Chapter 23: Chapter 23

A gust of wind blasts through her face, hairs dishevelled. Eyes bloodshot, feet trembled as she makes her way towards the premises of the unknowingly familiar tall building.

Trees swayed crazily, smoke engulfing the shimmering stars, she gulps as the zephyr pass leaving the reminisce of past behind, for her to strangle.

Climbing those known stairs after all those years haunts her now. With each step, her heart mislays cadences, she gulps, tightening her hold against the sling of her bag.

Soon her slow pants fill the fifth floor of the building, as she stands with the support of the railings.

Her long waves fall behind her bareback, covered with the leather brown jacket. She is still wearing the same red dress, with a white scarf, and off the earrings.

Red.

The first time she stepped here, she was wearing that too.

Mariot High, Lucknow, once this was her place, their place.

Red.

23-July-2013.

Seven years ago, an eternity of pain ago.

Red long dress, red long scarf, red henna filled hands, red lipstick. Happy smiles, and intertwined hands. She was finally here with him.

"This is.."

"Our place."

Their place. Tears filled her eyes, she gulps.

"How?"

"I can't take you to Haweli, and taking you to somewhere else is neither an option. So I got this from all my savings, and Bhai helped me with the rest."

"But Ahad, it's"

"Maya, we need a life away from all the chaos, this is here now."

"I love you Ahad, I am so.."

"I love you too, Maya."

They needed a life together perhaps the question lies did they deserve that? No.

The answer echoes in the empty floor.

She gulps the thought again. Her hand grabs the jingling keys from her bag, hope, she hopes that the locks are changed by now.

But that died too, as the key unlocks the grills with a click.

She can hear the whispers of the winds, they were talking about her misery.

Wasn't she the one who left?

Wasn't she the one who swore never to step back here?

She was, yet she is here.

The brown door stands still, the marker mark there. The door open as the lock unlock with the keys.

He didn't even change the locks.

She stands there, blank eyes, panting breaths, she can hear her pulses. A step forward, and she closes her eyes.

Pain.

Grief.

Memories.

No tear leaves her brown orbs.

She walks inside, dark, just like her life. Walking towards the switches she put the light on. And the room lits up, she gasped.

Shock.

Pastel white curtains, blue sofa cushions, white fur round carpet in the middle. Same, everything the way she left behind. Every corner she decorated with her hands.

Yet nothing is at the place.

"I hate pastel colours, Maya"

"So what I love them. And you are not here most of the time, I am, it will be of my choice"

"I am not even coming back here. You are just.."

"..the best. I know I know, you don't have to voice it."

"Run for your life Maya.."

"..Catch me if you can Ahad."

Laughter filled the house, they are happy.

Laughter echoes through the empty hallway, haunting her to no end.

She gulps the fear, the memories away.

Crossing the hall, taking the first left room, she opens the door, her hands frozen like glaciers of poles. With each breath, she is fighting for the other.

The room is the same except for those closed windows.

"Why do you always keep the windows open?"

"I love the breezes here, they are my companions on those starry nights when you were not here, which happens most of the times."

These closed windows explicate her absences. Walking to the cupboard, she opens it. Her closet is not even moved by a single inch. He didn't.

Opening the last drawer with a tug, her trembling hands searched for a certain pair of cloth, and she gets it. Blue handkerchief, customized. A thread craft, 'AZ' crafted beautifully on the other side.

The clock hits nine, the dark night signifies the arrival of something bad, maybe an end or beginning of the end.

Ahad Ahmed is still in his office outfit, his little wife is still not home. Her college ended way back at five, where the hell is she?

Another half an hour later, She made her way inside the hall. She is quite sure Ahad won't be home today, so she just went to the nearby carnival. And she did enjoy herself a lot. But a certain event happened, and she is sure she has to hide the souvenir that she has with her now. To her shock Ahad is just sitting right in front of her, glaring at her

"Where the hell were you?"

Ahad asked her in a calm tone, more like the calm before the storm, a kind of storm that will ruin their lives.

"Uhh, I just went to the nearby carnival" She replied truthfully.

She never wants to hide anything from Ahad, never did. But these past circumstances, she simply doesn't know any other way. Ahad will not even try to understand her any point, not even listen to her.

She is merely nineteen but all his frustration may it be from work or life somehow finds it way out to her. And always had to bear it anyhow, but now with every passing day it's increasing in an exponential rate and she is suffocating, it's being difficult for her even to breath now.

"Why?"

"I just..."

No matter what she can't lie to him, so it's better to hide the handkerchief behind her.

He will not listen to her and will conclude something else, so it's better to avoid such a situation for now that he is losing it.

Perhaps luck is not on her side and he gets to see it.

A blue embroidery handkerchief having an initial 'AZ' beautifully crafted on it, the worst part it smells of expensive men's cologne, that's it he lost it.

"What's this?"

"I can explain Ahad.. ahhhhh" Before any further words, he slapped her tight.

"EXPLAIN. You bitch the hell will you explain. This is what you were doing all along. Making a new lover boy behind my back. Who the fuck gave you the right?"

"Ahad no it's not like that. I swear, listen I can give.."

"Shut up just shut up. You are not leaving this house from now on. Hell, you are not getting anything from now on."

"Ahad.. listen to me please..."

Woh kehti rahi aur usne suna bhi nahi. Woh intezaar karti rahi aur usne murkar dekha bhi nahi.

And that was the beginning of their end.

A step back, another gulp.

Pain stays, everywhere.

Ahad and Amaya lost everything and the end begins with that day, with this certain Handkerchief.

Zain Amir's handkerchief.

Her scars scream tears fill her orbs, she refused to shed them.

"Promise me, Maya, you won't cry for Us, ever again."

A promise she kept. All these years, she cried for herself, her nightmare, never for them, for their loss.

A gasp left her lips, as bitter cold reality splashed her face, a truth. Ahad Ahmed knew. He did.

"Don't you dare to spill a tear, Amaya Kareem."

She repeats.

"I'm sorry Maya,"

Ahad whispers, standing by the hospital door.

"I killed her."

"We killed her Ahad."

She whispered, hollow eyes like her soul at the moment.

"No Maya listen."

"You killed your Maya Ahad. She died last night."

"No Maya please don't"

"And that's what we are Ahad. We are murders, killers of our happiness, of life.

We are those dark clouds, covering the sky, taking all the light away."

"Amaya you're my light."

"I am just another shattered soul now, a mirage you and me both fell for. And my pieces will take your life. Leave Ahad."

Leave. And she did that. Without a goodbye.

Destiny have played it's game, and Ahad and Amaya have lost their baits.

As they said, 'one should never play a move, unless they know all the rules'.

With quivering feet like the last December leaf, she enters the room. She shouldn't have. And there it is, even in the dark, she can see the sparking walls reflecting in those mirrors, and it is, still there.

Amongst the vacant room, a baby cot with pink pastel blanket. Her world came crumbling through her feet. She skims down to the floor.

She lost it like the last spring leaf.

He lost it as the last maple leaf, the sign of it being alive.

They lost it like sand bequeathing their fists, the tighter the hold, the faster it falls.

And what left is just grieving hearts.