chapter 19
1884 Words
The evening air was cool, brushing against Zulfishan’s cheeks as she stepped into Aabi’s personal design studio. He had called her over, saying there was something important he wanted to show her.
But as she entered, she froze.
The lights were dimmed, the whole studio decorated in a gentle mix of white and lavender — her favorite colors.
Fairy lights hung from the ceiling like glowing vines, and a small table was set in the center. Two cups of steaming chai sat on it, and petals made a delicate path leading to it.
Zulfishan turned slowly, her heart racing.
Aabi stepped forward from the shadows.
He was dressed in a dark navy waistcoat over a crisp white shirt. His hair was neatly styled, and there was a quiet nervousness in his eyes — something rare for the usually confident man.
“You… did all this?” she whispered.
“I hope it’s not too much,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t want to do anything dramatic. Just something… real.”
“It’s beautiful,” she said honestly.
He smiled, guiding her to the table. “Sit with me for a minute?”
They sat down, sipping tea in silence for a few moments. The world outside seemed to pause.
Then Aabi reached into his coat pocket and placed a small velvet box in front of her.
Zulfishan stared at it, breath caught.
“I’ve waited,” he began, voice steady but low. “Not just for the right time… but for the right version of us. I didn’t want to ask you when we were broken. Or when your world was falling apart.”
He took a breath, his hand slightly shaking.
“But now… you're healing. And so am I.”
He got up slowly and knelt in front of her.
Zulfishan’s eyes welled up.
“Zulfishan Arsalan Shah,” he said, opening the box to reveal a delicate ring — a silver band with a single sapphire.
“Will you give me the honor of being your partner… in peace, in chaos, in love — in everything?”
Zulfishan couldn’t speak for a second. Her heart was thudding so loudly she could barely hear anything else.
But then she smiled — tears running down her cheeks.
“Yes,” she whispered. “A thousand times yes.”
Aabi let out a breath, slipping the ring onto her finger.
And then, without thinking, he pulled her close, holding her tightly as if the world might try to take her away again.
“I love you, Zulfi,” he murmured into her hair.
“I know,” she whispered back, her voice trembling. “I love you too.”
They stayed like that for a while, locked in warmth and unspoken promises.
---
Later that night, back in her room, Zulfishan was still staring at the ring.
She couldn’t stop smiling.
Just then, her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number.
She frowned.
Hesitantly, she picked up.
“Hello?”
A deep, familiar voice replied, “Still drinking chai at night, Zulfi?”
She froze.
Her blood ran cold.
“Who… who is this?”
A soft laugh.
“Someone who once waited for your answer. Someone who left without hearing it.”
Her grip tightened on the phone. “Raheel?”
“Missed me?” he asked, the tone playful… but too calm.
Zulfishan stood up, shocked. “You disappeared years ago.”
“And you forgot too easily,” he replied.
“I moved on,” she said firmly.
“But I didn’t,” he whispered. “I never stopped thinking about you. I never stopped… watching you.”
Her heart dropped. “What do you mean by that?”
“I’ll see you soon, Zulfi.”
The line went dead.
Zulfishan’s fingers trembled as she slowly lowered the phone.
Why now?
Why, after all this peace, was another shadow from the past returning?
---
The next day, Aabi found her sitting outside, distracted.
“Hey,” he said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You’ve been quiet.”
Zulfishan looked up at him, uncertain.
“I… got a call last night.”
Aabi’s expression tightened. “From who?”
“Raheel.”
His face darkened. “Raheel, your old admirer? The guy who disappeared from college?”
She nodded slowly.
“He said… strange things. Like he never stopped watching me.”
Aabi clenched his jaw. “This isn’t good.”
“I thought he was gone,” she whispered. “He left without a word. He broke my heart back then.”
“And now he thinks he can walk back into your life?” Aabi’s voice was sharp now, protective.
“I don’t want him back,” she said quickly. “I just… I don’t know what he wants.”
“Well, he won’t get close to you again,” Aabi said firmly. “Not while I’m here.”
He knelt beside her, taking her hands in his.
“We’ve come too far, Zulfi. I won’t let anyone drag you back.”
She nodded, her throat tight. “I trust you.”
Aabi pressed a kiss to her forehead, holding her close again.
But in his eyes… was a storm quietly building.
---
Across town, in a dark room, Raheel sat watching a video on his phone — of Zulfishan standing on the rooftop with Aabi.
He smiled bitterly.
“So… he finally got what I lost.”
He leaned back, whispering to himself, “Let’s see how long that happiness lasts.”
---
The office buzzed with quiet activity. Zulfishan sat in the corner of Aabi’s design studio, flipping through fabric samples. The soft textures and colors helped calm her racing thoughts. After everything — Project Echo, her stepmother’s arrest, Azfar’s downfall — life was finally returning to normal.
Or so it seemed.
“Zulfi, what do you think about this design?” Aabi asked, placing a delicate beige sketch in front of her.
She smiled gently. “It’s beautiful. Minimal but elegant.”
Aabi watched her for a moment longer than usual. “You’ve changed,” he said softly.
She blinked. “Good or bad?”
“Stronger,” he replied, stepping closer. “Braver. But… still hiding something?”
She hesitated, then looked down. “I got a message. Someone wants to meet me. Someone from my past.”
Before Aabi could speak, her phone buzzed.
1 New Message
From: Unknown
> I waited too long, Zulfishan. Please… just once. Let’s talk.
Aabi snatched the phone from her hand. “Who is this?”
She took a deep breath. “Raheel. He was… someone I used to know before everything. He cared for me once.”
Aabi’s jaw clenched. “And now he wants you back?”
Zulfishan frowned. “I don’t know. Maybe. But I don’t care.”
He didn’t respond immediately. Just turned away, silent.
“Aabi?” she said gently.
“I don’t like it,” he finally muttered. “I don’t like him coming back now. After everything.”
She touched his arm. “I’m not going to meet him alone. I just… need to know why he’s here.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“No,” she said, softly but firmly. “I need to face this.”
Aabi looked at her — proud, worried, and a little possessive.
“Fine,” he said. “But if he hurts you again, even with a word — I won’t stay quiet.”
Zulfishan smiled faintly. “I know.”
---
Later That Day
Mawra paced outside the break room, holding two cups of coffee. Her heart beat faster when she saw Salman walking toward her.
She stopped him. “Hey…”
He looked at her, eyebrows raised. “Yes?”
“Can we talk?”
Salman nodded slowly. They walked to the balcony, the breeze gentle between them.
“I know I messed up,” Mawra began. “I should’ve told Zulfishan everything from the start. About Project Echo. About my part in it.”
Salman stayed silent.
She looked down. “But… that’s not why I stopped you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Then why?”
She met his gaze — bold, direct. “Because I still care about you. And I don’t know if you ever felt the same… or if it was all just part of your plan.”
His face softened. “Mawra, I was a coward. I kept things from everyone, including myself. But when it came to you… it wasn’t fake.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Then why did you push me away?”
“Because I didn’t deserve you.”
She stepped closer. “Maybe you still don’t. But I’m not here for a perfect man. I’m here for the truth.”
He looked at her, truly looked.
And for the first time, he didn’t look away.
---
That Evening
Zulfishan sat at the small café where Raheel had asked to meet. Her fingers tapped the table nervously.
Then she saw him.
Raheel.
Same sharp eyes. Same crooked smile.
But something about him had changed. A heaviness in his walk. A tiredness in his eyes.
“Zulfishan,” he greeted softly, sitting down.
“Raheel,” she replied calmly.
“I know I shouldn’t have come back. But I never stopped thinking about you.”
She stayed silent.
“I heard about what happened. Your father… Azfar… That project. I had no idea.”
“You don’t need to explain,” she said coldly. “We’re not the same people anymore.”
Raheel leaned in. “Maybe not. But I still regret walking away. I still dream about us. Do you ever think about me?”
She hesitated… but only for a second.
“No,” she said quietly. “Because I found someone who stood by me. Through everything.”
Raheel’s smile faded. “Aabi, right?”
She nodded. “He didn’t need to be my past. He became my present.”
Raheel looked down. “I just… wanted a second chance.”
“I’m not yours to chase anymore.”
She stood up, leaving him behind in the shadow of what once was.
---
Back at Home
Aabi waited outside her house, arms folded.
As soon as she stepped out of the car, he walked toward her. “How was it?”
Zulfishan looked up at him, her expression soft but firm. “It’s over. Whatever was left in my past — I left it there.”
He smiled — relieved, proud, and a little shy.
She touched his hand. “Thank you… for letting me choose.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” he whispered. “Just promise me one thing.”
“What?”
“Don’t ever doubt how much I care.”
Her eyes softened. “I don’t.”
And in that quiet night, under the soft glow of the porch light, Aabi leaned in — gently, cautiously — and pressed a kiss on her forehead.
She closed her eyes.
For the first time in forever, her heart was at peace.
But just as they turned to go inside…
A shadow stood far down the street.
Watching.
Waiting.
---
- Writer
