Possession by Laila Ali (best authors to read txt) 📕

He already had told his grand father about it. His stance was stoic and void but still he was able to decipher the underlying sadness.

Massaging his temples, he sighed and focused on another issue which was lurking on his head. About her.

He had got alot of things on his plate.

Within fifteen minutes, everyone hs gathered inn the lounge on Shehryaar's call. fter a few minutes, he entered into the lounge and settled down, running his gaze on everyone around there.

He was practically about to drop a bomb on them but he had to confide in this with his family members. They should be aware of it and sooner or later they'll come to know then why not now.

"What happened shehryaar beta? Why did you call us? Are you going to announce your wedding date"

Internally sighing, he calmed himself. His grandmother just wants him to get married somehow.

"No Dadi. I've an important news to tell"

"Yes, go on"

"Irtaza and Moosa bhai have been abducted, by the terrorist group, yesterday" He announced, addressing every member of the haveli. The second his words came to halt the whole place was a hue and cry.

"Wait, what .. how?"

"How is it possible?"

Everyone was stunned and couldn't come to terms with the fact that Irtaza might be in danger.

"They got to know about his location because his sim was acitivated and he was on call with someone for more than 2-3 minutes which gave them enough time to access him and the direction they headed to. They could'nt defeat him on land so tracked his fucking cell phone and now I have no fucking clue where they could be at this moment." Shehryaar said, rage clearly evident in his tone, fist clenched. He was trying hard to maintain his composure. It was only the rarest moments when he lost his usual self.

While everyone 's voice muddled in commotion, Zahra stood there silent as if ground slipped under her feet. She closed her eyes, her mind cluttered, regret enveloping her and reality hitting her.

When she opened her eyes, she could see everyone face but could feel his face, Irtaza's face, flashing infront of her yet miles away from her,metaphorically.

"Sssh, everything will be alright, have faith" said Zahra's grandmother wiping the tears that cascaded down Dua's face. Haya hugged her from side.

"Do something bhai!" Dua begged.

"I'll. Don't worry, your brother is here. Dada, I want to talk to you"

Shehryaar and his grandfather went outside discussing something and slowly everyone retired to their rooms. Zahra followed Dua and Haya to Dua's room but before she could enter , Dua shut the door on her face saying "Leave us alone" Zahra swallowing the lump in her throat went to her room.

Nobody could see or understand the chink in her armour but this doesn't mean that she didn't have any .

She sat on the bed and that's when she broke and slowly drifted from the bed onto the floor as she couldn't compose herself. She kept overthinking, over-processing what she heard minutes ago till the words seemed meaningless as any others, for her mind to stop thrashing against her skull and for heart to cease commanding tsunamis of blood against her numb veins. She couldn't accept it .

Tears filled all possible crevices on her face and finally dripped down the edge of her dimple. Her nose reds, cheeks flushed, her breaths abrupt.

All her life she drank away the pain as it came to her but her pitcher overflowed this time.

That night she held herself tighter than ever, her toes curled in, palms clutched. A ticking falls out of a dripping faucet in the lamplight of 2am was all she could hear, pillows wet and lonely. It's a forgotten familiarity that lurks in absoluteness and as pain kicked in, she clutched it with all her might. It was her shield, her armour. But soon enough the shield enfeebles, soaked in grief. She gathered it all, gulped it in and with quivering breaths her cries stopped, no tears left.

Lost in her thoughts she was, when the door of her room opened and her mother entered, sitting beside her.

"Are you fine?"

"Yes" she answered in a quiet voice. Her eyes, voice both null and void symbolising numbness.

"Pray to god, everything will be fine"

She nodded quietly when suddenly her nausea clicked in again and she rushed towrds washroom, vomiting again.Her mother followed behind her.

"Zahra, are you sure, you are not pregnant?" she asked, placing her hand on her shoulder as she washed her face.

"Yes mama"

"Ok. But you'll be going to hospital for a check up"

"No, I don't want to"

"I know you're disturbed yet but within a week, do visit the hospital. I'll tell, Haseeb to take you there on your return from university, someday"

"Okay we'll see" she replied, turning down the tp and cleaning her face with towel.

"Come I'll sleep with you today"

"Okay" she said and they both went inside the room, laying on the bed. 

The morning was up but she never slept. Groggily she stood up, went towards the window, the sunlight burnt a little but doesn't every wound before it heals? She thought

On reaching the hall she saw Dua with Shehryaar .

"Is there any update from Irtaza Bhai's side, are we able to contact him? " asked Dua, panic-stricken clearly.

"Soon enough, Dua. We will."

"Bhai, doesn't Irtaza bhai have any tracker, like all of us?"

"No, he doesn't. Go to your room and take rest. I'm working on it" he replied and entered his office.

"Dua, don't worry, Allah will keep him safe" said Zahra trying to persuade Dua as she approached her.

"How can I be at rest when I know my brother has been kidnapped only and only because of you

"Dua please don't say this"spoke Zahra

"Stop it. Don't play victim, you are the reason of my brother's weakness. He was so heartbroken over your betrayal that he couldn't focus on his work hence why he is not with me today" she sobbed. Her eyes teary.