Rameen stepped inside the room and closed the door behind. She had been here several times before but never felt the acute hollowness as this.

Sila stood next to her bed, rummaging through her closet. Her suitcase was opened before her. She deposited the clothes inside. Her movements were quick.

That was the most charged-up Rameen had seen her in a week.

Since Nabiha Auntie's death.

Sila looked at her and gave her a slight smile. "Come, Reen."

Rameen reached her side and the extent of Sila's preparations was before her in its entirety. Three packed bundles were lying on the floor. Rameen gave her a questioning look. "What's going on?"

Sila tucked her hair behind her ear busily and didn't stop her work. "Abu and Ammi are leaving today."

Rameen was surprised. "Are you really going with them?"

Sila gave her an incredulous look. "Of course I am, Reen. That's where I'm supposed to be. Nothing's left in this house for me anymore.'

She stopped and slowly sat down on the bed. Rameen joined her, providing her with the solace.

"Murree is the only place for me now. I have Ammi there and Muaz Bhai. Abu...well, we can learn to ignore each other. But after Mama, that's the only place I will be somewhat welcomed at."

She intertwined her fingers nervously. "Mamu is fine but you know he won't do anything to evoke Mami's disapproval. And I, for a fact know that keeping me here now that my mother is gone and so is the share of income she brought to the table, is Ambreen Mami's least favorite prospect. I won't ever be accepted here, Reen. But there in Murree, I will be treated nothing less than a family member. I can't stay where I'm not welcomed. And Dak Bangla is my Baba's home. I don't need to go anywhere else."

Rameen placed her hand over hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "You can always come and live with me and my family."

Sila rested her head on her shoulder. "You don't plan to stay there for long yourself."

"At least, I'll have you by my side when after graduation, I drop the bomb on my family that I'm moving out."

"I'm always by your side, Reen. It's not like I'm dropping out. I'll probably opt for dorm accommodation. But Murree is where I'll reside until graduation."

She sounded hopeful in days. Rameen hoped it'd stay the same way.

They resumed Sila's packing when Nisha appeared in the doorway. She peeked inside curiously.

"Sila Aapi. Mama is calling you downstairs."

Sila gave her a questioning look. Ambreen was playing the role of the perfect host to the t these days. The relatives and acquaintances who came for condolences, she was more than happy to attend to them but she was consciously ignorant toward the person whom this tragedy had snatched the most from.

"Your Abu and Ammi are leaving, that's why."

The hanger fell from Sila's hand and landed unceremoniously on the bed. She looked at Nisha and when her reply made sense, she wasted no time rushing out of the room. Rameen followed suit but she had no good feeling about this.

When they reached the lounge, Sila's confusion was replaced with a painful understanding when she saw Abu and Ammi ready to leave.

Naheed wiped her tears and came close to her. "Take care of yourself, Bachay. I'll visit again very soon."

She couldn't say more than that. Sila didn't expect more than that. She was never going to. Not after this.

Ikram patted her head. She stood ramrod as if she were a statue. He muttered something under his breath. She didn't try to know what it was. Her glassy eyes saw them leaving through the door.

Without her.

"And with that, this house is finally free of guests."

Ambreen sighed, discarding any pretenses. Her sharp gaze fell on Sila. Sila was above reading unnecessarily into the lines but she could feel it had considerably hardened.

"Let's go. Aqeel. I need to sort my house out. It's high time it gets its normalcy back."

Aqeel's advancing feet rooted to the spot. He thought against consoling his niece and followed his wife out of there.

It was, unexpectedly so, Rameen who held Sila by her arm to give her the needed support.

But Sila had already composed herself.

Somehow, she always did.

𝄞

Making sure not to wake anyone up at this hour, Rameen took small, calculated steps to reach the backyard door, and as expected, the person she had come looking for was there.

Sila looked up at her and beckoned her to come sit with her. Rameen did so, rubbing her hands together.

"It's freaking cold here."

Sila shook her head. "It's a hill station, Reen. What did you expect?"

"A lot, I guess."

They fell silent at that. The simple words couldn't be taken on surface value. They weren't intended to.

"We're leaving tomorrow, Sila."

Sila nodded, patting her hand. "That's good, actually. You've already wasted enough of your time worrying for me."

Rameen pushed her hand away, scowling at her. "Don't talk rubbish."

Sila looked down at her lap. The thought of the girls and Mrs. Wadia's leaving wasn't a pleasant one but these days, pleasant thoughts were a novelty in her life.

"Come with us, Sila."

Rameen said desperately. She looked around and shook her head. "It can all go back to the way it was. The four of us, together. I know Ammi and Muaz Bhai care for you immensely. Honestly, I love that but....you don't have to stay here....you know.'

She hesitated at the last bit but Sila wasn't a fool to not understand why was that. This house was once her idea of acceptance and love. When she lost her parents, she wanted to turn up here. She was ready to forget her hard feelings but that was her foolishness. They hadn't once asked her to come along, leaving her with the relatives who treated her as a guest at best and as a burden at worst.

"Reen...." Sila swallowed a lump in her throat. "Coming here was a hard decision. But coming back to Karachi is harder still."

"No one will force you to do what you don't want to or meet the people you are supposed to avoid." Rameen was adamant. "And him! We will never let him in. We will make sure he doesn't wander even close to the perimeter of Wadia House."

A slight chuckle left Sila's lips. "As if we will be able to stop him. He is a forced to be reckoned with when he sets his mind to something."

Just then, she whispered dejectedly as an afterthought. 'If he sets his mind to something."

Rameen couldn't help cursing Aahil at that moment. She had never seen Sila so heartbroken and it was all his doing.

"But it's not about him." Sila said, wiping her tears. She had gathered herself quickly. "It's about me, Reen. I'm not happy with myself. I gave him the power to trample all over my heart. I should've known better than that. All my life, I chose myself without any hesitation. Why did it take me so long to see this was doomed from the get-go? I should've done better than being blinded by love."

"You're being too harsh on yourself, Sila."

Sila shrugged. "Maybe. But I don't like this Sila at the moment. I need to introspect and so does he. And for that, I need to stay far away from Karachi."

Rameen glared at her. "Karachi isn't just about him. We all are there too."

Sila gave her a broken smile. "You all are with me here as well. But this is the only place where he isn't. And right now, I need a place where not even a trace of him can be found. I don't want to be weak again."

Such cruelty. Sila was doing everything in her wake to safeguard herself and the one thing she needed the most protection from was her heart only. That treacherous fool would give in. She was certain.

And then it'd be subjected to the same fate once again.

Honestly? What a fucking menace love was. She would never recommend it. She'd never wish it upon her vilest enemy.

"I wish that you'd come with us but if that's your decision," Rameen said, resignation evident on her face. She hugged her, caressing her hair. "Take care of yourself and if you ever change your mind which I hope you will, don't think too much and just barge through the doors of Wadia House. We'll listen to Uncle Jeff's stereo and eat Haleh's carrot cake."

Sila chucked. "Sounds like a plan."

They stayed there. Silent. Somewhat broken. Somewhat whole.

𝄞

Massaging his temples, Faseeh leaned into the chair. Hurling his phone across the room was tempting but he couldn't lose his calm. Not when his family needed him as their solid rock.

"Is everything alright?" Sabah asked anxiously. She left her place and stood close to him, gently caressing his forehead.

"It was Shamyl. The situation is under control but Zarrar is having too much fun on our lack of a response. I can only imagine his ecstasy if he got to know about Aahil's accident."

Sabah closed her eyes regretfully. She couldn't believe she had once considered Zarrar like a son. What a flaw in judgment on their and Aahil's part.

"We did right by not letting it out."

"I'm deliberately not taking any action. We're in no position to do so. There's so much at stake. And right now, my son needs my undivided attention, not a pest like Zarrar Hassan."

It was quite right. Zarrar would only be too eager to get on with this tug of war. But they had far more crucial things to take care of.

"We have an important discussion with Dr. Noordin tomorrow. Let's hope for the best."

Whom did he reassure more? Her or himself? They couldn't be certain. An earnest plea left Sabah's lips. What she wouldn't do to see her boy back to his full potential. A bedridden Aahil was such a foreign concept, even though, they had been watching him like this for days.

"Sabah?"

She gave him a questioning look. He took her hand in his. "We are supposed to call Sila."

Sabah looked away, a wounded expression settled on her face. Faseeh sighed. "Are we still there?"

She glared at him. "What's with this tone, Faseeh? Can't I disagree with your dealing with this situation?"

Faseeh scowled. "What exactly is your objection?"

He knew what it was. He just wanted her to voice it so he could call her bluff. She had a habit of closing the sane part of her mind whenever it concerned Aahil.

"I don't think keeping them apart is going to be of any help."

"That's not our decision, Sabah. This is what Aahil wants."

She couldn't believe him. "Aahil is on the hospital bed, Faseeh! He has sustained a head injury. For God's sake see some sense."

Faseeh's disposition remained calm, stoic even. He knew Sabah's default response. She didn't want Aahil to have a hard time and being apart from Sila was doing just that.

"And why, may I ask, he's in the hospital bed?"

She pursed her lips, looking away.

"Exactly, Sabah. Our son's crisis management skills are commendable and looking back at it, it's our fault for the most part."

"I know! I understand it! We've spoiled him rotten. Have presented everything to him on a platter. I get it, Okay! But this doesn't have to be this way. Sila is hurting. Aahil is hurting emotionally and physically. They need each other."

"That they do. Let's go to Murree tomorrow even though Sila has requested us not to ask her to come back, still force her to do as we please. We can tell her about Aahil's accident. That will do the trick. She will be right there, beside our son. Her hurt and what he did to sabotage their relationship vanished from her mind and ours as well. Aahil will get his second chance on a platter once again and he will do exactly what he has been doing with his life since Maya's death. Turn it into a disaster."

Sabah flinched at his sharp tone but she had nothing to contradict him. She understood it all. Throughout her life, she had several roles to play but being Aahil's mother was the one that made her blind to everything else. His every hardship had to be relieved right away.

"Your son understands his shortcomings better than you, Sabah. He knows if he gets this chance with ease, he will waste it. Maybe he also knows that he doesn't deserve an easy chance anyway. For the first time in many years, Aahil is taking ownership of his fucks-ups to make everything right. Don't try to coddle him, Sabah. We've done enough of that already."

With that, he got up, ready to leave. Sabah remained silent. Faseeh hoped it was her contemplating something that had already been discussed so many times by now.

But a part of him knew she wouldn't. Not this soon. It was about her beloved son and she had always been naively optimist when it came to him.

𝄞

She was pretty inept at using the ample free time she had at her disposal. That was a glaring realization that occurred to Sila. But there isn't much that interests you when you are nursing a broken heart. It was debilitating. Even the mere ordeal of living was jarring.

She languidly placed her phone on the table. Even though her spirits were at their lowest, she still had a pretty packed evening.

Her in-laws decided to check up on her. Dado, Adan, Misam, Faran Bhai & Nawar Bhabhi, and Faseeh uncle. Even Jamil.

They kept the conversation restricted to her. Not even the mention of a certain someone slipped past their lips. That was a blessing and a curse at the same time. They were apologetic for not checking up on her sooner. They hadn't presented any excuses and Sila didn't demand anything. Life has shown her the mirror brutally. She was happy and thankful for whatever she had. She had stopped putting high expectations. The hurt was too visceral to hope.

The only person that hadn't reached out to her yet was Sabah. Sila smiled dejectedly as she played with the lint on her jeans. It was a bit heartbreaking but not shocking. She took it in stride, putting up a brave front.

One more addition to the pile of things Aahil had snatched from her unintentionally or intentionally.

Her phone lit up with an incoming call once again. She glanced at it. The name of Nawar made her pick it up instantly, still wondering what more she possibly had to say.

"Hello?"

Sila greeted waiting for Nawar to respond but the voice coming from the other side made her smile. Her first genuine smile in days.

"Chachi!"

Arsh exclaimed excitedly. Behind him, she could hear Zain trying to get the phone out of his hand.

"Arsh, how are you, darling?"

"Oh, I'm good! And Zain is trying to chew my head! Hold up!"

There was some shuffling on the other side and whisper-yelling.

"Chachi! How could you!"

Zain's whining reached her loud and clear as soon as he got his hands on the phone. Sila chuckled with glassy eyes. How much did she miss it? Was still missing it.

"Hello to you too, Mr. Dramatic."

"Oh, don't try to butter me. I'm seriously not on talking terms with you and Chachu."

He hissed and shrieked.

"Hanah don't pull my hair, it will make me bald! I won't look good with a shiner!"

Sila said nothing, just listened to the commotion. She had sorely missed this.

"Mami! Why didn't you and Mamu take me with you on the vescation? You promised we'd go together. This is cheating!"

Sila scowled, trying to make sense of their accusations. It was a jumbled-up mess, as they were trying to out-yell each other.

Before Sila could say anything, the chaos seemed to be calming. Their voices faded in the background.

"Sila, hey."

Nawar spoke, trying to catch her breath. "I'm really sorry. I was in the shower and they rang you up in my absence."

"That's okay, Bhabhi. I missed them. I didn't know what you told them about my absence, that's why I didn't insist on talking to to them when you and Faran Bhai called."

"Oh, don't worry about that. We've told them that you're on vacation."

You? As in her and Aahil? From their complaints, it was evident that they were talking about both of them.

Had Aahil also left home? Seeing his track record and evading tendencies, that was not a far-fetched notion. Sila cleared her throat. It was none of her business.

"Can I talk to them?"

Nawar paused. Sila found her hesitation discomfiting.

"It's fine if you—"

"No, no, no, Sila. Please! Don't think much of it. You have just heard them. They're going to tire you out and you're not in that headspace right now. Let me calm them down. You can talk to them anytime you want."

That was fair.

"Okay," Sila mumbled and ended the call. Something didn't sit right with her about it but she had no energy to ponder on it. Nawar was right. She didn't have the headspace to do it right now.

Coming out of her room, she pushed her hands into her coat pockets and descended the stairs. No one was in the lounge. She stopped outside the kitchen.

Inside, Ammi was stirring the simmering gravy on the stove all the while venting to an amused Muaz Bhai.

She felt like an intruder.

Making sure to be discreet, she rounded the corner and stopped close to the backyard door.

The chilly wind welcomed her as she stepped outside. The narrow passageway led to the jungle in the distance. She had once got lost there and couldn't be found for hours.

The relief was still tangible when sitting on a stout stump, the seven years her had looked up and through the haze of tears, Abu's kind face came into her view.

That night, Baba had treated her to her favorite ice cream. Mama warned him that she'd get a cold but he said she deserved it after the horrifying experience.

Ammi had made her eat Pulao with her hands and kissed her face time and again, all the while shuddering at the grave possibility of Abu not finding her on time.

Sila looked at her feet. She could see her reflection on the teardrop that fell on them.

Hearing the shuffling behind her, she craned her neck. Abu stood in the door, his eyes on her.

When had his face lost its gentle contours?

Sila turned back to stare into the jungle. She could still hear the giggles of the little girl. Her Abu cracked unfunny jokes to make her stop crying as they walked back home.

Where did that little girl go?

𝄞

"Now, fold your wrist."

He did as he was instructed or tried to. The motion took effort but he refused to give up. The physiotherapist assessed his movements closely.

"Good. Try to move it."

The task wasn't as well accomplished as the previous one but the physiotherapist nodded, nonetheless.

"Excellent."

He wrote something in his file. Suddenly, Aahil was reminded of his football coach from middle school. Good old days.

The memory came easy to him and he was thankful for it. His cognitive assessment had fared better than the rest, but his memory was hazy in places. The events were at the back of his mind but he had trouble remembering the finer details. He was told it was normal in the initial stages of head injury.

So far, he had a hard time moving his legs, his pain was still a nuisance, he had trouble sleeping when the medicines wore off, his speech was slurred, and his motor and sensory abilities were also affected.

Yeah, that's about it.

The team of medical experts looked hopeful. According to them, he had done himself a huge favor by not dying. The rest was workable.

He had to believe their word for it. They were right. Being alive was his biggest win.

His family was right now with Dr. Noordin, getting his opinion on the course of action to be taken for his rehabilitation. His injury would heal taking his time but the different therapies he needed to commence right away. That was the gist of the conversation he had overheard.

Add functional hearing to the list of the things he should be thankful for. He couldn't say the same about the rest of his senses.

He was lying on his bed, immersed in his thoughts as he was supposed to when he heard the knock at the door. He wanted to chuckle. Did this person know he was functionally unable to give his permission to enter his room?

Turned out the person who appeared in the doorway needed no such formalities.

Haleh eyed him with veiled disdain but still held the bouquet tightly. She placed it on the table and taking slow steps, took the seat right before him.

"Don't look behind me. Reen and Amal are not here."

He hadn't expected them to. It had been three days since their return from Murree and their lack of visits told a lot.

"Reen is okay but you should be thankful that Amal is at campus right now. She will prolong your hospital stay, just to let you know."

She warned him. Normally, he'd be amused by her concealed threat but right now, it only pierced his heart.

"Sila is...not okay, Aahil. Far from it."

Her stare was full of accusation. "I've never seen her like this before. And the fact that you are the reason for it makes it all the more messed up."

He had wanted to know. Whenever he resurfaced from the delirium of his medication, that was the one thought which refused to leave his mind. But never did he realize that knowing would be too painful. Not that he had expected a better outcome but hearing it from Haleh made it excruciatingly painful, if that was possible.

"You know before we left for Murree, Osama and Mahad talked to us. They didn't want us to tell her about your condition. They said it's your choice. We had every intention not to respect it. Sila deserved to know the truth but once we reached there."

She sighed, remembering Sila's heartache.

"Seeing her torn and battered and so so so heartbroken, we just changed our minds. She didn't deserve the truth. She deserved a freaking effort and that too from you, Dulha Bhai."

She had chewed every syllable of those two words, unintentionally, mimicking a certain Lashari when he mocked her trust in her Dulha Bhai.

"Reen and Amal won't show it but they do have the trust in you to make it right. I'm here, showing the same trust. Please, get well real soon. Get on your feet. Get your health back and then win Sila over. No one and nothing else can bring our old Sila back. No one but you. Mend what you've broken."

Her teary eyes probed into him. "Promise me that you'll do everything to get your and Sila's love story on track. Promise me."

Aahil parted his lips.

"I ...promise."

That was good enough for Haleh. She wiped her face with the tissue and composed herself. Giving him a reassuring smile, she squeezed his forefinger, sealing his words.

She didn't take much of his time after that. He needed ample rest to recover. On her way to the exit, she bumped into a pleasantly surprised Mahad.

"Hello, there."

He tipped his coffee cup in her direction. For the first time, Haleh didn't throw daggers at him as he reached her side.

"Hi."

Her timid greeting was understandable. By Amal's law of friendship, she was a traitor. But Mahad had expected her to visit. It was an open secret that Dulha Bhai had a loyalist in his Saali Gang.

"I didn't know you were here or else I'd gotten one for you too." He took a sip from his cup and pointed in the direction she'd come from.

"You've met your Dulha Bhai, I presume."

Haleh narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't be so smug."

"I actually am not. I knew you'd come."

Haleh raised an eyebrow, expecting him to elaborate on that but Mahad did no such thing.

"How's Sila?"

The question deflated her instantly. "Not fine. Physically, she's well but emotionally she's a wreck."

Mahad's eyes softened. "Did you tell that to your Dulha Bhai?

"I did and he's made me a promise that he'll make it all right." She declared as if that was the biggest news of the day. "And stop saying Dulha Bhai like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you're mocking me."

"Like I'm mocking you? I am mocking you, Haleh. For real."

She chuckled derisively. "Says the guy who's 24/7 by my Dulha Bhai's side. Mocking me? Sure."

Mahad contradicted her with a flick of his finger. "A misconception. I only come here after I'm done with work."

"The office hours are still on." Haleh deadpanned.

Mahad shrugged. "So, I'm the CEO. I decide when the office hours end for me."

"Good for you. May it make you sleep better at night."

Saying that, she walked past him when fell in step with her.

"Acha suno, I'll drop you home."

Haleh shook her head. "You're not my chauffeur."

"But I am a gentleman."

"Debatable."

He made a face, not liking her monosyllable answer. "That'll save your drive fare."

Haleh gave it a thought. "Hm...negotiable."

Mahad knew he had it. Almost there.

"And you can play the music of your choice."

Haleh took a long dramatic pause. Mahad looked almost done with her antics but waited nonetheless.

She finally relented. "Yeah, okay. Acceptable."

He stayed true to his words and didn't try to skip the song she put on. Needless to say, Haleh had a slight smile on her face when he stopped the car outside Wadia House.

"Haleh,"

She looked up at him busily, all the while unbuckling her seatbelt.

"You must be torn between your loyalty toward Sila and your trust in Aahil but I can give you my word, he will not break it. Neither your trust nor the promise he's made to you. He will win Sila back."

Haleh smiled at his surety. "I know. And it might not like it but Reen and Amal also do. But be assured that if he pulls something like this again—"

"He won't!" Mahad was quick to reiterate. Haleh nodded, opening her side of the door.

"Look at you! Pretending to be Aahil's biggest naysayer but fighting his case as if he's paid you to do so."

"Don't talk Rubbish."

"Yeah, I know you love him, Bye, Mahad."

She got out, without waiting for his retort. Mahad saved the banter for another day. He waited for Haleh to go inside but she was looking around with a scowl on her face.

"Hey? Is everything okay?"

She didn't look convinced but nodded nonetheless. "Yeah. Must be Mrs. Irani's cat."

Mahad saw her making her way through the gates of Wadia House. He inspected his surroundings once again but found nothing he could pinpoint.

Must be Mrs. Irani's cat, as Haleh had concluded.

𝄞

His rehabilitation schedule was to go on board from tomorrow. His battered body couldn't care less but mentally, he was charged up and looking forward to it.

He had to get better that too soon.

There was so much at stake.

With different therapy sessions, there were other methods to be employed as well. He was to be engaged in activities that added to his overall health without straining him.

The mobile phone prohibition, which Mahad had never followed, had ended. His doctors were hopeful that the controlled usage would stimulate his motor capabilities. He could also use it as an assistive device as his hands functioned normally.

The cold surface felt foreign beneath his fingertips. He couldn't move it around much, or use its full functions but the basics were well in his control.

And he was a fool.

He must be. Otherwise, why would such a thought even cross his mind?

But it had, and he couldn't brush it off.

There was a battle inside him. A part of him wanted to take the plunge but the other, the sane part rebuked him for being desperate.

But he missed her. Haleh had said she was not herself these days. Was she doing better now? He wanted to tell her she should not waste her time on him. But how would he say that? Could he even say anything?

But hearing her voice alone would be the balm on his aching heart.

He could have this right?

He could have just this.

Pushing caution out of his system, he put all his might into the one task at hand. As if his life depended on it.

Her name was on top of his call log. She was the last person who had contacted him on this device. The first after his accident. With great difficulty and an effort that made him sweat, he touched the name.

The bell rang.

He saw it going through. He couldn't place it next to his ear. He put it on speaker.

She cut it after four rings.

His heart sank. But his spirit was intact.

He tried again.

She cut it again. Five rings this time.

He closed his eyes, regret gnawing at him.

He dialed it again.

In his heart, he knew this also wouldn't go through.

But after six rings, she finally picked up.

The silence greeted him.

The silence sliced him open.

No, Sila. Don't do this to me. Please.

"Aahil..."

Her composed voice was the only sound in his room. Only sound his ears were attuned to. Salvation. Ruination

"You need to take the hint when someone cuts your call the first time."

There was no warmth behind her words. He still tried to find it.

"What is it now? You can't send the family over. Can't ask our friends to fight your case for you. Have you finally decided to face the music by yourself?"

He opened his mouth but what could he say to her? His words would betray him anyway.

"Two weeks, Aahil. Two weeks since that...God."

Her voice broke. The facade cracked and fell. She wanted to complain but in her mind, she had no right. She wanted to remind him he was getting late but in her mind, he didn't care.

"I don't want this."

It was a broken whisper.

"I can't do this right now. Not after...everything. Please..."

She was crying now. She must be hating herself and cursing him. He had brought her there.

"This isn't right. You can't do this to me after everything. You can't just barge into my life. You can't just pick up your phone and dial my number. You can't just trace your way back to me. It doesn't work like this. It shouldn't work like this. Not when you broke me the way you did. I just...I don't want you to call me and—"

"I won't."

He uttered in a beat. But his heart forgot to beat as he did so.

"And ask me to come back."

A tear slipped to his pillow. "I... won't."

She sniffled. "Or come here to get me."

"I..won't."

I can't.

"Yeah, that's about it. Bye, Aahil."

She was about to hang up when he voice stopped her.

"Sila..."

She shook her head, crying profusely as if he could see her.

"Wait...for me...please." He whispered as if it physically pained him to say this.

She paused. He waited with bated breaths.

In the past, she had waited, without him having to ask her but he hadn't cherished it that time.

She hung up, without saying a word.

No refusal. No agreement.

Just silence.

The same silence he had dished out to her not so long ago.

And its reverberations couldn't be louder.

𝄞