Broken Boundaries #romancereads2019 #earlylover

12.

"Let's keep this piece for the girl, Fahad. " I hear a female voice.

"But mama I'm hungry.. " a childish voice replies.

"She hasn't eaten anything since last night dear, if we give this piece to her,  God will give us more... " the same elegant voice explains calmly.

"Okay, mama."

I blink thrice before my eyes can finally look clearly. Zoya is sitting on the floor with her son eating bread. It takes no time for me to remember how I got here because my clothes are already torn and I am wearing a man's old dirty shirt that smells ridiculous. I try to get up and sit, somehow I manage to do so but my elbows and shoulders hurt real bad. Also, my lower abdomen feels terrible, be it hunger or the pain I went through last night.

Zoya and her son look at me with a smile as I make an effort to sit with them. "How are you feeling? " Zoya asks.

The answer is, I don't know. I don't know how I should feel about sitting infront of a woman whose life I ruined without any hesitation. I don't know how I should feel about almost falling for a father of a five year old boy. I don't know how one should feel after being raped by someone we thought we were in love with. My mother was right when she told me to stay away from him. There might be something bad about him that my mom could notice and I couldn't . Poor me.

"My clothes.. " I try to change the subject because I really don't feel like answering the question she just asked me.

"Your clothes were torn. I found this shirt in the corner so I put it on your body. I know it smells terrible but that's the only way I could help you. "
She replies, "here's some bread you can have. " she adds as her son pass the slice of bread to me.

"Thanks. But I don't feel like eating. " I reply shortly. Zoya pulls me in a hug and I burst into tears. It feels like someone has caught me, like someone understands the feeling my broken heart. She rubs my back with her hands, telling me slowly that it's gonna be okay. But it's a lie.  I know it won't be okay. It will never be. What's done is done. Nothing can undo it.

"I am really sorry... " I say slowly after few minutes of silence. Zoya stares at me right in the eye. "I really don't know what to say.. I feel like I'm the villain in your story. Your marriage wrecked because of me. But believe me, I didnot have a slightest idea that he is married.. And even has a kid. " I sob in her arms wanting her to shout at me, to tell me that she hates me, instead, she rubs my back in sympathy.

"I fell for his tricks too. I know I should probably hate you right now, but believe me, I feel sorry for you. Just like I feel sorry for myself and my son, Fahad. I wish I could do something to get you out of here. But sadly, the monster took your phone and money after you fainted. " she tells me.

"Please get me out of here! Please.. How long have you been here? Why did you never try to get help? " I ask Zoya who now looks at me helplessly.

"Being locked up here was a result of me trying to get help. It's a thing about Danish, the more you try to get away from him, the more he surrounds you. " Zoya replies and I feel fear rising again in my bones.
*****

Zain's POV

The sunlight brightens up the entire living room of Saba's house, making everything look clear. I make some coffee for myself in the kitchen and sit on a chair. My mother and Aunt Sarah are sleeping upstairs. Somehow,   my mom managed to make her sleep after two hours of crying and heartache.

Nothing can measure the mother's pain when her child disappears. And disappearance of a happy living young girl sounds more painful. I take a sip of coffee and focus on the pieces of information Aunt Sarah gave me last night.

So, Saba met Danish in a party at Lisa's house. And then one night Sarah saw him making a closer move to her daughter in her house. Saba ended up kissing him and had a fight with her mom that night, but then they made it okay and her mother told her to stay away from Danish. Still, she met him at Haya's wedding and now she's gone.

Lisa. Lisa might be able to help. I quickly open a phone list book that is kept on a counter and start searching for Lisa's number. Gladly there's only one Lisa in the list so I'm sure she's the one. I dial the number quickly, hoping her to answer the call. She answers after a few rings, "Hello? "

"Umm, hey, I am Zain. Saba's friend. You must be Lisa? " I ask her.

"Yes, but why are you calling from Sarah's house? " she asks in confusion.

"Actually Saba is missing."

"What??? "

"I know it's sad, I just wanted to ask you if you invited a man named Danish in a party at your house the other night? " I ask her being concerned.

"Yes, Danish is my very old neighbor, I invited him as a friend of mine. But what happened? " she still sounds confused.

"Well, then your very old neighbor has got your friend's daughter!. " I reply in a sarcastic manner. "Tell me everything you know about him. "

"What??? Are you sure it was him? " she asks, God, am I supposed to be kidding right now?

"Yes, Lisa." I try to calm my nerves.

"When I used to live on Buldge Road View Apartments, he lived next door. That was probably four years ago. He lived with his wife who used to do stitching for earning. I don't know what Danish did for living, all I know is that he is the owner of his grand father's old hotel at Central Highway. The hotel must look like a trash because it was constructed more than thirty years ago but never opened. " Lisa tells me and my mind beeps. If the hotel is not in business use, the monster must have taken her over there.

"Thanks. " I say and hang up. I wash my mug of coffee and hang it on the stand then make my way towards my car.

Central Highway, here I come!

******