6. THE NIGHTMARE

“And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.” (QURAN 2:186)

************************************

"Hadi dear, after breakfast, accompany Aasiya to get her stuff from the hotel." I looked up from my breakfast and watched from Amo to Hadi, who obediently nodded at her command. Noticing my gaze, Amo gave me a small smile, which I returned with my own.

We were sitting on the carpeted floor while having the traditional breakfast of Gyal—Wheat pan-fried cakes topped with fruit jam and the local favorite ingredient, apricot oil; paired perfectly well with a morning cup of buttery hot milk tea, made by Amo. 

I had tried to help but there wasn't much for me to do. Amo was a great cook and the food was heavenly. I did feel guilty about mooching off of them, but I couldn't see any way out. I had hoped in vain that Amo would let me leave after spending one night. But it felt rude to keep refusing her every time. So, I had eventually decided to go along with it. Anywho, it's only about a couple of days more, before I returned to the hell, that my real life was.

While having these thoughts, my eyes wandered to the 6 feet tall, handsome, blue eyed man sitting opposite to me. 

It should be fine, right?

As if he had heard my thoughts, his eyes found mine. The sudden change of pace, almost gave me a heart attack and I looked away abruptly, clearing my throat; like a thief caught in her act.

"Are you okay, love?" Amo remarked panicking and extended me a glass of water, which I took gratefully.

Fine—my foot!

———————————

I took my place beside him in his jeep, as he drove to the hotel. It was silent, safe for the radio, playing native songs. I was leaning with my arms on the window. My hair fluttering in the soft wind while I closed my eyes and breathed in the calm beauty.

"You're a Doctor, I heard." The silence was broken by his sudden remark and I turned to him slowly.

"Yeah. My internship starts next month." I found myself saying.

"So, you decided to come for a solo trip, before that." His face didn't change from the usual poker, but there was something in his voice that had rendered me silent for a moment. Does he—Before, I could think any further, we had arrived.

He came inside with me all the way up to my room. But stayed outside the door after we got there. After packing my luggage of 1 bag and a hand carry, I came out. Before I could say another word, he took both of them from me. Even at checkout, he didn't leave my side. 

We had just got into the jeep, when my phone started ringing. I stared at the caller ID.

'Mother.' 

I let it ring for a while. I didn't want to take her call in front of Hadi. However, she wouldn't stop calling. I sneaked a glance at Hadi, whose eyes were fixated to the road. Chewing on my lower lip for another moment, I decided to take the call.

"Yes, Mom." I greeted coldly.

"Where the hell was your phone?! We have been calling since yesterday." She screamed into the phone. I felt my heart racing at the thought of Hadi overhearing all this. Instinctively, my fingers found the volume button and lowered it.

"It was only one call and I was indisposed." I remarked curtly.

"Cut the bullshit! I know exactly about all of your indisposition—" She continued her verbal assault and I felt heat rising up my cheeks. I wanted to end the call but couldn't afford the risk.

"Did you need something?" I asked coming straight to the point; cutting her in the middle of whatever she wanted to say. It didn't seem like she had found out about my trip. Or else, we wouldn't have been having this conversation.

"Don't you dare act smart with me! I don't have any interest or time to waste on you." She seethed and I rubbed a hand over my face. I just wanted to get done with this torture. 

"—Suleiman and Samra are coming next week and any scene like last time, Aasiya—" She continued but I didn't let her finish.

"Alright. Got it. Anything else?" I remarked through an exasperated sigh.

"I am not done, yet—!" Before she could say anymore, I ended the call with an okay. For a few moments, I just sat there staring at the phone in my hands. Biting on my lips, I leaned back and closed my eyes, only to open them with an exhausted sigh.

"Say it." From the corner of my eyes, I saw him looking away from the road to me.

"It's not my place to say anything." His response came nonchalantly. It was so unexpected that I could only blink in return. Turning in my seat, I looked at him whose eyes were focused on the road ahead; completely oblivious of my presence.  

Still in a daze, I averted my gaze. 

"Thanks." I found myself saying after a long while, with a small but sincere smile. His response came in a small nod. A while later, I noticed that we were taking a detour through the market. He had parked the jeep on the side of the road.

"Let's go?" He inquired, stepping out and I could only gape at him astonished.

"Where?" I asked with a tilt of head. In return, he gave a smirk.

"You'll only know if you come." Saying that he started walking away. I watched his retreating back with a frown and then jumped out of the jeep.

"Wait for me!" I called out, skipping to his side who didn't pay any heed to my poor stamina, that was at it's limit while climbing the steep hill.

"You need exercise, Doctor." He announced, without turning back. 

"Hah! Easy for you to say, Captain!" I glowered finally catching up to him. God! How can someone's legs be so long?! So unfair! His response came in an earthy chuckle and shake of head and I found myself smiling alongside him.

While in the market called Karimabad, Hadi gave me a short guide of the infamous market and the Baltit Fort; overlooking the valley. After getting groceries for Amo we didn't stop anywhere else, except at a food stall.

"Here. Maybe eating food might give your frail health a boost." He remarked nonchalantly, while handing me a sort of filled bun.

"Hah! Really Captain. Is this how you're going to play?" I warned through narrowed eyes which he didn't seem to take any notice of, as he continued to watch me with a smirk.

"If you must know, I am a brown belt!" I boasted proudly but the poker look on his face didn't show that he believed it.

"Maybe, get that brown belt of yours verified. Unless, all brown belts faint easily." He continued carelessly while taking a big chunk out of his bun. I scowled at him but he started walking away without so much as a glance in my direction.

"Wow! Aren't you a gentleman, Captain! How chivalrous of you to point it out." I remarked with a roll of eyes. He returned with a toothy grin to that.

"By the way, what is this? It's good." I asked chewing on the warm bun, while we made way to the jeep.

"It's Mantou. A Chinese styled, meat filled wheat dumpling. I like them." He added finishing the last of his bun and dumping the paper bag in the bin. 

"Oh! So this was the real reason for stopping. Groceries was just an excuse." I added smartly  after jumping into the jeep and turned in my seat to watch him with a cheeky grin. He halted in the middle of putting on his seatbelt and looked up to meet my gaze. I used to find his blue eyes cold, like they knew no warmth and never shared loved. But right now, staring at them, I could feel the warmth of a spring sky. 

The corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly in a smile. Something in his gaze, made heat creep up my cheeks. I turned away abruptly, my hands reaching for the seat belt, as he ignited the engine.

—————————————

With a sharp painful jerk, I recoiled from force of the crash. I had lost control and my car had hit the tree. For a few moments, I could only sit in my seat dazed. The only thing I could make out was the ringing in my ears. I tried to suck in a breath but a sharp stabbing pain rising in my chest, made it feel as if my lungs were caving in on themselves. My vision had become blurry and I could see black spots in the corners. It seemed as if, I was carrying a ton of dead weight on my head. 

Just then, I felt something warm dripping down the sides of my face. Even without checking, I knew it was my own blood. Before I could think any further, a sudden loud smash on my window, made me grab a hold of my senses. One of them had used a brick to break down the windowpane.

A piercing scream escaped my lips when he lunged towards me. Before he could get his filthy hands on me, I backed away and pulled open the side door. My feet couldn't land on the ground because my legs gave away from beneath me and I crashed face flat onto the cold asphalt. I could hear them snickering over me, while I struggled to get on my feet.

Quickly getting up, I desperately tried to make a run for it. But failed bitterly, when one of them came from behind and stood infront of me to block my way. I watched the man standing a few feet away from me, laughing while clutching at his knees; finding entertainment in my desperation. I lunged to my right but found it blocked by another of them thugs. My eyes darted to left and behind me and that's when I realised, that I was cornered.

Slowly they had begun to inch closer, encircling me, like a frail animal caught in trap, awaiting to be butchered. My heart thumped loudly in my chest and my legs shook with tremors.

But just then, in that moment, a memory flashed across the dark screen of my mind.

'And Allah helps those who help themselves.'

So, I screamed. A bloodcurdling scream, before charging at the man in front of me. Pulling up my lehnga in one swift motion I gave him a low kick to his chin; sending him flying back. Even before I had a second to breathe, another pair of hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me towards them. Gathering all my strength, I had bent as low as the tight grip allowed me to and in one swift move, I slammed the back of my head against his face. His grip on me loosened and I felt a concussion coming up, but somehow the adrenaline rush kept me going and I delivered an elbow kick to his chest. 

I staggered away from him and almost tripped over my own lehnga. The weight of it was weighing me down but still, I started to run away from them. Until, I was pulled back by another of them scums.

"Ah! Shit! We have got a fiesty one! This makes it even more fun!" He sneered, while I desperately tried to wriggle free from his hold and sharply bit down into his arm; wrapped around my shoulders, until I could taste the coppery blood pooling in my mouth. As soon as his hold loosened, I had turned to face him and gave a hard punch across his jaw before he could do anything else.

I swore, when I was pulled away by another pair of hands, who threw me to the ground with so much force, that I almost blacked out from the impact of crashing onto the cold asphalt, against my skull. I couldn't move an inch from my sprawled position on the ground.

'I feel so drained.'

My head was throbbing and I could feel blood grazing my teeth and soaking my tongue. I felt the aching and cracks in my bones. I was exhausted and I couldn't feel anything anymore. I just felt so tired. 

I could hear them talking over me but couldn't make out their words. Until I finally heard one of them say.

"And finally she cries—" One of them bellowed and I realised that I was sobbing bitterly into the ground. The tears were mixing with the blood dripping down the sides of my face. My eyes felt swollen and before pitch darkness fell across them, I was sure, I had said this out loud.

"You lied. Again. You didn't help me. Again."

"—AASIYA! It's me!!" I opened my eyes to find Hadi's hands tightly gripping the top of my arms. 

"Shh..it's okay. It's only a nightmare...." I felt his gentle hand grazing against my wet cheeks. And that's when I fell against his chest, with a broken sob.

'It's not. It's all real.'