"ghum sum pyar da mausam,

aaj na dard jaga vi....."

°°°

Seven years later,

He was sitting in his office working on the new case that had been a pain in the heart for him for months. He switched off the laptop and put down the files. He wanted sometime away from all this mess. He wanted to clear his head right now and only cigarette could do that. He wasn't a chain smoker but the ups and down in his life had turned him into this man. He lit up the cigarette and took a long drag of it before releasing it. He had been known to pain all his life but he still couldn't come to terms that he had lost her. He had lost the only light in his life, now he was again wandering in the allura of darkness.

"Knock. Knock."

He put the cigarette in ashtray and with a heavy authoritative voice he called out the person to come in.

"Ahh i hate cigarettes. Astagfiruallah."

A timid girl in hijab appear in his sight and he smiled at her non existence sarcasm.

"What are you doing here Aisha? Don't you have any scandalous celebrity divorce to handle?"

Aisha frowned at him and threw her bag on his chest which he caught in no time.

"Well. Well. What the hell is this Aisha."

She sat on the chair opposite to his and started rotating the paper roller.

"I need your help Dawood."

Aisha was still rotating the roller and avoiding looking at Dawood.

"What kind of help?"

Dawood sat back on his chair and give her his full attention.

"Dawood there's a case of domestic violence. The girl wanted a divorce but the husband isn't letting her, plus the girl says he has murdered her mother."

Aisha said all of this things in one go and now she was waiting for him to say something but he was sitting their with Plain face.

"Look Aisha I'd have taken this case but I can't. I've already so much on my platter."

Aisha looked up for the first time in this whole conversation and now she was really seeing him her childhood friend who had endured pain all his life, couldn't come to terms with losing a girl. She can see that hollowness in his eyes, that she had saw seven years ago.

"Dawood I'd have taken this case but this is now a murder case and the girl is not safe. Please I don't have anywhere to go but you. She needs you Dawood."

Dawood placed his hands on the table and with a serious expression, cutting her off midway he said, "Look i don't care who that girl was and apparently you're one of the highest paid attorney in the country. I hope you'll find someone else...."

"Dawood. This is about Zahiah."

Dawood who was frustrated with her continuous requests of taking that case was now sitting silently hearing her name.

***

She opened the door of her apartment and he followed her league. He was getting impatient and all could he think about was seeing her face after seven years of torment.

"Dawood this way. She must be in the kitchen I'll get her in a minute. Then will talk."

"Okay Aisha."

Dawood was standing their but he's eyes aere wandering around just to see her. A glimpse. Yes Just a glimpse. His heart was beating and he don't know how to control it.

It hadn't been a minute, Dawood walked inside and started looking around for her. He saw a room door ajar and his heartbeat was getting restless. He opened the door with a heavy heart and their, their she was.

He was stunned looking at her. He couldn't believe his eyes. He couldn't believe that she was his Zahiah. The girl infront of him was someone else, only her face resembles her but her appearance didn't.

She was sitting on a prayer mat her hands were raised for Dua. Dawood couldn't believe his eyes and he was glued to his place. Her face was blooming and looking painfully beautiful. It took everything in his guts to look away. He had seen that face many times, had touched it many times. But he didn't knew what had stopped him going any further. His gaze got lowered on his own.

She was so much involved in her talks with Allah SWT that she couldn't realise the love of her life was standing just few steps away from her. Her Allah had answered all her unsaid prayers. He had given her what she has always wanted.

"Zahiah."

She heard Aisha's voice and stood up folding the prayer mat. Her eyes was fixed on rolling the prayer mat and in her ignorance her head collided with a hard yet soft flesh.

She looked up and her world stopped.

She was standing so close to him.

She was seeing her aks in his eyes.

She can hear his heartbeat.

She can smell his cologne.

And she can see that million dollar dimpled smile on his face.

Dawood was smiling but the tears were rolling down his eyes and all he can see is her pious face.

Zahiah was frozen on her place. She couldn't say anything. She couldn't. She really couldn't. She wouldn't have thought that she'll ever see him again. But she was seeing him, she was also crying.

No words exchanged.

No accusations held.

They're crying silently washing away the harsh years of their lives, which they've spent away from eachother.

Aisha seeing this walked out of the room. She knew they need their privacy and like a true friend she Walked out from their.

***

She was sitting on the sofa and he was sitting beside her. They hadn't said anything and now all he could think about was to hear his name from her lips.

"Dawood."

Zahiah broke the silence first and moved towards Dawood. Who was looking at her with an ocean of love, warmth and respect. He was showing her those emotions she hadn't felt in this painful seven years.

"You look beautiful in this white colour."

Zahiah looked up at him and someone else's words rang in her ear....."you look like a slut in this dress ready to get fucked"... her talisman break when Dawood tapped her shoulder and she jumped back from her place. Her eyes were terrified and she was looking at him like he was a monster who will eat her up.

"Zahiah its me Dawood. Calm Down."

He held her in his arms and made her sit comfortably on the sofa.

She was still shivering and he was just looking at her with pain in his eyes.

He would have endured everything for her but seeing her like this was breaking him from inside. He hadn't felt this much pain when she left him.

"Zahiah I'm here to help you. I will help you getting justice. I will put your Mother's murderer behind the bars. Have faith on me. I will do everything to save you. Just tell what had happened."

Zahiah who was trying to control her panic attack. Got stiffed. She had suffered the worst by the hand of a men and now he was demanding to trust a man.

She smiled bitterly.

"I will tell you everything but before that promise me you'll not hate me."

Dawood was stunned at her words and he he took her hands in his and smiled kindly.

"I promise."

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