I split this chapter in two as the first part did not flow well with the second half, it was awfully long and I didn't like the way it went from meh to dark. Plus, the second part is extremely graphic and I would prefer those scenes to be huddled together so I don't have TW everything.

this is the first part of chapter seventeen.

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"You didn't have to come," Nazia says, watching Abeer put his bag in the booth. He shoots her a small smile before sitting down, dusting the raindrops on his shirt out with his palm. All Nazia could see were colorless objects. Gray on Abeer's shirt, the black of his shirt and watch, the black dress she wears, and the frilly black bag besides her. The only thing filled with color is her booth and even her cup of tea is a dull brown.

"Yes, I did. What kind of brown guy would I be if I skipped out on tea?" Abeer quizzes, chuckling. Nazia had texted him a few minutes ago. Harnaam had barely been around for some strange reason and besides Harnaam, all her other friends seem like temporary friends. None of them have a strong bond like her and Harnaam. Besides her other friends who had no idea about her relationship issues, she had Abeer.

One side of her disagrees with this decision. 'He's so creepy - and have you ever heard him?! He would've probably tried to kill Kabir with his bare hands,' and the other says, 'but he sounded so sincere yesterday.'

Whatever. It's not like her life can get more downhill from here. It feels like she has an aching hole where her heart should be and no matter how much she paints, badly sings or eat her favorite food nothing works.

Abeer's leg jiggles under the table. "So, have you sent out the photos for opening?" he questions, shooting a small smile at her. When Nazia shakes her head no - her head was too busy torturing herself with images of Kabir last night to - he laughs. "I can help you if you want."

"That'll be great," Nazia says, practically beaming at him with a large smile that gives Abeer heartflips. It's been a long time since he's seen that heart warming smile, the smile where she flashes her movie star teeth achieved through several years with braces. It's been years since he's had his heart melt like butter and have happiness flow through his veins.

His Nazia is back.

Nazia brings out a grey portfolio from her bag, her earing swishing as she hands it over to him. Abeer flips through it, his eyes lingering on some pages while flipping over some as Nazia watches him. She sips her popping hot tea and orders Abeer's favorite latté without asking him, causing Abeer to smile.

Suddenly when Abeer is half way through all the photographs, Nazia gets up. "I'm just going to go to the bathroom and come back," she says. Abeer gives her a nod and then turns his attention to the photos while sipping his latté.

As soon as Nazia leaves, the door swishes open again and Abeer looks up. He shoots Sahibha a large smile, glad for her pink lipstick and her dress that reaches her heels. Her hand is on Kabir's arm and she scans the café until her eyes land on Abeer's. She sends him a small nod and then turns her attention to Abeer.

Abeer turns his eyes to the portfolio as he covers his forehead with his hand, leaving the rest of the plan to Sahibha. When they walk near them, Abeer gets up and takes the last sip of his pipping hot drink.

Kabir walks past him without taking another look at him. "I can't believe you left Nazia for a slut . . . So how long have you been sleeping with Sahibha before Nazia left you?" Abeer quizzes, his voice deadly quiet so only Kabir picks up on it in this café.

Kabir raises an eyebrow at Abeer, his eyes darkening as he pauses. Abeer eyes Sahibha up and down as if she's a piece of meat. Even in her flowy blue dress and knitted white cardigan, Sahibha feels uncomfortable and gross. She take a step away from Abeer, trying her best to not let her discomfort show. "At least you picked a good looking slut. Even though she's an easy game, she's awfully hot," Abeer says, smirking as he watches Sahibha slowly inch away from him.

Game. The word manages to mark his stomach ache, the word bringing him back to the art gallery when his hand was in Nazia's and Abeer referred to love as nothing but a game.

In response, Kabir turns around and grabs Abeer's collar. Sahibha lets go of Kabir's arm. Heels click on the floor, and Sahibha's eyes eyes gaze around the full café to see a stunned employee with bystanders - and Nazia. Even while the heels draw everyone's still form, Kabir still glares at Abeer as his fist tightens around the black fabric.

With effortless grace, Nazia taps Kabir's shoulder. Kabir looks back, his eyes widened at the sight of her. He gives one last glare at Abeer, and with a broken heart, he looks at Nazia. He had truly wished that the rumors of her and Abeer were fake, but now, seeing them for himself, his heart shatters into tiny pieces. For a moment, all he does is look at Nazia and the way her earings glimmer and shakes besides her head in this awful lighting, the way a single pimple shines on her forehead, the long brown hair that limply hangs besides her and the dark eyeliner surrounding her soft brown eyes.

"Your boyfriend calls girls sluts even though he's been with thousands of girls. Teach him to watch his mouth," Kabir rudely says to Nazia before grabbing Sahibha's hand and moving away. All Abeer does is fix his collar with a large smirk. As soon as Nazia's eyes stop trailing behind Kabir with longing.

Nazia ignores Kabir's remark and sits down in the booth. There's no masking the way her eyes glaze over with pain, the way she watches Sahibha with jealousy. Her hands skim the cover of her portfolio, flipping to the first page as she gives Abeer a forced smile. "That was awkward," she claims, giggling slightly.

All Abeer does is smile back at her. "Yeah -- but let's just ignore it. Let's not let some in who barely matters ruin our day," he shrugs, looking at one of the images.

Abeer's mind is only occupied with one thing, even while Nazia smoothes out the creases on the portfolio with her black nails, that his plan has worked.

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SILENCE.

That's all Abeer could hear and see. There was nothing besides silence and the moonlight that softly kisses his fingers and cheek. His face is half on the pillow, sinking into a cloud-like warmth as his blanket lies forgotten on the floor. The cold bites him everywhere, welcoming itself home upon his brown skin.

He lets out an exhale, turning over so he's facing the ceiling rather than the curtains. He watches the ceiling, a thought haunting him like it's been for the last few months. It sounds louder, thumping in his head ever sinc he saw Nazia smile at him like the way she used to again.

You're the villian of your own love story.

He's the only reason why Nazia doesn't love him anymore and he wishes it was untrue. The only reason why he's here is solely because his father seems to possessing his thoughts, screaming at him to perfect everything. Nazia is the only thing left out of his perfect life -- he has a job, money, mansions and everything besides love and he wouldn't dare to settle for anything besides the best.

He once read that your subconscious is awfully similar to your parent's and the tone they speak to you in. It explains why he hates himself so much, why he has to make sure everything is perfect, that he beats himself up over the tiniest things. Or perhaps, just like his father, he's pure evil as well. That darkness has consumed him whole, his heart is an inky shade of black.

His heart feels half melted, warm and fuzzy ever since he was laughing with Nazia in the booth. It felt like he had just completed a long term goal and his dad was applauding him for the first time ever. It felt like when he was twelve, and his dad saw the A+ on his results and smiled at him.

A foolishly small grin appears on Abeer's lips as he turns over, and remises about the way Kabir boiled with anger. The jealousy he held in the closed fists of his, the longing he had in his brown eyes, the way his eyes softened at someone who he'll never get again -- it all somehow made Abeer happy. The emotions, the actions that Kabir was feeling today is the same torture Abeer was forced to go through for months.

Abeer grabs his phone off the bedside table, turning it on and immediately going to Bella's contact. There's only one text there: he's here. There's no emojis, anything that involves emotions or any indicator of what Bella is exactly planning to do.

Oh but Abeer knows exactly what she'll do; she'll break Kabir in half somehow. She'll make his life torturous again, replace the roses he had with Nazia with thorns. It was Abeer's turn to play the villian in Kabir's love story rather than his own.

And he cannot wait.

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AHHH i'm so hyped to talk about abeer's backstory !!! this is only the start of the 'revealing' of his story.

how was the chapter?

are you guys excited for part 2? well you should be -- because it's releasing today!

vote?

- Maya