She woke up after a deep sleep. Recognizing her surroundings; she came to realize that she was not home. She thought she was dreaming but it was the truth. She got down. A frying sound could be heard from the kitchen. She entered the huge modern-style kitchen and found him cooking. “So you can cook?” she asked him smiling. “I am a bachelor; what do you think?” he replies. She chuckled. She found this man very funny and chilling at the same time. “I…I want to talk to you,” she said. He was making chicken and eggs for breakfast. He lowered the stove heat and turned to her. “Go on,” he said. “I am very thankful to you that you offered me a night at your place and security as well. I want to move to one of my friends,” she said. He stared at her for a while and opened his mouth to say something when the main door opened and someone entered. She turned around; a tall boy in his mid-twenties walked in. He seemed tired and his green eyes were screaming his exhaustion. “Kristan, yo
“Roman, Roman, Roman. What he wants from me. Why he has to tease me like this? Why? He can’t let me live my life?” she said, annoyed, and kicked a nearby plant. “Saliha,” she heard Hunza’s voice. Hunza was wearing a concerned expressions. “Hunza?” she whispered. Hunza rushed towards her and hugged her. “Oh thank God you are okay, you don’t know how worried I was,” Hunza said. “Hunza, I have to esc…” She was about to complete her sentence when Hunza’s words made her shiver through the spine. “Imran Ali Gardezi and Mrs Gardezi are shot,” Hunza. Saliha felt as if she lost all of her strength to stand. “What? No….no…this can’t be,” she screamed. The students passing by them started looking at them. “It’s true,” Hunza said. “I. I need to go. I need to see them,” Saliha said crying. Hunza and she rushed ahead towards the car. “Hunza, what happened?” Saliha asked Panicked. “Last night someone attacked their house and Mrs Eliza was in front,” said Hunza, crying. Saliha felt she
He was beating him violently. She had seen him in that much anger for the first time. The courtyard was filled with students, everyone was gathered there in order to see who had signed their deaths by annoying a 'devil star' of the college. “Who is it?” asked a boy. “It’s Atta, he is indeed getting what he deserves, he was on the radar of devil star for years,” said a girl, who had deep green eyes and had caught her hair in a high ponytail. The boy had shaken his head regretfully. Saliha was staring at the 'devil star' beating a boy of his age, a boy who became a living hell for her for four weeks. She never knew that he would end up in the devil’s hands. The boy had made her life miserable for weeks and was harassing her, but the question is how did the 'devil star' know about it? She had never told this to anyone that she was being harassed by a pervert. “What is happening? Who is this guy beating poor boy? We should inform the dean,” said Hania, afraid. “Poor boy?" Saliha thoug
“What are you saying?” asked Mehtaab, horrified. “Mummy, it is so clear, she is asking Saliha’s hand for Jamshaid,” said Junaid, beaming. “What?” Mehtaab got up from the couch she was sitting on. “What happened? It is not something you have heard for the first time. Every girl gets married; my brother wants to get married to Saliha,” said Rukhsana, grinning. “Have you lost your mind? She just turned 14 and your brother is 37,” she said, annoyed. “Mummy, Jamshaid is the perfect boy for Saliha, we are doing it only for her secure future,” said Junaid. “Listen, Junaid, I know you are doing it on behalf of your witch wife, but mark my words, I will never ever let you marry off my granddaughter to your pervert brother-in-law,” said Mehtaab, angrily. “Junaid, your mother is crossing the limits. How could she call my brother a pervert,” said Rukhsana, angrily. “Your brother is indeed a pervert. Why did he go to jail? He tried to molest a young girl last year,” said Mehtaab angrily. “
“Mummy, we want to take her now,” said the woman who came with Imran. She was sitting in the room on the bed of her grandmother. She was distressed. “I know you want to take her, but she is safe now, and she is your mandate here, my child,” said Mehtaab. Saliha sobs. “Hey, don’t cry, no one is going to hurt you now,” said Imran. “I can still see her in you,” he said in a whisper. The woman who came with him put her hand on his shoulder. He turned and secretly wiped his tears. “Imran, stay for a while,” said Mehtaab. “I will come back, Mummy, and next time I will take my daughter-in-law with me,” he said. She looked around and the boy with him was not there. She had not seen him since the wedding ritual. She took a deep breath. "Why don't you come with us? What is here for you now?" asked the woman. “Eliza, I hope you are happy with it,” asked Mehtaab. "I can't come, let me live here with the memory of my Maria. What happened, I was responsible for that as well, and it will ki
It was the fourth day of her grandmother's funeral. She was feeling empty. Eliza hugged her and was mollifying her. Imran was looking around, poker-faced. He spent his whole life in this house. Mehtaab has always treated him as her own son. A tear fell from his eye. “Pack your things,” he said in a whisper. She looked up at him. “But uncle.” she tried to say something, but he was abrupt. “There is no reason now to live here, Saliha,” he said. He could sense the greed of members of this house. Eliza helped her with packing. She looked at her room for the last time. “I know it is hurting,” said Eliza, and she hugged her. They went out of the room. “Where are you going?” asked Junaid. “She is going to her in-laws,” said Imran, expressionlessly. “Are you serious? We have not performed any proper rituals,” said Junaid. “Well, the main ritual we need for the wedding was already done four years ago,” said Imran. “Junaid, let them take her, we cannot take responsibility for a young
“Everything is done?” asked Aunt Eliza. She nodded. They helped to get admission to one of the top colleges in the city. She never thought that she was going to study at such an expensive college. She was happy. Eliza had prepared everything from a new uniform to bags and books. It was Sunday today, and Eliza was cleaning the house. There were a lot of servants in the house because money was no problem for Gardezis. “Madam, Master’s room on the top was locked, and I was unable to go in,” said a servant. She was cleaning the couch by vacuuming the dust with the vacuum machine. She turned a bit to look at the servant. “No, don’t touch his room, you know what tantrum he brings when someone touches his things,” said Eliza. “But mam, you said the room needs cleaning,” he said. “I know, I know, okay, you go and clean the kitchen, Saliha dear, will you go and check properly,” said Eliza. She was busy with the list of broken items. She unlocked the room with the keys Eliza provided her a
She was feeling nervous as she was walking inside the entrance. A lot of students were chatting and laughing. She was in such an environment for the first time. Her local college where she finished her elementary school was different from here. That was an all-girls’ school while he was co-head. She was looking around in amazement. A few of the students found it odd, and they were laughing at her. She looked around and felt a bit embarrassed. She was so busy staring around when she suddenly collided with someone. It was a girl who had colored her hair blond and tied it up in a high ponytail. “Watch out, freak,” said the girl, annoyed because she split the juice she was holding on the ground. She said sorry in a whisper-like voice. The girl rolled her eyes. “Hold on Maria, I think she is a newbie,” said a girl next to her. She had jet-black curly hair and she was chewing a gum. They look older than her. An evil smirk appeared on their faces. “You are coming with us,” said the bl