ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴡᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʙᴏᴅɪᴇꜱ ᴇɴᴛᴀɴɢʟᴇᴅ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴀɴꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʀɪᴇꜱ ᴇᴄʜᴏ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴏᴍ.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪᴅɴɪɢʜᴛ ɢʟᴏʀʏ ᴘᴇᴇᴋɪɴɢ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴄʟᴏᴜᴅꜱ, ᴛʜᴇ ʙʀᴇᴇᴢᴇꜱ ᴅᴀɴᴄɪɴɢ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ.

ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ʜᴇʀᴇ, ɪɴ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ'ꜱ ᴀʀᴍꜱ, ꜰᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴘʀᴏꜰᴏᴜɴᴅ ꜰᴏʀᴍ ᴏꜰ ɪɴᴛɪᴍᴀᴄʏ. ᴀ ᴋɪꜱꜱ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴀʟʟᴇʏ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇʀ ʙʟᴏꜱꜱᴏᴍꜱ, ʜᴇʀ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴀʀᴄʜᴇꜱ, ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ɢʀᴏᴀɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ Qᴜɪᴠᴇʀɪɴɢ ʟɪᴘꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ᴇɴᴛʀᴀᴘᴘᴇᴅ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴋɪꜱꜱ.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪꜱꜱ ᴏꜰ ʟᴏɴɢɪɴɢ, ʏᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪꜱꜱ ᴏꜰ ʟᴏᴠᴇ.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴜʀᴇ ᴇᴄꜱᴛᴀꜱʏ ꜱᴏᴀᴋꜱ ᴛʜᴇᴍ. ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇᴀᴠʏ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜꜱ ꜰɪʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪᴍ ʀᴏᴏᴍ. ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʀᴇʜᴇᴀᴅꜱ ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴡᴇᴀᴛʏ ʙᴏᴅɪᴇꜱ ᴇɴɢᴜʟꜰ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ, ʏᴇᴛ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʜᴏɴᴇ ʀᴀɴɢ.

ᴀ ɢʀᴏᴀɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ᴄʀʏ ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡ.

ᴀ ꜱᴍɪʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴇᴀʀꜱ.

ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ɢᴏ ʙᴀᴄᴋ.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴋᴇꜱᴛ ɴɪɢʜᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏᴏᴅꜱ ʜᴀꜱ ᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪᴅɴɪɢʜᴛ ɢʟᴏʀʏ ɪꜱ ɢᴏɴᴇ. ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀꜱ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴜꜱᴋ ɪꜱ ɢᴏɴᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀᴡɴ ɪꜱ ʜᴇʀᴇ.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʜᴀꜱ ᴘᴀꜱꜱᴇᴅ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴛʏ ʜᴀꜱ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ.

"ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ɢᴏ." ꜱʜᴇ ᴡʜɪꜱᴘᴇʀꜱ ʟᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ᴘᴇᴀʀʟꜱ ꜰʟᴏᴡ. ʜᴇ ꜱᴍɪʟᴇꜱ, ᴋɪꜱꜱᴇꜱ ʜᴇʀ, ꜱᴏᴏᴛʜᴇꜱ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴀɪʀ, ꜱᴍᴏᴏᴛʜᴇꜱ ʜᴇʀ ʙᴏᴅʏ.

"ᴡᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ." ʜᴇ ᴡʜɪꜱᴘᴇʀꜱ ʜᴜɢɢɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ᴛɪɢʜᴛ.

ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ꜱᴡᴇᴇᴛ ʟᴏᴠᴇ.

ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀɪᴛɪɴɢ ᴏꜰ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ʙᴇɢɪɴꜱ.

ꜰᴏʀ ꜱʜᴇ ɪꜱ ʜɪꜱ ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ.

ᴅᴇᴇᴘᴇꜱᴛ.

ᴘᴜʀᴇꜱᴛ.

ꜰᴏʀ ʜᴇ ɪꜱ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴜꜱʙᴀɴᴅ.

ʜɪᴅᴅᴇɴ.

ᴜɴᴋɴᴏᴡɴ.

ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʀᴇᴍᴀɪɴꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ.

ꜰᴏʀ ɴᴏᴡ.

ʙᴜᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ʜᴏᴡ ʟᴏɴɢ?

----------

THE EARLY MORNING RUSH in the ER is something she is quite used to now. And Monday morning had always been busy, courtesy to the weekends, the drunkards, and the stupid teens.

And she comprehends this all quite well, she is used to it. Not many summers ago, she was a part of them too.

For Mahnoor Choudhury had lived quite an adventurous life in London. And she means that.

While she completes her round around the wards and takes a seat on the staffs' lounge with her much-needed cup of caffeine, she smiles at the memory of that.

How Shahmeer used to drop by every Friday.

How they used to party all Saturday.

How he used to run like a headless chicken every Sunday morning.

And how he used to help her with groceries.

How she used to curse and then laugh.

A long sigh left her lips, a smile lingers there. All tiredness of the weekend slowly faded into thin air.

That was a beautiful memory.

They were careless, stupid, vibrant and dynamic.

They were happy.

But now adulthood had hit them, hard.

That eighteen summers Mahnoor never thought her life would take such a turn.

That nineteen spring Noor never thought she have to come back to this place ever again.

But here she is.

The twenty-four summers Dr Mahnoor Choudhary. The resident doctor.

"Hey, Mahnoor? How's the weekend?" Rukhma, one of her colleagues asked.

She smiled softly before saying, "Tiring".

"Tiring? Like that's what you gotta say after having two days off? Nothing else."

"Well I was busy, I visited my hometown and came back straight here."

"You visited Mirpur?" Rukhma almost screamed with surprise almost making Mahnoor jump.

Curiosity and happiness.

She shakes her head.

"Before you ask anything else, it was busy. I was there for some family issues, and sort it out as soon as I could and left. That's it."

"Family issues? Everything alright there?" Rukhma's voice is evident of worry.

A thing about Rukhma Aslam, she is too caring. Much of the reason Mahnoor is her friend, others are not.

"Yeah, just my cousin's alliance got fixed."

"That's great congratulation."

"I will pass it to him." She smiled and stands on her feet again.

Time for the next round.

Rukhma follows her lead but then suddenly stop, "Mahnoor?" Rukhma calls her from behind.

"Yes?" She raises her brow.

"Did you see him there?" As soon as the words left Rukhma's lips, the smile falls out of hers. But she covers it well.

"Did you see Azaan Mirjafar there? I mean he is the head of the estate and your family is a quite renowned one too." She gulps and then shakes her head in denial.

"I haven't seen him in ages. He wasn't someone a commoner like me can see." She spells the lie skillfully and walks away.

A lies so smooth that everyone believes, even herself.

For Mahnoor Choudhury isn't a commoner, she was never that.

For Choudhury's are not only builders in Mirpur.

For they're landlords too. They're somewhat royals too.

But no one knows that.

No one needs to.

Mahnoor Choudhury is just another resident doctor here, and she stays that as long as they want.

THE EVENING SKY is filled with twinkling stars. The long shift has ended and she is just exhausted. When she steps out of the hospital in her white shirt tugged inside her beige pants with her nude heels, she for once regretted wearing those.

Mahnoor Choudhury hated heels. She will always.

Too bad today morning she just wanted to flaunt her posh side.

And suddenly the whole weekend tiredness getting back to her. She almost called out for an uber when she heard it.

"Mahi" A voice from her behind and she turns around, and before she could see him, she was engulfed in a bear hug.

The familiar cologne of mints mixed with spices. The familiar hug. And just like that, she knows she is home again. Something like that.

"Shahmeer." She laughed in his arms.

"I missed you so much." He said, and the tone made her raise a brow.

"You drop me off in the morning Shahmeer." She said taking a step back, crossing her hands.

"Well, I can miss you a lot. You know I know you more.."

"What do you need Shahmeer?" She said cutting him off.

A hectic day after such a weekend, and she is in severe need of sleep. She is nowhere ready for his drama, so the sooner he spills, the better.

"I don't need anything. How could you even say that? I was.."

"Shahmeer I had a hectic day, a terrific weekend and my roaster got changed today itself, I will have morning shifts for the next four days. So if you could just cut this drama short I'll be really glad."

A pang of guilt fills Shahmeer's face, he passes her a soft smile and motions her towards his car. She walks towards his black Mercedes and soon finds herself in the passenger seat.

"You have a tough week ahead." Shahmeer broke the silence of the car once they left the hospital area.

"I just wished for one evening but I guess that's too much to ask."

"Well you chose your carrier so.."

"You are not really helping right now." She laughs and he joins.

"I need a file from your hospital." He said sobering up after some time.

She shakes her head. She has seen this coming.

Shahmeer Choudhury is an asshole, a certified one. And a fabulous lawyer. And that's a deadly combo. He loves getting his hands dirty and winning cases.

She remembers the time they used to play chess and how he would just call the checkmate at right when she thought she was winning.

He had always been great at these. Mind games.

Then chess now courtrooms.

For Shahmeer Choudhary has always been like this, goofy, careless, yet sensible and responsible one.

"You want me to do that for you." She said and he just give her the lopsided smile.

"I'll drop you for this." He not coming slow.

"Send the name and date and be patient."

"I need it by tomorrow night." He said in a low tone.

"You are impossible Shahmeer," She sighed.

One more thing to do tomorrow.

But she will do it for him. She will do anything she can for him.

For Shahmeer had stayed beside her since forever, he had stayed for her.

WHEN NIGHT HAS FALLEN. MIRPUR looks even more beautiful at night. The city palace is filled with some relatives.

There will be wedding bells soon ringing there and who would leave a chance and miss THE MIRJAFAR's wedding.

No one.

Not when the Azaan Mirjafar will be there too. Especially not then.

For not many people gets a chance to meet in, get a chance to even see him.

For Azaan Mirjafar, the royal king, the leader, has always been secretive about his life. About his private life.

"The guns consignment has been delivered." Azaan nodded and cut his call.

He had a terrible day, his consignment got delayed then meetings were lined up. Too much for taking the weekend off.

But damn, he needed that. He surely needs some more but alas he won't be getting one until the next two months.

"Azaan?" Nagma, his father's cousin called him.

He surely isn't in a mood for this but seeing his mother, Ashima's pleading looks he stayed.

If this whole circus of royals he really loves and respects someone that would be Ashima Mirjafar.

His mother.

The queen, who refused to be crowned.

For Ashima wasn't a Muslim.

For she refused to change her religion after marriage.

Ashima smiles watching him sit next to her.

"What about Azaan's marriage?" Suddenly every head turns towards Nagma as soon as she uttered those words.

Jahan Mirjafar, his father finds himself eying his cousin, Ashima finds her smile lost.

Azaan sighs, as he stands on his feet. He is just about to leave the lounge when his eyes fall on the figure standing near the entrance.

Ahana, his cousin standing there, just when he thought of walking past her, he saw it.

The tremble in her hands, the phone she has been holding, the call still connected.

And he gulps.

One more thing to do tomorrow.

IT WAS LATE at night when Shahmeer walks inside the kitchen and found Mahnoor busy with the poor chicken. That poor guy had to bear her wrath tonight.

"Mahi." He calls her and she replied with a nod still busy mincing the chicken.

"It's done." He said taking the knife from her hands.

"Yeah, just about to make keema biryani."

"I would love that." She nodded and he smiles and leaves.

Shahmeer ends the call and turns around when he finds Mahnoor standing near the kitchen door, looking at him intently.

He gulps and smiles softly. Then she utters the words which make him question his grounds once again, "Between blood and loyalty, whom would you choose?"

He smiles and gives the same answer, yet again, "I am loyal to those whom I serve."

"Even if that means betraying your blood."

"Even if that. For what I am today and what I do is only because I am loyal, I will always be that."

She walks back in, he turns back to the lounge. The biryani will be done soon. The night will end soon. But what about her nights.

The long nights when she would hide her secrets. Her pains.

Today this is not going to end up only with the chicken. Not only with him. A lot will come. And he can just pray it ends up well.

For Mahnoor Choudhury has been hurt today, her bloodshot eyes were evidence of that.

For she would make the hell lose open if it ever comes to that.

And this time around, he couldn't even stop her.

For Mahnoor can do with anything but to share her things, especially her people. especially him.

Mainly him.

So we are back again.