"Fawwad!... what the hell happened to you?" Was the first thing she asked after opening the door for him. It was already past one in the night.

He was just standing there, blood dripping from his face. He looked pale and drunk.

She tried to walk him into the house but he was being stubborn.

"Just leave me alone" he snapped, which made her shift out of fear.

"I'm not leaving you in this condition and don't try to be stubborn!" she yelled trying to stop the tears threatening to fall.

'Is this the type of life that I'll be living in for the rest of my life?'. She thought and before she realized it, a lone tear escaped her eye which she quickly wiped with the back of her hand.

She let out a sigh, ignoring all the tantrums he was throwing, she dragged him in. He was weak so it wasn't hard dragging him.

She sat him on the couch and rushed to get the first aid box. When she came back his eyes were closed but immediately he sensed her presence, he flickered them open.

She didn't spare him a glance as she got to work. First, she used some spirit to clean the wounds and to her surprise, he didn't even blink, she thought it'll hurt.

'He must be a strong man or is it that he doesn't want me to see him in pain because he's so full of himself?' Whatever it might be, it's none of her business. She just continued with what she's doing.

She cleaned all the wounds carefully with the spirit before dressing them. She left him and went into the kitchen. A few minutes later she was back with a glass of warm milk. She gave him and he took it once and drank it all in one sip. He must be very thirsty she thought.

"I'll help you to your room," she said giving him a hand which he ignored and tried to stand up but fell back on the couch. He flinched in pain and she knew his body must be aching.

"Why did you help me?" He finally spoke ignoring all she just said.

"I'm a Muslim and I find it necessary to help a fellow Muslim and besides you also helped me when I was in pain" she shrugged.

He wasn't convinced with what she said so he tried to stand up, but he fell back again. She saw him biting his lower lip in pain.

She didn't know what happened to him or how he got into that condition which she knew clearly, he won't tell her but she just pitied him.

She ignored the fact that he doesn't need her help and pulled him up placing his hand around her neck and her hand wrapping his torso. He had no other option so he let her help him to his room.

She laid him on the bed and left without uttering a word. Upon descending the staircase she moved straight to the kitchen and started preparing pepper soup for him. She knew she shouldn't get too attached to him but she has to help him no matter what. She strongly believes in helping other humans and besides, he was there for her when she was in pain too.

Thirty minutes later, it was done. She placed the bowl on a try along with an orange juice. When she got to his door, she was scared of what he might do but she gathered all the courage in her and knocked on the door. She knocked once and slowly opened it. It made a creaking sound which earned her his attention. He was still where she left him.

She walked to the bed with his eyes on her all the while. The light in the room was dim preventing her to read the emotions behind his eyes. She kept the tray on the bedside drawer and said...

"Here's hot pepper soup. Have it while it's still hot, I think it'll help" she said then turned to leave.

She was at the door when she heard him mumble a thank you almost to himself but she heard it. That shocked her to the core. She just nodded and quickly locked the door behind her.

*****

When she was finally on her bed and ready to turn in for the night, the thought of what happened came back to her.

'What really happened to him? Did he get into a fight? Or was it an accident?'

So many thoughts going through her mind, so many questions she asked herself which only Fawwad could answer. She knew she won't get any of them from him.

She silently said her prayers and turned in.

*****

The following morning, she woke up early and made breakfast. Set everything on the dining table.

She went back to her room to take her bath. After she finished dressing up into a black abaya (Arabian gown), she went back to have her own breakfast.

She was surprised when she saw Fawwad eating in his suits and she knew that he'll leave to work afterward.

She pulled a chair and sat down "morning" she said to him

"morning" he murmured as if he was forced to speak

"How are you feeling?" he looked up and nodded.

'how rude?' She mentally rolled her eyes.

And that's how they ate in silence. When he finished eating, he stood up to leave but she interrupted him.

"Don't you think you should take the day off... to rest a little more?" She dared to ask him

"Don't tell me what to do with my life" his voice was calm but cold. That's how he left her and walked out.

'What's wrong with this bloke? one minute he's kind and the next he's mean'

She shrugged off the thought cause she was already used to his bipolar behavior.

After she finished eating and clearing the table, she went to the sitting room to watch the TV which has become her daily routine now.

She was already seated when her phone started ringing. She checked the screen and it was an unknown number, she just ignored. Yes, she doesn't pick calls from unknown numbers. But the caller isn't going to let her rest as it kept ringing non-stop. She then decided to pick it up to know who it was.

"Ohh my Allah!" She said after hearing the voice that came through.

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