She stirred a little signifying her return back to the world. A little effort a small groan out of her mouth and she fluttered her eyes open looking blankly at an empty darkness. The whole room was dark and she could see the drawn curtains being which the sky was dark.
The sun had gone down. What time was it. She tried to move her hands that were tied behind her along with her other hand.
Soha looked around for signs of Mannat or Harshad but neither of them were in sight. She wondered where they had gone.
She pulled on her restrains and was surprised to see they came off her hands easily. Thanks that he was not much stable to look after these details.
She quickly undid her feet freeing herself from the chair. She needed to get help from the outside. She looked for her purse but couldn't spot it. Suddenly she heard her ringtone playing somewhere in the apartment. She looked in every nick and corner trying to find it. But she stilled when she saw Harshad standing by the door and in his hands was her phone.
She was so consumed with her finding the cell that she didn't see him coming.
He ended whoever was calling and put the cell in his jeans pocket.
"You know since the last two hours this Manik Malhotra have been calling you for hod knows how many time. First I thought you were joking about not hurting him and all but now, Now I think there is really something going on between you too. You dating him, Soha?", he asked drawing closer to Soha with measured steps.
Soha tried to appear calm and composed remembering not to react to his words.
"No I am not. I am not dating Manik."
Harshad seemed to be visibly relax at her assurance. "So why are you protecting him so much. Let's destroy him the way he destroyed us. He took away my baby, he took away you, he took away my job my life and now he is making me breath my last days on earth. All because of him, that bloody sonofabitch.", he shouted banging his fist with the wall. His knuckles bursted blood smearing his hand. Soha couldn't imagine she had loved this man so dearly. She was conflicted between pitying him and hating him. Sure life's been a bitch to him but to whom it hasn't.
Braving her heart she took a daring step towards him and raising her hands touched his cheeks. Harshad flinched at the sudden show of kindness which he hadn't received from a soul in a long time.
But he didn't step back from her. Soha carcasses his cheek as he leaned to her touch breathing deeply calming down.
"Harshad you are directing towards the wrong side. I know you are hurt you are done with everything but throwing up all your frustration all your anger on him won't solve anything. Won't give you the peace you're looking for. Trust me in this. I know. Better leave this and try to redeem yourself as much as you can in your last days. Its your only chance at surviving. If you want I will support you. I am here with you, I am always with you," she whispered hugging the man she once loved.
Harshad without any complaint leaned into her pressing his head in the crook of her neck.
"I want to spend the rest of my days with my daughter, Soha. I miss my baby. I am her father aren't I. Not him. And yet he gets to keep her all day and I don't get to see her even in a while.", he spoke softly his breath tickling Soha.
"But you gave her up at that time. You were the one who didn't want her. So why now. Let her be happy with her family.", soha reasoned with him.
"Her family is me and you. Both those people who have nothing to claim on her. No blood relations nothing to tie her to them. She belongs with us. She is mine."
"They claim her with the most strongest thing, Harshad. The one we can never give her whether we are her biological parent or what. Its love. They love her and so does she. If you truly care for her not for yourself then you know what choice to make. Return the little girl to where she belongs."
As they hugged each other Soha with easy hands pulled out her cell from his back pocket. She immediately checked that there were 5 calls from Manik. She dialled the number and out of nowhere Harshad moved back pushing Soha and in turn making the phone drop.
One glance to the phone and another towards Soha made him realise that it was nothing but a trap. A trap of hollow promises made to be undone.
Fire glowed in his eyes and the rage that had subsided resurfaced. He pounced on her tackling her to the ground.
"How dare you pull that trick on me? I am going to kill you for this you filthy bitch", he roared and punched the floor beside Soha's head escaping her face by mere inches. He kept throwing punches on both sides of her but never dealing touching her. He poured his frustration on the floor. Soha stared into his eyes and could see all the mistrust and rage that he had for her that can make him smash her face in no time. But she also saw the little flash of a emotion or so that kept him from actually hurting her.
Slowly the punches ceased as he drained out completely from his strenuous outburst.
"I love you, I love Mannat. I love you both.", he muttered falling on the side unconscious.
