His Revenge

➺Chapter Eight

A/N: I feel so broken right now. I still haven't gotten over the shock of what happened. I can't believe this is real. First Eidhi and now Junaid Bhai. What is Pakistan coming too? Why are our heroes leaving us?
I just pray MTJ stays in the best of health. I'm so worried for him.
May Allah grant Junaid Bhai the highest ranks in Jannah and may all his sins be turned to nakiyan and may his grave overwhelm with the scent of paradise. Ameen.
Please do keep his family in your prayers.

➺Eight

Aaida didn't know how to avoid Mahra anymore. Zaeem was at work and it seemed Mahra also shared a love for literature since the first thing she had done after breakfast was head off to the library. Aaida had then made her way to the patio- at the opposite end to the library- and just narrowly missed Mahra when she came down for tea. With the way she was going, it wouldn't be long before Mahra realized she was hiding from her. Aaida didn't want to seem rude but there was really nothing else she could do.

The next few days passed by like this- Aaida trying to keep out of Mahra's way and Zaeem constantly showing his discomfort at his enemy's daughter living under the same roof as his mother. It was his fault, of course, but that didn't mean he couldn't hate himself for making such a choice.

And what angered him more was that he could no longer sleep at night without Aaida next to him. Without her warmth, her blanket of silken hair, her soft body against his chest- he simply could not catch a wink of sleep.

He hadn't the slightest clue why.

It also seemed Aaida had given up trying to develop a bond with him. She was kind to him and she did whatever he asked without question. She didn't do anything to annoy him or get in his way. But there was no longer any determination in her eyes. As the end of the month grew closer and closer, Aaida began drifting through the house as a ghost.

Zaeem noticed.

He noticed how pale she was. How her beautiful blue eyes were rimmed with red. How Aliya, Aaus and Waliya blatantly ignored her and refused to accept her as a part of their family. A part of him, deep down inside, cried to see her in such a state. He wondered where the Aaida from before had gone. The Aaida who always had a bright smile on her face. The one who wouldn't waver no matter how angry he got with her. The Aaida who smiled so brightly and so kindly, anyone with a heart of stone would've melted at the sight of her childish joy.

Yet, he had ignored her with everything he had. And insulted her. And pushed her around as if she were a mere animal he had to tolerate for companionship.

And when he saw her, with her red-rimmed eyes and pale face, the now-permanent tremble in her hands and how her whole being radiated sadness . . . he wondered how he could've been so cruel as to take out his hatred on her. And if she was truly as deserving of his revenge as he thought.

He saw Aliya- dressed in her finery, skipping about on her expensive heels with a healthy bounce in her blonde hair- and he saw Aaida- pale, weak, timid, and gentle, Aaida- and he wondered whether he had actually succeeded in his plans.

A week before the last of the month, Zaeem woke up late. It was a shocking occurrence since he always arrived at his office right on the dot. That morning, he was surprised to see the clock display him to be a whole ten minutes later than when he usually awoke. Getting out of bed hastily, he rushed his bathroom routine and tugged on the closest suit he could find that wasn't wrinkled. He was too busy wrapping up his tie that while turning the corner in the hallway towards the staircase he unknowingly crashed into someone.

Or Aaida, to be specific.

His eyes widened as she stumbled back at the force of their hit. She seemed to steady herself and he moved away to give her space. He didn't expect her to teeter a bit on her heels.