The Memories

Thank you So much guys... Thank you so much for supporting me. For reading my story. You are my greatest motivators thank you so much.

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Don't lose hope, not be sad.

If you are grateful, I will give you more.

Verily with hardship comes ease.

How beautiful are his way of reassuring us...

Subhanallah...

Noor's POV

Soon as I heard the man shouting I got up and strode in his direction. As I reached, his back was slouched down facing me, as his hands were on his face.

Looks like I've damaged someone's pretty face. Ouch.

His shoulders were broad, his hair was brown-black pleasing his flawless complexion of brown skin. He was wearing a maroon-colored shirt and blank pants.

He groaned and all of a sudden he turned around. Damn! His pretty face doesn't fit well on this expression. His brown eyes were shining in the sunlight and his beard... Damn! It was gorgeous. Or should I say se...? All of my nice thoughts for him faded away as my eyes landed on his nose covered with his palms and a frown on his face.

Beholding his face I covered my mouth as I wheezed "Haww" my eyes widened and my mouth left ajar. "I'm really so sorry, I didn't know this would happen" I apologized to him in panic. I didn't know what to do, I was startled by the situation. I brought my hands forward in an attempt to hold his hand but backed away as I realized he's a non mahram.

"What the hell girl? Sorry? What sorry? Can not you see your badminton has damaged my nose!" He yelled as he glared at me. "Who threw this?" he questioned.

I gulped as I looked everywhere but him!Fidgeting with my finger I answered, "I did." I could see he was outrageous. He was fuming and it looked like the smoke would come out any second from his ears. So I quickly added "But it was an accident"

"Ohh! Accident! Wow! Just wow! What do you think, I'm a dupe? I'll believe what you'll say? Huh?" he barked as he uncovered his nose. His nose was bleeding but not much that he created a scene out of it. I rolled my eyes inside my head.

Are you kidding me? No, wait what?

"I said it was an accident. My arm twisted and my palms were already sweaty so it slipped." I protested. I folded my arms around my chest pushing the hair behind "And I don't care if you believe or not"

"Oh! Ek to chori upr sy seena zori! (Ohh you have defaulted and on top of that you are proud of it!)" he sneered.

Why this man is not getting this into his debris head? He is getting on my nerves. My arm is already aching so terribly and now this pain in ass. Uhh

His words surged the resentment inside of me as I wasn't in mood to handle this headache with already my aching arm. "Jo sach tha mainny boldia agye tumhari marzi meri balla sy bhar main jao (I told you what the truth was now it's up to you I don't care if you believe or not go to hell)"

"Oh hello mohtarma (madam)" he snapped his fingers on my face. "Tum bhar main jao. Insan ko pagal smjha ha kiya? hath tut gaya, badminton phisal gaya. Yeh kahanian kisi or ko jaky batana jo ky tumhari bataon main aye, mujhe nh! (You go to hell. Do you think I'm a fool? Arm broken, badminton slipped. Tell this made up story to those who can easily fall in your trap. Not me!)"

"Are you crazy why doesn't it get in your head that I didn't do it intentionally!" I pointed my finger at my temple with a frown.

"Stop lying!"

"Why do I've to lie to you? What could you do even?" I exclaimed. I don't know what was his problem that he was creating a spectacle out of this.

" 'cause you just hit my nose! I can do more than you can imagine"

"Then what do you want me to do? Huh? Take you to the hospital? Call your parents their son is injured? Call the police that I've broken your nose and it's bleeding with the speed of a fly?" I was exhausted by this drama. I narrated dropping my hands to my sides harshly.

"First of all at least accept the fact that you did it on purpose!" he snarled.

"Yes! I did it on purpose! I did it! I wanted to break your nose 'cause I hated seeing you standing under a tree!" I growled. "Happy? This is what y....Aahhh" I brought my arm near his face to snap my fingers but unexpectedly my arm twisted again and I felt a severe agony hitting my arm. I took a step back as I bent down holding my arm and tightly closing my eyes.

Suddenly, my leg came in contact with a stone and I fell backward on the ground. Within a second, I felt a hand at my back, as the reality hit me that my back never came in contact with the ground I opened my eyes and saw his face. His eyebrows were scrunched, his mouth left ajar as if he was studying my face. I was having a closer look of his face. His little newborn beard looked so cute, his lashes were thicker than mine, his lips were brown and I could tell he was wearing chocolate perfume.

I was getting uncomfortable, student and teachers who were walking past by were looking as if we were aliens, I was glad that none of the teacher was the one who teaches me but I was frightened what if any of my teachers would see me like this or on top of that what if my Appi would see us in this position? What would she think?

"I didn't do it on purpose" I uttered while pushing him away and he shook his head as if he was spaced out lately while he lifted my back straight.

"You already accepted that you did it!" he protested

"You wanted to hear that! Right?" I retorted

"Excuse me Miss! You don't know me! So mind your tongue" he made a disgusting face.

"Bhai Sahab! Apni zaban ko lagam do pehly phir dusron ko bolna! Aya bara! (Mister! Mind your tongue first before telling other! Huh)" I knitted my brows.

"Tum janti nahi ho main kiya karsakta houn (you don't know what I can do)" he warned me.

"Kiya? Kiya karlo gye tum? Bolo na? Tumhara dimagh ka nut wesy hy dhela ha das bar boldiya nahi kiya nahi kiya nahi kiya par nahi! Tumhary kan py joun hy nh reng rahi! Ajeeb insan ho bhaye (what? What will you do? Say it? You've gone crazy, seems like you've lost your screws! I've told you ten times I haven't done I haven't done I haven't done! But no! This is not getting in your head!)"

"Lagta ha tumhary ma baap ny tumhari tarbiyat main koi kaami chori ha tabhi itni badtameez aulad nikli. Yah shyd woh bhi dua karty hongy ky aesi beti sy acha to mar hy jao!(Your parents couldn't grow you up right way! They couldn't tought you manners. Or probably they'd pray to die rather than living with a daughter like you!)"

All of my anger faded away in seconds. The rage that was burning inside of me evaporated in seconds. I felt numb. I couldn't feel my body.

It felt like someone has torn my heart apart. His words pierced through my heart. The thing that hurt me was not his words, but I felt the reality behind those words. The memory of that night recalled in my mind.

The blood. The lifeless bodies laid on the floor. A gash in the head. The gun. All the visions came in front me. Their voices. Their shrieks. Their wails. Their begging. Everything felt like it was happening again.

"What happen?" he questioned sounds like his anger was vanishing and concern took over his face.

Sweat started to drip from my forehead, I shouted "Aaahhhhh" as the tears formed in my eyes. I started to pull my hair as the tears rolled down my cheeks and I sobbed. "Aaah aha aha"

"hey stop it!" he said as he tried to stop me, holding my hand then at last my hysterics started to grow he engulfed me in his arms to stop me from pulling my hair. My vision started to blur, and slowly everything in my sight faded away and everything turned black.

Ujala's POV

"Hmm... To matlb ap ko to bahot achy sy sab samjh araha ha. (It means you are learning it very well)"I commented gleefully to a girl who wrote the answer on the board. "So as I w..." I was cut off by a knock on the door. "yes" I called the person in.

The door flung opened and Noor's class fellow Abiha came in. She walked up to me and the words that left her mouth snatches the world from me "Miss Ujala, Noor has fainted" I froze in my place, I couldn't move as if my body was with me but my soul was lost. My eyes became watery and soon a tear rolled down my cheek but I quickly brushed it off before anyone pay heed to this.

I rushed out of the classroom saying Abiha to take care of the class. My heart was thudding, I couldn't believe how did it happen. But it was clear that she hadn't eaten her medicine this morning. I ran to the garden and scanned the area and my eyes landed on a figure laying on a bench with a man standing by it. It was her. I scurried that way and hurriedly perched on the bench placing her head on my lap.

"Noor. Noor, open your eyes, Noor" I tapped her cheeks to wake her up. I set a strand of hair behind her ear as my eyes became watery and my lips wobbled.

Her numb body laying on the bench not moving. I was so scared as numerous horrible thoughts ran through my mind and one of them was the fear of losing her disturbing me the most.

"I'm sorry, I was conversing with her and she lost consciousness." A voice distracted my thoughts running in my mind. I snapped my head to the man who spoke standing beside the bench.

I knew she had a panic attack, but I didn't know why? What had happened? She doesn't usually have attacks now like before. Then how come now? He must have said something to her or did he do something wrong to her? Ya Allah help me and my sister.

I placed her head on the bench as I stood up and turned to face him. "Assalam o Alikum. Who are you?" I asked pasting an edgy smile on my lips as I tried to act as normal as possible.

"I'm Zohaib Shadab Shah, Umer's brother." he replied and I mouthed ooh.

"So what were you doing with her?" I inquired with a shaky voice as I was amused by the fact that this mister who was keeping an eye on my sister turned out to be that Arrogant's brother.

"I...um. I was just talking" he stammered scratching his back of the neck.

I knew that there must have happened something otherwise she wouldn't have blacked out. But I didn't query further as I had to give her the medicine soon.

"Zohaib can You please take us to our house if you're free, she's unconscious otherwise I'd never asked you to. Please." I pleaded. "I know you must be here for some work but don't worry if you're busy then you can go you've already helped a lot keeping an eye on her while she collapsed. But you can do me a favor to kindly help me to carry her to the cab. Please" I implored. I felt ashamed of asking for his help but I was left with no choice.

"No no, I can take you home. Please it'd be a pleasure" he confided and this brought a smile

on my face.

"Thank you, Thank you so much"

•••

After Zohaib carried Noor to her room he left instantly that I didn't even get a chance to interrogate what exactly happened. I was on the bed with a conscious Noor beside me, waiting for her to wake up as it's been one hour since I gave her the medicine. A few minutes later I felt shuffling on the bed and after that, I heard Noor mumbling.

"Noo, please don't hurt them." her voice was drowsy and I was hardly able to grasp what she's muttering. "Noo, please. Appi don't do anything stupid, please" she wobbled her legs while shaking her head as her tone gets louder than before.

I patted her head with knitted brows and my full attention devoted to her. "Nooooooo" She screamed making me flinch. Sweat started to drip from her forehead and her eyes were tightly compressed forming lines around them.

"Noor, wake up" I tapped her cheeks several times, and in a flash her eyes flung open. She jerked up in a sitting position as her chest heaved up and down with her breathes being audible.

I engulfed her shortly as tears formed in my eyes but I hold them in. I couldn't see my sister in this state. I can't behold this happening to her. She's my only family left and I can't lose her yet.

She was so little when she had to go through the trauma. The aspects she had faced at her young age were so horrendous that if someone else of her age would be in her place, have been dead by now. She was only fourteen years old when she saw her parents got shot. It's so hard for a child to bear this. So hard. I must have died if her mental condition didn't stimulate me to live for her. I might be in the worst condition than my sister if I didn't have her to protect. From that day till now she can not afford to be in a conversation where mom and dad brought up.

"Mera bacha, sab thek hojaye ga, inshallah. Allah ky upar bharosa rakho (My baby, everything will be fine, inshallah. Trust Allah)" I caressed her hair.

"Appi..." she called me in her soft shaky voice as she turned her head to me. I can see the pain and fear in her eyes and her eyes were filled with tears.

"Ssh, I know, you were dreaming about the night our parents..." I didn't dare to continue the sentence.

The silence swooped in within the room. She was lost in her world and so was I. The memories of the past were recalled in my brain.

Not facing Noor, looking straight with an edgy smile I put my head on her shoulder still my arms around her, and shared my thoughts, "Tumhy yaad ha mama kiya karti thin? 'Mery Ujaly sy unki ankhon main Noor aya aya ha' Mujhye kabhi bhi nahi samjh aya is ka matlb. (Do you remember what Mama used to say? 'My radiance illuminated her eyes' I never understood what she meant by this.)" I took a loud breath, closing my eyes then reopening again, and proceeded, "And do you remember what Papa used to say? 'We showed him to the light' I never realized what he meant by this." 

She turned her head to me making me look into her eyes. "Maybe this is why they named us 'Noor' and 'Ujala'. Noor means the light and Ujala means lightened. How parallel our names are."

We kept staring at the wall for a few seconds and then I called her, "Noor?" she hummed still looking at the wall and fidgeting with her fingers. "Tum meri ankhon ka Noor ho. (You're the light of my eyes) Now I understand why they named us this. Without your light Noor, I can not lighten."

She looked at my hands and put hers on mine. "And Appi?"

"Jee Appi ki Jan (Yes Appi's life)"

"You lighten my soul. The light within me gets darken without you lightening up."

I gave a warm ear to ear smile as I tightly hugged her. I caressed her back and joked, "It feels like you're the energy saver light bulb and I'm the object.haha"

I tried to change the subject after we parted away so I asked her about the badminton match, etc. After a while when I saw that she was forgetting everything I asked her what happened that made her collapsed. "My arm twisted it was aching badly so the badminton tossed along with the shuttlecock accidentally and landed on a man's nose. He accused me that I did it on purpose. Seriously what would be my purpose in it? I tried to explain to that dickhead that it was an accident! But no! He was glued to his words that 'I did it to smash his pretty nose' and at the end, I argued with him and... it resulted in him insulting mom and dad... The words he said were so bitter and I remember each word he said. 'Lagta ha tumhary ma baap ny tumhari tarbiyat main koi kaami chori ha tabhi itni badtameez aulad nikli. Yah shyd woh bhi dua karty hongy ky aesi beti sy acha to mar hy jao!(Your parents couldn't grow you up right way! They couldn't tought you manners. Or probably they'd pray to die rather than living with a daughter like you!)'"

I could sense from everything she was telling me, she hated Zohaib with all her heart. The words he said to her were so harsh if I'd be in her place I'd after all this intentionally broken his nose extra bitterly.

Lastly, I decided not to tell her that he drove us home and carried her to the room. Now I understood that he was making up for his mistake by driving us home.

It felt like I'll be having a long talk with Mr. Zohaib Shadab Shah!

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Confused? Hmm, I got you...

Well, I'm telling you Noor and Zohaib will amaze you every time lol!

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Yes I'm weird and I know that! Still not more than Noor 😂😂