Assalamu alikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu lovelies.

That cover was made by milaaaahh
Thanks dear, its such a lovely cover.

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6th October, 2017.

When a believer dies, the place where he used to prostrate himself in his salah, will weep for him.

Ibn abbas (R . A)

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CHAPTER 21 -
Distance Which Never Ends.

Imran was packing his clothes and other stuff, in his travelling bag. He was feeling ecstatic, that he was going back. To his soon to be bride.

That thought alone, was making him to jump in joy. He can't describe, how much he wanted to be there, in his own wedding preparations. But, now nothing will stop him, from his happiness. That's what, Imran thought.

Is it true?

And the happiness was doubled, due to his successful meeting. It all went well, and as for his promise, he concluded the meeting in just one day.

So, he could be back home, as soon as possible.

He still had, a day left for his stay, in Italy. But, he finished as soon as possible, so that he could be there in every ritual. As, he thought to surprise them, with his sudden arrival. More like surprise her.

Is he the one who was going to surprise or be surprised?

Now, he was making all arrangements for his leave, he was even booked his flight, not using their private plane.

He put all his shirts and other things, in the bag, before zipping it.

He checked his wrist watch, and it shows, six in the evening. He still had three hours left for his flight. So, he thought to roam around a bit.

He went to take a quick shower, grabbing his toiletries, which he packed before, and headed towards bathroom.

After having a warm nice shower, he wrapped a plain white fluffy towel, around his waist.

He walked out of the steamy shower stall, and went towards the wide mirror. He stood before the mirror and looked at his reflection.

He was looking way different, now. He had grown a slight stubble, on his face, and a unusual spark, in his hazel orbs.

He smiled, looking at his reflection. He felt an immense happiness in his heart, just with the thought of Aasiya. He can't wait, to start his life with her.

From the day, she entered in his life, he felt a different and unusual kind of peace and contentment in his heart.

And, he wanted that happiness in his life, forever.

He came out of bathroom, and change into a grey pant and white shirt. Looking, as cool as always. And grabbed brown colour leather jacket.

After styling his hair, and some body spray. He grabbed his passport, and placed it in his pocket. He went out of the hotel, that he was staying.

He spotted his driver, and he was standing behind the driver's side door.

"Good evening, Mr. Imran." He greeted him, with a friendly smile. In his thick, Italian accent. "Where would to you, like me to take you, sir." He asked, while moving towards the back door to open it for Imran.

"Ah! There no need of that. I was just going for a little walk, in the neighbouring streets." Imran waved off, his hand in dismissal.
"I'll manage. And please do bring my bags, from my room. My flight is in three hours."

"Okay, sir. Have a nice evening." The driver said, and Imran nodded his head, with appreciation and walked away. After giving him, instructions about his flight details and he would be back here in an hour or two, and then to leave for airport.

Imran walked in the busy streets, with some people walking to their houses, while others doing their jobs, in their small shops.

He walked some more farther away from the hotel. He spotted, a carnival, sparkling with glittery lights and designed with attractive boards to catch attention of passby-er's.

He stood in front of one of the stalls, and there was a old couple. Who were smiling at each other, when the old man bought a small chain, with a tear drop pendent for his wife, and she was looking at him like, he bought her a moon.

The old man placed it around her neck, while stealing a small kiss from her. To which she glared at him, when he kissed her nose, she giggled like a school girl.

Imran instantly, pictured himself in the place of that old man and that old women as Aasiya. Like, their Nikkah, having kids, happy moments, them growing old, and reminiscing their journey one day, sitting in their bed rooms, balcony in each others arms.

He didn't realise, that he was watching the old couple for quite sometime and he felt like a creep. Looking at them, with a goofy smile on his face, while imagining his future with Aasiya.

Imran felt like, he was invading their private moments. So, he shook his head, at his sudden change, and moved his gaze away from the old couple.

He shook his head, at his imagination.
'God! Imran, you were falling for her, manh!'

He started to walk, even more inside the carnival. He momentarily stopped by some stalls. Suddenly, his attention caught by a beautiful couple bracelet.

The bracelet was looking so beautiful, with zig zag, designed all along and with small blue Diamond studded in each curve. The whole length of the bracelet was embedded with tiny white diamonds.

He went near the stall, and picked it up. And gazed at the bracelet with a soft smile on his lips.

"Sir, do you like this one?" The shopkeeper asked, while pointing his finger towards the bracelet.

"Yes! I'll take this one." He paid, and gift wrapped it. With a tiny note placed inside the box.

With the thought, of giving it to Aasiya, he purchased it.

*********

After some more time, Imran realised that he was out for quite some time. So, he checked his wrist watch and started to walk back to the hotel.

He didn't even realise, that he walked way far from the hotel. So, he thought to took a short cut, that he could save sometime.

He started to walk, faster taking long strides. He was getting late, and he had to be in airport in thirty minutes.

His grip on the box, tightened and placed it in his shirt's secret pocket. And grabbed his mobile, to call the driver.

He took a left turn, while tapping on the mobile screen, furiously with his skilled fingers. And pressed it against his ear.

He didn't realise, he was walking way more fast, like running. The driver answered the call and Imran asked him to get the car ready. And ended the call.

When he was passing through a street, he heard some noises coming from a far end. He ignored it and concentrated on his destination.

But, as he was moving forward, the voices coming from the far end were getting louder and clearer. He could heard laughs and grunts of some men. And a soft pleads.

He couldn't take it, so he ran towards the source and found a dark alley, in which there were some drunken men, may be three or four, hovering over something.

"Hey!" Imran shouted from his spot. To catch thier attention, which he did quite successfully.

"What do you want?" One of the drunken men, yelled at him in irritation. He had tattoos all over right side of his face, Imran can't see his face clearly, due to, lack of light in the alley.

"Hey! Kid. Go away. It's none of your business." Another men, who looked older than the other said. With creepy grin, its obvious they were high on weeds.

When Imran saw, nothing suspicious. He started to walk back out of the alley. He stopped in mid stride, when a soft cry reached his ears.

"Pl---eaasee, hh--elp!"

"What's that? Who's there." Imran started to walk towards the men. And the cries got even more louder, in desperation to get any help.

"Please, please help me." A women's voice can be heard in merely above a whisper, but can be heard loud and clear. Due to silence in the alley.

"You shut the hell up, b!tch." A young boy's voice resonated from the place, where a women's cries were coming. And followed by a loud sound, which was a hard slap from the boy.

To which she yelped and cried in pain. "Arrghh!" Her cries were getting louder, each passing second. That boy was beating her and slapping her hard across her face.

"Hey, stop. What the hell are you doing?" Imran shouted and ran towards the women.

But, was stopped by a tattooed man. Who placed a hand on his chest and tried to stop him.

"What hell was your problem man? Just go away." He shouted on Imran's face. But, Imran got even more aggressive and shoved him away and make his way.

The older man attacked him, with fisted punch. Imran hold the older guys hand with his left and landed a hard punch with a kick in his gut, kneed him on his shin to lost the guys balance and drop to the ground.

With the sound, they can say, the older guy must broke a bone or two.

He finshed the same way with the other too. And make his way, towards the women. Due, their drunken state it was little easy to take them down for Imran.

When he reached there, he saw a girl, may be in her teens.

Her face was red due to all beating, with red swollen eyes. Her clothes were torn on the sides of her sleeves.

He quickly averted his gaze away from the girl, and removed his jacket and passed it to her.

"Please, wear it.!" Imran said, passing his leather jacket to the girl. Which she took gratefully, and occasionally her sobs would come out of her throat.

Her cheeks were having red finger marks, and bruises on her shoulder and arms.

Her top was almost torn, except from some places. Imran couldn't look at her way.

When she was completely done and, covered herself, with his jacket. She spoke.
"Th---thank yy--ou." She croaked, her throat was dry, due to all sobs and yelling for help.

"If yy--you, didn't reach on time, I--I ddon---don't know, what would they did to mm--me." She continues to thank him, while tears were running down her cheeks.

"Are you okay?" Imran queried her, when his gaze fell on her state. He should known better that to ask her.
"I am sorry." He apologised, and moved few steps back to keep some distance between them.

For they were only two, alone in the dark alley. Apart from those unconscious drunken men.

"If you want, I can call for help and police." Imran asked, still looking the other direction.

"N--no!" She said, almost quickly. Which caught Imran's attention and, he looked up at her.

She was watching in horror, something behind him. But, he was too, late to realise and, with a loud crashing and thumping sound.

Imran fell to the ground, with a loud noise. Blood was oozing out from the back side of his head.

The girl screamed in pure terror. And started to call for help. The young boy, dropped the baseball bat, to the floor and watched the lifeless body of Imran and the red warm liquid, which was spurting, around his head, in sheed horror and wide eyes.

Like, he just woke up from the sleep. He quickly step aside, from the lifeless lying body of Imran. He quickly grabbed, his things which fell on the ground, during the little fiasco.

"HELP! Please. Somebody help.!" The girl shouted on top of her lungs, with all the energy left in her body.

The young boy, with the other two men, ran away. Leaving Imran, who was covered in his own pool of blood and the girl, who was on hysterics.

*********

Aasiya was getting ready for her mehendi ceremony, wearing a dark forest green colour, anarkali ankle length dress matched with silver coloured sparkling palazzo pant.

The dress was beautifully designed with a heavy stone work, along with embroidery on the neckline, with a u- shaped neck.

Having tiny rhinestones work, on the bodice. With a waist band like design. Border line of the dress was having a whole six inch, length of heavy border. With banaras material.

With full sleeve, the heavy banaras border was covering her sleeve upto her elbows.

The lush green colour, was looking absolutely pretty on her skin contrast. Her face was reflecting the colour of her dress.

She had done her long and thick hair, into a beautiful french braid. Cascading down, it reaches below her waist.
She covered it with the matching dupatta, forest green colour. With, tiny stones placed all long the dupatta, with a one inch length border, on four sides of the material.

When she was almost done, with her hair and placing hijab on her head. She heard a knock on her door.

"You can come in, its open!" Aasiya answered, still fixing her hijab pins to place the dupatta on its place.

"Assalmu alikum, Siya." She heard, Hafsa's voice from her behind.

Aasiya moved her head slightly aside, and greeted her back, while looking at her through mirror.

"Walikum assalam, Hafsa!" She placed, the last pin behind her ear and turned around.

"Ma sha Allah, Siya. You looking smoking hot. Allah! If only Imran jiju could see you." Hafsa said, with a wink and teasing smirk. To which Aasiya glared and pinched her on her arm.

"Shut up!" She hissed, and Hafsa rubbed the place where she pinched her.

"Ouch! Siya!" Hafsa cried in pain, to give a dramatic effect.

"Ohh! You deserve it." She said, and walked past her towards the coffee table.

Aasiya grabbed a small flower from the vase, and smiled at it.
True to his promise, Aasiya daily received a rose, along with a letter.

"What's that?" Hafsa asked her, with a mischievous smile.

"Rose, duh!" Aasiya replied, which made Hafsa to roll her eyes.

"Huh! I can see that, I am talking about your face." She went towards Aasiya and held her hand to drag her in front of the mirror.

"See this." She pointed towards Aasiya's face. "This smile, what is the cause of this beautiful smile of yours. Huh!" She nudged her sides, to which Aasiya giggled and turned crimson red.

"Ishhh! Nothing." Aasiya turned other way to hide her red face.

"Ahan! Its something." Hafsa turned her around to face her. "Ohh! Come on. Tell me." She tried to grab the rose, but Aasiya quickly pulled her hand with rose back.

"Alright! Now, you've to tell me, is it sent by Imran jiju?" She asked, trying hard to control her smile. But, failed miserably.

Aasiya thought, its waste to hide. So, she nodded her head. With a shy smile on her lips, eyes cascading down.

"Aww! He so romantic." Afreen cooed, from the door way. These two looked at her direction and she was giving a goofy smile.

"You were listening to our conversation, secretly?" Hafsa asked her, to which she nodded with a cute smile.

"Wow! Siya di. Why don't you put it in your hair. It will look good on you." Afreen suggested, and Hafsa nodded in affirmative.
Aasiya just gave into thier words and agreed.

********

Aasiya was made to sat on the chair, in middle of thier living room. Which was completely decorated with variety of flowers and twinkling lights.

The whole area was looking like a newly wedded bride, glowing and sparkling in all glory.

Slowly, the whole area was filled with guests. They were waiting for the groom's side of family to bring the gifts and, to start the mehendi function.

Every one was very happy, and enjoying. Kids cheerful voices, desi aunties banters, young and teenage girls teasing. Whole area was completely filled with cheer and joyous atmosphere.

Every single face was brightening and glowing with joy. Aasiya's whole family was being emotional and happy for thier little princess.

But, everything and everyone's happiness was crumbled into pieces, with just one phone call.

Which changed, once the happy atmosphere of a wedding into a grieve for their loved ones death.

Indeed, no one knows what future be holds for us, except for Allah. The all - knowing.

"No leaf ever falls but that he knows about it."

*********

Assalamu alikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu lovlies.

How are you all doing? Hope you all are good, and enjoying yourself in this romantic season with your loved ones.
*wink*

This beautiful cover was made by one of the sweetest friends I have in wattpad adintahreem
Jazaki Allah dii, it was so lovely. And you take your time to made this. :)

Haah! New update. *grinning widely*

How's the chapter? Hope you guys liked it.

So, its full of Imran! How's it? I hope your views about him cleared now. He really loved Aasiya.

What do you think; would be Aasiya's reaction, after knowing the truth?

And what are your veiws about this chapter? Let me know your views through comments.

I thought, to complete the past in two or three chapters, maximum. But, I guess, it takes two more.

Do you want to jump into the present life or you want to know, Aasiya's reaction after this tragedy. And how Aasiya ended up with Zaryaan.

Do let me know guys. Okay enough of my questions.

Do vote, comment, & share.

Until then.

Allah hafiz.

#Bush.