The apartment was quiet, almost too quiet.
Zoya sat cross-legged on the couch, still in the same clothes from earlier. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her kurti, her eyes blank but wide. Akif had left only a few minutes ago, after making sure she was safely inside, the door locked behind her, and a glass of water in her hand.
Now, the silence echoed with her thoughts. Her brother's face. His anger. His voice. Her past.
She hadn’t realized she was crying until the door burst open.
"ZOYA!"
Aarfa.
Zoya barely looked up before Aarfa threw her bag across the floor and lunged forward, enveloping her in a tight hug.
"I just got Ayaan’s message! Are you okay? What the hell happened?!"
Zoya swallowed, then broke.
Tears spilled again. Aarfa tightened her grip, whispering soft nothings in her hair.
"He came out of nowhere... I wasn’t ready... He saw us together... I thought I’d lose everything..."
Aarfa pulled back, her hands framing Zoya’s face. “Zoya. Look at me. You are safe. You are safe. He can’t take you back. You are not going anywhere unless you want to. Understand?"
Zoya nodded slowly, lips trembling.
Aarfa stood up, pacing.
"I swear, if I ever see your brother, I will punch him straight in his smug face. How dare he show up like that."
"He’s here for business," Zoya whispered. "I didn’t know. He said I disgraced the family..."
Aarfa’s eyes blazed. "You saved yourself, not disgraced anyone. What would they rather have? You stuck in a cage, miserable, lifeless? Zoya, you’re living now."
There was a pause. Then Aarfa narrowed her eyes.
"Where's Akif?"
Zoya blinked. "He... he helped me escape. He knew a way out of the campus. He didn’t even hesitate."
Aarfa grinned through the anger. "Of course he did. Our silent hero."
---
Later That Night...
Zoya lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling fan, her mind a storm.
Her phone buzzed.
Akif: _"Still awake?"
She hesitated.
Zoya: _"Yes. Can’t sleep."
Akif: _"Can I call?"
Within seconds, her phone rang.
She picked up, voice low. "Hey."
"Hey," his deep voice replied. "How are you feeling now?"
Zoya exhaled slowly. "Like I’m floating. But not the nice kind. The lost kind."
A pause.
"He won't hurt you again. Not while I'm here."
Her heart stilled.
"You didn’t have to do all that... but you did."
"I did it because I wanted to. Because you matter."
Her eyes stung.
"Thank you, Akif."
---
The Next Day...
College was buzzing as usual, but Zoya moved through it like a ghost. Aarfa stayed by her side the entire time, whispering threats about Jiya and hunting down her brother.
But when the final lecture ended, something unexpected happened.
A man in formal wear stood near the back gate of the university.
Zoya froze.
Her brother.
He didn’t move forward. Just waited.
Aarfa stepped forward like a lioness. "No way. We’re not letting you talk to him."
"I think I need to," Zoya said, surprising even herself.
"I’ll be right here," Aarfa said firmly.
Zoya walked forward.
"I didn’t mean to scare you," her brother started. "I just... I didn’t expect to see you like that."
Zoya crossed her arms. "You expected to see me in a cage?"
He looked down.
"I just wanted you home. You were our pride. Abbu... he's not well. He hasn’t been, since you left."
Zoya’s expression softened for a second.
"Then maybe he should’ve cared when I was crying myself to sleep."
Her brother winced. "I didn't come to force you. I came to see you with my own eyes. And... I did. You’re different. Braver. Happier."
She blinked. "You mean that?"
He nodded slowly. "Tell me one thing. That boy. Akif. Can I trust him?"
She swallowed. Then said, "Yes. With my life."
He nodded once, then turned away.
As he left, Aarfa rushed to her.
"WHAT did he say?"
Zoya smiled faintly.
"He saw me. Really saw me. Maybe for the first time."
And as the breeze picked up around them, Zoya felt a strange sense of calm.
She had broken away from her past. But not completely. The shadows would always linger.
But now... there was light.
And his name was Akif.
To be continued...
Was it too emotional? 🥲😹😹
~Annie🪞🪐

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