Zara's POV

I don't know why I feel the need to hug him at that time. Or perhaps I want to get consoled by someone. Maybe I need a shoulder to rest my head and cry till every burden will lift from my heart. I can feel Armaan's broad hand on my back slowly caressing my hair. He hasn't said anything till yet. Probably he is allowing me to cry my heart out.

And I am feeling this comforting feeling for the first time. This is the first time, I have someone so near to me in this state. It's like his hand running up and down along my hair is soothing me in an unknown way; so reassuring that the words can never be.

I sniffle my nose as I pull away from him. I rub my face with the back of my palm, my eyes still lowered. I abruptly look up at Armaan when he takes my hand in his and with the other hand, he wipes the tears off my face.

"Are you okay?" He asks in a whisper.

I hastily nod my head. I stare at his face blankly when he forwards the glass of water to me. I hesitate for a moment before taking it.

"What happened to you?" He again asks as he puts the glass back on the table.

Should I tell him?

"I...I am scared," I mumble.

He looks at me in confusion.

"Why?"

I don't reply to him because I myself don't have an answer. It will be so awkward to tell him everything. Instead, I divert my gaze from him as another tear escapes my ear. Armaan makes me face him by moving my chin. My eyes directly meet his blue ones which make me lower my eyes again. I close my eyes when I find his warm lips on my forehead. He again takes my hand in his hand and squeezes it.

"I think you have had a nightmare but you don't have to be afraid, I am with you, " he states in a low voice.

I look up at him with my swollen eyes. There is a sense of relief in his words which prompts me to nod my head.

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I gasp when I find Armaan's hand on my waist and in a split second, he pulls me into his chest.

"I don't what has happened but don't cry please," he whispers just above my head.

Just hearing this causes a sob to leave my mouth. Armaan tightens his grip on my waist and with the one hand, he takes my both hand resting on his chest in his big one.

I don't know why but I feel a sense of comfort in his arms. It's like I am safe now and no one can hurt me anymore. I feel the comfort in his arms which I have always been looking for. The solace which I have never ever got in my life. I wrap my arms around him and close my eyes. I can hear the beating of his heart just near to my ears and it kind of gives me a cons consolation.

Armaan kisses on my hair as he takes me totally in his embrace. And then I don't remember when I have gone to sleep.

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I slowly open my eyes and lazily look at my surrounding. My jaw drops seeing Armaan's arm around me and how close I am laying to him. This is when it hits me and I remember everything from last night. My head is resting on his chest and because of this, I am not able to see his face.

"Are you awake?" I hear Armaan's voice and with that, he lifts my face up so that I am directly looking at him.

There is no sign of irony or amuse on his face, there is just a bright smile as he softly tugs loose strands of my hair behind my ear. I can't believe I have been sleeping with him in that position since the night. My both hands are still on his chest which I pull away quickly as soon as I notice. I hastily get out of his embrace and sits up. I rub my forehead in anxiousness while remembering everything.

"Zara." Armaan calls me as he comes in front of me, "what's wrong? You can tell me. I may help you."

I look up at him. His expressions are grimace and serious. He places his hand on the side of my face and slowly rubs my cheek with his thumb.

"My...my Dad..." I stutter at my own words, again thinking that should I tell him or not.

"What's with your Dad?" He asks in a hurry.

I hesitate for a moment before finally, my mind urges me to just tell this to him or else I will die from this burden on my heart.

"He had got married before his death without telling me," I fix my gaze to a distant point on the wall as I say.

"What?"

"Yeah, I also get to know this just now. He didn't tell me about it. He didn't feel the need to tell this important aspect of his life to me; his daughter," A satire expression is on my face as a tear drops my eyes.

I can hear the deep sigh which escapes from Armaan's lips, "what if I tell you that what you are thinking is not at all like this?"

I abruptly stare back at him with eyes wide open with shock. He is already looking at me but his expressions right now are so unreadable. What he has said a while ago?

"I don't understand." I shrug my shoulders.

"Your father hadn't married anyone. All the things being told to you are false and fabricated by someone. The woman Rabia, right?... She isn't his wife or anything. She is just the wife of your Dad's one of the dearest workers. She is dead now, " he explains making my eyes get wider.

What is he saying? How does he know this? How does he know the name of that woman?

I stare blankly at Armaan when he throws a file on my lap.

"Everything was a lie. This is the property of your father which was seized illegally by your father. This is yours now as per his actual will."

I gaze at the black file on my lap in a baffled state. How does Armaan get all of this back?

"W...what is this? I mumble, more to myself.

"Zara." Armaan cups the side of my face, "your Dad has done nothing. He always loved you. Someone has manipulated his trust in him and has done all of this. But your father was really pure in his intentions."

"How do you know all of this?" I ask him.

I can see the look on his face changes to a troubled one. Why is it feeling like that he is hesitating?

"I...I got to know this when I was dealing with ending up your father's last office works. And then I try my best to get everything back. And now you don't have to cry. Everything is fine now." He smiles while taking my hand in his.

I never thought he will do this all for me. He doesn't even tell me about this.

"Who was the person who did it?"

There is again a tensed look that crosses his face. His lips purse into a thin line as he rubs his forehead.

"Some business partner of his. But that doesn't matter. Now I don't want to see a single tear in your eyes." He softly wipes my cheeks with his thumbs.

"Thanks, Armaan. I didn't know that..."

"Ssh. You don't have to thank me." He kisses my forehead as he tightly embraces my hand in his.

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<[ ONE MONTH GAP APPLIES HERE AS WELL]>

Shaiq's POV

I rub my wet hair with the help of a towel. Thank God, Zainab has got back to normal. Although I can't say she has completely become how she used to be, still, we have got back to the friend's term. She has started talking to me like how we used to do and that's the most important thing which I want.

I toss the towel on the bed and bend down to reach my T-shirt laying on it. Before I can reach it, the door suddenly knocks and within a blink of an eye, it gets opened with a bang. I stare at the door dumbfounded at who has opened it like some police trying to break into somewhere.

"Shaiq, Aunt is asking..."

Zainab stops talking as her jaw drops and eyes pop out in astonishment. Her stare moves from my upper body to my face. She blinks several times while her eyes are fixed on me. I am so baffled at this time to speak anything. Within a blink of an eye, she turns around on her heels and runs away while slamming the door to get close again.

I blankly gaze at the still to and fro moving door. What has happened to her? She was saying something but why did she stop? Why she was so shocked seeing me like I am an alien?

This is when I realize; I was shirtless when she came inside. In fact, I was going to wear one when she came and interrupted me. My gaze falls down to my bare chest and I rub my nape in embarrassment.

What the hell?

Zainab has just seen me shirtless. The look on her face at that time is so funny. I smile reminiscing what has happened. She is so cute.

My eyes divert to the shirt on the bed. I can't believe this! She has barged into the room without even waiting for my response. Again a smile appears on my face oblivious of my perception, reminding of her baffed face again.

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"Why are you packing your things, Shaiq?" Zainab asks me in confusion when she sees me throwing my clothes and other things in a bag.

"Because I am leaving," I tell her while putting the last shirt in the suitcase.

"Why? Where are you going?" She grabs my arm and makes me face her.

I seize my lower lip with my teeth to stop a laugh seeing popping puppy eyes and partially opened lips. Mom has asked me to take her to her farmhouse in the countryside for some time as It may help her to get refreshed in totally new surroundings and the fresh atmosphere of that area. According to her, it will help Zainab to get over her family and all the bad memories from here. At first, I was reluctant to do so as I thought I may not be able to take care of her alone, without Mom's support. But now as I have come to think of this, I suppose it's better for Zainab to forget and stay away from her past as soon as possible.

"Silly, not me but you are also coming with me," I slightly hit on her forehead.

"But where?"

"Mom's farmhouse." I zip the suitcase and pull it down on the floor.

"You haven't told me, Shaiq. And I haven't packed my things. How can I go?" She places her hands on her waist.

"Your everything is packed and already settled in the car. Now let's go. We are already late." I grab her arm with my one hand as my other one handles the suitcase.

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I push my foot on the race of the car repeatedly but to my despair, the car doesn't move. Although we have reached the countryside, the farmhouse is still some distance away from where we have got stuck.

"What happens?" Zainab asks me.

"I don't know. Let me see." I open the car's door of my side to get off but I again stop to look back at Zainab, "you wait inside till then, okay?"

She nods her head and with that, I quickly get out of the car. I head towards the front side and open the bonnet. The smoky steam coming out of it has just ascertained it that the car has got heat up. I come back to the car in order to get some water to add to the engine. But my heart stops beating in terror when I notice Zainab's absence.

Where has she gone?

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Salam guys!

So I am back with another chapter.

Where do you think Zainab has gone?

So nothing more to say, if you like this chapter, don't forget to vote and comment.

Allah Hafiz!