''No!''

But her serene eyes conveyed the burden of truth in each word.

The cool air of the wintry morning blasted through the open door which she had entered with high hopes. Trepid chills crept up her spine but they had more to do with reality hitting her hard rather than the cold.

''How could you?'', her lips quivered and she was already backing away. Tears now clouded her vision. She blinked heavily while stepping out. It felt like her solar plexus had taken a severe blow.

Glancing once at the broken look on her face and her shiny accusatory eyes, the other woman cracked into loud sobs. It was unbearable. She had wound her with unmistakable certainty.

''HAYAT! Stop!'' But she dashed down the stairs madly. He ran after her and seized her shoulders with force. Heaving deeply, she tried jerking out of his grasp though his hold remained intact.

''Please!'' Her voice was feeble, almost an inaudible whisper. He realized then and there that her anguish was profound and he found his grip weakening. He let her go with an equally ladened soul.

She ran and ran barefoot with no destination in mind. People stared at her curiously, some out of pity. In her blind craze of getting away as far as humanly possible, her feet carried on pounding rashly, ignorant of every stub and prick that they suffered. She wanted to hurt herself similarly as it was piercing inside.

Depending on their gravity, exterior slashes pained terribly yet they were nothing in comparison to extensive hurricanes hurling against one's rib cage.

Eventually, her feet gave up, unable to further tolerate the excruciating burn from her forcible stretches and the stings of her soles. She collapsed roughly on her knees near a cluster of trees. She had been swallowing each gasp and grunt of misery. She managed to be fine despite being in the black pits of turmoils. She stood firm, refused to bend. Now, she wanted to scream. She was tired of being strong.

When silent tears rolled down her delicate face, she wished nothing more than weeping deafening cries of woes. But she didn't, she couldn't. After all, she had mastered the art of shedding tears mutely since ages.