

"Someone call an ambulance!" He shouted, looking around not knowing what to do. He was regretting not bringing his car but having his cellphone with him, he took it out with trembling hands as he tried to call the ambulance.

"It would be too late till the ambulance comes, lets get her in my car." The person who had hit her said and Shumail nodded quickly. He immediately bent down to get his hands under her knees and back carefully when he heard the one name he hadn't thought she would remember in that moment.

"Shumail."

His heart clenched at that. It was a mere whisper but he still felt how painful it was for her to even say his name.

"I'm here." He assured in his most soothing voice, as he carefully lifted her up in his arms, her groans of pain not going unheard by him before her eyes closed and she fell unconscious. Shumail panicked when her hand slided off him and quickly getting in the backseat with her in his lap, he tried to wake her up tapping on her cheeks.

"Please drive quickly." He instrusted, his heart constricting at the sight of his unconscious wife lying in his lap, hanging between death and life.

It was as if the history was repeating.

But the first time, it was a planned accident and this time, it was destiny's game.

The first time was for the two of them to meet and this time probably to unite them back again?

Or break them apart forever..!

Assalamualaikum!

Back with an update :D

How was the chap? Aah what do you think will happen next?

Will Shumail accept Eram again or their ways will part?

Let me know your thoughts ;)

Until next time...kia koa!