If somebody asked Zahra - "do we ever reach a point in time when we just cannot love a person any longer?" - she wouldn't know.
Zahra Yusuf is the most sensible girl in her family. She listens to her mind more than her heart, maybe that's why her Na...
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chapter 9: closing distance
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I don't remember how the night passed.
It was agonisingly slow and as quick as a blink at the same time. I couldn't bring myself to go back home, not only because I wasn't ready to answer the questions all my relatives would ask — but also because I couldn't face Humrah didi. It was her engagement, and somehow I had messed up her big day.
It was because of me that Safwana was in the hospital — truth be told, I was supposed to be in the operating theatre, not Safwana. I was supposed to eat those macarons and get an allergic reaction. I was supposed to undergo surgery and disturb Shafaq's peace.
But I had no idea why someone was making him go through these things. How could someone hate a guy like him? Someone who goes out of his way to protect strangers? Then, Nani's voice echoed in my mind, what she said in the garden that day suddenly sounded so relevant...
How long have you known him?
It was true, who really was Shafaq Sultan? I had no idea. All that I knew was his name and his place in society, and I had formed an image of him so easily after a few encounters. I had been so judgemental a few minutes ago, associating all sorts of things with him.
He probably had a family similar to mine — perhaps parents, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, grandparents and cousins. He probably has his own set of problems, the stress of work, and pressure from the media. Then again, like I didn't know the good things about him, I didn't know the bad ones either. Any image I made of him would be based solely on the handful of abnormal conversations we had had.
"Zahra..." Junaid bhai's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "What exactly happened? I'm still clueless." And I noticed Ammi and Zurri khala were paying attention too.
"Ammi got the macarons from somebody, I checked where Shafaq's phone was, it said he was in Anaargis. Then we heard a scream, Safwana had eaten the macarons and she had an allergic reaction. I asked Falak to throw the macarons away, we came to the hospital, I called Shafaq and he's coming now to Bangalore."
"Why was he in Anaargis?" Ammi asked. "What is he doing there?"
"I don't know Ammi, he said he had work." I shook my head.
"You talked to him alone?" Junaid bhai asked.
"Yes, well, Amirah was with me." I told them, a little flustered. I couldn't bring myself to repeat the exact words we'd spoken, and ended up summarising the conversation.
"Who has such a strong desire to harm that poor boy? That too, by harming us!" Zurri khala exclaimed.
"Ya Allah, Safwana can't come home until tomorrow. What will we do about the engagement?" Ammi sounded worried. "Humrah is alone at home—"
