TWENTY-EIGHT

Once Beela came home with blood-stained headlights of her car. Aunt and me almost got a panic attack when we see that blood on her car parked in the garage. As it turned out that she accidentally rolled a puppy beneath her tiers.

The very next question I asked was. Where is that kitten now?

“I don’t know somewhere on the road, I guess. People must have moved it aside by now.” These were her words as she was least concerned about the life that got beneath her car and she came home causally after crushing it. When she got home, she was panicked and frustrated too but that didn’t count as an excuse as that wasn’t enough. What she did was a horrible mistake but she never realized it.

Life had given me multiple lessons but that day I got the new one that humans had no limited of being heartless. Same thing I learned today again in a different way when I opened that box.

I screamed as my heart broke into pieces when I saw a small kitten bleeding profusely from everywhere. He was barely breathing as his eyes were slightly opened, as if he was begging for his life, as if he was asking for one last chance to live, or as if he just wanted to die just to get rid of that pain he was going through.

I was so numb that my body stopped working but my eyes landed on the note placed beside his head. I took it with trembling hands as Suzi and Imran were just standing there. Every second was passing like an hour as I read the note.

“You will turn up like this kitten soon if you stayed with him anymore little kitten. I don’t play fair.”

That note shook me the core as I glanced at the kitten again who was about to die. Who could do that? Who could be this heartless and cruel?

“Let me throw it away for you. You don’t have to take this seriousl…”

“Take him to the hospital.” I mumbled as I grabbed the box before the moment Imran could touch it. I glared at him with my tear-filled eyes as he immediately regretted what he said. How could he throw that kitten when we could help him?

“Yes ma’am.” He agreed as he didn’t take the box from me again and lead me towards the main door where the car was already waiting for us.

“Just hang in there. The pain will soon go away.” I muttered to the kitten as his chest was barely moving like his movements. I couldn’t say he would be able to live but we could help with his pain. If he dies his will pain will go away naturally. If not, then the doctors would help us with that.

Imran didn’t do rash driving although I wanted him to do that at that time. Soon within minutes we reached one of the biggest veterinary hospitals in city.

The doctor gave us an eye as soon as he looked at the kitten as if we had done this to him but he didn’t say anything about this. Instead, he said the other gruesome words.

“We can’t save it. It’s barely breathing and it’s bleeding…”

“Would like to talk with you for a minute.” Imran cut him in between as he started walking with him making an impression that he was about to use his influence for that. I knew that was a private hospital so they wouldn’t take a mess like this kitten but still they should be give this a chance. What type doctors they were then?

Soon the doctor took the box inside without giving us any false fault. I sat on the bench as Imran kept standing beside me like a rigid tough wall. Flashbacks roamed my mind as I was so shocked and traumatized that even I wanted to cry so badly but still my eyes were dry. My mind and heart were all on the kitten when I felt someone sitting beside.

“For how long she has been sitting like this?” I heard his voice as if I were in my senses, I could have sensed his cologne before his voice.

“It’s been an hour.” Imran answered immediately as I could see through my peripheral vision that his head had bent because of him. Zaroon and Muzamil bhai also said something to me but my eyes were locked on the door. I wanted the doctor to just come out already and tell me what was happening to that kitten. Tears still hadn’t left my eyes as I didn’t want my vision to get blurry.

“What’s this?” He leaned in as his gaze fell on the piece of paper in my hand. It was the same note as I didn’t know I was holding this. He just simply took that paper from me as he read every word of it making his jaw clenched and muscles tensed for a moment before he passed that note to Muzamil and Zaroon bhai. Their expressions also changed but less dangerous than him.

“Let’s get you eat something.” He for the first time touched me while placing my hair lock behind my ear. I was so traumatized that I didn’t even flinch at his touch nor did I feel something. There was one thing that I wanted to do that for him to take me in his embrace so I could cry while hiding my face in his chest.

I felt Zaroon bhai kneeling before me. “The kitten would be alright. The best doctors are in there for him. I’ll bring you something to eat.” He patted my head gently like a big brother as he left not before Muzamil bhai ruffled my hairs gently enough to make me realize that he was also there for me and I was there for the kitten.

“We will go home and whenever the kitten would be alright, I’ll let you know.” He was saying as I turned my head in his direction to give him a wary look as I was getting angry at him.

“You can go.” I said as his forest green eyes were holding a storm inside it. There was a deadly silence in them as the storm that could shatter everything was building its presence.

“F**k! I won’t leave you here.” He added gently as he was tensed while his eyes were leaving my face. He was makings sure I was close to him and fine as I couldn’t even gasp when he wrapped his large calloused hands around my waist and made me sit in his lap.

Placing his rough hand against my jaw he made me look at him with little hint of redness in my eyes. “Whoever did this I would make them beg for the grave. Okay?” For everything I could assess at that sensitive moment that he didn’t know how to console people but he still was doing it in his way.

“N-no…” Finally, my voice cracked as I saw him gulp his Adam’s apple. He was controlling the storm building inside him. “I-I want that kitten. He is in so much pain.” Tears started bubbling out my eyes as I leaned making him abruptly wrapped his arms around my waist. I rested my head on his shoulder as tears started rolling down my eyes when I felt him caressing my hairs engulfing me in his warm embrace.

“I am in pain too baby. You can do that without even physically hurting me. Stop torturing these eyes. That kitten would be fine.” It looked like he wanted to say something more too but at that time I just wanted the well-being of that kitten who was suffering inside just because of me.

“H-how…who can do something l-like that to a k-kitten?” I hiccupped as he sank me more into his bulky arms as that’s what I wanted. A shoulder to cry on or otherwise I didn’t want to cry at all. Wrapping my arms around his neck without any hesitation I snuck my face in the crook of his neck as some kind of soothing sensation engulfed me in that very moment.

“This world is very dark junam. There are more dark things than this.” He grazed my neck with his nose above my hairs as they were sprawled all over my shoulder and neck acting as a curtain.

“You do these types of things too?” I looked above at his blood-shot red eyes giving him a dangerous look while he looked down at my hazel brown ones. For a second, I saw some kind of emotion in his eyes but he soon overcame it as his hold around me tightened. As if he didn’t want me to go away even at an inch distance from him. My chin wobbled at his silence as I gently detached myself from him.

I got my answer. He indeed was one of them too.

•~•

A very happy Eid Mubarak to all of you. May this Eid bring you joy and peace. Do try to spend this with your closed/loved ones and eat delicious food.

As an eidi there's a double update for you people.

Enjoy.