A woman came asking for Haleh, that was the news in Wadia House that particular night. Though nothing really happened, it wasn't part of their normal. Haleh's worry subsided the moment she called Baba Jaan and informed Dinbanu as well. The two people she trusted with her life. Dinbanu had ringed Baba Jaan and what he told her to put her at ease but also, made her subdued which was out of everyone's understating but at least, the matter was sorted.

"Will Banu Auntie once again ask you to stay home for a few days?" Sila asked making Haleh shake her head. "She better not. I'm not a kid and to be honest, it's pretty bizarre. They always go like this. It worries me sometimes."

"They are protective of you, Banu Auntie and Baba Jaan. They must have a reason to be." Rameen put in and as always, she was right. Things had always been like this for as long as they could remember. Haleh didn't have any immediate family or relatives she knew of. Someone came for her to Wadia House. That was surely not common in their regular.

Haleh looked at the worried faces of her friends and sighed. "Acha! Enough about me. Sila was literally bouncing on her feet when she got home. What was that about?"

Sila gave them all a secretive smile. "Guess who met Alina Asfandyar today?"

There was silence for a few seconds and then, all three of them were around Sila.

"Did you really?"

"Is she as pretty and cool as she looks in the pictures?"

"I'm so jealous you have no idea."

Sila couldn't help her chuckle. "Gather around, girlies. I've lots to tell you all."

"Speaking of that, I also have something to share but let's hear Sila's first." Amal told them and leaned forward, interested in what Sila had to say.

When Sila was done, she found her best friends with a range of expressions on their faces; amusement, surprise, and thoughtfulness. Amal groaned. "God, Shakeel and Ajwa? That feels so right and wrong at the same time."

"I know right? And the fact that none of us could pick up on it, not even Talal and he's a self-proclaimed psychic."

"And you got to meet Alina. We were right to say Aahil is friends with her. Honestly, that guy is a gift that keeps on giving."

That made Sila chuckle softly. Her smile was fond and Rameen wasn't the only one to notice it.

"That he is."

Haleh and Amal shared a look between them but didn't say anything. Haleh cleared her throat. "We are going off-topic. What about Alina? How's she in person and did you get her number?"

"Slow down, Haleh. It's not like I spent my whole evening with Aahil and his friends. Alina was just there and we talked for what? A few seconds, more or less. But yes, she has this welcoming aura and she's as beautiful in person as she looks in pictures."

"Damn, you could've taken a picture."

"The next time, I will," Sila added cheekily. Amal threw the cushion at her. "Don't get ahead of yourself. But whom am I kidding? With that rich guy in the picture, you'll always be running into celebrities."

"Don't forget she saw him with Cyrus Dias and didn't even ask for an autograph," Rameen added bitterly. Cyrus was her and Sila's introduction to Pakistani Pop when they were in high school and since then, both of them had him as their number-one pick when it came to Pakistani music.

"That time we weren't civil."

Amal wiggled her brows. "And now you're?"

Sila shrugged her shoulders, giving it a thought. "We are. Yeah, he is still a pain when he wants to be. Not to forget his sharp tongue and lack of filter but for the most part, he's not that bad."

The past few days swirled before her eyes. He had been on his best behavior since that fiasco with her car, as much as he could. They still weren't friends but as far as professional ties went, especially between the people who couldn't stand each other and were ready to tear the other a new one, the progress was encouraging.

"And he's tall, handsome, and rich," Haleh added making Sila narrow her eyes. "I didn't say that."

"But I did. No harm in mentioning the obvious."

Sila shrugged, not seeing the point. He was all those things when she first met him but did it make her like him as a person? No fucking way. She hated his guts and his personality. Now that she somewhat knew him as a person, her opinion had gotten an upgrade.

"Now that we are mentioning tall and handsome, you guys aren't ready for what I have to tell you." Amal perked up. The girls were immediately attentive toward her. Amal chuckled. "Inam Uddin's friend from the USA wasn't really an oldie as I called him so many times."

"Then?"

Amal sighed. She still couldn't believe her blunder. "His name is Raed Suleiman and he's a journalist and writer. When I tell you he's far from the image I had of him in my mind, you better believe it."

"That nice?" Haleh asked, curiously. Amal nodded. "And a gentleman. He messed up the timing and I had to wait for two hours but he was quick to apologize for that. The guy looks like a thorough professional if I'm being honest. Let's see how this goes."

"Thank goodness he's not Inam Uddin 2.0. I'm not sure if I was ready for Amal's constant rants." Rameen shuddered. Amal threw the cushion at her this time around. Rameen dodged it expertly.

"What about you, Reen? Don't you have anything to tell us?" Sila asked, taking her pajamas out of her closet. Rameen laughed, unpinning her scarf. "Unfortunately for you and fortunately for me, No. That's about work life in a bank. Nothing ever happens there."

"Seems like a boring ass work life." Haleh made a face.

"Pays me well so I don't care." Rameen got up from her bed. Haleh wanted more deets from Amal about the Raed guy so she was bugging her for that. Rameen's eyes darted in Sila's direction. She was immersed in her phone, typing a message. That didn't make Rameen stop in her tracks.

It'd be Sila's smile. It had been a long while since Rameen saw Sila like this.

And she had a tiny idea who was the reason behind it.

𝄞

ACHC was kicking off today. The conference was in a few hours. The main event would be tomorrow followed by the party.

Aahil took a bite of his toast totally immersed in his phone. His brows were scrunched in an expression of full concentration. Something Sabah hadn't seen for quite some years now.

"Juice?" She asked from her seat. Aahil didn't look up and just nodded. She filled his glass wordlessly earning a busy 'Thank you, Mama' from him.

Nawar and Ajwa had told her about his involvement in the event. Faseeh and Faran also looked at ease. Sabah wouldn't have believed them that easily but she was getting a glimpse of the truth behind their statements and to say she was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement.

She had seen this boy of hers living his passion once upon a time and she had also witnessed him losing that part of his life and soul. Aahil was a changed person after that and the change wasn't for good. Sabah had almost buried the hope of seeing him getting his shit together and now that hope was in front of her, she was finding it hard to come to terms with it.

"They are overworking my boy." Mrs. Irshad commented from her seat. Aahil was still busy on his phone but his lips curled into a smile. Sabah shook her head. "He looks fine to me, Ammi Jaan."

"Not in the slightest. He is not even paying attention to the food. If this scheme of Faseeh makes my boy lose his appetite, I will―"

"Hide your knives, Dado. Geez." Adan made a face. Aahil chose to stay quiet. He didn't want to start this day on a bad note. Arguing with Adan was surely going to be that.

"It's not like this is a permanent arrangement. He's agreed to give six months of his life to Baba and in return, he will get to travel to his dream destinations. He's just fulfilling his part of the deal." Adan was quick to remind them. Her eyes were trained at Aahil as she said that, looking for any sign of contradicting her. But there was no change in his countenance. No denial. But there was no affirmation as well. Had he changed his mind? Did he want this to be his life from here on? Or he was sticking to the deal? Adan hoped against hope that this project would make him see sense and stay involved in Jahan. The life Aahil had chosen for himself after that clusterfuck was no way of living. He was on the run, running away from life itself and whatnot. He avoided settling in, staying in one place and opening himself to others, putting a wall between him and his loved ones. Adan hated that. Her brother deserved so much from life.

Sabah and Adan shared a look. Mrs. Irshad grumbled under her breath. Aahil finally looked up from his phone and smiled at them. "I better leave. You all will be there tomorrow, won't you?"

"We will be. It's not every day we get to see Aahil Jahangir in his professional avatar." Sabah told him. He shook his head and hugged Mrs. Irshad. The woman beamed at her favorite grandson's attention and kissed his head affectionately. Hugging Sabah and nodding in Adan's way, he was out of the dining room and into the lounge where the kids were enjoying a day off. He stopped by them, listening to their gibberish and adding his own bits here and there. Then he left through the main door.

Sabah's eyes followed him till he vanished from sight. She took a deep breath.

"Always ambiguous," Adan muttered under her breath.

"Not so much this time around. I see a shift in him." Mrs. Irshad said, her face filled with tender emotions for Aahil.

"You are always optimistic when it comes to him, Dado."

"Well, I never lost hope in him. I think you all should also try that sometime. He's working hard. Nawar tells me that he and Sila are kicking it as a team. What more do you all want?"

"If you are asking, I want this to stay." Adan's reply came without any wait. Sabah shook her head. "That's going to be his decision, Adan."

Adan looked away, not liking this conversation at all. "Yeah, and we can only hope that from hereon, Aahil straightens his act and gets his shit together. Baba is not as disappointed in him these days. This got to mean something."

Her voice was pained. Sabah could understand Adan. Her and Aahil's sibling rivalry aside, Adan was the most dejected for him when he lost his motivation in life.

"Whatever you all say, my old eyes aren't betraying me. I see a different ending to this than you people. I see it ending well for him and for us all."

Saying that Mrs. Irshad got up. Adan also followed suit. Only Sabah stayed where she was. She hadn't corrected her mother-in-law but in her heart, she knew her son needed a new beginning more than a fitting ending. It was only a matter of time to see if this turn in his life was that or not.

𝄞

He wasn't a fool to not realize what Adan was trying to do. He was used to her not-so-subtle ways since he was born. Her concerns were legit to some extent. Where every other person in his family was content that he was finally doing something, Adan was looking ahead into the future to know if this was, indeed, for the long run or not.

He wouldn't know. He had no idea.

Sometimes, he missed being the person who always knew what he had to do. Who was always one step ahead in his planning and gave things the proper time to unfold. That person got lost somewhere years back and this new version; well it didn't know shit, to begin with.

When he agreed to be involved in Jahan, he didn't have any plan in his mind. Go with the flow that was the strategy. He was sure he wouldn't last. His father would get tired of his shenanigans in just a few days and this plan would go to the dogs.

But two things happened at the same time. The onslaught of insults from Jatois made his father sure that in no way, he was to leave Jahan.

The second would be a certain perfectionist with a piece of junk car.

If he was honest with himself, even after knowing the enormity of the situation his family was stuck in, he only started taking this project seriously after that disastrous visit to the workshop. He could say he finally got his bearings. But it was her meltdown that did it.

This project was important to her, probably a career milestone. He couldn't sabotage this. And seeing his tendency for fuck ups, he could very well do that.

He might not resonate with her on everything, but he respected her work ethic and her passion to put the best on the table. He was teamed up with her by his own father. He couldn't take her down with him. That would be the worst thing to ever happen. So, putting on his big boy shoes, he got her car in working condition (that was another thing that beauty still slipped-up), came up with the idea of a truce, and straightened his act. It was going well since then.

He didn't know what would happen after ACHC but this event had to be impeccable in every way possible because she gave it her 100 percent and he'd be damned if he let his ability to cause chaos and disaster wherever he went get in her way.

Someone was excelling in their career line. The least he could do was be of help if by some sick play of fate, he was paired up with her.

He was no hero but he refused to be a loser villain here.

That was his last thought as he parked his car outside of Jahan. Let the show begin.

𝄞

Jahan's conference hall was exuding the same vibe they had envisioned and had been working on for days now. The envoys of national and international stakeholders were around, seated in plush seats in their expensive suits and no-nonsense facial expressions. The stage was set and the conference had begun.

Sila stood to the side, keeping a keen eye on everything around her. Dressed in grey pants and a black blouse, she tucked her hair behind her ear and exhaled nervously. No matter how well-put she looked from the outside, she was a mess under the layers of her confidence.

Nothing could go wrong today. They couldn't afford it. It was a mantra she had been chanting to herself since morning. So far, things had worked out well. Nothing seemed to be going awry. But you never know. With an event of this scale, you really never see the mess-up coming.

"Easy there." His voice came from her side. Sila craned her neck and found him at a distance of just a few inches. She raised her chin to match his gaze. He was also dressed formally, as per the requirement. Black slacks, black button-down, and grey blazer. She noticed with a sigh, they were, to some extent, again matching.

Sila had always seen the man in his too-unbothered-to-make-an-effort mode. Turned out, making an effort enhanced his already good looks. Color her surprised.

The moment she looked his way, the thing that came to Aahil's notice was her straight long bob and her painted lips. The two things she pulled off so well.

"I'm the novice on the team and even I'm not as worked up as you."

Sila shook her head. "Tell me everything will go smoothly."

Aahil pushed his hand into his pocket and nodded. "It is going smoothly, Sila. No incident so far. Here,"

He placed a chocolate bar in her hand. Sila's confused expression morphed into a smile. "Lina always carries her good luck chocolates with her. I thought it was time to adopt this habit."

"I don't like sweets but I think I can do with a bit of good luck."

"You don't really need it, though. You've given this event your all and it shows. Trust me when I say this,"

He bent his head so that they were in the direct focus of each other. "Nothing will go wrong. It's your day."

"Yours as well. We are on the same team, remember?"

He gave her a full smile. "Of course."

"Let's go through the checklist, shall we?"

"Lead the way."

And that she did. Both of them made their way to the far-end table, talking.

𝄞

When Amal reached the campus, her first stop was the coffee shop. This was probably the only good thing about this hellhole. Getting her cup of coffee, she made her way toward Inam Uddin's office, a part of which he had given to his Ph.D. residents to work. As soon as she opened the door, a brooding Sami came into her view. She raised an eyebrow.

"You can give the sun a run for its money. How cheery, just what I needed." Amal drawled, placing her laptop bag and purse on the table. Sami narrowed his eyes.

"Inam Uddin's friend is going to stay with me."

"Is he? Good luck to him."

Sami shot daggers at her. Amal wasn't one to be deterred by his rage. He deserved this for putting all the work into her. "I don't want my privacy breached."

"I'm really not the person to have this conversation with. Why don't you go to Inam Uddin and brainwash him into thinking that Mr. Suleiman staying with you is a bad idea? Like you do with everything else?"

She sat in her chair with her head held high. Sami opened his mouth to say something when they heard the footsteps outside. The next moment, Raed appeared at the door. The tension in the room was tangible. He wasn't immune to it.

"Is everything okay in here?" He asked. Sami's scowl deepened. Amal gave him a disapproving glare and turned to Raed. "Yes. Sami is throwing a fit but that's nothing new."

"Shut the fuck up, Amal!" Sami bellowed. Not only Raed but Amal was also taken aback by his outburst. He pushed his chair back and before both of them could say anything, was out of the office.

Raed's face was contorted in a scowl. Amal just shrugged.

"He doesn't look happy with the living arrangements," Raed added thoughtfully.

"Not in the slightest."

"I offered Mr. Inam Uddin to stay in the campus dorms for the time being."

The sorry state of campus hostels swirled before Amal's eyes. She looked at Raed. He didn't look like the kind of person who'd complain about such issues but still, they had to be the good hosts here.

"You were staying with Inam Sir. What happened to that?"

"His family is around and I didn't feel comfortable. I don't want to burden anyone."

That was thoughtful. Inam Uddin had four teenage daughters. Maybe, that's why Inam Uddin asked Sami to share his dorm room with Raed but Sami was Sami. He was also under no obligation to give accommodation to Raed.

Amal had to think of something.

She had a vague idea in her mind. She just had to play her cards well.

"I have a plan."

She said. Raed raised an eyebrow. "About my―"

"Yes, about your living arrangement."

That piqued Raed's interest. He nodded making Amal's smile widen.

𝄞

By the rule, if you and your ex are working together on something, drama is always guaranteed. But for Osama Siddiqui, his ex was the least of his worries on his new movie set.

The leading lady of the film made sure of it.

Osama was a realist by all means. He always knew having both his ex-girlfriend and the woman who apparently had feelings for him would be a recipe for disaster but he also believed in professionalism.

Too bad the same couldn't be said for Rimsha.

It started on the second day of the filming. He had no idea what was on Rimsha's mind but her attempts at forming some kind of bond with him when he was the director of the movie she was currently working on made him wary of this situation.

She'd sit close to him when he'd replay the footage and would give her inputs. She also insisted she ate with him, Neha, and Shani and made it a point that he check her clips and tell her where she needed work.

For any onlooker, it'd look like an ambitious emerging actress taking her work too seriously and trying to be in the good books of the director but Osama knew where Rimsha's peculiar behavior stemmed from. Her visits to her parent's place had increased. His mother wouldn't stop talking about her and just yesterday, to his utter surprise, Rimsha was invited to his mother's small get-to-gather for close friends and wanted to drive with Osama as he was going there straight from the sets. He politely refused, stating that he had some other place to be at.

But this needed to be stopped. He was a professional. He was madly in love with Alina for years and then they broke up. Even now, there was so much unknown between them. She was on the sets every day but not once did both of them put each other in any embarrassing situation.

Rimsha might have feelings for him but he would never allow those feelings to come in between their work commitments.

It was almost pack-up time. Osama was discussing a scene with Ahmed when he saw Rimsha coming toward him. His eyebrows immediately scrunched.

"The shooting wraps up in ten minutes." She informed him once Ahmed was out of earshot. Osama raised an eyebrow.

"I'm aware."

"It's my birthday." His dry tone didn't have much effect on her. Osama gave her a tight smile. "Happy birthday, Rimsha."

"Yeah, no. Only wishing me will not cut it. I'm treating my friends to dinner. I want you to come as well. In fact, we can go there together. And no excuses. I already know you don't have any prior commitments and don't have to see your parents as well. Zeb Auntie told me―"

"Rimsha, stop."

Osama's tone was serious. Rimsha picked up on it. Her sudden silence was an indication enough. Osama sighed deeply.

"What are you trying to do? We are on a movie set. You're the female lead and I'm the director. Do you have any idea how weird it looks for a person who doesn't know you are friends with my mother and hence through her we know each other already?"

He saw the disbelief on Rimsha's face but he'd have to put an end to this. "We are not friends. We are not close that we'll drive anywhere together. I have prior commitments or not; that's none of your business and please, stop asking my mother about me. In short, stop with whatever it is all together."

He pointed between them. Rimsha's face was colored with mortification. And then tears rolled down her cheeks. Osama closed his eyes momentarily and without saying anything, left from there.

Rimsha saw his retreating back as she wiped her tears. When she turned around her eyes collided with Alina's.

Who didn't look pleased with what she had just witnessed, She gave a scathing look in Osama's way. That was Rimsha's cue, she burst into tears. And the next thing she knew, she was in the warm embrace of Alina.

Alina pulled her into her vanity van, making sure no one had witnessed what had just conspired here because boy that would make quite some headlines. They didn't need any such scoop.

God, she knew Osama could be a jerk whenever he wanted to be but this was uncalled for.

She thought, not even realizing that Rimsha hadn't said a word in protest.

𝄞

The event D-Day came with anticipated chaos. ACHC was right now in full swing and everyone seemed to acknowledge the effort that went into it. From the booths to eating facilities, the rich culture scattered around in vibrant colors and a myriad of languages, the performances with regional dances, and the information stalls. From the general public to famous faces, everyone could be seen around. And even with so much going on, not once did anything go out of the line. It was all coming along according to the plan.

Sila didn't know when the last time she was this exhausted during an event was but at the same time, the feeling of accomplishment had never been this fulfilling before. This would be hands down the highlight of her year and it was just March.

"Look, Big-D! It's Chachu's wife."

The familiar voice made her stop in her tracks. Sila turned around. She had heard Nawar saying that the whole Jahangir family would be here today. She hadn't expected to run into them this soon, that too this way.

Hanah, Arsh, and Zain were with a guard and an elderly woman who was eyeing her curiously. Sila gave them a nervous smile and reached their side.

"Wife?" The elegant-looking woman was shocked. Sila looked at Arsh with panic. The bespectacled boy sighed and slapped his younger brother on the head lightly.

"He's bluffing, Bari Dado. You know him. Elaborate liar."

"But I'm not lying! She's Chachu's wife. You can ask Hanah."

The sweet little butterfly was more sensible than her older cousin. One look at Arsh and Sila and she shook her head. "No, she's not."

"Hanah!" Zain definitely wasn't happy. The older woman turned her focus on Sila.

"Are you looking for Nawar?" Sila asked.

"Yes! Mama told us she'd be around here but we can't seem to find her." Arsh informed her. By then, the woman's confusion had eased to some extent. "Are you by any chance, Sila?"

Sila smiled as she nodded. "And you must be Aahil's grandmother."

The reference made Mrs. Irshad raise her eyebrow. "Yes, I'm. Irshad Jahangir."

"Our Bari Dado aka Big-D." Zain provided. Big-D? The outrageous name; Sila didn't have to guess who was behind it. Mrs. Irshad nodded solemnly as if reading her thoughts. "I didn't talk to him for a whole day when he taught the kids to call me that. He spent the next few hours making them drop it. Unfortunately, this one," She pointed at Zain. "Never did."

"It's cool. Big-D loves it when I call her that. She just likes to act all grumpy-granny."

"Did I mention a lost case?" Mrs. Irshad said to Sila.

"More or less like his Chachu." Sila muttered. Mrs. Irshad nodded along. "Yes, that's what all of us say."

"Bari Dado! Are you really talking bad about Chachu?"

"She is doing what???!"

They saw Nawar and another woman close. By the looks of it, they had heard their conversation.

Arsh and Zain nodded enthusiastically. Hanah didn't look, please. Nawar's reply was a laugh. "Oh my! Never saw this coming. Did you, Mama?" She asked the woman next to her. She shook her head with a smile but her eyes were on Sila.

"Sila, this is Mama, my mother-in-law Sabah Jahangir, and Mama, this is Sila." Nawar took it upon herself to introduce the two.

Aahil's mother was the stark opposite of him, both in looks and aura. But they had the exact same nose, Sila noticed.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Jahangir."

Sabah's lips turned into moue, albeit good-naturedly. "Call me Sabah Auntie, please. Mrs. Jahangir feels formal."

"If you haven't noticed, Sila, Mama is the opposite of Baba. Where he's all about professional formalities, she hates it."

"I can see that already. How do you like the arrangements, Sabah Auntie?"

"Everything is immaculate. Your hard work really shows."

"I'm happy that my boy was also involved." Mrs. Irshad took part in the conversation.

"He was. He really was." Sila told her. Both Mrs. Irshad and Sabah shared a pleasant look as if they needed to hear it from her only.

"I wish I could stay here with you all for long but I have to look around and see if all operations are going smoothly."

"It's alright, Sila. See you around and congratulations on such an amazing event." Sabah patted her arm. Sila smiled at them as she made her way out of there. Both Mrs. Irshad and Sabah's eyes watched her go fondly.

𝄞

Twitter

"Dude, ACHC looks dope this year!"

"Knew it! Mona would come out of her hibernation. She's totally rocking her outfit."

"I love the theme! And the arrangements look far better than last year."

"I heard that the environment is really family friendly. I regret not buying the tickets. My experience was meh the last year so... Tough luck."

"WTF!"

"OMG LOLLLLL I LOVE THIS GUY."

"WHY IS HE LIKE THIS?"

"Why's everyone screaming, crying, and throwing up on the tl?"

"Bitch, Zarrar is there at the ACHC!"

"THIS MAN! I say never try to have a beef with him because his level of petty >>>"

"He wasn't added to the artist list (typical Jahan stinky ass losers) so, he went there as a guest and now the whole media is around him. Never seen a big fuck you than this. Take it, Jahan."

"Really don't see why Jahan would always exclude him from their musical events. He is one of the biggest stars in Pakistan at this moment. Jahan really needs someone to sit them down and tell them how marketing works because this is just a shit move."

"The funny thing is, even after being Zarrar's fan since his debut, I never understood why Jahan hates him so much. Like I know if I weren't smitten with the guy, I'd also be jelly-jelly but still."

"I'd love to know the reason though if there is a reason in the first place. This behavior makes no sense. Just speaks of Jahan's unprofessionalism."

𝄞

He was close to the booth at the back when he heard the commotion. ACHC was a big deal so the media presence was also insane. Along with the local public, celebrities were also around. Maybe, one such celeb had arrived, he thought to himself as he checked the area for any discrepancies.

That's when his eyes landed on the paparazzi and the person they were surrounding.

"Zarrar, do you know your fans are shocked to see you here?"

"People are curious to know why you weren't included in ACHC's music show. It has all the big names of the Pakistan music scene featured."

"Is there something we should know about you and Jahan's owners? Why do we suspect a cold war here?"

"When are you releasing your next album?"

He dodged all the questions with a smirk which was a part of his personality and walked ahead. His security detail made sure he was in the safety of the premises. His manager was saying something in his ear when Zarrar's eyes also landed on someone he had found at some distance.

The voices around Aahil were now in the background. He could hear what no one else did. The reverberations of a past he always pretended he had buried in the deepest pit of the sea he looked at from his balcony.

Two silhouettes, one dream, Boston, Berklee, the percussion of the drums, the strings of the guitar, and the keys of a piano, a speeding car, police sirens, a pool of blood, a shriek of pain, a full of life giggle, an anguished whimper, and the last laugh.

The same laugh that had slipped through Zarrar's lips just now. The laugh was enough to spur Aahil into action. He took long strides and ensured as much distance between them as possible. His steps were unsteady as he rounded the corner and opened the first door that came into his view.

Rage and helplessness. God, he hated being like this. He hated this misery. He hated when the memories came rushing to him and would almost drown him once again. He hated.

Holding his head in his palms he tried to calm himself. The urge to go out there and wipe that laugh off that face was daunting. But the echoes of the past were more than that.

He wanted to scream but could only let out a mellow yell as he covered his face with his palms.

"Aahil?"

Then it came. The voice made him look up. His bloodshed eyes found hers, filled with concern.

"Hey, what happened?" Soft hands, hands that were meant to soothe, hands that felt like salvation, came around him, cupping his face.

"It's okay. You're fine."

Was he? He wasn't sure. Would he be?

Sila's arms came around him.

You would be. Now, you would be. A voice whispered inside him. He was too lost in the reverberations of his past to hear it properly. He just let her caress his nape as she pulled him closer. Closing his eyes, he willed the peace to finally have mercy on him.

And through the window of the room, a camera flashed, without their notice.

𝄞