Believe! [Completed]

Chapter 13

He had stood at the door for a good few minutes. Standing afar, he was still trying to comprehend what he was seeing. Her crying, drained and pale face, her dull clothes, her hair messed up, her feet and hands still tied. She was presenting such a broken picture. A picture he never wanted her to be a part of. She looked as if she would collapse anytime. When his eyes met with hers, there was a tiny bit of hope in them as if she didn't want to even fully hope anymore.

He took slow steps towards her where the female police officer was untying the ropes. He got to her side and stayed stood up. When the police officer was done, she walked away. Aariz sat down beside her and just stared at her as if still filling his eyes with her. As if his eyes still wanted more of her. To say it had only been five days, but to them it felt like decades. To say it was only today when he found out she was not with her family but until he saw her now, to him it felt like decades too.

There were no words exchanged. Nothing. But slowly Minaal's tears were becoming her cries and her cries were turning into sobs. As she sobbed more, he brought her close to her and placed her head on his chest gently. Wrapping his arms around her back, he held her close to him in a firm grip. She was clutching onto his shirt as she continued to cry. Her grip was stronger than his, as if wanting to never let it go. As if that was all she needed right now. Both of them didn't know when the police arrested Usman and his men and left from there. Minaal's sobs had calmed now. She was still holding onto his shirt as if this was her most possessed place to give her the peace she needed. The reminiscence of tears was still present in her eyes and on her face. He was still hugging her tight and hadn't said anything yet.

"Ami ne kaha tha Baba Jaan ab is dunya mein nai rae magar yahan ayi toh pata chala sab dhoka tha."

He had stayed silent. She was narrating it herself, so he didn't want to interrupt.

"Mujhe abhi bhi nahi pata Usman ne aisa kyun kia. Na mujhe pata hai ke bhai kaise hain? Ami? Baba?"

"Woh sab theek hain, tum fikar nahi karo."

"Aariz? Mein tumhe kaise mili?"

He had allowed her to move back now so she could face him. When she did, he held her face in her hands and wiped the tears that were left over.

"Tum mujhe mil gai yeh ziyada zaruri hai. Tumhe kaha tha na, yeh dil tumhara ho chuka hai, tumhare baghair iska guzara nai hai. Toh kaise na milti?"

He had said it as he stared right in her eyes. She couldn't keep up the courage to look back at the same time, so she dropped her gaze and looked down. It felt unfamiliar to Aariz, but he didn't say anything.

"Chalein?"

He had asked forwarding his hand. She took it and tried standing up but trembled. Guessing that she was too weak to walk or stand, he carefully picked her up in his arms and started walking towards the exit to the building. Minaal didn't say anything simply because she didn't have the energy to.

Helping her sit in the car seat safely, Aariz took the driving seat and was about to drive away when his phone rang. It was Harris.

"Yaar Aariz, ek masla hogaya hai?"

Aariz raised an eyebrow in worry.

"Kia hua hai, ab bata bhi do?"

"Yaar us Usmaan ke baap ne bail papers banwa ke usey reha bhi kara liya hai jail se. Lekin Faiz aur uske parents safe hain, the hostage at their place is lifted. Tum kahan ho?"