Chapter 1

Vintage Flow

@Vintage_flow

Chapter 1

“One more chance, one more breath”

His eyes looked dead. Even to him.

He stared at his unshaven face, lifeless reflection, and picked up his bag to leave.

As he stepped out into his eerily quiet house, he looked longingly at the door of her room.

He didn't know what he expected. For her to pop out and worry his head with reckless ideas? Or drive him to the brink with crazy shayari?

It had all been his fault, hadn't it? You brought this upon yourself.

Fine, he'll make peace with it then. He'd have to.

"It's better this way" he said out loud.

He passed his Ammi on the way and received the routine glare he had now been accustomed to.

"Allah Hafiz Ammi" he said quietly, and she repeated just as stoically.

"It's better this way" he repeated again opening the door to his car.

The March sun reflected bright and warm from his windshield, but he hadn't felt colder.

Asad Ahmed Khan who prided himself at being a good friend and good judge of character had misjudged.

Mistake? Oh, it was no mistake. It was a blunder. A reprehensible act, one that had tilted his world.

The girl who had nothing but be kind to him was now far away. She'd ended up paying the price for someone's wrongdoing.

Anger fuelled up his body thinking of Tanveer.

She'd stabbed them all in the back. Lied straight through her teeth, attempted vicious acts.

Oh, how could he not see, not trust Zoya's intentions? He didn't even let her finish!

Moments later when she had been taken away from her, his mother had barged in ready to throttle him and rightfully so.

The moving image of Zoya telling Ayaan not to lose heart, not to give up on his brother had choked his heart. She did it all for him and yet he...

He couldn't look himself in the eye anymore. His mother had taught him respect, candour, gratification but he threw it all out like he did her.

He cringed at his own thoughts. Mind oceans away, he started his car heading towards the long day ahead of him.

**

The air was cool and crisp. She felt a chill running up her spine and nestled closer in the shawl around her arms. The sun had just begun to rise on the horizon. She could hear the birds chirping and city waking. It wouldn't be long before all those sounds would drown in the morning rush and traffic. Even though their house was on the outskirts of New York city, the hustle and bustle couldn't be overlooked for long.

Zoya took a deep breath and stepped back inside her room leaving the balcony door open. The morning breeze soothed her, put her brain to sleep.

If she could finally get some.

Hurrying to her bed, she barely recognised the girl that stared back at her from the large mirror of her bedroom. Face pale, skin sickly, her eyes were still puffy from the night of crying.

"It's better this way" she repeated before she gave in to the slumber.

**