Stepping inside the college gate, Kanwal and Mahnoor scan the area for their group of friends. After spotting them, both Mahnoor and Kanwal made their way to their groups.
Kanwal's group of friends consists of five girls, Mehak, Samra, Maira, Raffat and her. Their meeting point before class is the third tree, at the left of the college gate. They would walk to class together or skip them together. But their first work after meeting was to tell the spiciest news of college.
Being a girls' college, there are two news which interests everyone; male actors and holidays. Kanwal smiled at her friends who were trying to read something in a magazine all at once and obviously, it was quite impossible. Still, they were so engrossed, that they didn't even notice Kanwal's approaching presence until she also bent her head to look into the magazine.
Thinking it would be about an actor, Kanwal bent to see but stoned at the glimpse of a familiar face. Her body started to get numb as she stares at the picture of her fiancé, Ahad, standing with two other men unknown to her. She shifted her focus to the news, but before she could read, Mehak closed the magazine.
"Kanwal, you came. Finally, we can go to class." Mehak said, completely ignoring the situation she was in. Samra also didn't give her the chance to respond and start dragging her towards the class, holding her arm. In the situation of utter shock and confusion, Kanwal is silently dragged by her friend while Raffat quickly discarded the magazine in the dustbin. They know she will ask for the magazine later and they couldn't say no to her, so it was better to get rid of it now.
The first period was English, which went unusually silent in the group. They kept stealing glances at Kanwal, who was staring into space. After class, they talked about the lesson, in which Kanwal didn't take part in.
"Kanwal?" Maria puts her hand on Kanwal's shoulder.
"Hm?" She said, without looking at her.
"Forget what you saw in the magazine." Maria said.
"I am trying...." She said, biting her lower lip. "Is he back?" She couldn't stop herself from asking.
"He isn't the same person, Kanwal." Maria ignored her question.
"I know." Kanwal answered and puts her head on the desk. Maria sighed and gives her friends a helpless look. They don't know how to cheer her up, so before the start of the second period, Raffat texted Mahnoor to meet them in the English class.
Within three minutes, Mahnoor came rushing to the class but is stopped by Raffat outside and filled her in on the entire situation.
"What was the news about?" Mahnoor asked.
"Ahad is back."
"Huh? Why?"
"His firm is starting a new project here and he wants to handle it personally..." After a short pause, she continued, "People are looking forward to it and being a young successful businessman, I am afraid he will be in the news more often."
Mahnoor inhaled a sharp breath and asked, "Where is the magazine?"
"I threw it in the dustbin. But the magazine isn't the problem here, the problem is, she would Google it to read the news." Raffat answered and Mahnoor nodded in agreement.
"So, he is staying in Shareefabad?" Mahnoor asked.
"Yes." Before both of them could continue their conversation, a feminine authoritative voice caught their attention.
"Both of you. Don't you have classes?" Said the girl who is coming towards them with the same white uniform as them but 'Head Girl' badge clipped to her shoulder making her different from the rest.
"Great!" Raffat groaned.
"Lanat hai (damn it)." Mahnoor cursed under her breath and said, "Assalam o Alaikum Shumaila."
"Wallaikum Assalam, what are you two doing here?" She asked in the same tone.
"Kanwal isn't feeling well. So..." Raffat didn't complete the sentence.
Shumaila peeked inside the class and turns back to them.
"Is she upset because of Ahad?" Shumaila inquired, in low voice.
"Wait! How come you know him?" Mahnoor asked.
"He is like a celebrity now and besides, Shareefabad isn't that big that we won't know who resides here." Shumaila shrugs lightly and continues, "Listen, if you guys really are thinking about bunking the class, then go to an empty classroom." Both Raffat and Mahnoor nodded and Shumaila left.
"I think I should go back to class. If I go to her, it will upset her more." Said Mahnoor.
"Okay, but tell her mother to keep her busy at home... See you." Raffat waved at Mahnoor and went inside the class while Mahnoor turns on her phone to search for the article.
~*~
Sitting on her study table, Kanwal stared into space. She was able to read the article after coming home and since then, her mind is in complete chaos.
Ahad is really back, after disappearing for more than a year, he finally showed up. Her Ami and Abbu told her that he joined the Black Eagles on his own will, and Mahnoor confirmed it. When her engagement was broken off, she met Ahad's family, but no one said a single word in his favour. They also believe that Ahad is guilty. But, what would she do with her heart, which doesn't believe them? Her heart, which still trusts that Ahad isn't like this, that he must have been forced to join the Black Eagles. The Ahad she knew, is a very gentle and playful person, he isn't someone who would kill or help those who kills.
In times like this, she wants to run to him, drag him out of his hiding place and ask him to clarify all the misunderstandings.
It kills her, how everyone blames him and says hateful things about him. Their families may have broken off the engagement, she may not be wearing his ring, and she may not be his fiancé anymore, but the relationship she had with him wasn't bound to materials as rings, it isn't bound to few words that are exchanged between their families. The feelings she has for him are stronger than anything and she refuses to let her feelings go to waste without trying. She wiped her tears and reach out to her phone. Kanwal didn't delete the old number which was in Ahad's use. She made a call despite knowing that this number is off since he joined the Black Eagles. Her gut is telling her that she wouldn't be disappointed. And to her surprise, she wasn't disappointed. The phone was on and with every ring, her heart beats faster than before. Many seconds passed, but no one picked up.
Dejectedly, she puts her phone on the table and stares at it as if it was the reason Ahad didn't answer the call. Kanwal stayed in the same position. Moments later, her phone starts buzzing as her eyes widened at the name blinking on the screen.
Ahad!
Wide eyes, unsteady breaths, Kanwal holds onto her buzzing phone and brings it to her ear.
"Hello?" Her voice came out as a whisper.
"Kanwal,... Assalam o Alaikum." A very familiar voice greeted her.
Kanwal missed that voice so much and now, hearing it after this long, she felt her eyes tearing up. She opened her mouth to answer him but words failed to come out.
"How are you?" Ahad asks when she didn't answer. In a manner, she never heard before.
Kanwal bit her inner lip trying to stop her whimpers, but it refrains her from answering him again.
"Are you angry at me?" Ahad asked hastily.
"NO!" Kanwal almost shouted.
"Then talk to me."
"I... can't." She felt a lump stuck in her throat.
"Why?" He breathed out and continued when she remained silent, "Because your parents broke off our engagement?"
"It was a decision of both families." Kanwal quickly explained, she doesn't want her family to be blamed for it.
"And you accepted it?" Ahad inquired, in a tone that was gentle than normal and louder than a whisper, yet affecting and dominating. Kanwal felt like her heart skipped a beat and nervously wipe the sweat she has been feeling on her face.
"Kanwal?" Ahad calls out for her once more.
"Someone is here." Kanwal said and abruptly hung up when she heard footsteps.
"Api, dinner is ready." Alina said while peeking in.
"Coming! Just two minutes, okay." Kanwal said, unconsciously hiding her phone under her dupatta, which was buzzing again. Alina nodded in response and leaves. Kanwal abruptly cancels the call and texted Ahad.
'Don't call. I am going to dinner'
'I want to meet you tomorrow, alone.' Kanwal's eyes widened upon reading Ahad's text. He knows that it is not appropriate for a girl to meet a man alone, yet he easily demanded it.
'It's not possible. I cannot meet you alone.' She replied.
Kanwal waited for Ahad's text, but it never came and left her with a dejected feeling. She thought of calling him but stopped when her Ami called her for dinner.
