Her Soulmate Chapter 12

Mid December

Mountains don't meet, but people do. 

They both were standing there, staring at each other with disbelief, hurt and emotions. Many years, days and moments came between them. Flashbacks of moments, events started to come in their minds and eyes. Moments when they get married, days which they spend with each other, the nights which they slept in each other's embrace, promises that they made with each other, sweet and bitter moments, the last event which separated them forever, and the years which they spent without each other. These moments and days were flashing in their minds and their eyes reflected pain and loneliness.

Sohail saw her poor condition, worn out house and her miserable lifestyle. 

Life has changed her completely. 

He thought bitterly. 

Salma saw her well off condition, his high status and lifestyle. 

Life has changed him completely. 

She thought with amazement. 

In these moments-when they both were analyzing each other, thinking about their lives, wondering how the life of other person had been, and thinking about the last bitter moments of their marriage life-Ayesha shook her mother's hand and asked

"Mama what happened? Who is this uncle? "

They both came to their senses and snapped their heads toward Ayesha. In their miserable thoughts, they just forget about her. Sohail became shocked on hearing the word "Mama" from the child and stared at her in disbelief. He never knew about his child. He stared at Ayesha and then at Salma. 

Salma saw her daughter and her eyes welled up with tears. For some moments, she just forgot about her daughter. She forgot about that soul which had suffered most in her life. She has never experienced the love of father, she has never known the meaning of protection and happiness of complete family.  And all this is because of Sohail. 

Bitterness filled her heart and she stared at Sohail with hate. 

"Do you need something, officer? " she asked coldly. 

Sohail came in his senses due to her cold tone. 

"Who is this girl? " he impatiently asked. 

Bitter smile came on Salma's face. 

"My Daughter" she said, emphasizing on "my". Sohail was at a loss for words. 

"If there is nothing else, then please leave us alone."

She said bitterly and closed the door. Sohail stared at the door in disbelief. The past fifteen minutes were the longest and difficult minutes for him. 

And Salma, she closed the door and rested her head on it. Tears soaked her cheeks. 

"Why Allah? Why so many difficulties in human life? "

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Pouring of rain had been stopped in the Capital city, and with it, silence etched around the place. Daneen and Faris were lying on the far corners of bed in eerie silence. 

They both were thinking about the recent events, had a blooming hope in their hearts and a smile was etched on both faces after reminiscing those moments. Those moments of intimacy were going to sow the seeds of love in both hearts. It was just the future who knew the fate of these seeds, whether they will get suitable water or not. 

While thinking about each other, they unconsciously turned around to see the other one. They both turned their faces at the same time and their eyes clashed with each other. Faris saw her turning around and then blushing with embarrassment. She quickly turned back and tightly closed her eyes. She was feeling embarrassed that Faris had caught her staring at him. And Faris, he saw her for some moments and then turned around. Though his face was expressionless but ghost of a smile was present on his face. 

Next morning was bright and beautiful, with beautiful chirping of birds and warm sunlight. Daneen was roaming in the lounge, completing her morning suppliances. After completing them, she decided to make coffee for herself. Faris was still sleeping, so she just made one cup of coffee. She poured the coffee in a cup and turned around, oblivious of Faris's presence behind her. She turned around absentmindedly and clashed with Faris. In the result of this, the cup slipped and made the stain on Faris's shirt. A whimper came out from his mouth.

"Oh my Allah! I... I don't know that you were behind me" Daneen became blanched at thinking of his reaction. 

Faris closed his eyes with pain because coffee was really hot. But then, he composed himself and spoke. 

"It's okay"

"I will find ointment for you. Just give me one minute" she said worriedly. 

Faris nodded and headed towards the guest room. Daneen had gone upstairs to fetch ointment. Faris entered the room and took off his shirt. A slight red mark was present on the body, where coffee was split. He was staring at it with a bitter smile when the door opened and Daneen entered the room with ointment. 

"There is… ."

She became hesitant and shy on seeing him shirtless. Blush creeped on her cheeks at seeing his well formed and muscled body. She quietly came near him and handed him ointment. 

"Thank you," he said. 

She tried to quickly leave the room but one thing caught her sight. Faris had now turned around and there were scars on his back. Daneen became confused at the sight. Scars were horrible and were imprinted with cruelty. She gasped at that sight. Faris turned around and saw her. She quickly left the room, with thousands of questions roaming in her mind. 

                      ............................

A. S. P Hassan was in his office when Sohail entered into his office. 

"Yes Sohail, what is the report? " he asked. 

He noticed the red eyes and stoned expressions of Sohail. But, he didn't ask him, thinking that it would be something personal. 

"Sir, I have visited all the houses. There are similarities between the cases. First, all girls have gone for playing when they get kidnapped. Second, no family has reported their kidnapping because they are fearful of society. And third, they all find the raped and bruised dead body of their daughters. The ages of all girls vary from seven to ten years" 

Sohail reported him in a robotic manner. 

Hassan became worried for him, as he seems exceptionally emotionless.

"Are you okay Sohail?" he asked politely. 

"Yes sir" he replied in a low tone. 

"If you are not feeling well, you can take leave" Hassan said to him. 

"No sir, I'm fine." he replied. 

Hassan stared at him for some seconds and then said. 

"Okay. Now, we have to find a person named Majeed. He is..... " Hassan started to give him details. 

                      .....................

Faris finished his breakfast and left the house with the keys of the car in hand. Daneen cleaned the table and started opening kitchen cabins, observing the shortage of grocery. 

"We have to go grocery shopping as soon as possible," she thought. 

She watched the time and got worried. 

"Why has Salma not yet come?" she thought.

She entered the guest room and her previous memory flashed in her mind. The shirtless Faris and the scars on his body. 

"Why does he have such long and dangerous scars on his body? What has happened to him?"  At this thought, she realized that she had very little knowledge about Faris's past. 

"Why was he in Jail? Is he really a criminal? " She thought . 

Her heart screamed "no" at the last question. 

He didn't look like a criminal. 

"Then, what had happened to him? "

These questions were roaming in her mind when she heard a noise. She got scared and stood up from the bed. The noise was very faint and for a few seconds.

But Daneen became really fearful. She started trembling and quickly locked the room, and kept on mumbling different prayers. 

                     ......................

Birds were also chirping in Shaheenabad, but there was dead silence in the area. Especially in the house of Salma, no human voice could be heard. Motionless grief-stricken Salma and her anxious daughter were in the room, one staring in space and the other staring at her face. 

"Mama?" she called her. 

Salma averted her gaze and saw her. 

"What happened? " Tension was evident on Ayesha's face. 

Salma stared at her daughter who had faced every injustice of life. She didn't feel love for her father, she was raped, she had destroyed her life, she had to compromise her future dreams because of society, and also she was facing the problems of a grief-stricken mother. Really, life had treated her in a very harsh manner. But it was her innocence and naive personality that she was not realizing it in a proper manner. 

"Nothing my child" Salma forced the smile on her face and replied politely. 

"Let's go to Faris's house" Salma said and stood from the bed. She was acting normal, that's why her daughter was still naive and normal, otherwise raped girl's mental health seldom remained healthy. 

                ...........................

It was the scene of a medium sized lounge and in it, Sohail was sitting, thinking about the incident which had recently occurred. 

"Who was that child? "

He thought of the little girl who was with Salma. 

"She was calling her "Mama". Is she the child of Salma and...... Mine"

He became hesitant to think about that girl as her daughter. 

"No, it is not possible"

He quickly rejected the possibility and entered into his bedroom. He came near his cupboard and opened a drawer with his keys. In the far end of the drawer, there was a picture, whose ends were fading, indicating a long time had passed. He picked the picture and stared at it. In the picture, groom Sohail and bride Salma were standing with each other. Sohail had serious expressions and Salma was blushing in the picture. That was really a beautiful picture of the couple, which had been with Sohail since their marriage. He always carried this picture with him and it remained near his heart. 

He gazed at the picture with forlorn expressions. He, after some minutes, put the picture back in the drawer with tears spilling down from his eyes. 

                  .....................

Faris had been driving for ten minutes, when he realized that he had forgotten the mobile at home. 

"Damn it! " he mumbled and turned back to his car.

He entered the house and found his mobile on the table. He grabbed the mobile and turned to leave the house, when he sensed something. Daneen was nowhere. 

"Daneen? " he called. And came in the middle of the lounge. Here, he heard whimpers of Daneen, which was coming from the guest room. 

"Daneen? What happened? " he came near the door and loudly called her name. 

Swiftly, the door was opened and a fearful Daneen came in front of him. He became bewildered at seeing her weeping and trembling frame. 

"There is.. There is someone in the house. I heard the voice "

"What type of voices?" he asked with concern. His whole body became rigid, and a fear of the unknown engulfed his heart. 

"I don't know" she replies

"Ok. Remain here, I will check out the house"

Faris checked out the first floor and roof but there was no one.

"Maybe that voice was just her hallucination," he thought. 

He came toward her and sat behind her. 

"There is no one Daneen. Maybe a voice comes from the neighborhood and you think that it is inside the house. Ours and neighbours house's walls are the same, so maybe some faint voices came from there" He said softly.

"How is it possible? In my father's house or in Ahmad's house, nothing happened like that. No voice was there" she said while weeping. 

Faris became angry at the mention of Ahmad's house. 

"Those houses are in high communities. And in such communities, people have no interaction with each other. Their houses are lifeless and largest where no voices are present. That's why you never heard such voices in those houses. But my house is in the inner city. And here, people do interact, there are voices and life in the area. Their houses are small and interlinked with each other. You should get used to it,"he said in a bitter tone. 

Daneen forgot to weep and saw his red angry face with wide eyes. Her husband was really an unpredictable thing, she realized this thing with this situation. 

At that instant, the doorbell rang.

Faris went away to open the door and found Salma with her daughter. 

"Assalam o Alaikum" she said and entered the house. 

Ayesha was feeling parched so she went toward the kitchen while Salma entered the bedroom and greeted Daneen. 

"How are you Salma? " she asked 

"Fine ma'am. How are you? " 

They both were talking when they heard a shriek. Salma panicked and rushed toward the kitchen. Daneen was also with her. They both entered the kitchen, and became shocked when the scene unfolded in front of them. In kitchen, Ayesha was shivering and weeping, while Faris was standing there, seeing her with puzzled expressions.

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