The Moon and Her Stars

Ch. 16: Coming Home

Author's Note

Who missed Yasir? 😋

Yasir's P.O.V.

The rain beating down drummed against the windshield loudly as the car came to a halt.

I adjusted my coat before getting out the car. Qasim held an umbrella over the both us as we walked to the restaurant for a meeting.

The downpour was particularly heavy today, making it difficult to see. Nevertheless, my eyes scanned the vicinity in attempt to recognize the area.

We were near her old flat.

And that simple reminder of her elicited a reel of her memories to play in my mind.

It's been about a year and three months since I last saw her.

My heart found any excuse to remember her at least once every day regardless of how hard I had attempted to forget her. I busied myself with more work, but that did far from the trick. Shot after shot of different brands of alcohol would worsen matters for me instead of distract me. I'd even gone into hotel rooms with other women, but things wouldn't even escalate to the point that we would use the bed. I would leave before they could fully undress. I couldn't bring myself to go further like I used to before meeting her.

I've come to terms with my condition. I was going to love her till my last breath. And I was fine with that.

Armaan, on the other hand, likes to say I'm f*cked.

Last December, he had dug around social media and showed me her wedding pictures. She made the most beautiful bride.

She had defined love for me, and her exit from my life was the dooming, the sentencing to a remaining lackluster life.

I inhaled deeply.

"What percent of stake did these clients agree on?" I turned my head towards Qasim as we got closer to the restaurant.

"55%. We would be the majority stakeholder just like you wanted, Bha-."

Suddenly, a girl dressed in white bumped into me. I grabbed a hold of her instinctively and noticed she was about to collapse, her hand pressed to her head. Her body went limp in my arms and her head tilted back. The rain brushed back the hair covering the sides of her face, now giving me a clear view.

My love.

"Ayaara? Ayaara! Ayaara!" I shook her cheek as my eyes widened at her state, "Ayaara! Qasim, cancel the meeting."

I held her closer to me so she would be covered by the umbrella.

"Yes, Bhai!"

Her white salwar kameez clung to her skin while a steady stream of water flowed from her hair. She was absolutely soaked.

"Ayaara, Ayaa-" my hand began wiping the water droplets on her face but froze when it reached her forehead.

Despite the frigid air enveloping us, she was burning up.

I hoisted her up into my arms and returned to the car, "Qasim, call the doctor home."

"On it."

I laid her down on the backseat before getting in on the other side. Qasim sat in the front passenger seat and instructed the driver to head home.

I rested her head on my lap so she would have more room to extend her legs.

Goosebumps adorned her flesh while her fingernails had a tint of blue. Her body began shivering softly.