Entangled Love ✓

Chapter 65

Shaiq's POV

"I am sorry, Shaiq."

Her voice is more like a whisper; a trembling one but in this lulled silence of the room, I am easily able to hear this. My hand which is lifted up towards her gets fixed as the only thing my mind is processing is her words and that tears falling from her eyes.

"I have ruined your life as well. They say right, I am useless. I can't do anything; not for myself and not for anyone either. I am sorry for being this burdened friend for whom you have to sacrifice your life, " she says as she sobs loudly.

A sigh leaves my mouth as I find my own eyes wet. She was never like this and now she is blaming herself for what bad happens to her. I have always seen her finding positivity, happiness, and laughter in everything but now she is so gloomy, so sad.

I put back the spoon in the tray and push it aside as I drag myself nearer to her. I take her hand in mine as I look into her eyes.

"You don't have to be sorry for anything. It's not at all your fault. What I did, I own it and will always continue to do so," I state in a low voice.

I wipe tears from her cheeks with my hand. 

"Because you pity me?" She lets out a weary laugh.

"Not at all. I have done this because I love my friend. I have done this to protect her. You are the most precious one in my life. You are like a beautiful flower of my garden and I can't let anyone pluck and destroy this flower," I say as I cup her face with my hand.

"So in order to protect this flower, you choose thorns for yourself?" She smirks and shoves my hand away from her face.

I stare at her in a haze. How can she even think like this?

"Zainab, I..."

"Why do you have to do this? I just have one pure and genuine relation and that was our friendship and it got destroyed now, that also because of me." She again starts crying.

"I know you more than yourself. How many lies and sacrifices you did for protecting a girl like me who has nothing to offer you. I won't be able to forgive myself, Shaiq that I have destroyed my best friend's life," she whimpers as her voice is almost muffled due to the intensity of crying. 

"That's not like what you are thinking. You haven't done anything. I have chosen to do this because I wanted to do this. You haven't destroyed or ruined anyone." I put my hands on both sides of her face.

Her eyes have got so red and swollen due to crying. I pull her into my chest when I can't see her crying anymore. Her sobs vibrated against my chest. I slowly run my hand on her back to soothe her.

She soon pulls away from me but I keep my one hand on her waist. I stare at her face for a moment; her red eyes are still blubbering with tears, her cheeks and nose have a hue of red while there are tears all over her face. I lift my other hand towards her face and gently rub her cheeks with the help of my fingers. I lift up her face to my level by putting my thumb and index finger under her chin.

"I have told you many times, I can't see you crying. You don't look pretty when you cry. Instead, whenever you smile, you look the most beautiful girl in this world, isn't it Zaini?" I deliberately chuckle in the end.

She hits my chest as her lips spread slightly to form a faint smile. I give her a smile before my eyes divert to the food tray laying on our left. I again take it in my hand.

"And in order to look prettiest, you have to eat this," I assert.

"I am not hungry," she pouts.