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Never Ever

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“But this time I am telling you, we are never ever getting back together.” ~ Never Ever Getting Back Together The first person Jalal saw visiting Rukaiya once she was brought back home was, surprisingly, Pratap. He had expected Ajabdeh or Shakti or even Heer to drop by once Rukaiya was settled in, but Pratap’s car in the porch surprised him. Perhaps the incident moved Pratap or shook him more than Jalal expected. While the appointed nurses set up Rukaiya’s room to keep her under surveillance around the clock, and the mothers doted on her a little more than she wanted, perhaps Jalal could sense the surprise on her face the moment Pratap approached them. Rukaiya did not hesitate to ask about Shakti and Ajabdeh. Pratap eyed Jalal’s unreadable face at her mention and shrugged to inform Rukaiya that he had no idea about them since the wedding. He, on the other hand, wanted to talk to Jalal right after sharing pleasantries. It made more sense now. The moment Rukaiya and Jalal shared a glance...

Begin Again

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The voices were so loud, saying, Why did you let her go? ~ I Bet You Think About Me Jalal was the last person to approach Rukaiya's bedside after the parents had left to talk to the doctor about her discharge. "Hi." He managed as she smiled faintly at him. Rukaiya could see he was avoiding eye contact with her, perhaps because he felt uncomfortable, and she patted the bedside, gesturing at him to sit there with her. He complied, still unsure of how to start a conversation. "So, I heard Pratap is here." Rukaiya's words made him stare at her pale face as she smiled. "Did you two meet?" He nodded. "And?" "He was here too, with Shakti and Ajabdeh." Rukaiya nodded, implying that she perhaps knew that from her mother already. "I am sorry I ruined the wedding for you." She managed as Jalal stared at her disapprovingly.  "You know, before I got the call, I was coming back home anyway. Coming back to tell you what happened...

Tough Decisions

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I ’ve made mistakes and made some choices, that’s hard to deny -End Game. Humayun removed his glasses and looked up at Jalal, who stood with his head lowered before him. He frowned slightly. The boy was emotional and not thinking straight. Why would he want to give up his position in the company and give it to Rukaiya? Humayun respected Sultanam and treated Rukaiya as family. That didn’t mean he would readily hand over his company to her. He had seen her working well, but at the end of the day, Jalal was his son. Jalal cleared his throat.  “Well, the only thing stopping her from getting a good groom is that she doesn’t own anything. That solves it. I will still have the property.” “Son.” Humayun shook his head. “I get that you are emotional right now, but...” “No, Baba, I have thought of it. I have never wanted to run the company. I don’t understand the world of business like you do, or she does. This is for the better.” “Really? What will you do then?” Humayun rebuked his son. “Se...

Last Words

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“Something keeps me holding on to nothing.” - Haunted. Ajabdeh hated hospitals. The smell, the sense of panic in the air, the people around, sickness, death and worse, her last memory of being in a hospital was losing her grandmother. As soon as she drove into the parking lot, Jalal jumped out and ran towards the emergency wing, without waiting for her. She parked the car in the designated spot and turned off the ignition. Then she stared at herself, looking rather sleepless, and stared in the rear-view mirror. Sighing heavily, she straightened her hair in a bun and opened the compartment to her left to take out a mask. She didn’t know how Rukaiya was and what made her do it. All she understood was that she had been a bad friend to the two people who had been nothing but kind and supportive to her. She let out a soft prayer as her eyes shone. All she wanted was for Rukaiya to be safe.  Jalal ran through the corridor to find his parents sitting on a bench near one of the emergency r...

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