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Once Azlan had dropped her to the hotel, she leaned into the couch situated by the window. The living area was wide with a makeshift kitchen on the right corner while to the left was her room with attached bathroom.

She huffed as she took her shawl off, recalling her last conversation with his family. It'd just been a few minutes and she was already missing them. It's alright, Safa. You took the right decision. You can't stay with them forever.

Heaving a deep sigh of contentment mingled with gloominess, she discarded her phone out of her purse and dialed Asmara's number.

Mansha was living with Asmara as of now. Her father had bought a small apartment in Islamabad, deciding to stay there till Ayyan would get recovered. He hadn't stopped Mansha from going back to the village. Not that it was easy for her. It took her a whole week to make up her mind and finally giving the verdict of going back since that was the only right decision. She couldn't put a hold on her life even though the reluctance in her stance while stepping into the car mirrored her welled up orbs, indicating how excruciating it was for her.

To her surprise, her father didn't stop her from pursuing her ambitions this time. He had obliged with her wish of studying with content. Just how the fear of losing someone can make you see sense and do what is right! If only people could understand it before it's too late! Because sometimes it does get too late.

Too little, too late.

"AsSalamuAlaikum!" Safa greeted as soon as Asmara picked up the phone.

"WalaikumAsSalam! You've forgotten me, haven't you? Barey log! (big people!)" Her perpetual complaints commenced instantly.

"Excuse me? Aren't I the one who called you?"

Safa would call her every once in a while to keep her updated about Ayyan's condition and herself about the school and her students. But here she was, still being at the receiving end of Asmara's complaints.

"You must be getting bored, that's why. Why? Have Shehryars kicked you out due to your salty behavior?" She suppressed a chuckle as she teased.

"Me? Salty? The irony! Coming from you!"

Once immersed in the conversation, she told her about her decision of moving out while Asmara being the understanding human and friend that she was, supported her.

"You did the right thing."

"Yeah." A satisfactory smile reached her lips with a bit of sadness.

"Come'n, tell me about my students now! Do they miss me?" She drawled, changing the topic.

"DO THEY MISS YOU?" Asmara asked rhetorically. "More like asking me to go away as if my going away would bring you back." She shook her head with tsk. "They miss you a lot. Like, a lot. Sometimes it makes me jealous. I mean, how can they love you more when I've been teaching them long before you joined?" She whined like a toddler.

"Of course, they love me more. I mean, have you seen me?"

The same narcissism!

Asmara chortled.

"You must have bounded them with your spell or something. That's the only logical explanation."

"The spell of love!"

"Or black magic."

Their banter went on for a few more minutes before Mansha walked in the living room, all ready to go to school.

"Alright, I'll call you later." She said, smiling at Mansha. "We have to go now. Take care and give Mansha and my love to Ayyan."

Once she had cut the call, she and Mansha made their way towards the school. Since the school was at a walking distance, catching a transport was out of option.

Their faces basked under the warm caress of sunlight as they strode towards their destination and it wasn't untill when a commotion in the premises of the new school that was still under construction caught their attention that they stopped.

"You go yourself from here. I'll be there in a few minutes." Asmara addressed Mansha as she squinted towards the said area.

Mansha obliged and throwing one look towards the man creating a ruckus, went ahead as she shook her head.

This man and his outrageousness! She just prayed things wouldn't go out of hands as she walked away.

"What's going on?" Asmara asked once she reached there.

Arham who was trying his best to stay calm and composed, looked towards her but the thin line his lips had contorted into conveyed he was anything but calm and composed. The rage had infused him from every nook but fighting with this man wouldn't have left any difference between them which kept him from losing his cool.

She frowned at the tall sturdy man who had his hands folded on his hard chest. If the condescending look on his face didn't make him repulsive, the pony in which his shoulder length hair was pulled into definitely did.

"YOU?" Asmara seethed. "What the hell are you doing here, Khalil Pasha?" Her teeth gnashed.

"Oh, so you do remember me?" A lopsided smile reached his diabolical face.

"Asmara, I can handle this. You should go." Arham piped in. He didn't like the way Khalil Pasha accosted her.

"I can handle this piece of filth, too." She threw a disgusting look filled with loath towards him and he hooted.

"Woohoo, attitude! I'm impressed." He grinned, flashing his teeth.

"You'll be more impressed once I break those fangs of yours." Arham's hands balled into fists as the protruding veins on his arms became more prominent, the sleeves of his beige sweater rolled up to his elbows.

"Uh-oh, looks like someone likes someone." He whistled while the members of TTC laughed along.

"Looks like someone's in the mood to get disliked after having his face charred by someone." It was Asmara this time. "Now get the hell out of our grounds." She yelled on top of her lungs.

"Your grounds?" He raised his eyebrow. "In case you've forgotten, sweetheart, this entire valley belongs to me. Now I was kind enough to let you build one school, but now you guys are just exploiting my generosity."

He held up his hand to pat Asmara's scarlet cheek but Arham grabbed it midway while she staggered back.

"Don't even try to touch her." He enunciated each word with his smoldering gaze, his jaws clenched while his hold on Khalil Pasha's wrist tightened.

"Then be over with this rubbish as soon as possible." He jerked his hand off from Arham's fist and flashed two fingers in front of him. "Two weeks! Take this ugly building down in two weeks. Otherwise my men very well know how to do their job."

"And who the hell are you to order us that?"

"That I'll show you if you don't do as I say."

With that he hopped on his sleek vehicle with his men and as the engine roared to life, Asmara and Arham watched his retreating car vanishing into oblivion.

"He's so drunk on power." Asmara convulsed her head. "I don't know why these people don't get to taste God's wrath but the ones who are already broke and broken."

She said before heading towards the school, leaving a startled Arham in his wake. Something told him what she had just said was more than just about Khalil Pasha. It foreshadowed something beyond that. But what was it?

******

PS: In case you don't know about Khalil Pasha and TTC, read chapter 11. I've mentioned him and his clan there.