Kismat aur Hum

18.

- Malik -

The minute they took too long to come back was the minute I started to lose my cool. I kept looking at my watch as every second passed by, every minute passed by. Zain was running late, and when we were about to go back, he arrived in time. "Did I miss the picnic?" He pouted, "Yes, we're headed home now, but did you do what I told you to?" "All clear, we can go back now. " I nodded at his answer.

When an hour had passed by, and neither girls had come back, the air felt too thick, and the atmosphere didn't sit right. "Zain, I need you to take the kids home." I told him, "but aren't we going to wait for Haniya api and Mehr api?" Asfa asked, "Don't worry, me and Umar bhai are on that. You go with Zain bhai, we'll be right behind you. " she nodded and unsure nod.

After all the kids had sitting down in Zain's car, I told him to go straight home and do an area check around the safe house.

"Umar, I need you to make the call, and quickly." Umar must have realized why I made the sudden call. He didn't hesitate even a second to make that call. I decided to give the girls 10 more minutes while I texted both of them. As soon as that seconds hand hit 12, I called Haniya, but the call wasn't going through, I had signals but maybe she didn't, I gave Mehr a call too, incase it was just her phone, but her call was the same.

"Umar, we aren't waiting anymore. Let's move." "But what about -" "Give a message to move out when they arrive. " he nodded.

Before we headed in the direction where we last saw the girls going, I picked up a little toy I hoped I won't have to use tonight. We headed towards the bakery. It was closed now, but the light of the shop was still on, and we could figure some people inside. We knocked once and twice, but there was no answer. We knocked again, this time an elder man came out. "Can I help you boys with something?" "Sorry to disturb you at this time, but have you seen two ladies go by?" His eyebrows deeped in question. "They're our wives. We're looking for them." "I think they stopped by our bakery almost more than an hour ago."
'An hour ago! We need to hurry up'
I nodded to Umar, and he understood, we quickly thanked the man and moved to the quiet and dark area. Just in time, my other men arrived and started searching too.

It had been half an hour, and we had no lead, we were still looking around when Abdul ran towards me, "Sir, we found this Keychain in the alleyway, and found fresh blood on it too" I took the Keychain from his hand, I've seen this some where before but I can't remember. "Keep looking. I don't care if it takes days. I want them found and back to me."

I was growing impatient by the second. It was hard enough trying not to think of bad thoughts. We continued searching and looking around, Umar and I went ahead and looked further. When in the distance we saw something, it looked like a group of men, four or five of them, were up to something. Umar also saw them. We both slowly approached the group of men. Clearly, they were engaged with something that they didn't even realize us approaching. 

My hand rested on the metal piece that I had placed in my back, in case they tried something, I was ready. That when I heard a cry that was enough to make me snap everything, "please don't hurt us, I'm begging you" I was right, she was their, surrounded by these monsters, and as if the last thing olding me together snapped, I spotted anyone who was even an inch closer to her. By this time, the rest of my men had heard the run shot, I was too busy making my way to them to notice anything else, I needed to get to them and make sure they were alright.

There, they sat at the corner of the tree, both of them holding eachother close to try to keep eachother safe, and if I didn't have to make sure both of them were alright I would burn every last person who did this to them. I quickly kneeled down to their level and took both of them in my embrace, trying to comfort them. "Are you hurt?" Both of them looked at me and shook their heads. "Let's get home." I slowly helped them get up, and Umar ran up to us and quickly held Mehr. She was shaking but quickly became comfortable in his embrace.

"I'll take Mehr in my car, bhai," Umar informed me and headed towards his car while we made our way towards my car. I could feel Haniya trying to keep herself together. As soon as I helped her get in the car, I quickly got the driver seat, and I needed to get home. My men can deal with the mess they knew what to do.

The whole journey home, she stayed quiet, lost innher thought? I didn't want to bring any conversation up and make sure she stayed comfortable, at least until we got home.

As soon as I parked my car, I ran towards her door, and before she could get out, I helped her out of her seat, she looked pale and worn out, I swear I was going to make their life hell for this. We walked into the house as Haniya leaned on me to keep herself up. His siblings immediately ran up to her as soon as they heard us enter the house.

"Why were you guys taking so long?" Asfa asked her sister, I didn't know how to answer her, but Haniya did it smoothly. She handed Asfa her bag, "it took me a while to choose between all those yummy treats and desserts, have a look and tell me if you like them" she finished saying with a worn out smile on her face, "if you say so api, but you look pale and tired, is everything really okay?" "Asfa, I'm fine, it's just it took so long to choose, so I'm kinda tired from standing for so long." Asfa nodded, but clearly she didn't buy anything what her sister had just said. 

"You guys head to bed, I'll head to bed too, okay?" She nodded and gave her sister a peck on her cheek before heading towards her room. She leaned back on me as I could feel she couldn't hold herself anymore. I quickly swooped her legs in my arm and carried her to our room, I could feel her getting embarrassed, but she wasn't protesting.

I gently placed her in bed and tucked her in. Before I turned to leave, she grabbed my sleeve, "Do you need something?" I asked her gently as I patted her head, "Please just stay here tonight, I really don't want to be lonely right now." I understood she needed to be comforted right now, and I could ask her what happened, but I had to be careful not to hurt her.

I made my way around the other side of the bed and made myself sit, I pulled Haniya into my embrace, and I could feel her instant comfort as she snuggled closer. After a while of staying like,  I wanted to ask her, but I didn't know how to ask her, "love" "mm" "can I ask you something" she turned her head at my question and looked up at me, as if she was trying to read my question from my face, "after the bakery?" She asked, I slowly nodded, "Only if you're okay with it. " I said, "Sure, it won't harm anything, " she said, she told me everything that had happened from after they left the bakery to when we found them, if she wasn't in my embrace right now, I would shoot all my bullets into those men who did this to them. "The weird part is-" she said puzzled, I looked at her, "they kept saying about some 'she' and it was clear they were after you, and trying to hurt you" she finished. Whoever this she is, I will make her sorry for trying to hurt my wife and sister. 

I wanted to get to my team and start finding out who did this all and why they did this, and probably execute them, but I could do any of it right now, right now I needed to be with my wife, who needs her husband with her.

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