"Life is tough my darling but so are you".
Anonymous.
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Anas stared at Asad as he stirred in his sleep. He had a wide smile plastered on his face as he slept soundly.
'Probably dreaming about her , huh?'.... Anas shook his head as he decided to wake Asad up for class.
Anas moved close to Asad ear and shouted "IT'S MORNING!!".
Asad flinch as he woke up, holding on to the ear that Anas yelled into.
"What's wrong with you?" Asad hissed as he got out of bed.
"WHAT! I CANT HEAR YOU"... Anas yelled so loud that Kamal also woke up.
"What's going on?..." Kamal asked as he looked at Asad and Anas with confusion.
"WHAT?!"... Anas was doing it deliberately now.
Just to annoy Asad.
"I think I am soon going to turn mad".... Asad hissed as he ran his hands through his hair.
He was starting to get use to Anas' stupidity but this just threw him off the edge.
"DID YOU SAY SOMETHING!?".. Anas voice was at a very high pitch.
"Anas calm down and speak gently"... Kamal tried to reason with the idiot.
"WHAT?!"..... Anas yelled as he held a confused face.
He was indeed a good actor. He wanted just burst into laughter and stop this act but he was enjoying it to much to stop.
"You let him in , in the first place so deal with him"... Asad was already irritated.
He picked up his towel and sponge then stomp out of the room.
"HEY , ASAD. WAIT FOR ME"... Anas ran through the hallway gaining everyone's attention and creating a scene.
Asad halt in his tracks and slowly turned with clench fists, waiting for Anas to near him.
Anas did acknowledge when Asad stopped but acted stupid and ran into Asad, causing the two of them to fall flat on the fall.
People around there quickly brought out their phones and started snapping.
"You!"... Asad glares at Anas as he pushes him away from him.
"Asad please don't do this to me. You know I love you so my deny me . Is it wrong to be gay?"... Anas made his voice very loud knowing people will hear.
Gasps followed Anas statement.
"What?".... Asad became confused as he stared at the crowd that had gathered.
"Can't a guy desire another guy. Why are you doing this to me".... Anas dramatically shouted out leaving Asad dumbstruck.
Asad then stared at the crowed then back and Anas and gave him a hard punch right on his face causing him to pass out.
Gasps followed Asad's actions.
Asad then stood up and glared at the crowd. Their phones were all held up high with lights flashing through their cameras.
"Can't you all learn to mind your f**king business"... he hissed at them then made his way to the bathing suite.
He the saw fog coming out of the bathing suite as he headed in.
'So the heater has been fixed?'...He thought as he took off his cloths and quickly turned on one of the shower , letting the hot water hit his tensed muscles.
Soon his angry self calmed down and he got out of the shower .
On his way back , he kept on receiving glances and glares but he couldn't care less what people were going to say about him.
He went back to his hostel, got dressed as headed to class.
Some students were defending their projects . Tomorrow was his turn and he wasn't ready yet.
He looked around and noticed Anas was not in class .
'It was good for him'... Asad thought as he quietly listened to those who spoke in front of the class about their project topic.
When classes were over, he met Kamal and the remaining members of the group at the cafeteria , happily laughing over something in Kamal's phone.
"What's so funny?"... Asad asked when he neared them.
"Take a look"... Amir spoke as he turned Kamal's phone for Asad to see.
Asad looked at the screen and saw Him and Anas in the background.
"Can't a guy desire another guy. Why are you doing this to me".... Anas dramatically shouted .
Asad then stared at the crowed then back and Anas and gave him a hard punch right on his face causing him to pass out.
Gasps followed Asad's actions.
Asad then stood up and glared at the crowd.
"Can't you all learn to mind your f**king business"... he hissed and walked away.
Asad looked at the caption under and read it out loud. "Gays of the school".
Amir turned back the phone and stared at Kamal.
"I didn't know your cousin was gay"... Amir joked but Asad got pissed off and walked away.
He went to his hostel and wanted to punch the walls but then Nawal just came to his mind making him stop.
He stared at his well bandaged fists then started thinking about her and like a magic spell. He started calming down.
'What are you doing to my head Nawal'... he thought as he ran his hand through his hair then heaved a sigh.
He went to his bed to pick up his journal and project and met Anas there, lifelessly lying down.
Asad hissed and leaves the room with his belongings.
He heads straight to the library and observes how all gazes fell on him.
"Hey , isn't that the guy we saw in that's video"... one of the girl there whispers.
Another girls stares at Asad from head to toe before replying "Yeah, he is quite hot if you ask me. Too bad his gay, it's a pity "... she whispers back to her friend.
Asad simply ignores them and start reading his project. He ended up reading for a while then picks up his story book and bury himself in it till he drifts away to another world where he was happy with his Father and most of all his Mom.
***
Nawal headed to the library to read till day break but stopped midway in her tracks , she met Asad fast asleep with books scattered all around him.
'Looks like he has been doing some reading too'... she said to herself as she takes a seat opposite him.
She stares at his facial features for a whiles then smiles.
'He looks so peaceful when he sleeps'.
Soon she begins her own reading but falls asleep as well....
Nawal was a very light sleeper and could easily be awoken.
In the morning, the sound of someone crying woke her up.
She look up to see who was crying .
It was Asad.
He was crying in his sleep yet it still pained her, she wasn't sure why.
"No, don't tell me everything is going to be okay . My parents are dead".... He cried out.
She was thoughtful for a while. It made her remember the first time she watched him sleep. He was pleading for his mom to stay.
'Perhaps his parents had a tragic death since it still lives in his memory'.... She said to herself.
"Aunt, I want her dead. Karima deserves nothing but death".... Asad tears increases.
Nawal stands up and heads towards him. She places her hand on his cheek and wipes away the tears.
"Who did this to you"... she wonders.
"Asad it's alright, wake up . Your parents are not dead"... Nawal tried to wake him up.
If only she knew....
"Asad".... She lightly tapped him yet he still flinch then pushed her with utmost force.
"Anas I told you to stay away from me".... Asad jerked Nawal thinking it's Anas. His eyes foggy yet as red as blood.
"Asad..." her voice comes out low because he begins to strangle her.
"Asad it's...it is me".... Her voice almost inaudible yet it was loud enough for Asad to hear because he stopped.
Nawal held her neck . It hurt her. He hurt her.
He just hurt his savior and that shattered Asad's heart.
His eyes darted around, turning back to normal.
He stared at her with regret "Sorry".
"I am sorry"... he was quick to say and rushes out of the library.
He heads to his hostel and meets it empty.
Both Kamal and Anas are no where to be seen.
His breathing becomes uneven as his heart begins to pain. His brain begins to bleed , not with blood but with memories of his parents death making him feel weak.
He closes his eyes and begins to breath in and out and start seeing his mother's face.
She was crying as that man raped her. For God sake, his mother was raped in front of him and his dad. They turned him into a Christmas goat and slaughtered him right before his eyes.
"Death please come and take me away"..... his voice cracked as he began to cry.
He was too weak to do anything so he stayed in bed throughout the day.
Later that even , Asad sat by riverbank and watch the sun set.
He let the breeze blow his hair as he watch the sun set. The sky had an orange sun kiss color and the water moved in calm waves , it had such a soothing sound.
The river mirror the color of the sky and the whole place was beautiful and calm all in all. He swung his legs in the water as he tried not to think about anything.
Someone walks up to Asad and sits besides him.
Asad doesn't bother to look up or see who it is because his body already reacted to her presence.
In as much as he hated what she did to his body or how his body reacts when she is around , her absence was not something he liked either.
"Aren't you afraid of me?".. he asked , remembering the fact that he strangled her.
"No"... she curtly replies.
"Why?"...He questions but she remains quiet.
"Sorry about your neck"... Asad felt tad bad for strangling her.
"It's okay Asad. Look"... she paused for a while before she continued... "Nobody is perfect ..okay . We all have a sob story to tell. I could see your emptiness and voidness in your eyes, you're holding on to something that is slowly killing you and nobody will be able to help you if you don't help yourself".
Asad turned and gazed into her ocean blue eyes.
Did his eyes really give away what he was feeling inside?
She heaved a sigh. It took her almost the whole day to construct a speech for Asad in her head and when she was done , she had to calm down and practice saying it in different manners in order to sound convincing.
She didn't like seeing Asad like this. It pained her.
"Regret means living in the past, anxiety means living in the future but gratitude means living in the present which is here. You need to forget about what has happened and not bother yourself about the unknown. Focus on now! Focus on the present. Work on your life , show yourself love and attention. Give yourself time to figure out who you are"... she spoke and Asad quietly listened to her.
"You need to love an imperfect thing"... she reached out for Asad's hand but her heart was racing so fast, she feared he could hear it.
In her mind she was contemplating where to release his hand or not.
Asad looked her dead in the eyes.
"You need to love yourself. You are imperfect Asad! We all are"... she held her gaze as she spoke.
"So...loving yourself is also loving an imperfect thing".... She heaved a sigh when she finished talking.
She then released his hand thinking he didn't like it but he was quick to hold her hand making her look at him.
His eyes looked promising as he gazes at her.
"You see a lot of potential in me , don't you?"... he asked as he caressed her fingers.
He doesn't know why he did it, he just felt the need to do so and with each touch from him sent electric waves down her spine.
"I see a very bright future for you but that's only if you learn to love yourself"... she smiled at him.
'That smile'... he thought. It could definitely melt his heart any day , anytime.
"You see a lot in me but the thing is that I already have more death in me than life Nawal".
'Then I will bring back the life in you'... she wanted to say.
Seeing him like this pained her. She felt the need to make him a better person , the need to pull him out of this darkness and show him the light and all the good things life has to offer. She felt the need to make him happy but she was not sure why.
"You can never find the light at the end of the tunnel. The light is buried deep inside your heart. Have sabr (patience) Asad , sabr (patience)".
****
He walked with a confident smile, his body ornamented with one of the most expensive pair of clothes money could buy. His shoes as bright as the sun and a pair of shades to compliment the hot weather.
He looked at young as the day but was as old as the sun.
How?
He used the power of black magic... Jaaz as some people might call it.
He gets a lot of stares as he walk pass people. He gets into the car and let the driver lead him to his bespeak destination.
He steps out and calmly closes the door.
He then walks with elegance yet with ostentatiousness.
His heart beats with the need of vengeance and hatred yet his lips held a smile ... a deceitful smile at that.
He was indeed a devil in sheep's clothing.
His mind with millions of thoughts on how go kill all those who rejected him , each person's death had been plotted in millions of ways as he walks up to the gate.
He knocks and patiently waits for a reply.
Shortly afterwards, the gate swings open and his eyes lands on who opened it for him.
"Hello sweetheart"... his voice held venom but was suger coated with pretense of love and concern.
He had no intention of killing her, her husband is already dead but he had other plans.... He thought as his eyes shamelessly roamed around her body.
"I am sure you remember me"... he tilt his head to the side as he stares at her.
'Najib you surely had a good taste in women just like Suhail'... he thought , his eyes never leaving her body.
Nafisa pushes the gate , attempting to banged it on his face but he put his leg as a barrier to keep it open.
Her eyes widened as she saw he pulled out his leg and forced himself into her house.
'His leg was perfectly fine after the gate hit it , but how?'.... Nafisa wondered.
"Black magic sweetheart"... as if answering her thoughts , he said to her.
Nafisa stared at him and couldn't believe her eyes. He had an odd resemblance with Suhail.... Asad's late dad.
"I heard all my brothers are late and my sister is currently jailed thanks to her nephew... Asad".... He stated when they both entered the house.
Hiba, who was playing on the carpet with her lego paused and looked up at the man that entered that house.
He stares at Hiba for a while then checked out the interior design of her house. It was nicely painted with a shade of baby pink and white. Her furniture held a soft color of pink and so did her carpet. Flowers were nicely decorated in a pattern to give it that homely feminine look.
He then stares at Hiba then back at his brother's wife.... Step brother's wife.
"You never seize to amaze me love. Look at how she looks like Najib. God took away Najib and he has provided us with another one"... he gave her a sly smiled as he walked up to her.
"Nas , don't get mad but I.." Aisha stopped midway in her statement as she took notice of the man in the living room.
'He looked just like Asad but slightly older'... Aisha thought.
"Najib is dead, don't you need someone else to please your needs. Believe me , I can do that and many more"...He whispers into her ear.
"Get of out of my house Shabbar or I will call the police"... Nafisa said , pushing him away .
She was already irritated by her husband's step brother.