Chapter Twelve
RECAP: Nazia was drugged, kissed by Abeer while a flash of light goes off. A new character named Sahibha is introduced. She is a new employee at Kabir's work and talks to Kabir in an extremely flirty way. However, Kabir ignores this.
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ABEER WALKS OUT OF THE BAR, the taste of alcohol still on his lips. He yawns, covering his mouth as he looks around the full parking lots. He pauses, looking at a limp woman on the ground.
Abeer's eyes widens, recognizing the red jacket and mess of brown hair. He runs, walking closer to her. Her body is right out in public; just outside of the parking lot and on the pavement where everyone can see her. His mouth goes dry, wondering if she's still alive.
I told him to make sure she didn't fall unconscious.
His mind lingers on the brunette boy he paid to put the drugs in her drink. The kid was a dodgy guy who made cash off putting drugs in drinks. All you had to do was meet him up behind the scenes, tell him what you want, and he'll do the job for a set amount of cash. After that, Abeer just had to send a picture of Nazia. The drugs were supplied by the teen.
The drug was meant to only make Nazia has a few delusions and Abeer made sure to buy peppermint scented cologne (the same scent that Kabir has) to make Nazia feel safe. It would take at least ten minutes to faint and by them she should've been home. By the time tommorow rolls around, she would have no memory of this encounter and the fragments she does would be extremely blurry as if it's a dream.
Only a few weeks ago, Abeer had bought Fisher's Bar. It was fortunate that one night, while drinking in this very bar, he saw the teen pour something oddly fishy into someone's drink. That's when his plan came along. All Abeer needed to do was drug Nazia, take a few photos with her, and use Kabir's insecurities to get rid of him. The kiss is purely unintentional - but perfect. Abeer saw the chance and took it.
What makes the whole thing easier is Megha. A few days ago, Megha had told him how Kabir is always insecure with his relationships due to an ex. All Megha had told him was that his ex had cheated on him - but the way she pulled a grimace at the sight of her name makes him think his ex didn't just cheat on him. Perhaps she broke his heart, cheated on him multiple times; anything really.
The entire plan took an awful lot of hard work. He had to hire a broke teen to snap a few photos, threaten both of the boys with their careers if they didn't do the task properly or slipped up, and made sure to pick a day he knew Nazia didn't have any work to do. To decrease her suspicion, he even went out of his way to start avoiding her. The only flaw he had was that he told her that the true game will begin now.
Although, now he thinks of it, the entire plan had flaws. What if Nazia showed up with Kabir? What if Kabir came instead? What if Nazia saw Abeer lurking in the shows, what if the boy accidentally drugs someone else, what if Nazia didn't try to kiss him?
Abeer's eyes stray back to Nazia, wondering if that white substance was worse tham he thought it would be. The powder is nothing too much, nothing that'll harm Nazia in the long run but strong enough to make her faint, her vision blurry, loose control of her thoughts, delusions, and potentially make her legs weak. Later on tonight her stomach will hurt but by tomorrow everything will be fine.
Her eyes flutter open, staying open for a second before closing them. How is he meant to look after her? Despite the fact that Nazia has sworn at him on multiple occasions, Abeer still truly loves her and he doesn't want her to get hurt.
Abeer fumbles in his pockets, searching for his phone. He brings out the sleek iPhone out of his black jacket and quickly looks for Megha's contact.
come to fisher bar (park at the back) right now
He presses send, awaiting for Megha's reply. She replies quickly, sending a simple k. Abeer watches Nazia, kneeling down besides her limp body. On instinct, he takes her hand and lets his warm fingers wrap themselves around it, bringing a bit of warmth to her freezing fingers.
"I'm so sorry Nazia. But there was nothing else I could do," Abeer apologizes. He stops squatting, deciding to sit on the icy road instead. If he could, he would have taken her to his home and wrap her in his woolly blankets until color comes back into her skin. It doesn't help that her red lips are quivering and Abeer starts to wonder how long she's been here - Abeer only left the bar after three or four drinks.
Abeer shrugs off his jacket, draping it over Nazia's body. By then, a car pulls up into the car park and Abeer gets up. His eyes narrow onto a small mint colored car and he watches Megha slam the door shut. Abeer's lips unfurl into a smile, another idea coming to mind as he watches Megha decked in a large grey jacket walk closer to him.
Megha's lips are placed in a thin line which only thins further at the mere sight of Abeer. Her eyes glance downwards and widen at Nazia who lies on the floor. Nazia's expression is peaceful with her soft smile. Perhaps she's dreaming about going home and Kabir wrapping his arms around her.
A scowl appears on Megha's face. She can't stand it. At first, she loved how happy Kabir was with Nazia but now, Megha wants Nazia gone. What has Nazia brought besides destruction for Megha? Besides fear and terror? This woman is the sole reason why Abeer is in her life, the sole reason why Megha's heart is broken and the reason why she can't leave this monster.
Megha hates Nazia and she's willing to do anything to get rid of her and Abeer in one go.
"What do you want?" Megha questions, raising an eyebrow. Abeer remains uneffected by the gusts of wind and the chilly weather. He wears nothing besides a plain black shirt that is half sleeved, providing little warmth. The breeze doesn't stop his toothy smile which only widens further with Megha's question.
"Take Nazia home after about thirty minutes, explain to Kabir that Nazia called you to pick her up and fainted at the back of your car. That's all. Just make sure she makes it home safe," Abeer replies.
It hurts Abeer to realize that Nazia now lives with another man. Abeer's gut twists and he remembers how only a few weeks ago, Kabir had called Nazia about her birth control pills. Although Abeer tries to hide his anger, his fist balls up. How dare she sleep with another man?
But this arrangement is perfect. Kabir will see Nazia in her drunken flory, her smeared lipstick, her lies and everything all in one go. It'll let the questions rise in his mind and be confirmed tomorrow morning.
Kabir will pay for kissing Nazia but this isn't the time for it. Right now, he needs to get Kabir out of his Nazia's life. Afterwards, when Kabir is abandoned and heartbroken, Abeer will make sure the brat gets the taste of his own medicine. "Make sure to wait thirty minutes though. I don't want her to be home too early."
Megha nods, grimly looking at Nazia. Abeer leans down, picking up Nazia in bridal style as her cold arm touches his chest. "Kabir, stop moving," she mumbles against Abeer's chest, moving closer to him as she grips his jacket. He doesn't get angry or chuckles at her behaviour; instead he carries on walking to Megha's car and drops her off onto a seat.
Megha opens the driver's side car. "You know what we should do? Get coffee and waste time until thirty minutes are over," Abeer commands, rather than state. He leans against the roof of Megha's slightly dusty car, potentially ruining his expensive (and most likely designer) shirt.
Megha's gut twists at the idea of spending time with a monster but she really wants to know what happened. "Okay but first of all, why do we have to wait for thirty minutes?"
"Kabir. I want him to think Nazia went on a date with me," Abeer explains. Megha raises an eyebrow, wondering how that would work and why is Abeer even telling her this. Maybe his biggest fall is his ego and he needs someone to boast to. "Nazia came here at five thirty pm. If she goes home at six or seven, it's suspicious."
"Remember how I borrowed your phone? I texted Nazia to pick you up," Abeer admits. "Honestly, this whole event went down so smoothly. All we have to do now is show a few photos to Kabir."
Megha's mouth is left agape. She knew that Abeer can go to any lengths, shows no remorse or humanity, and was a terrible person in total but she didn't realize he was intelligent. This man had a huge willpower and intelligence; a deadly combo.
Kabir and Nazia wouldn't have a clue of what has hit them.
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KABIR HAPPILY DANCES AROUND THE LIVING ROOM. There's flour smeared over his nose but it doesn't stop his joyful mood. The song blares out loudly and Kabir starts singing along as well, his soft voice carrying the harmony of the song well.
"Sau taarah ke rog le loon," he sings, throwing a little booty shake along with the song. His voice sounds better than the original singer's voice and it brings a husky vibe to it. "Ishq ka marz kya hai."
Kabir laughs loudly, flopping onto the floor. His eyes glance upwards to the clock, reminding him of how late Nazia is. It's been long enough already, why hasn't Nazia come home? It doesn't take that long to drop off Megha.
Plus, Kabir is in a really happy mood. His rotis actually came out perfectly round and his daal tastes perfect! He rarely can make the perfect round roti without spending several minutes swearing in rapid Punjabi but today he managed four. Even the radio is playing his favorite song and the scented candles he's laid out for Nazia fills the room with a perfect vanilla scent.
To top it off, only ten minutes ago, his mother called him. According to his muma, his abbu is getting better. Last year, just before his and Nazia's wedding, his abbu had a terrible heart attack. Kabir wanted to postphone their wedding, only wanting to get married when his father is better and can happily do bhangra at their wedding. Thankfully for Kabir, he got a patient fiancé who didn't mind at all.
But now, since his father is finally getting better, his wedding can finally happen. Kabir's lips stretch into a large smile, wondering where the honeymoon would be. His mind takes him to the memory of his father being beyond happy when Kabir told him he found a Muslim bride. Kabir's mother jokingly shaked her head at him but he knew his Sikh mother didn't care at all. After all, Kabir is a product of two different religions.
Suddenly, Kabir hears two loud knocks. His eyes widen at the door, wondering if he looks good enough. Today was an extremely important day, it's the day he needs to re-propose to Nazia and break the good news of a potential wedding day. He runs to the door and brushes his hair with his fingertips. Kabir opens the door, a large grin decorating his face.
Instead of meeting Nazia's eyes, he meets Megha's. They drift to Nazia who leans on Megha's shoulder. Megha angrily pushes Nazia into Kabir's chest, who holds onto Nazia. He wraps his arms around her and his eyebrows furrow together in worry and confusion.
"She called me to pick her up. Your fiancé was so drunk she couldn't even stay awake in my car, let alone get in the elevator!" Megha rants. Kabir takes a step back, holding Nazia who leans into the nape of his neck. Nazia tlits her head upwards, her eyes still shut and Kabir notices how her lipstick is slightly smeared.
There's barely any color in her cheeks. She huddles into Kabir's chest, finding somewhat warmth in his body. The cold finger tips of hers brush against a scar on his neck. Kabir hugs her tighter, worried about how chilling her touch is. "Nazia said she went to pick you up," Kabir replies, raising an eyebrow.
"She's lying to you. Are you really going to make this liar your wife - "
"Megha!" Kabir interrupts, his voice loud and sharp. He glares at Megha who boldly stares back. Although Kabir rarely speaks up loudly or gets angry, Megha isn't afraid.
"Tamasha dekte raho (keep on watching this play). In a few days, you'll come crawling back to me and admit that she wasn't worth your time," Megha states, pulling her grey jacket higher up her shoulder. "I can't believe you're siding with her, not me!"
"Megha, don't talk about Nazia like that," Kabir calmly says, his tone dropping to his usual tone. It sounds more annoyed than angry. Trust Megha to make everything about herself when Kabir's fiancé is freezing to death. "And there's probably a reason why she's drunk."
"Is there a reason why she lied to you though?" Megha replies, knowing the consequences of her words. But when Kabir looks up at Megha's, away from worryingly staring at Nazia, his eyes hold so much pain and worry. His eyes make her regret her words slightly and she starts to wish her brother wasn't so insecure about himself. Why can't he just admit that he deserves Nazia - actually, better than Nazia?
She turns around, her black hair flipping around with her. Megha walks down the hallway, leaving without a goodbye. Kabir slams the door shut, his eyes trail down to Nazia. He moves his hand towards Nazia's cold cheek, patting it softly to try wake her up. "Nazia?" he calls out, receiving zero movement from Nazia.
Kabir sighs and he picks her up in bridal style. The mystery behind Nazia can wait tommorow. Today, he'll have to make sure she changes her clothes, replaces these clothes with warm clothes and a thick blanket. Kabir isn't sure if she's even had dinner today or not.
He opens the door to their bedroom and lays her down in the center of their bed. Ever so gently, he leans down to his knees and places their blanket over her shoulders as he watches her eyeliner filled eyes with worry. What if Megha is right? What if Nazia is truly cheating on him. Kabir's heart flips over and his gut twists.
Although questions run through his mind, he's sure that he loves Nazia - no matter what she does. Kabir moves her hair away from her forehead, kissing her skin softly before getting up. He needs to blow out the candles he lay out for Nazia, then change Nazia's clothes for her, wipe the makeup off her face and then proceed to eat a cold dinner without Nazia's laughter.
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KABIR WAKES UP, his eyes automatically searching for Nazia. For the entire year, Nazia has always woken up before him and always kissed his forehead. Instead, he wakes up to see Nazia soundly asleep and thankfully, her chest moves up and down.
Nazia had woken up when Kabir was in the bathroom. While Kabir definitely knew how to undress Nazia, he didn't know how to dress her - especially when Nazia is unconscious. Unfortunately, Nazia just undressed herself, slipped Kabir's shirt on and then went back to sleep, leaving Kabir no time to talk to her when he came out of the bathroom.
Nazia turns around, moving closer to Kabir. A small smile comes on Kabir's lips and he kisses her on her forehead instead. Then, he swings a warm arm over her waist and brings her closer than before.
Kabir couldn't fall back asleep. He tossed and turned for a minute or two and then gave up. His eyes scan the ceiling as questions swirl in his mind.
Is Nazia cheating on me?
He really wishes he was confident enough to know she'll never do it but somewhere, he knows that he'll never be enough for Nazia. One day, she'll get tired of him, like everyone before her.
Kabir rolls over and he looked at his bedside table. His iPhone lies in the middle of the table. The idea of scrolling through his instragram feed and seeing familiar faces is much more appealing than getting into the cold air. Plus, he deserves the distraction.
Instead, he receives a text from an unknown number. Kabir sighs, placing the phone on his pillow as he twists his body to face Nazia. He wraps one arm around Nazia and lets the other hand hold the phone as he looks at the message.
His heart stops.
He tries to ignore how large Nazia's smile is and who it's directed to. Abeer wears a long black coat, smiling widely back at Nazia. Kabir always thought that large pearly white smile is reserved for him only but he's proven wrong today. Kabir searches the background of their location, recognizing the place as Fisher Bar where Nazia said she'll pick up Megha yesterday. Kabir swipes right, searching for any other photos within the album.
The worst photo in the album was Nazia's lips touching Abeer's, followed by her arms wrapped around his waist. The smile stung the most but the betrayal of the other two ripped his heart apart.
All of Kabir's worst nightmares have come true, his fear being of loosing Nazia. His eyes trail away from his phone, looking Nazia's pool of black hair and her small smile on her lips. Kabir's arm is still wrapped around her waist, bringing her somewhat warmth to him. But not even Nazia's waist is enough to warm up the way his heart is freezing over.
To say his heart shattered isn't enough. He feels betrayed. He can feel the feeling of his blood turning cold everywhere, he can feel his lips turning cold wondering how many times she's kissed him with the same lipsticks she wore to her dates with Abeer and his minds blanks, wondering how on earth could he place so much love into one person. How foolish was he to love Nazia so much - knowing that one day that love would have shattered.
And today, it didn't. The love didn't shatter. He still loves her as much as he loved her yesterday. You cannot unlearn how to love someone within the span of a minute - but your heart can break. Your heart can be ripped apart within a second, within a kiss, and that was the case for Kabir.
His heart is utterly broken by a single image of Nazia kissing the man she promised Kabir that she hated. The memory of the day they met Abeer plays on his mind, all the moments Abeer foretold Kabir's broken heart and the moments Nazia lied, and sad she didn't care about Abeer anymore.
Even knowing all of this, Kabir's hand doesn't leave Nazia's waist. Instead, she twists away from him in her sleep. That's when it hits him the most - he won't leave Nazia. He'll carry on to love her with everything he has until Nazia leaves him.
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D R A M A T I C
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- Maya
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