I'm sorry!! I know I'm late!! Please Ignore mistakes!!!

"Zeenat, what are you doing tonight?" Sunanda asked.

"Nothing. I'm all alone tonight." Zeenat said.

"Then come with me. We are having a party at my place."

"Thank you, but I want to be alone for some time."

"Ok. But just in case you change your mind don't hesitate to come."

"Yeah sure."

Zeenat took her handbag and left the school. Jahan and Izaan went to Mumbai for their cousin's wedding. It was for the first time when Zeenat was going to live alone in a house. When she was a young girl she always use to think and make plans of what she will do when she will be all alone. She never got a chance before. But now she had many plans for her three days adventure of living alone. It's her last day of living alone today. Jahan and Izaan will be back tomorrow. So she was planning to do everything that she wanted to do as a child. 

She went to a departmental store to buy few things. She was planning to make their favourite food tomorrow. Jahan and Izaan did a lot for her,from giving her place to live to helping her to complete her education. Izaan never talks to her but he always supported her financially as well as emotionally. She never told Jahan but once she was crying in the middle of the night and when she thought no one was there for her,Izaan came to her rescue.

Jahan was sleeping and Zeenat was sitting in the balcony of the living room. Izaan saw her. He came and sat on the chair which was right next to the sliding door. She still remembers​ ​his words,

"Everything will be fine. I know now it's difficult for you to believe that but trust me everything will be fine." Zeenat didn't reply to that but she stopped crying. After taking a long pause he said,"everything depends on you. Your​ actions will decide your future now. Either you will find a way to live or you will destroy your life. Realise what is right and what is wrong before taking any step. Trust Allah. Jahan and I are always here."

Zeenat was thankful for Jahan and Izaan. When she ran from her house she had no idea where to go but after eight months of living with strangers she was happy to say that she has a family and a small house.  Although she never thought of living in a small house and thinking million times before spending one rupee was something she found funny earlier but now she was happy. Even if she was living in a golden cage with all facilities and luxuries it was still a cage. No one likes to live in a cage,because freedom is what we all want.

Zeenat came out of the departmental store and she had a big smile on her face. She was thinking about how life has changed and how much she loves this new life. But that smile vanished as soon as she saw someone on the other side of the road. She gasped and her eyes became wide. 

"Rizwan."

She instantly went back inside the store. Her heart was beating fast and on a cold winter evening she was sweating like she had just completed her twenty minutes long workout. She froze and her brain had stopped working. She was thinking what to do that will save her when she saw her cousin walking towards the store. Her eyes become more wide. She turned around and started searching for a place to hide. She entered one section which was far away from the entrance. She looked around and found herself in the sweet section. Her cousin loves Sweets so he was definitely going to come there. She turned around again ready to leave when she saw him coming towards her. She froze again. He came closer, her heart started to beat faster. She thought everything was over now. All her efforts,all the risk that she took,all her dreams everything came crashing down. He was just few inches away when she looked down all ready to a surrender.

As he came closer he said,"Excuse me."

Zeenat instantly moved to her right. He walked past her and started looking for his favourite cake. Zeenat frowned in confusion,not able to understand what had happened. Then realisation hit her. She was wearing a niqab. She took a deep breathe and started walking when she froze again.

"Abba."

This time she knew her father will recognise her so she turned to her left and started behaving as if she was busy shopping. 

"Rizwan, let's leave."

"Jee Bade Abbu."

they started walking towards her again. She did not move or did anything that would attract their attention.

"Do you think Zeenat can be here?" Abba asked.

"I don't think so. Shimla is not so far from Kashmir. She is probably living somewhere where it takes days to reach. Why will she come here?"

Zeenat slowly followed them to see where they were going. as soon as they left the store she closed her eyes. 

"Because she is an idiot!"

Zeenat waited for their car to start. Once their car was out of her sight she started running towards her house. She started walking slowly and carefully when she realised her father's car went in the same direction as her apartment. She was continuously looking in all the directions. Closer she got to her building faster her legs ran. She was just one turn away and unknowingly​ she smiled. But that smile could not last for long. As soon as she took the turn she saw her father and cousin standing near her building. 

Zeenat slowly looked up,"Allahtala why!?"

Tears started flowing down her cheeks. Slowly her head came down and she looked at them. After struggling a lot in her life all she wished was peace and nothing else. This time she lost it. She started walking towards her father. Zeenat wanted to ask many questions.She wanted to ask why he always slapped her when he was at fault, why she was always locked in her room for fighting for her rights, why he always insulted her,Why he hates her so much and if he hates her then why was he searching her now. She wanted answers​ for all her questions.

***

"Alhumdulillah that was amazing! I never expected I will enjoy so much in Ofaira's wedding." Jahan said with a big smile on her face.

Izaan smiled,"Alhumdulillah."

"I'm so excited to meet Zeenat! I hope she likes this surprise!"

"Surprise? Jahan we are just 24 hours early."

"Exactly! We are here 24 hours before she is expecting us. In normal man's language it is called surprise."

"Ok."

Jahan smiled as soon as her building came into view.

'I missed this building so much!"

"We were gone for just few days jahan. You are behaving as if we are coming back after years."

"I'm just excited to meet her."

Izaan opened the lift door and kept their bag inside.once everyone was in he closed it again . soon they reached their floor. They came out of the lift and strated walking towards their apartment.

Jahan suddenly frowned and turned around to face her brother,"The door is lock."

"She is not home I guess."

"Yeah. You have keys, right?"

"Yes."

Izaan pulled out his wallet from his pocket and started searching for the key. After few seconds he handed the key to jahan and she opened the door. 

"Assalamu alayekum wa rahmatullahi wa barkatuhu." Jahan said loudly.

"Walekum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barkatuhu." Izaan replied softly.

Izaan brought the bag inside and Jahan went to the kitchen. Izaan kept the bag near the sofa before sitting down on the it. Jahan brought water for them from the kitchen and sat​ next to her brother.

"I think she is working late."

"Ok."

"What's the time bhai?"

Izaan checked the time in his phone,"4:15."

"We have almost an hour before magrib."

"Then I will sleep for some time."

"Ok."

After Izaan was gone Jahan tried calling Zeenat but no responce.After trying few more times Jahan decided to take a bath. Usually it takes her fifteen minutes but today she came out in just ten minutes. She thought Zeenat will come any time now and she wanted to open the door and see her reaction. Jahan was very excited to meet Zeenat. 

But as the hours passed her excitement slowly left her. Zeenat usually comes​ back home around three but today she was late. Soon the clock hit nine. Jahan and Izaan didn't say a word but their faces showed they were worried. 

"She is really late."Izaan finally said.

"I know. I'm so worried. Where is she?"

"Did you call her?"

"Ninety nine times."

"Call one last time."

"Ok." 

Jahan called Zeenat once again but again her phone was switched off. She shook her head and Izaan stood up. Jahan followed his action.

"What are we going to do now?" Jahan asked.

"I will go and search for her."

"I will come with you."

"No you stay here just in case she comes back."

"Please."

Izaan's phone started ringing,"Kamran is here. Don't worry we will look in each and every corner."

"Ok."

Soon Izaan left. Jahan kept calling Zeenat but no use. She was trying hard to stop all the negative thoughts in her mind but she was not able​ to do that. While planning for her surprise she never thought this will happen.

After an hour the door bell rang. Jahan ran towards the door and to her disappointment it was her brother and his friend.

"And?"

"We searched everywhere but." Izaan said.

"Ya Allah."

Izaan and Kamran come in the room and Jahan closed the door. Jahan sat on the chair and boys sat on the sofa. They were quietly sitting like that for a really long time. 

After some more time Kamran hesitated for few seconds before saying,

"I thing you both should check your things."

"Why?" Izaan asked.

"What if she..." 

Before kamran could complete his sentence Jahan looked at him and he stopped immediately. 

"It's possible, right?" Kamran asked.

"What is possible?" Jahan asked.

"Maybe again maybe she was a thief."

"You don't even know her."

"Yeah but...."

"Then don't judge!" 

"Jahan." Izaan said to calm her down.

Jahan looked away. Kamran looked at Izaan but to his surprise even Izaan looked away.

"At least look around. You will get some clue about where she vanished."

"She is not a thief!"

"Ok then prove me wrong. Go and check your room." Kamran said a bit louder.

"Ok." Jahan said before standing up.

She stormed out of the room to prove him wrong. Kamran looked at Izaan and raised his eyebrows,

"Come on prove me wrong!"

Izaan slowly stood up and started walking towards his room. Kamran followed him and then they checking if everything was in it's original place or not. Everything in Izaan's room was at the same place and nothing was missing.They came back and found Jahan standing near the sofa with her hands folded,

"Anything missing!?" jahan asked, her eyebrow high up.

"No."Kamran replied 

"Same​ in my room. In fact even all her things are in there."

"Ok."

Jahan kept staring Kamran as if he did a big crime of doubting Zeenat. After she was done scaring him she turned to her brother.

"Bhaijaan do something! Maybe she is in trouble."

"I think it's really soon to go to police so we need to do something ourselves."Kamran said.

"Let's​ go and again look for her. This time we will go inside her school." Izaan said.

"Ok." Kamran said after nodding his head.

"I will stay here and wait for her?" Jahan asked.

"Yes." Izaan said.

"Fine but come back soon."

"InshaAllah."

"And come with her!"

"We will try to."Kamran said.

Jahan did not reply and chose to ignore him.Kamran frowned but he knew she was worried so even he decided to ignore. 

"Jahan call me if she comes back."

"InshaAllah. I hope she is fine." Jahan said

Izaan turned around and walked out of their apartment before saying,

"I hope the same."