A/N: I don't what sense this story makes, I have no idea. But my muse was the rain, the photo and a mixture of confusing songs in my head. Hope this mess is worth your time.

Picture credits: @haranish.hrf on Instagram.

WHEN THE SKY CRIES, I CRY TOO

Warning: Some content may be harmful for younger readers.

The rain was hitting the window as fiercely as Rana was pushing inside her, his grunts sharing an uncanny resemblance to the thunder outside. Aarzoo knew that the glass wouldn't crack, no matter how hard the rain pounds on it but she wasn't so sure about herself.

Her eyes tried to focus on the wall, the paleness of its off white colour had always fascinated her. Especially, how the velvet curtains moulded against the wooden windows to curve its shape on the wall.

Rana pushed in again, his bulky muscular body moving like an old engine that was being rattled.

Aarzoo groaned in pain, as she tried to move her wrists. Her bangles clinked making Rana squeeze her wrists harder, as if the bangles were a reminder to him that she was still alive. Her pale skin was yielding to his call, getting redder by the second.

"Hm, it feels like the fucking first time. "He moaned, turning his perfect jaw upwards. He was right, Aarzoo thought. It always felt like the first time. Horrible and disgusting.

She wiped the tears that had formed in her eyes, as she looked out. She was angry at herself but she was also helpless. And in so much pain.

But the pain always dissolved, the helplessness stayed.

He finished before pulling out, moving his sweaty body off her. He had the kind of look that made women melt from its heat, but Aarzoo wasn't a wax candle and she knew Rana wanted to prove her wrong.

"You are such a treasure."He whispered, pulling her close. Aarzoo sniffled in disgust as his face came close to her and she could smell the sourness of his mind on his face. She stayed quite as his finger traced her face, travelling from her forehead to her nose then to the nook of her neck before it got lost in the mess of her long curls.

She took slow breaths in, feeling the air he was sniffing on her face before he pulled back. "Be ready tonight, we have dinner plans." He spat.

She draped the dupatta on her shoulders and looked at the mirror for a few seconds. Her right cheek was swollen, even breathing was hurting. The night echoed in her head, again and again.

Like a tape recorded which refused to move to the next tune. But she was happy for this physical tragedy, at least it explained her tears.

She pulled the black dupatta over her face, wrapping her long brown hair neatly inside as she covered half of her face with it before leaving her room. The journey from her room to the main gate was her main test, her payals clinked but her own breathe dared not make a sound.

She walked as slowly as possible before reaching the end; she could hear the old TV buzzing. She knew the TV became the loudest at night when abba ji needed it to drown out her cries, she felt the urge to laugh out loud at this moment just to see if he would ignore that too.

She twisted the door knob and stepped out, feeling the water drench her completely. She smiled, even though it hurt to because now every part of her body was numb due to the cold and finally it felt like home. She walked, watching people running and escaping the rain.

She walked to the market, it was damp and but the shops were wide awake. People stared at her, she was dripping wet and her suit cupped her curvy body but she ignored them. She walked down the lanes till she reached the one she was going for; the bird market.

The birds were cooing and to Aarzoo the clatter was like a hidden poetry only she could hear. She stared at the pigeons lined, purring and cooing.

"Which one today, beta?" Masood bhai asked her, his eyes holding sympathy. It looked like his eyes wanted to offer her a blanket but his lips wouldn't dare speak it. She pointed to a pale blue one with grey eyes as the old man nodded. Aarzoo liked his shop, it smelled of pigeons and paan. She shivered, without the rain she was just a wet body that was getting cold.

The man handed her a cage as she payed him before walking out. She walked down the familiar road, the rain kept pelting her with its sorrow. She didn't even try to sympathise with the clouds.

She stopped in front of an old building, her woven joothis mingled in mud and water. She looked up despite the shower and then down at the pigeon.

It was such a pretty bird, cooing ever so softly not minding the rain,Aarzoo almost wanted to keep it. But Aarzoo had almost wanted a lot of things, she had almost wanted to run away from her home, to almost kill Rana, to almost kill herself, to almost love Sheraz but she never did any of those.

She climbed the creaky footsteps of the foyer, looking at the old oak door. She bit her bottom lip, standing still for the longest time before knocking. She started singing, a soft hum of an old song she always remembered.

The air grew still, she could hear the rain trying to copy her songs. She let it.

The door opened ruining the duet as Aarzoo stared at the man.His eyes were so black, she couldn't see anything in them and that was what she liked the most about them. They were so honest, she felt her own eyes start to water.

"Aarzoo wh-" He whispered, but then stopped. She lifted the cage, bringing it to her eye level. He was so tall, the kind of tall that people mistook for scary but that was reassuring to her. She felt that she could dissolve in all of him.

She shivered as the cold air hit her but didn't stop. She opened the cage and very slowly brought the pigeon out of it. The beautiful creature kept cooing filling the silent space between the two.

"Touch it." She spoke softly, her brown eyes looking up at him. Shehraz watched water travel down her cheeks, he couldn't make out whether it was the water from her wet hair or her crying eyes. He didn't want to touch the pigeon, he wanted to touch her face, her body- he wanted to hug her and push the coldness out of it. But her fierce eyes told him not to follow his heart so he touched the pigeon.

She nodded slowly before freeing her hands, letting the pigeon fly away.

"This was your good task for the day now it's time for the bad one." She spoke with such ease that Shehraz trembled at the willingness his heart responded with when she grabbed his shoulders. Sheraz heard her payals clink as she got on her toes and before he could know it, her lips was touching his and he could feel the thin but cold metal of her nose ring on his skin.

The thunder growled outside, and Shehraz knew it was a warning to him. Stay away from trouble, the skies wept. But he couldn't help it, he had tasted the rain on her lips and now he was intoxicated.

The clouds outside were still rumbling as Aarzoo stood up from the bed. "You want chai, I suppose?" Shehraz asked as he watched her. "Not today, I know you won't let me smoke with it, so what's the use?"She remarked, her brown eyes striking him a smile before she turned to straighten her wrinkled clothes back in order.

Shehraz's glare always made her smile. His concern was touching, but she never understood how could he still care?

"Aarzoo, you can't keep coming here, again and again, not if you keep letting him do this to you, I can't handle it."He spoke rubbing his temples as he sat down. She could see his hands shivering and she wanted to go hug him, to tell him it was okay. It was natural. Most wives were not happy in their relationships, her mother, her sister and now- her. But she didn't dare go hug him, she was afraid her coldness would rub off on him.

She looked out the window. It had stopped raining and she was thankful, as the dew drops settled on the window.

She stayed quiet, putting on her kurta. Shehraz suddenly rose, coming close to her and he was so close that it scared her. He cupped her cheeks, a silent plea on his face.

"Why do you hurt yourself like this?"He whispered, and Aarzoo took a deep breath.

"You know, how sometimes, people do bad things to keep themselves sane. Some drink alchohol and weep, some smoke, some get high?"She spoke, trying to explain it to him.

"I come to you. You are my bad thing, you are my escape. If the sky is crying, why can't I too?"

Shehraz bit his lip. He always lost when she asked him this.

So he cursed the sky instead.