"Maaz, enough with your stubbornness and go home." Kanwal said in irritation.
"I told you before that I will be with you in your time of need." Maaz said in a calm manner.
They both are still in the living room for the past ten minutes and Kanwal still couldn't convince him to go back home.
"Maaz, Bhai, please. Don't cause unnecessary trouble. I am already on the edge." Kanwal slumped down on the couch next to him.
"I don't know why you are giving up without a fight." Maaz mumbled, irritated.
"I am not giving up, Maaz. I will fight, but this isn't the right time."
"Then when will be the right time? When you are married?" He whispered yell.
"No, when I am sure that the people I love are away from his reach." Kanwal said firmly, staring at the floor, "You are my brother, na? Then please do what a sister says. Promise me something, it will be the last thing I will ask you."
Kanwal turned to Maaz with a pleading look and asked him to do a favour which he could never refuse.
~*~
Sleep was miles away from Kanwal and she ended up staring at the shining moonlight through her window.
'I can't see the stars, they are devoured by the bright moonlight. A single moon... Ahad (alone, who has power)'
Kanwal knew her wavering thoughts don't make any sense, but she doesn't care. She wanted to scream, run away from everything and hide in a place where no one could find her.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed and she quickly reached out to it, attending the call without looking at the caller ID. She was worried that Alina might wake up from it.
"As I thought, you are awake." Kanwal heard a masculine voice and her heart dropped instantly.
Ahad...
"Assalam o Alaikum!" Ahad said when Kanwal didn't say anything. But yet again, she remained silent.
"You are not going to answer my Salam?"
Silence...
"Are you angry?"
"I am sleepy. Allah Hafiz." Kanwal said and hung up.
Switching off her phone, she puts her pillow on her face and takes out all of her frustration through tears.
~*~
"TWO DAYS?!" Mahnoor shouted after hearing the news that Ahad plans on marrying her best friend in two days.
"That's... that's so soon, Kanwal." She looked at her with wide eyes.
"Ye-" Before Kanwal was able to complete the sentence, Alina came in.
"Kanwal api.... Ahad Bhai is here to see you." Kanwal's body froze instantly and Mahnoor's frown deepened after noticing her reaction.
"Tell him that she has a fever and she is resting." Mahnoor said to Alina. She doesn't want Kanwal to get even more stressed.
"Now that's not very nice... You know you shouldn't teach a kid to lie."
All three of them jumped on hearing Ahad's voice from the door. Kanwal quickly grabbed her dupatta and covered herself, while Mahnoor stood up, glaring at Ahad.
"You've become quite beautiful." Ahad commented as soon as his eyes landed on Mahnoor.
"What do you want, Ahad?" Mahnoor seethed. Ahad's brows shot up in surprise but soon his lips turned into a smile.
"Ooh! Since when did you start to disrespect your elders?"Ahad asked, putting down the shopping bags he was holding on the floor.
"I don't consider a criminal as my elder."Mahnoor kept glaring at him, while Kanwal's eyes got blurred again when she saw the bags Ahad brought.
"Watch it, Tigress. You might regret it someday." Ahad said in a warning tone and turned his attention to Kanwal, "Anyways, I bought your wedding dress, Kanwal... I want you to look beautiful tomorrow ....for me." With a warm smile, he turned back and left. But before leaving the room, he didn't forget to take Kanwal's phone from the dressing table near the door.
~*~
"Ahad, what are you doing here?" On hearing Natasha's loud voice, Ahad turned his head to her and smirked.
"I am sitting, Nats." On this answer, he received a hit on the head from her.
Ahad gave all responsibility from his and Kanwal's attire to decorations of his house in Natasha's hand, which she gladly accepted. Since morning, Ahad had been in Moosa's house, drinking his favourite Shahina's tea while now and then praising the taste of her hands, only to piss Yawar off, who was doing a great job keeping his mouth shut, but couldn't stop himself from shooting a glare at Ahad.
"Don't be over smart with me. Get up, go back home and check if you need anything else."
"It's fine if you are satisfied, Nats."
"It's not about my satisfaction, Ahad. It's about what Kanwal likes, and only you know Kanwal here."
"Don't worry, she will like it." Ahad said with a smile, which faded as soon as Natasha turned her attention elsewhere.
Ahad slid his hand into his jeans' pocket and took out Kanwal's phone. He smiled at the knowledge that she didn't put any password or pattern on the phone as before. He opens the received text from a person named Abdul Rafay and starts reading it.
'I got your message and now I feel like you need it more than ever. It will become a source of hope, that you will see a good time coming from it soon. Therefore, I asked Maaz to leave it there. Find it and keep it with you.
Assalam o Alaikum.'
''What the hell is he talking about?" Ahad mumbled as he kept reading the line again and again.
'you will see a good time coming from it...'
And suddenly it clicked in him.
The watch...!
