Change of hearts

Ujala's POV

The memories. The chances. And the warmth. All slipped from my hands into the deep dark ocean, where there's no end. The ocean of sorrow. It's too deep that it's labeled as the endless route. I know this doesn't make sense for sure, but just imagine yourself at the shore, waves striking your bare feet. You dropped something precious to you into the sea. You dive in. You swam deeper and deeper, lights get dull as deep you go, and at last, You are lost along with the thing. There's no way to turn back, you are out of oxygen. You've to forget everything and prepare for death, you could brainwave any other opportunity to get that thing back but you risk your life, and in the end, you lost hope.

I was stuck in the ocean of grieve and sorrow. There was no way out of it. It was either a miracle or death. I was going deeper and deeper into that ocean not worrying about the outcomes.

"Earth to Ujala! Earth to Ujala!"

I flinched as Maria's voice reached my ears, I snapped my head up and saw her standing opposite the desk. "Yess"

"Ujala? What happened?" she asked me concerned as she pulled a chair out and sat before me.

"Umm... Nothing" I lied flipping the book close 'The forty rules of love'.

"Lier!" she exclaimed with a huff.

Oh, God! She knows me better than I know myself. She's good at reading my gestures.

"No, I'm not!" I declared.

"You were thinking about your parents" her voice was soft and polite as she enclosed my hand in between her palms on the table.

I sighed leaning forward, "No"

"Then what?" she inquired with scrunched brows as if trying to read my face.

"Maria, there's so much more from you are unaware of."

"I know you are not ready to share with me how your parents got murdered but you have Noor by your side. Don't weigh your heart Ujala. Let it out to her." she patted my palm while showing a genuine smile.

She helped me a lot, I'm so grateful to her. She did not even force me to confront her everything as she can see I'm not comfortable with it.

"Noor is already facing a lot and there are things that even Noor is unaware of. She's so innocent. I don't want to kill her with this info that is stuck in my head."

•••

The bell rang indicating that the class is over, students cheered at which I smiled. Picking up my stuff I left the classroom shaking my head with a smile plastered on my lips, remembering how I used to act very when I was of their age.

I walked in the hallway bluntly looking at the register I was holding, when out of nowhere, I crashed into the wall. The books I was carrying dispersed on the marble floor, my purse twirled open as it landed on the floor as my stuff came out of it. My documents, cards, makeup, phone, scarf pins, etc all spread on the floor.

Aahh, How the hell wall came in the middle of the hallway?

My eyes traveled to a pair of brown dress shoes and black pants. Seeing this I clarified to my brain that it wasn't a wall. It was human. Not a human. But a man. "Are you crazy? Can't you s..." I started to scold the man but a surprise hit me when I glanced up at his face.

Mr. Umer Shadab Shah. It is.

Can't my day get any worse than it already is?

"Are you blind?" I snapped at him with a frown.

"Excuse me?" he gave me a disgusted look.

"Can not you see where you are going?" I snarled.

"Can not you see where you are going?" he threw my words back at me.

"I certainly can but you don't have the courtesy to use your eyes" I rolled my eyes whilst he gaped at me carrying his phone near his ear.

"I would have watched my mouth before I babble if I were you" He gave me a pretentious and piqued demeanor.   

This made me shut up as I was confident that he can eliminate me any second if I get on his nerves so I reckoned it would be better if I didn't test his patience anymore as this man is sick. Yet I didn't grant him an inch of an inkling of me giving up on his stupid little threat.

"Urgh, Just move away" I groaned as I knelt on the floor to pick up my things, cursing him under my breath.

"Whatever," he said that and walked away as his phone rang.

Humanity? What it is for him? It doesn't exist! Uhh, I thought to myself.

After a few seconds ticked by I heard a familiar male voice calling out my name. "Ms. Ujala, what are you doing?" I jerked my head up and found Zohaib walking towards me.

"Nothing! Just cleaning up the mess your stone-hearted brother made" I gave him a frustrated look as I sarcastically shrugged my shoulders.

"Oh I'm sorry he did this" he apologized to me as he knelt before me and started to hurl everything in.

How different his brother is from him! Or maybe he's just acting in front of me. Whatever he said to my sister made him no different from his arrogant brother.

"Thank you Zohaib for your kindness but I'm sorry I don't want it anymore." I proclaimed avoiding him and occupied throwing my stuff in.

He halted as he said, "But can I ask why?"

I paused, took a long sigh, after a few seconds I looked up at him controlling the anger inside of me. "Zohaib, ghussy main insan kuch aesa bol dyty jisky upar usko khud pachtawa hota ha baad main. Samny waly ko ap ki itni si baat sy kitni taqleef pahonch rahi hogi apko nahi hota andaza. Par is pachtawy ka kiya faida? Dukh to mil hy gaya ha bandy ko. (Zohaib, anger can make a person say things which he will regret later. You can't even comprehend how much your words hurt the individual. But what change can a regret make when pain is already given to the individual.)"

"What are you talking about?" he knitted his brows.

"What did you say to my sister?"

"What did I say to her? I didn't say anything to make her faint. The only thing I did was condemned her that she threw the badminton on my nose willfully. I know I was wrong, I shouldn't argue on this silly thing but I was in pain and your sister was the one getting on my nerves." he stated not showing any regret. Just how wrong I was that he must be slightly different from his brother.

"Zohaib? Our parents died in a car accident." I said the half-truth

I could see his face turned pale as the realization dawned upon him what I was talking about. My words left him dumbfounded. His eyes widened and his mouth opened and then closed as if to say something but he had nothing to say.

I looked down and continued shuffling the last stuff in my purse. I buttoned the purse and got up with him still on the ground as if he was lost in his world.

"Zohaib what are you doing on the floor?" he flinched as the muscular voice echoed in the hallway. I looked behind zohaib and discovered his brother Sir Umer standing with a frown and his gaze moved from Zohaib to me. I traveled my tongue around my lips in nervousness. His gaze again moved to zohaib as he stood up.

"Bhai it's nothing." he smiled at his brother.

"And Miss Ujala why are you still here?" he asked in his same bossy tone with his hands in his pockets.

But I didn't hesitate or flinch from his ambiance. "Kuch logon ko dusron ka khayal karny ka lecture dy rahi thi,agr apko bhi chahiye to apka bhai achy sy samjh chuka ha ussy samjh lain. (Just giving lectures to some people to look after others too, if you want then your brother learned well, ask him) I passed a smile to their way and walked past them.

Zohaib's POV

"Zohaib, What was that?" Umer Bhai asked pointing at Ms. Ujala's walking figure.

Oh God, she sliced me in front of my brother.

"What?" I asked pretending I don't know what he was asking.

"Zohaib why she had to lecture you?" he groaned.

I scratched the back of my neck and after a lot of thinking I came up with this "Well she dropped her things so I was helping her and we both just talked"

He hummed and nodded. I could say that he didn't buy my lie. But then why didn't he prodded me to open up. Well, who cares? But something was going on in his mind.

•••

"I checked the blueprints" I acknowledged to the question Bhai asked me.

"Are you sure?" he asked me again as he looked deeper into blueprints with a frown.

"Yes Bhai but still you can have a look at the third floor," I said.

We were in our construction area near the school, that I was assigned to look after it. Bhai was indicating to me every detail that I needed and I barely cached it.

Bhai removed his gaze from the blueprints as he turned and asked me to follow him to the third floor. I sloped my shoulders as I was completely exhausted by this. I was not interested to look after the construction area as I was dragged by Bhai. The building was still in a dilapidated condition with a rugged and chaotic floor.

My studies were about to end so Baba(dad) suggested it'd be better if I jump into the business from now. Ammi (mom)also wanted me to enter in business as she wanted to show baba that I'm capable of handling everything better than Bhai. She never liked Bhai as she is his stepmom. Seriously, I never liked her attitude towards him. Sometimes I also think about why she has to treat him so badly.

From his childhood till now, I only saw her hatred for Bhai. She never wanted me to get along with him but still, I love Bhai more than my life.

I followed Bhai to the third floor, he peered inside the graph as the manager handed him. The workers told that the third floor was almost completed and the fourth fifth sixth and seventh are under construction. I shared my points with them on how to change the posture of the third floor and all that.

After we were done, Bhai talked to the manager about other things while I excuse myself and walked out from there.

I pulled out a cigarette and a lighter from my pocket, plopped the cigarette between my lips, light it up, and tugged the lighter back into the pocket puffing the smoke.

I remembered on the way here I saw a river nearby. I made my way to the river, crossing a great landscape.

In five minutes the river came to my view and the sound of the river was noisier than formerly, the air was calm and refreshing I inhaled in closing my eyes the smell of wet mud. I walked down the slope carefully to the water.

I tossed the cigarette on the soil and pulled out my phone. The river was quite wide, making small waves as it streams. The water striking the big boulders that were surrounded by flowers getting moist by its flow.

I pulled out my phone to click a picture when suddenly stopped turning to my left as I saw a girl sitting faraway on a rock in the middle of the river. Her hair was black and straight as it wanders in the air. The curiosity took the best of me so I made my mind to walk to her. My psyche was telling me what if it turns out to be a ghost? But I didn't care and still walked to her half scared.

Halfway to her, I halted as I noticed that the girl was wearing the uniform of Bhai's school. I assumed what someone from his school would be doing here at this hour? I continued the rest of the walk to her. She was throwing pebbles in the water jiggling her legs. Her stance was of a teenager. Her dupatta was flowing in the wind.

Crossing and stepping on some rocks, I made a jump on her big rock and that's when a cloud of fruition descends over her as she noticed my presence. I felt her flinch as I sat beside her and then snapped her head at me. I tilted my head left and then I was thunderstruck.

How could she be here? All the memories hit as a flow of wind. Her sister's word recalled in my brain "our parents died in a car accident"

It was none other but the girl who broke my nose! In other words, she was Ujala's Sister. In clearer words she was Noor!

All the memories of that day flashed in my mind; the moment we bickered, the moment I brought her parents into the conversation, the moment she fainted, the moment I carried her to that little house, the moment her sister told me about their parents.

My insides were cursing me for saying those words, I was so regretting but I couldn't change the fact that she fainted because of me. I couldn't rewind that scene and make it all alright or I couldn't take my words back.

Her eyes widen, her legs stopped jiggling and her breath hitched noticing me and I could tell she recognized me. 

I was stunned by the fact that she was in front of me and that too at the river. 

"You followed me!" she exclaimed more than questioning skidding away from me as if I was a disease.

"No, why would I follow you?" I assured her seeing her discomfort stance

She looked at me for seconds with a frown and then mouthed 'O' nodding her head as she looked straight.

I could tell by the looks she didn't believe my words. "I had some work nearby so I took a break and came here. That's when I saw you but I never knew it was YOU."

"So it means if you knew it was me then you'd have never come. Right?" she spun her head and eyed me.

"Maybe" I mumbled looking at the water beneath my feet. She nodded her head and looked at the flowing river jiggling her legs.

Silence fell over in between us. I had questions to ask. I had to apologize for my arrogant behavior.

"well what are you here for?" she broke the silence.

"I'm sorry" instead of replying I apologized to her.

She knitted her brows, bewildered as she proceeded "You are here because you are sorry?"

"No, It's for you"

She went mum, no word left from her mouth as she kept looking at me and so did I.

After a few seconds, she broke the silence, "There's no need" her face dulled as she looked forward and continued throwing the pebbles into the river.

I sighed picking the pebbles from my side and tossed them one by one into the water. The droplets of water spurted up in the air and again united the flowing water.

I lost count of how many pebbles I had hurled and yet none of us spoke a word.

The question was 'what was going in that head of hers?' I know I was a complete asshole when I said that to her that day. Another question erupted in my mind 'Even if a person has lost their parents then why'd they faint if someone says what I had said to her?' They could react to that but what she did was Overreact.

Albeit her reaction went too far than this word 'Overreact' could bear.

I looked at her from the corner of my eye, she stiffened, her body wasn't moving, her eyes weren't blinking, she was looking straight I didn't know where maybe to the end of the sky that was in her sight. She was completely lost somewhere in her world. She even forgot that a human is sitting beside her.

My mind hit with a brainwave to bring her out of her trance. Ha! I didn't care about the consequences right now. I bent down to the water and collected the fistful of water. Straightening up a smile playing on my lips, I spattered all the water on her face.

She winced as she jerked standing up on the rock. Her mouth left ajar. The smile was not leaving my face. I had to lift my head to meet her eyes. Few of her hair strands were slightly wet and the water dripping from her face was landing on her shirt. Making it all wet.

In seconds she fumed up. She glared daggers at me. Her chest heaved up and down as she breathed so heavily. Her lips pulled in a thin line while she had a frown on her face.

I knew that I was dead!

"YOU-FUCKING-PIECE-OF-SHIT!!!" she yelled at the top of her lungs as she jumped off the boulder and the smile started to fade away from my face as I saw her collecting the water.

The thought of Coldwater soaking my shirt in this cold weather sent a chill ran down my spine. I hopped off the rock and in the meantime, I sprinted away from there.

I ran to the forest side as I felt her steps near me.

"You inhumane man! Get back here!" she shouted as she chased for me. I ran twice faster than her but I didn't escape from her easily. I was liking being chased by her. A smile tugged on my lips as I rounded the tree. She too rounded opposite me and that's when I caught the sight of her hands.

Her fist was full of mud now.

When did she gather the mud??

"Are you really going to throw mud at me?" I asked her with a pout on my lips as I ran to another tree and she followed me.

"So what?" she declared.

"I mean I didn't spoil your clothes. I threw clean water" I protested rounding the tree with her.

"Yes clean and Coldwater. Did you ask my permission before throwing water at me? And that too cold! So why would I ask your permission when you threw whatever you wished?" she breathed heavily

"No, I didn't but think of me walking on the street with dirty clothes on. Log kiya Kahin gy socho? 'Dekho dekho, Itny bary CEO ka bhai apna mu kala kara ky agaya. Thu thu thu' (what will people say? 'See see, the brother of successful CEO has come blackened face' tsk tsk tsk)"

She dug her heels in the ground to stop herself and so did I stop at a distance from her.

"What did you say?" she asked shaking her head with scrunched brows.

"What?"

"No who are you?"

"Oh, that!" I sarcastically chuckled as I got to know she doesn't know me. "You can guess" I shrugged my shoulders.

"What were you doing at school? " She asked question on my question.

"Well, My brother owns the school where you study."

She again went silent for a second as she was flabbergasted. "You are Sir Zohaib Shahdab Shah?"

"Yes"

"I'm sorry. So sorry I never knew sir," she said apologetically. For a second I felt pity for her that she's feeling ashamed of her actions but suddenly, her expressions turned to the same fuming ones, "If you thought I was going to say this after knowing your identity then you're mistaken, mister!"

"Huh"

"Yes! And don't you dare expect that I'll give you the title 'Sir' or I'll respect you!" she pointed her finger at me and damn! She looked so cute doing that.

"Nor, I'm dying to have respect from you" I smirked wiggling my brows.

"Itny bary gadhy ho ky akal tumhari ghans charny gai hoi ha Mr. Zohaib Shahdab Shah! (you have lost your senses while your grown-up man Mr. Zohaib Shahdab Shah!)"

"Meri akal jahn par bhi ha tumhy us sy kiya tumhara to upar ka hissa hy khali lag raha ha? Pani ka badla kon kambakhat matti sy badla lyta ha? (What does it have to do anything with you where my senses are going while you don't have any brain I guess? Seriously who the bloody hell takes the revenge for water from mud?)"

"And who a twenty-year-old man throws cold water on someone? And that too in this cool temperature?" her eyes dwindled as she argued.

"Oh! Hello! Mohtarma!" I snapped my fingers as I bobbed my head with knitted brows. "Main 20 ka nahi 23 ka hun or thori si Sharam Karlo bara hun tum say thori si izzat to do (I'm not 20, I'm 23 and have some shame I'm older than you give me an ounce of respect!)"

"What? What did you say? I didn't hear you. Can you repeat it?" She giggled sarcastically bringing her ear forward.

"Sorry I was talking to the walls" I rolled my eyes.

"There are no walls see" she dropped her hands to her sides " And I heard you 'Begging' me to respect you" she crossed her arms on her chest with a playful grin plastering on her face. She doesn't look anymore the girl who was so absorbed in gathering her thoughts a while ago.

"yes I did 'cause you are younger than me."

"I'm going to turn 18 three months later so this means..." she started to count on her fingers. "One... Two... Three... Four... Five...Yes! You are five older than me. But still, if you think..."

"Yeah yeah! I don't want your respect!" I cut her off and rolled my eyes. "But we'll see about that" I winked at her.

"You take this" she raised her hand again to throw mud on me, as she made a move I bent down and successfully Dodged it.

"Uhhh" she groaned stomping her feet turned away and walked away cursing me "Kamina"

And I kept laughing looking at her figure walking away.

•••

Assalam o Alikum readers, this chapter took me frantic three days to write.

Okay, so I want to know what are your perceptions about our Ujala, Noor, Umer, and Zohaib;

•Who do you think should be the main female and male lead?

•Who do you think is the most cache character?

•Who do you like the most?

•Who is the best couple according to you?

Though I already have planned the story and I'm not gonna change that what I've sorted out but still I want your opinion too on this lol 😂❤️

Kindly do vote and comment so that I'll know how do you like it. This story won't bite you feel free to tell me if you have any queries... ; )