Moth To The Flame

EPISODE 2

The twenty-year-old Aadi Izzah knew would have shamelessly dashed to their table, taken their pictures for evidence, humiliated them, maybe even punched Hamzah in the face, and then dragged Izzah straight to her father and grandmother.

Shockingly, the twenty five-year-old Aadi, whom Izzah was yet to know, didn't do any of that. Instead, he finished his coffee in silence, paid his bill, and exited the café as if he hadn't seen them at all. It was too unbelievable to believe.

One might hope he had changed; perhaps he had grown up and abandoned his childish ways. Maybe he found Allah and learned that snitching is a sin.

But Izzah wasn't one to hope for anything good when it came to Aadi. There could have been many reasons why he didn't confront her, but she could only expect the worst from him.

She was skeptical about what his next move would be, what his grand plan might be. There was no way he was going to let something as big as catching her red-handed with a boy slide.

Izzah was convinced Aadi was going to ruin her, and not just ruin her, but royally ruin her.

★★★

The sun hung low in the ombre sky, casting a blend of orange, pink, and golden hues over the earth. People parted ways as three black G-Wagons with tinted windows cruised through the dusty streets of Khiyamabad. Women peeked out of their windows and balconies, muffling their giggles and whispers with their dupattas. Children ran joyfully behind the cars, while men stopped walking and stepped out of their vehicles, lowering their heads out of reverence.

'Aadi Masood was back home.'

Words spread to every corner of the city, reaching every household, as people discussed it over meals, at the mosque, and on the streets.

Izzah stood on the balcony of the third floor of the palace, watching as his father, grandmother, and the entire housekeeping staff welcomed Aadi. They adorned him with a garland, embraced him, kissed his forehead, and guffawed at something he said.

Everyone was happy and seemed to be in a celebratory mood.

Her father was convinced that Aadi was now ready to be crowned as the heir of the empire. Following tradition, he and his grandmother planned to hold a coronation ceremony for him the next day.

Media houses were invited to the palace, a press conference was arranged, and a public announcement was made. Formal invitations were sent to selected upper-class families in Khiyamabad for the coronation ceremony, while the event was scheduled to be televised on the media channel for the general public.

While all of this was happening, Izzah was dreading her fate which was now at the mercy of Aadi who was currently busy reveling in all the attention he was receiving.

Hamzah wanted Izzah to talk to Aadi and she had argued it was of no use.

"I've tried talking him out of it in the past but nothing good has ever come out of it." Izzah told him on the call, seated on the swing under the tomb in the terrace late that night, "Instead, his sadistic soul had taken pleasure in seeing me grovel in front of him." she grimaced, "I was naive before. I'm not now."

"That was in the past. He was naive and immature too. A lot can happen to a person in five years. He might have changed for all we know." He was trying to persuade.