By the time they both woke up from sleep, it was already 12:30 pm.

"Okay I will just go and have my bath now then we can head out right?" Alia asked, stretching her cramped limbs. Kulthum nodded and motioned for her to go ahead since she had already taken her bath early this morning. She didn't bother bathing again. Moreover, the weather was cold and she wasn't planning on getting a flu. When they finally got dressed and headed out it was a little past two and they hadn't had their breakfast so they both settled in a cozy restaurant and ordered something nice and light. 

"It is amazing here, I could spend the whole day here '' Alia said, looking around until her gaze fell on something or someone behind Kulthum. "Urgh not again…" she sighed

"What.." before Kulthum could make a full sentence she heard his jovial voice from behind her. 

"Hey girls, what a coincidence" Neil said, grabbing a chair and joining them. 

"What are you doing here?"  Kulthum demanded, suddenly blushing red. Alia arched her brow giving her a weird look but Kulthum pretended not to notice and poked her food, her mind wandering to the day she slept in Neil's apartment and all that transpired. She suddenly felt guilty for not telling the whole truth to Alia.

"Down to earth Kulthum! Where were you lost?" Neil snapped his fingers in front of her face. 

"Umm… excuse me I need to use the washroom" she got up and walked to the washroom with the help of a waiter who directed her to it and when she arrived, she sprinkled some cold water on her face trying to calm herself down. When she was certain that she was alright, she made her way back to the restaurant but her appetite was long gone. 

"Are you alright?" Alia asked, examining her face. She nodded as if she wasn't interested in talking anymore and Alia understood that quite well so she let her be. Kulthum poked her food mindlessly paying no heed to what Neil and Alia were talking about and by the time they finished eating, Kulthum was on the verge of canceling their plans but she couldn't do that to her friend just because an unwanted figure came into the picture. 

"Are we done here?" She asked, her voice sounding sharp.

"Yeah yeah we are. Neil, we are going shopping. Do you mind accompanying us?" As Kulthum heard that she instantly regretted why she didn't bail on Alia and go back to their apartment and now she has to spend the whole day with him? Great! Just great! As they all headed out Kulthum displeasure was quite visible and Neil felt as if he was not wanted there. 

"Um.. Alia, I just remembered that I have an appointment with someone in thirty minutes, catch you later?" Neil lied, stealing a glance at Kulthum who just sighed inaudibly. 

"What? You and an appointment? Since when did you start sticking to time? Don't worry it is not going to take long, just come along. Maybe I can be generous enough and get you a watch?" Alia offered, striking his weak point. She knew Neil loves watches and she used that against him.

"Not fair alia" Neil complained unable to resist the offer

"What is wrong with you Kulthum? You haven't spoken a word since he came, are you sure you are alright?" 

"Yeah I'm fine. He can come if he wants. What do I care?" She snarled and walked away leaving a perplexed Alia and a displeased Neil behind.

"I'm so sorry about that, I don't know what has gotten into her. I will speak with her," Alia said catching up with Kulthum. However, before she could reach her, Neil stopped her and said to her be. Alia didn't like the way Kulthum was acting out and especially in public. 

She frowned and nodded then they both caught up with her hailing a taxi. The drive to the mall was excruciatingly quiet and Alia began having second thoughts about the whole shopping thing. Something must have gone South between them and they are not telling her so she began to have different kinds of scenarios playing in her head. 

What happened between them? 

"Alright Neil, why don't you go with Kulthum and check the place out while I attend to a call now?" Alia asked as her blaring phone refused to shut up. 

"I will wait for you," Kulthum quickly said, stepping out of the car together with Alia. 

Alia gave her a weird look before she shoved her away and she fell into Neil's arms. He quickly wrapped his arms securely around her lower back while she hugged his chest placing her hand on his shoulder.  They stood in that position for several seconds before Alia managed to break them away.

"Oops! Sorry" she smiled apologetically looking at them. 

"Are you alright?" Neil asked, releasing her from his hold. She shifted and nodded her head then told him to follow her inside. 

"Why are you acting weird Kulthum?" Neil couldn't help but ask as if he was tired of the silent treatment.

"I'm not acting weird, I'm just not in the mood of talking that's all" 

"And you not being in the mood started the moment you saw me this afternoon in the restaurant?" He sounded irritated. "And you didn't even eat anything, the moment you saw me you ran to the washroom why?" He demanded. 

"Look here Neil;" she started, "i don't give a damn about what you think and for your information I didn't run away I just needed to use the washroom that's all. And even if I ran away, I still came back didn't I? Stop giving yourself too much credit sometimes that's not really the case" she fired. Though her words sounded hurtful it also had an underlying message. 

"What are you really trying to say here Kulthum? I have known you for what now? Years? You can't speak in riddles and not expect me to understand okay?" 

"Hah! Does he understand? How lucky am I?" She replied sarcastically. "Look, just leave me alone I don't want you here" 

"You don't want me here? What about a few months ago? Did you want me back then?" At this point, he was already walking towards her with his eyes locking her in place. Good thing was that they were already in the changing room. If not she would have been so embarrassed to the core. 

"What are you doing Neil? Stay back!" Her voice as weak as a melted rubber, she still wasn't ready to give up. 

"Just tell me? Did you want me back then? Did you truly search for me the way you said you did? Did you even love me half the way I loved you?" He trapped her to the wall putting both hands on either side of the wall drawing his face closer to hers. 

"Neil, I am a married woman, step back" she warned glaring into his eyes. His eyes as cold as ice stared back into her brown delicate eyes clouded with unwavering love for another man and that only made his blood boil. Why? Why not him? Why does it have to be another man?  He drew his face closer to her aiming for her lips but before he could complete his task, he was roughly pushed back and smacked hard across the cheek. 

And just in time, Alia walked in. 

"What is going on here?" She asked, dropping the bunch of bags she carried to the floor.  

"It's nothing… let's just get out of here after all, coming here was a mistake" she snatched the bags from the floor and grabbed Alia's hand walking at a high pace. When they came out, they hailed a taxi and went back home. Immediately they arrived, Kulthum got out of the car, grabbed the shopping bags and left without waiting for her companion. Alia quickly paid off the taxi fare and joined Kulthum in their apartment but the moment she stepped inside, she became more and more confused. 

She was met with a hysterical Kulthum seating on the floor with legs drawn up to her chest and arms wrapped around herself sobbing nonstop. Without thinking twice, she ran to her friend and wrapped her arms securely around her not uttering a word. When her cries subsided, she sniffed and looked at the worried look plastered on Alia's face and became more sad. She totally ruined the day for her. 

 "I'm sorry Alee, I ruined the day for you, I am so sorry" she cried. Wiping her tears with the back of her hand. 

"Don't worry about that, what happened back There?" Alia inquired, staring at her worried friend, Kulthum made up her mind to tell her everything starting from the night at the party, omitting nothing this time around. When she was done, Kulthum was really scared of what alia was going to say but the silence was killing her and she desperately wanted to hear what she will say.

"Please say something," Kulthum whispered, her voice as low as the breath of a sleeping baby. Alia looked at her then said,

"I don't know what to say, why did you lie to me in the first place?" She sounded betrayed. 

"I'm sorry" Kulthum cried, "i didn't know how to start telling you all that, I felt ashamed that was why?" She felt terribly suffocated and sorry for herself that she allowed him to molest her in that manner. She felt disgusted with herself. 

"Okay let's say I believe you, you felt ashamed you slept in a guys room and thought I would criticize you? Is that what you really thought?" Alia asked but she already knew the reply. 

"To be honest, yes! I thought that if i told you about it you would just jump into conclusions without hearing my side of the story" she replied sincerely. 

"Wow great!" Alia exclaimed angrily, 

"I'm sorry" Kulthum said again before Alia could say a thing they heard a very familiar voice say,

"Is everything alright guys?" They searched around looking for the voice but didn't see anyone then the voice said again,

"Hey down here" they both glanced at Alia's phone and their eyes widened. 

"Hey" Alia said, picking the phone from the ground, smiling awkwardly. 

"What's wrong babe?" Kulthum heard her brother's voice say. Normally she would have made a snarky remark but this time around she kept mum. Casting her gaze down.

"Nothing, just having one of our baseless arguments you know" she lied, throwing a look at Kulthum. "But wait, didn't we end the call before I came inside? I told you I was heading towards the apartment when you called" 

"Yeah you did, but you didn't ended the call so I pretty much heard everything" 

"How much did you hear?" Alia asked, panic seeping through her veins. 

"Almost everything. Where is Kulthum?" Saddique asked sternly. They very well know this voice, it was not meant to be played with so alia passed her the phone and she collected.  The moment her face flashed on the phone screen and she saw Siddique's reaction, her heart almost jumped to her throat. He kept quiet looking at her for several minute making her anxious each minute that passes by. 

"Brother?" She choked avoiding his glare but suddenly she heard his laughter. She eyed Alia who was seated next to her warily and looked back at the screen with a creased brow.

"Are you crying because of a mere misunderstanding? When are you going to grow up baby sis?" Saddique laughed.

"I thought you were angry with me" 

"Why will I be?" He asked, she shrugged and said,

"How much of our conversation did you hear?" Kulthum asked hoping to hear something positive

"Not much really, the only thing I heard was Alia huffing in annoyance. What did you do to her?" They both sighed inwardly thanking their stars for saving them. 

"Then why did you sound so serious?" Alia asked this time around collecting the phone from Kulthum.

"I just wanted the reaction I got from you both but is everything really alright?" Alia rolled her eyes, smiled and affirmed that everything was fine and he need not worry about anything at all. 

"Alright if you say babe," Saddique said, smiling at her. They both chatted for a while, while the other party left the living room giving them space and also called her hubby. By the time she hung up the call, it was a little past 7 in the evening and they needed to arrange their things because they were leaving the next afternoon. Alia walked in and saw Kulthum packing their clothes quietly looking so distraught. She felt terrible for bursting at her like that so she came to apologise because with more time to think, she realized that she wouldn't have been able to say the same if it were her. 

"Need a hand?" She asked coming closer to the bed and sitting on it. 

"No I'm fine thanks" Kulthum replied without raising her head to look at her. 

"Oh c'mon the clothes are plenty and both of us are tired so I better help you out so that we can go to sleep"

"Hmm okay.." Alia noticed that Kulthum had become moody so she didn't wanted to prolong her apology and said 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lash out at you earlier, I realized that if i was the one that had to sleep in another man's room against my will I definitely would not be able to come clean about it. I'm sorry" alia said folding a cloth 

"No I understand, you were right to be angry, I also wouldn't have felt good if I was told the same. No one wants to be called a criticizer that's harsh" 

"Well whatever the case may be, we were both wrong and we accept our faults but what are you going to do about Neil? You are not going to leave him, right?" Alia arched her brow. 

"Of course not I…." She was about to complete her sentence when they heard the door and Alia stood up to get it.

"Kulthum come over here" she heard Alia's yell piercing through the walls of the apartment. When she came out, her eyes  landed on the person she so wanted to kill 

"You have some nerves showing up at my apartment Neil" Kulthum snarled glaring at him.