Yaar-e-Bereham

Chapter Eleven

دل دھڑکنے کا سبب یاد آیا
وو تیری یاد تھی اب یاد آیا
Dil dharaknay ka sabab yaad aya
Wo teri yaad thi ab yaad aya
~Nasir Kazmi

I was sitting in front of the dressing table with Coal, applying hand-cream when Zain entered into our room. He ignored me as he tossed his laptop bag on the couch and slumped down besides it. A grimace formed on his lips as he pulled up his black dress pants, revealing an ugly scar, stained with fresh and dried up blood. Blue and purple bruise formed around it.

A gasp left my mouth, as I realised my pointed shoe had done more damage than I had initially thought and a pang of guilt hit me.

Despite wanting to avenge myself, I didn't mean to cause him that, well at least not that much. The scare blemish did look like it would pain to walk with that on the leg.

Truth to be told his stomp wasn't even that hard. In the moment it did hurt but after a few minutes the pain was gone and I barely remembered it was even there.

Biting my lip between my teeth, I jumped to my two working feet and pulled on to a drawer in our cupboard, revealing a medicine kit. I rampaged through it and upon finding mycitrcin, span towards him, who by now had leaned against the sofa, his eyes were closed and head reclined on the headrest.

I stood there for a second, chewing on my lip as I mulled over what to do next. First, I thought about bending down and applying the cream myself but no that would be too soft on him and he would think I was guilty. I rejected the option.

Second option, I could throw the cream on his chest and leave but then that would be too mean, I had already had fulfilled my quota of the day. I dismissed the second option too.

I was debating on my third one, when his eyes shot open and he looked at me confused upon finding me statue in front of him. He raised an eyebrow in question and I thrust the hand with the cream forward. This time both his eyebrows shot up before realisation finally drawn on his face and his confusion turned into his usual glare.

He snatched the cream from my hand and I loomed over him watching as he twisted the cap and squeezed some cream out on his finger. A hiss involuntarily left my lips as he applied the foggy gel on his scar as if it was I who was being pained.

He peered up at me, "Itni meena kari se dekh rahi ho toh khud laga do." He glowered at me, raising the tube towards me and my lips twisted in a scorn.

"Apko he mubarak." I huffed, flicking my hand dismissively.

The confidence is me melted away when his tall figure stood up and he took a step towards me, making me take one step back. My eyes widened at his advances and I gulped in fear because I knew this time it was my fault.

He kept approaching near and in a attempt to put distance between us I retreated my steps.

"Aa- ap kareeb kiyun aa rahay hain meray." I stuttered, putting one hand forward.

He didn't respond as his eyes trained on me when my back slammed against the concrete wall behind me and my arms flapped straight against the wall.

Suddenly, his right hand hoisted up and my eyes tightly clamped shut, twisting my neck away from his outstretched palm.

"Dekheye mujh per hath mat uthaye ga nahi toh mein cheekh cheekh ker sab ko akhata ker loon gi." I quickly shouted.

His hand slammed against the wall beside my head and I felt him plough down before his lips touched my cheek. My eyes shot open as my body froze in shock, my heart pounding in my chest.