Third person's POV.

Few days had passed since her last encounter with nabeel but not a day goes by she doesn't think of him. Amira had come to her place and asked numerous times for her to go over but she just gave her excuses.

Amira had noticed a change in her brother since the day he went over to Noorie's . he had improved before but now it just got bad. She tried speaking to him but he shut everyone out, not even Khalil. He mostly just keeps to himself.

Noorie found herself remembering how she had found nabeel in that painful situation. Sometimes she regrets not hearing what he had to say the last time he came over. And sometimes, when she feels tired of all the emotions, she cries herself to sleep. She was only human after all. She had fallen in love too deep for a man that would probably never love her back.

Nabeel was currently in the sitting room with Khalil and amira. Umma was now mostly busy with her catering service.
The two kept bickering and arguing about the lyrics of a song.

Nabeel had zoned them out and was lost in his own world.
   Khalil's words " don't let yourself lose her to someone else" was all he keeps hearing on and on.
He had let someone take her from him even before she was his.

But of course , how can she possibly like someone like him. If only his Hafsah was here, alive , he wouldn't be in pain like this. No one could possibly love him but her.

"Ko ya Nabeel?" He heard amira's voice snap him out.
He gave her a sad smile and nodded.

Amira felt really sad for her brother, he used to be the most amazing and sweetest person in the world .

She came and sat next to him,
"Ya nabeel you know we're always here for you right? Pls don't shut us out, whatever it is. We'll fight it together. "

Nabeel gave her a side hug,
" awn, my baby sis is all grown up"

She hit him lightly
"Ya nabeel I'm not a baby anymore, I'm a graduate fa"

He chuckled.

"Yes, graduate that still lacks some senses. The world is in trouble. " khalil added.
      They all burst out laughing and amira playfully glared at him.

"I'm going to sleep, I feel tired. " nabeel muttered leaving the parlor.

Amira signalled Khalil to follow suit.
They had planned not to leave him alone, just in case.

"Dude you know u don't have to follow me right, I'm fine. I'll be okay"

" who says I'm following u, nima bacci zanyi. "

"Whatever mehn. "

Nabeel laid down on the sofa in the room while khalil jumped on his bed.
They both went silent.

"You know, I went to see her and tell her how I feel. But she already has someone in her life."

"What do u mean?"

" I saw her with a man, they were going out. She was happy ."

"So u never got to tell her how you feel?"

" no! I know she'll never like me . I don't even know what I was thinking going there. "

" it doesn't matter, I still think she needs to know how you feel about her. Don't make conclusions for her. You never know. "

"Khalil did u just hear what I said? No, I won't do that to her. She's happy with him"

"Nabeel stop being stu....."

" just forget it, I want to sleep" he cut him off.

Khalil sighed, nabeel was just one hella stubborn man.
He silently left the room after nabeel fell asleep. 

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

"Nabeel, baby how could you? How could you try to move on and forget me? You thought she would love you? No one can nabeel. " he heard a voice say.
        He couldn't see the person speaking, he couldn't even tell where he was. He heard laughter coming from another direction and followed.
    There he saw Noorie and a guy, they were eating and holding hands. She kept laughing at something the guy said.
He held his chest, it was as if his heart was being ripped apart. " no! "

  "You see nabeel, she's happy with him, she belongs with him. They're perfect for each other nabeel. "
             He turned around looking for that person but he couldn't see her. It was getting smoky , Noorie had disappeared.
        "You nabeel, you Belong with me"

In the blink of an eye, he was being dragged by his feet.
      "No! No!! "
"Let go of me" he kept screaming while the voice just laughed wickedly.
      

***********

He woke up all drenched in sweats, tears rolled down his eyes unknowingly. He looked around to see khalil and amira. They all looked worried.  Amira was already in tears.
         "Noorie! I saw her and ...and..."
" nabeel calm down it was all a nightmare, pray against it. " khalil managed to say.

His chest hadn't stopped hurting but he got up and went to perform ablution. It was already Maghreb period. 

"Its okay amira, he's alright. Tafi kema kiyi salah"

"Okay" she quietly left.

They both left to pray after he came out.

Nabeel still wasn't himself, all he could see was Noorie in another man's arm. Amira had literally forced him to eat when they came back. Umma was also back. He had to keep pretending he was alright just so she would have peace of mind.
He even joined in a small conversation with them before he retired to his room.

*********

Noorie was on her way to amira's house.she was coming to stay over the night. She dreaded coming because she wanted to avoid nabeel. Her mom suggested it, seeing how Noorie had gotten distant the past days. She thought being with her amira would help at least. Her mom called noorie's mom earlier and had asked to keep it a secret.
   She kept sighing occasionally, playing with the pendant on her necklace. She was so nervous and anxious when they arrived at the maigori mansion.
       She got out of the car with her handbag strapped around her and removed her suitcase from the booth. The driver offered to help but she dismissed him and went in dragging her suitcase behind.

"Salam alaykum" she said as she entered the sitting room.

"Wa alaykum salam" khalil and amira answered.

Amira ran towards her when she saw it was her. She hugged her.

"Omg, Noori you never told me you were coming, I would've made cupcakes"
Noorie laughed.
"Sry, it was a surprise. I'm sleeping over. "

"That's amazing, we'll get to catch up and watch movies all night long"

"Mira calm down you crazy girl, I wanted to apologize for being distant from you these days"

"Hey its okay, who said you were. I'm glad you're here"

"Uhm, hello! There's another human here too" khalil said playfully.

" oh, sorry! Ina wuni ya Khalil"

" no problem, how are you Noorie?"

"I'm fine. "

"Well, since you're here how about we go make that cupcake?"

"Sure, great idea but let me greet umma first".

********

Nabeel was in his room sprawled on the soft carpet . he was lost in his thoughts. He was hurting, emotionally and physically. His body felt tired,he felt his heart was being shattered with every passing second. He was in serious pain. When Hafsah died it was like she died with a piece of him too. He misses her so much it hurts. He can't take it anymore.
           
      "Salam alaykum" he heard her sweet voice say.
   He used both hands to block his ears and ran towards the bathroom.
He was really now crazy, he thought. he's even hearing her voice in his head and it sounds so real.

           He stood in front of the mirror and took in his reflection. He looked merely lifeless. He was now used to the red color of his eyes and the dark circles that seemed to adorn them. He had a lot of stubbles and his hair had grown out of proportion. His lips were dry and chapped.

He felt so weak, so tired. He wanted everything to stop. He wanted to shout, let it all out. But he thought of amira, his mom and Khalil too.
He let out a muffled cry.

He suddenly felt the urge to cut, it had been a while he'd done it. He wanted to stop, he would . but just one last time, to make the pain go away. He reached out for the drawer and brought out a new razor blade.
He rolled down his sleeve and made a cut on his left arm.

He felt the pain at first but then he went numb. He felt the urge cut again.
Just one more, he made another cut, this time deeper. He felt a sharp pain till he couldn't feel anything anymore. All he could see was blood gushing out of the cut.

He slowly sat on the floor. He felt light headed. His eyes went heavy and the world seemed to have blackened till he finally gave out.

*******

Dun! Dun dun !!!
Cliffhanger