she smiled before killing : when trust begins to break
869 Words
Manal left Zaveyaar's house in complete silence.
Guilt weighed heavily on her chest.
*I was the one who left him when he needed me the most... and today I doubted him.*
She walked toward her bike, her steps slow and unsteady.
*That scar... that wound... he got it because of me.*
She closed her eyes for a brief moment.
*How could I even think...?*
For the first time in her career, she was completely conflicted.
Her heart whispered,
*No... it can't be Zaveyaar.*
But her mind refused to agree.
*The evidence points toward him.*
She had never struggled to separate emotions from facts before.
But this time...
The Zaveyaar she had known could never commit such crimes.
Yet reality had already disappointed her more than she had ever imagined.
Her phone suddenly vibrated, pulling her out of her thoughts.
She glanced at the screen.
**17 Missed Calls — Iqrash**
The phone started ringing again.
She stared at the screen for a second before declining the call.
"Annoying..." she muttered, slipping the phone back into her pocket.
She put on her helmet, started her bike, and rode home.
---
A few minutes later...
As she entered the corridor leading to her apartment, she stopped.
Iqrash was already standing outside her door.
The moment he saw her, he walked straight toward her.
"Where the hell were you?" he demanded.
"Why weren't you answering your phone?"
His face carried more than anger.
It carried suspicion.
"You went to meet the man with the scar on his lower back... didn't you?"
Manal didn't answer.
She unlocked the apartment door and walked inside.
Iqrash followed without waiting for permission.
As she began to close the door behind her, she spoke coldly.
"Mr. Iqrash, I believe working hours are over."
She looked at him without emotion.
"I'm not in the mood to answer any questions."
Before the door could shut, Iqrash pushed it back open.
With one swift movement, he caught her wrist.
The force made her stumble back until her back hit the wall beside the entrance.
He stood inches away from her.
"I'm asking you something."
His grip tightened.
"Where..."
He paused.
"...were you?"
Silence filled the apartment.
He searched her face.
"You know who he is, don't you?"
At first, it sounded like a question.
Then his expression hardened.
"No..."
His voice turned certain.
"You know exactly who the man with the scar on his lower back is."
"You went to him."
His eyes locked onto hers.
"So tell me."
"Who is he?"
"I..."
Manal lowered her gaze.
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
His grip tightened around her wrist.
Before she could react, he pulled her arm behind her back, holding her in place.
"Look at me."
She refused.
"You won't even look into my eyes."
His voice grew quieter—but far more dangerous.
"You know who he is."
"So why can't you say his name?"
Manal swallowed.
"Maybe... maybe he isn't the man we're looking for."
She finally looked at him.
"Anyone can have a scar on their lower back."
"Anyone can get wounded."
Iqrash let out a bitter laugh.
"But if that wounded man was present at the President's residence that night..."
"...then he isn't just anyone."
"He's our prime suspect."
His words struck her like a hammer.
"Manal."
His voice softened, but every word carried weight.
"You saw those girls."
"The girls we rescued during the raid."
"Do you remember the condition they were in?"
Her eyes widened.
The terrified faces of those girls flashed through her mind.
Bruised.
Broken.
Terrified.
"You know what they're going through."
"I don't know how many more innocent people will suffer because of that man."
He took a slow breath.
"So stop protecting him..."
His voice rose again.
"And tell me his name!"
The apartment fell silent.
Manal's lips trembled.
For several seconds...
She couldn't speak.
Then, barely above a whisper—
"...Zaveyaar."
The name escaped her lips.
She closed her eyes.
"I went to meet... Zaveyaar."
When she opened them again, they were filled with tears.
She looked directly into Iqrash's eyes.
"I met him..."
"My heart refuses to believe he could do something so horrible."
"I... I talked to him."
"I looked into his eyes..."
"And I still don't know what to believe."
Iqrash's expression changed.
The anger slowly disappeared.
"What is it, Manal?"
he asked quietly.
"You don't believe he's the man we're searching for..."
"...or your heart simply doesn't want to believe it?"
His question wasn't about the case anymore.
It was about Zaveyaar.
For a brief moment, Iqrash drifted into an old memory.
Years ago...
During their college days...
A speeding car had lost control.
Manal had frozen in the middle of the road.
Without thinking, Zaveyaar had pushed her out of the way.
She survived without a scratch.
Zaveyaar wasn't as lucky.
He had taken the full impact, leaving him with the scar that now made him a suspect.
Standing at a distance that day...
Iqrash had witnessed everything.
He had always known whose scar it was.
That had never been the question.
The real question was whether Manal would say Zaveyaar's name...
Or protect him.
all he wanted to know was how she would respond
- Writer
