06. You're safe

*****

Ziah rolled on the bed for what felt like hours. Due to taking a nap

again after a memorable lunch, her sleeping mechanism was ruined for the day to say the least. Finally giving up any hope for her eyes to shut in peace, she got up from the bed with an annoyed sigh.

Her eyes found the alarm clock next to the bed that read 1:11 a.m.

Just great!

Ziah thought sarcastically to herself and moved her hand to grab a glass of water. For some utter weirdness, water at midnight tasted as sweet as honey. Something that soothed her taste buds in a sense that couldn't be put into words.

(A/N: That's weird! But weird is me!)

Weird, but that's how it was.

But to her utter horror and misfortune, the jug beside her was empty and so was the glass. Looks like it was kept for a show after all.

Or you were just forgetful enough to not fill it.

Shut up conscience!

"Allah, let me survive the night."

She muttered to herself as she removed the warm duvet away from her and visibly shivered when the midnight cold air hit her with full force. Rubbing her palms together, she tried to create a little bit of warmth but alas, she was always weak in physics.

Clicking her tongue to herself, she doubted her choice to leave the room in the first place but seeing as her dry throat screamed for some mercy and cool drink, she softly padded her way out of the room.

The house looked deathly silent at this hour, a thing that did not please Ziah even the least bit. Silence at night scarred her.

Her hands wrapped themselves around her tightly as she walked down the stairs, her eyes darting left to right, as if trying to find someone or something waiting ahead of her, but not in the good way. It was a reflex that now came naturally.

Naturally due to the incidents that happened less than a few years ago.

"You're safe, Ziah. Marwan promised that you'd be safe."

She said the lines to herself.

Her silent, almost inaudible voice resonated through the eerie surrounding. The air around seemed to be getting a little suffocating and Ziah rubbed a hand over her chest to stop the fearful goosebumps from rising on her skin.

She sighed in relief once she spotted the doorway of the kitchen. Her steps hurried her inside and just as she was about to sigh in relief, the shadow of the person in front of her made her squeal in horror.

Marwan lost balance of the small plate that held his life, his love- his chocolate pastry and he watched with wide eyes filled with pain as the plate met its fate on the floor, the delicious looking pastry splattered on the ground and his stomach cried at the loss of its lover.

His annoyed eyes looked up to give a peace of mind to the person that disrupted his quest but they instantly turned to worried ones as he looked at Ziah's shivering form in front of him.

Muttering curses under his breath, he squatted down on the floor and picked the broken pieces of the glass plate and tried to multitask as he cleared his throat and looked at her for a nanosecond before looking back at the plate.

"Tum kyu ro rahi ho? Dil mere pait ka tuta hai aur aansu tumhare beh rahe hai. Ache log raat ko sote hai, treasure hunt nahi khelte."

He tried to sound playfully reprimanding but the girl in front of him just sniffed and wiped her eyes before giving him a displeased look. Marwan raised an eyebrow at her expression as Ziah crossed her arms across her torso and gave him an 'are you serious look?'

"T-toh a-aap k-kya kar rahe hai yaha?"

Marwan narrowed his eyes at her question and huffed before throwing the broken plate in the dustbin and wiped away the remnants of his unfulfilled love from the floor.

"Neend nahi aa rahi thi aur mere pait ko chocolate pastry chahiye thi, isliye aa gaya neeche. Tum batao? Kuch hua hai kya? Tum soi kyu nahi ab tak?"

His last two questions came out concerned as he looked at her with an alarmed gaze. Ziah instantly sobered up on gaining his attention and bit back a smile at his worried look. The guy might look as tough as iron on a mission but he was no less than a warm teddy bear and a cup of steaming hot chocolate in winter from the inside.

"K-kuch nahi hua. Woh pyas lagi thi toh-"

Her words were not even completed yet before he quickly sprang to action and fetched a glass filled with cool water that seemed to be lurring her in just by its mere sight.

Dramatic? Yes, but the girl was as thirsty as a traveller in the Sahara.

"Thank you."

Her gratitude filled whisper made Marwan smile as he watched her chug down the whole glass in a single breath. He controlled himself from chuckling at her antics before clearing his throat and looking away.

"Ahm, g-good night!"

Ziah squeaked out the words from out of nowhere and a glass was thrust in Marwan's hand as he watched the woman running back to her room. His wide eyes blinked a few times as he tried to process what just happened.

"Ahem, good night?"

Marwan said to himself and shrugged before placing the glass on the neat-looking counter but frowned once he remembered the loss of his chocolate love.

"Meri khushi kise se dekhi nahi jaati."

The words hung low in the air as he huffed like a child and with a sullen look walked out of the kitchen and towards his room.

His hands gripped the doorknob and as he twisted it and entered his chamber. His eyes drifted to the room opposite to his, the room that belonged to the female he was given the responsibility of.

Sighing to no one in particular, he closed the door and the house once again reigned in silence.

*****

"Stupid! Pagal! Gadhi!"

Ziah whispered the child-like profanities to herself once she was within her room, her safety zone at the moment. She didn't know that dark magic compelled her to simply say an awkward 'good night' and leave the sweet gentleman in utter confusion.

But then again, she had little to no interactions with men while growing up apart from her father who was taken away from her way too soon and a few others that were not worth mentioning but had left a lasting impact on her mind.

There were times when she thought that men were controlling, men didn't value women. Didn't appreciate their helping hands in the house that they oh so cosily live in. There were times when all Ziah could use to describe the men's race was that they were narcissists who thought that the world revolved around them and to an extent, the idea was correct but before she knew it an image of her father would appear in her head.

Her father.

A small smile lingered on her lips as she reminisced the memories she had made with her family- especially her abbu. Her abbu was a man of few words but when he spoke, he spoke with utter love and humour. She remembered the days she'd see her parents laughing amongst each other on a joke that her abbu would have made whilst helping her mother in cleaning the dirty dishes.

But no, he didn't help everyday. He helped when he saw his hum-nafs struggling to keep her strength as she battered around the whole house, fussing over Ziah and her father. He'd not let her mother leave the bed when she was even slightest bit sick, claiming that he'd be the house maker for the day.

But alas, if only more men like her abbu existed.

The thoughts of ever encountering someone who even held a slight bit of personality trait like her father always left Ziah disappointed, for the men she met after her parents demise didn't even know how to be grateful to their wives or their Lord for the blessings that they were adorned with.

Heartfelt memories along with a haunting past made Ziah's heart seize as if it had been gripped by an ice cold hand. Though the feeling didn't freeze her tears from flowing down her eyes as she quietly got under the duvet, hoping and praying that what her future held might be more beautiful than what her past had made her go through.

For the saying that the Lord does not burden a soul more than it can bear was the only hope Ziah could hold on to with all her might. Her genuine smiles were rare and they were precious-

But then again, aren't all valuable things discovered at the right time?

*****

The melodious sound of the Fajr Azan reached Ziah's ears as she stirred lightly in her sleep. Her eyes opened themselves on their own accord and Ziah let out a small yawn before rubbing her tired eyes. A sleep of less than 4 hours was definitely not something that made her happy but the soothing voice of the imam as he recited the azan soothed her heart and mind more than she could imagine.

Quickly getting up from her bed, she dashed into the washroom and made wudu for the morning prayer. The cold water made her hands go slightly numb but a few seconds later, her body adjusted to the temperature.

Getting out of the washroom, she dabbed her face and hands lightly with the towel as her eyes drifted to her door. The light from behind the close wooden barriers seeped into her room and she smiled knowing that no one was unfortunate enough to miss the beauty of the morning salah.

Her heart escalated a little as she heard a knock on her door. Wrapping her dupatta around herself, she slowly twisted the door knob and was surprised to find Madiha standing in front of her with a smile that Ziah could only describe as adorable.

Ziah didn't want to admit it but the old woman had made a place for herself in her heart and she was more than fond of her protective nature that resembled that of a concerned mama bear's.

"Maaf karna, Ziah, woh tumhara jah namaz main raat ko le gayi thi. Mera wala kahi mil nahi raha tha toh-"

"Aunty, is baat ke liye maafi kyu? J-jah namaz hai, is par koi bhi namaz pad sakta hai. Don't trouble yourself over such petty issues."

Ziah replied politely and Madiha offered her a sheepish smile before handing the soft navy blue persian prayer mat to her.

"Theek hai, ab jao jaldi se namaz ada karo aur phir neeche aa jaana."

She patted the young lady's head before walking away and Ziah blushed at the motherly affection she had once again experienced in the presence of the old woman. It felt like ages ago since she felt the soothing embrace of a mother and her heart yearned for more.

Shaking her head to herself, Ziah softly closed the door and laid the mat on the ground, ready to begin her day with a brief conversation with her Lord.

For that was the only thing that kept her sorrow filled heart saint enough to bear what was thrown her way.

**********

Ahm, a little depressing but no, MY HEART CRAVES FOR A CUTE INTEARCTION LIKE ZIAH AND MARWAN WITH SOMEONE- but that someone so happens to be my pillow at 1 a.m. at night....

Ouch! The reality hurts but whatever.

My miseries will go on but do drop your love for the chapter and for my cute lovely characters!

P.S. Please send all your good wishes to me for my exams. I need all of the luck filled prayers I can at the moment!

**********