• RIYA •
We did lunch together. Everyone was there on the dining table, except for Kanwal and Yawar. It was always so good to have people around, especially elderly aged people.
The hollowness of knowing that I will come back after an year or two was bringing moist to my eyes. And may be it was this reason that I was obversing each and everyone with so much keenness. It was as if I was storing all of those moments into the folder of my memory so I could relish them forever and ever.
Yawar's gift, which came out to be a bracelet, was resting royally on my wrist as my hand stayed on dining table.
After lunch, I helped the maid in taking the plates back to kitchen and cleaned the table just like Kanwal used to do. Finishing up the work, I retired to my room that I and kanwal used to share but now I was having it all for myself.
Entering, I went to my purse and saw that all the necessities along with passport was inside, bags were packed too. It was dark inside the room and I let it that way, only a slight light was entering inside the room from the balcony door that was ajar.
I sighed as I knew I will leave this room and house in a while. Lazily I got into my bed and laid down for some rest and threw the comforter on me. Covering my face with it, I focused on my breathing as my mind played the events that took place in the last few days. Kanwal's wedding, my meet-ups with Yawar at terrace, him telling me about what happened when the last time I came to Pakistan and in the end about himself, how he ended up smitten.
I should have been considerate when he told me about himself. I shouldn't have been mad at him for falling in love when i was no one to me. He was free and so was his heart.
As my mind resolved things, a wave of peace washed over me and soon I was drifting away.
In my subconsciousness my ears perked up, just as I sensed some shuffles, thinking that may be a cat had slid in from the balcony, I decided to let it go and closed my eyes again. I sat up with a jolt, throwing the comforter away, as I heard something hit the floor.
What just fell?
Coming out of my fright, I realised that room has become darker than the last time and i noticed the cause too. Balcony door was fully closed, making the room pitch black.
Who closed the door?
"Wh-who is it?" Words came out on their own as I slowly stepped down and instinctively ran to the switch board to turn the light on.
My heart was beating so fast. I myself didn't know if it was my death or what.
I was midway when someone clutched my wrist and pulled me, making me give out a loud shriek. The horror I felt might have killed me, I could feel two hands holding my arms tightly. My eyes were closed, I didn't have guts to open them.
"Stay quiet!" A manly voice came, making me open my eyes. Several tears had fallen down by now and I could hear my heart drumming in my ribcage. This voice was so foreign, I could barely believe that it wasn't one of my nightmares. It was real. This all was real.
In the dark, as I blinked my eyes. I could hear ragged breaths as if someone was breathing furiously. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I could see an outline of a face and board shoulders.
