7- Silent

Zain was totally minding his own business,waiting for Emraz to lift the weight on his chest, to refrain himself from leading to her thoughts but watching Zain alone, Hoorain couldn’t resist and went after him Walking down an empty corridor, Zain was lost in his world until Hoorain came after him, "Sir!"

He didn't respond. Dammit. He cursed in his mind. 

"Sir, please listen." She pleaded, going after him, hoping he might listen.  "What do you want?" He asked rudely, still not talking to her for what she did, the more Zain thinks about it, the more it irks him to realize the person he never paid heed to actually loves him to the extent of joining her educational institute for him. 

"Sir, listen, please." She tried to talk it out but Zain wasn't ready. "There's nothing left to talk about." He hissed, “I am going to tell your Brother and remind them that I don’t feel the same and control you from reaching me repeatedly.” He told her in a low growl, trying to not create a scene.

"Why are you treating me like this? What did I do wrong?" She asked sadly, tears pricking in her eyes, "Listen, Hoorain.” He paused for a moment, “Understand this paltry fact- I don’t feel the same, you cannot force someone to love you back. If you do, then stop coming after me. You will regret this momentary desperation.” He was barely in his posture, exhausted from her continuous knocks on his arena.

“And you consider what I was unable to do all these years paltry?” She asked in disbelief, heartbroken. "My feelings, my love, my endearment, my years… meager? Is this the perspective you hold?" Her voice faded in between. Knowing tenderness will evoke unwanted sensation, he had to let her down terribly.

 “Yes. I have never liked you,  I never considered you to be a partner, at least mine and keeping these thoughts to yourself will hurt you only." He reasoned, hoping this will knock some sense into her. 

Unintentionally hurting her more than he intended. "Why? What is wrong with me? What do I lack?" Growing desperate, she moved closer, unable to control her feelings.

"I am not materialistic, I don't care what you possess and what you don't. Understand this little fact, I don't feel anything. I cannot force my feelings and I don't want to." He scoffed, closing his arms at his chest.

"That's exactly what I want to know. Why!?" Her fragile heart couldn't handle it, breaking into a sob, "Lower your voice, don't create a scene, Hoorain." He growled, motioning her to stop crying. "That's easy for you to speak, to force me to seal my voice. Have you tried thinking about what I am going through?" She cried, speaking whatever comes to her mouth, slumping in dejection.

Turning away with a snicker, she taunted with tears glistening in her eyes, "Oh, How will you understand when you have never loved anyone?" She mocked in contempt, losing her sense of cognition.

"Don't connect two distinctive matters. I am counseling you softly. You are young, you have a whole life ahead of you, dreams you want to fulfill. Don't waste your life on love, find something else."  He breathed out, on the boundary of his forbearance to speak what could break her heart.

"Why don't you understand?! I cannot control my feelings! It's not my ability to murder what is manipulating me. Speaking waste is smooth for you but complying is much harder than you can anticipate! Why is it so hard to understand this emotion? That's it's uncontrollable?!" She yelled, tears pricking in her eyes, cracking her heart when he lost his patience and yelled back,

"Because I have never loved anyone in my life!" His declaration clenched her chest, breaking it into fragments.

"I don't have time for this stupid emotion! I have dreams I want to fulfill! I cannot allow love to raze me!" 'Like how it razed your Brother' is silent. He yelled back, turning to leave, unable to bear anymore of her 'baseless' talk- in his perspective. But she couldn't take it anymore and grabbed his arm. "What the-"

 "Please..." She whispered desperately, pouring her heart in the whisper. Startle blended with shock still for a second, "Please understand." She begged, unaware of her own actions at this point, pushing him against the wall, "What the hell are you doing!? Get away." Zain hissed, fed up with her nagging, pushing her away and leaving, not realizing he was a little harsh, she stumbled and hit the vase nearby, causing it break but not halting, she rushed after him, grabbing his arm.

“You cannot leave like this. How can you be so unsympathetic? What am I asking?” She asked, pulling him closer, “Why don’t you get it? Why are you so desperate to the extent of bargaining your self-respect? Have some and leave, Hoorain.” He growled, trying to yank his wrist back softly this time but she held it tightly.

“Because I love you, Zain!"

"For years! I have only thought about you, I have always wanted you! You are my first! If it's not you then no one. My heart has restricted anyone but you. I have loved you and only you, Zain, all these years!” She shouted, tears twinkling clearly in her eyes,  ready to do anything to make him listen but hissing, Zain tangled her hand and twisted her wrist as the force caused her well-fit sleeves to rip from shoulder and pushed her against the wall.

“Embed this for the final time, Hoorain Ahmed." Imprisoning her in his grip, he berated, "I don’t love you. And you are only losing your self-respect which is only annihilating the last non-existent  string of compassion I at least held but now I don't." His grip tightened, earning a wince from her. Moving closer, he imprinted a stern reminder, "And you will gain nothing. This demeanor, which I won’t take a minute to break miserably before everyone by humiliating you before the whole university, You hear me?” He growled at her ears. Obviously he would never do it but he needed to threaten her to stop her.

“If you continue this, I will get you rusticated and waste all these years of your life. What will everyone do then? What explanation will you give? How will you face the circumstances huh?" He snarled, pushing her wrist up, earning a yelp along with petrification brimming on her face. “No.. Please… No…” She whispered apprehensively, “Then you better watch yourself.” He hissed, leaving her as a shivering mess before his rage, shutting her eyes, she was frightened as she has never seen him this outraged before.

“I am sorry…” Her voice was inaudible causing Zain’s grip to loose on her, glancing at her dress ripped from the shoulder unintentionally but remaining unaffected, he was about to leave her and leave this party furiously until a voice called him from behind, 

 "Stay away from my sister!" Getting the wrong idea by the sight, Emraz rushed to his sister's side and grabbed Zain, punching him in the jaw.

"Bhai!" Hoorain gasped, covering her mouth when Emraz began to beat Zain without thinking twice. "How dare you hurt her!" Emraz growled and Zain was bewildered about what happened as it was Hoorain who provoked him and nobody would believe him even if he justifies himself. 

"Bhai, no!" Hoorain gasped, not believing the sight. "How dare you, Zain!"

"What happened!?" Some people passing by also saw them and came as soon as people gathered there and everyone thought the same as Emraz.

"What the hell are you doing!? Get away from my son!" Amir hissed, pushing Emraz away and helping Zain to stand whose face was swollen and bloody. "Ask him, what the hell he was doing with my Sister!?" Emraz asked angrily.

"It's... not.. What you think." Zain coughed up blood, turning to look at Hoorain who was sobbing, holding her dress. Quivering badly, not apprehending how this could happen. "Tell them... What you.. told me.." He said, glaring at her. Everyone turned their heads to her. Horrified, Hoorain couldn't react, shaking badly,  knowing if she said something now, she would lose all her chances.

Terrible omens afflicted her mind as she ran away without saying anything.

"Hoorain!" Zain called out to her but she ran. "I swear, it's not.. It. Talk to her." Zain said weakly, trying to explain but they didn't listen. “Then what was it?” A man asked. “It..” He paused, what he would say? Tell them she loves him and is becoming crazy about him? They will eat her up by taunts or worse, place allegations. “Speak up..” What should I do? He thought, wanting to get out of this predicament but also avoid getting her name stained.

"Ask her if you don't believe me." And he placed the jurisdiction to her. Ready to accept whatever the scenario she will place. 

"Just you watch. If I found you have done something, you will be dead." Emraz growled and was about to leave but Amir mocked, "Where was this dignity when you left my daughter huh?" Emraz stopped in his tracks, his heart clenched but not reacting to it, he only walked away.

Whispers filled the corridor, talking about them. Taking wrong impressions, placing judgment on both Hoorain and Zain for having a probably forbidden relationship.

Ashamed, both families rushed to their kids to know what was the matter but they found nothing.

Zain didn't say anything to avoid rumors about Hoorain.

And Hoorain remained silent to protect her love.