"Where were you!" Mahira's father waited angrily.

"Uhmm..traffic got struck in traffic " Mahira stuttered.

"I asked you to stay at home " Jamshed yelled out at her daughter.

"Mahira went to Sheetal who is sick with Jaundice " Naheed lied .

"Okay but next time before leaving the house inform me too" Jamshed.

"Why is Abba behaving like this? I never got time restrictions to go out of house.

Jamshed went out of prayer to the mosque and Naheed gave a dead glare to Mahira.

"Where the hell were you for the entire day? I asked you to return within 2 hours" Naheed spoke out furiously.

"Ammi, a Sheetal's friend got into accident so she called for him" Mahira lied .

"That Sheetal got nobody to help and why she needed your help? Who was the friend? Was it boy ?" Naheed took a furry of questions.

"Ammi, why are you always suspecting me? I was there to help and it doesn't matter if he was a boy" Mahira sighed.

"What! This city is not a safe place. You were roaming with random boy if Jamshed got to know then he would probably kill me and you together" Naheed spoke out apprehensively.

"Ammi, Baba is not conservative. Has something happened? You both are hiding something " Mahira knitted her brows.

"Sartaj's daughter Bisnish ran away with a hindu boy" Naheed spoke out.

"So?" Mahira asked.

"So? Do you think it is a casual matter " Naheed stood stunned.

"Yeah...Binish is a lawyer and she knows her rights and she married whom she loved " Mahira spoke.

"Binish was a lawyer but a foolish girl" Naheed sat down.

"Was?" Mahira's instinct kicked in.

"Yupp she is dead" Naheed spoke out with a sigh.

"What!how?" Mahira panicked.

"Both were running away from being chased by relatives of both sides . A truck hit their car killing Binish ,the boy and the driver" Naheed explained.

"I want to see her for one last time ,she is my childhood. Ammi please let me go" Mahira broke down.

"No! Nobody in the community will go . She changed her religion" Naheed spoke out .

"Where is she ? Who will do her final rites ?" Mahira questioned as tears flow down.

"The family took the boy and Binish is still in the morgue police will do something for the funeral. Now don't ask me more questions about that girl" Naheed spoke out coldly.

Mahira ran in her room,her heart beated like drum ready to leave her chest.

The mobile rang and she saw Manu was the caller .

"Mahi? What happened why are you crying?" Manpreet panicked hearing Mahira sobbing softly.

"Binish died ...cause she married a hindu man .She is lying in a mortuary nobody is ready to give her a farewell" Mahira spoke in between sobs.

"Meet me at night when everyone sleeps . You will get to see your friend for final time" Manpreet spoke out.

"But it's impossible to come out of the house" Mahira replied.

"Just sneak of the house and reach the bus stand" Manpreet spoke.

The night came and Mahira waited for her parents to sleep .

At 2 am ,she sneaked out of the house .

She walked from the narrow lanes of the Karol Bagh as dogs barked at her .

Her heart was totally numb to fear dozens of street dogs .

She took out some biscuits out of her bag and kept them on the road to distract all the dogs who got busy in fighting  with themselves.

She reached the bus stand where Manpreet was waiting for her .

She broke down into his arms .

"You need to be strong " He whispered while patting her back to calm her.

They both sat in the auto to reach the police station.

Manupreet holded Mahira's hand as the auto driver started the vehicle.

The mouse like green Yellow auto rattled through the potholes and Mahira's mind went into the past 4 yrs ago .

"Excuse me this is my auto" 22 year old Mahira argued.

"Where is your name written show me!" 23 yr old Manpreet shot back.

"I stopped the auto" Mahira spoke out angrily.

"But I sat in it first so my ride" Manpreet retorted.

"Both of you don't fight , Madam ji and sirji where do both want to go.I will drop both of you one by one or one more auto" the auto driver spoke out.

"Saint Stephens" Both replied .

"Share the ride then don't waste my time" the auto drived pulled the metre down to capture these two passengers .

Mahira sat opposite to Manpreet .

"Which year you belong to?" Manpreet spoke.

"Final year" Mahira replied .

"Oh we are classmates , I never saw you" Manpreet spoke out.

"In first year my leg got fractured and second my father got a heart attack so I wasn't atrending college . I got back in exams today is my back exam" Mahira spoke out remorsely .

"Oh it's fine, I am also giving back exam today" Manpreet spoke out with a assuring smile.

Both reached the class and by luck both sat next to each other .

Mahira wrote half of the paper and then went blank. As half the time passed her hands quivered and she broke into cold sweats .

Manpreet completed half of his paper when he noticed Mahira blankly , her face completely faded .

He wrote the paper and as he got up to leave ,he saw Mahira sitting still.

"What happened? I am going to flunk this too" Mahira broke down.

"It's okay you will pass if not you can reapply" Manpreet spoke out.

"Hey you are okay?" Manpreet asked as Mahira felt nauseous.

"I am not well" Mahira spoke out walking to towards the corridor.

He walked behind her at a distance as he knew something was terrible.

She stopped at the railing and started the ground.

"You won't die but might get crippled for entire lifetime if you jump right now " He whispered to Mahira.

"How did you know that I contemplated suicide?" Mahira got stunned.

"I read your heart and mind, Manu knows how to read heart" Manpreet smirked.

"This is serious" Mahira spoke out angrily.

"Life is also not a joke beautiful" Manpreet spoke out and Mahira blushed as nobody addressed her as beautiful.

With this Wheatish complexion you think I am a beautiful girl with every other guy dying to marry me" Mahira spoke out as tears unflurred.

"Heart matters not beauty . You have a beautiful heart" Manpreet spoke out instantly winning Mahira's heart starting the friendship bond.

"Heart matters are complicated these youngsters don't think before falling in love" the inspector spoke to constable as Manpreet filled formalities.

"Sometjmes heart falls for anyone without rationality" Mahira thought to reply but choose silence.

"Here is the body ,totally charred .Don't see it better do the rites soon" A woman spoke out in monotone.

Mahira stood scared holding Manpreet's arm not knowing how to react to a pile of human flesh covered with a white sheet.

"She was so tall and beautiful what the hell happened to her ,she didn't deserve this " Mahira broke down as the smell of the mortuary made her uneasy and memories of Binish, the bubbly girl came rushing to her mind .

"I will do her final rites" Manpreet spoke out.

As Manpreet lit the pyre ,Mahira stood in the corner .

Her heart was smoking , matching the heat of igniting wood the red hot tears fell off her eyes .

Within seconds a someone she closely saw got burn into ashes as if she never existed .

A man gave the ashes to Manpreet as dawn break.

"She didn't deserve it" Mahira sobbed.

"I will drop you home and take care" Manpreet spoke out.

"They didn't had the rights to kill them " Mahira spoke out bitterly.

"Keep patience and Destiny can't be fought with" Manpreet spoke remorsefully.

"What's written in our destiny?" Mahira spoke out looking at the vessel that contained ashes.

"Hope for the best ,prepare for worse Mahi . I will do remaining rituals too " Manpreet spoke as his heart felt heavy.