The walk back from school was heavy.
Anabiya walked in silence, her mind replaying Urhaan's anger, the slap, and the apology of those girls. Zaki tried to lighten the mood as he joined her and Mahir halfway.
"He left me," Zaki sighed dramatically, earning a weak smile from Anabiya. But her hand instinctively lifted to her own palm—the same hand that had slapped Urhaan. Her chest tightened.
When Zaki finally parted ways, it was only Anabiya and Mahir left. For a long moment, neither spoke. Then Mahir broke the silence, his voice sharp.
"You're clever, Anabiya. Smarter than I thought. I used to think you were just a silly girl, but... you first pushed Urhaan towards revenge, then proved him wrong yourself. Brilliant game."
Anabiya froze, staring at him with wide, hurt eyes. His tone wasn't admiring—it was accusing.
"What did you just say?" she whispered. "You think I planned this? That I... wanted all this?"
Mahir's gaze was cold, unreadable.
"I can't believe how innocent you pretend to be. I don't understand you at all, Anabiya. How many colours do you have?"
Her heart twisted. A hollow ache spread inside her chest. She took a sharp breath, whispering:
"Believe what you want, Mister Mahir. But you don't know me. And I'll never give you the right to speak such things about me."
She turned away, but Mahir's voice followed her.
"Please don't act. You were laughing with me, saying you were fine. The moment I left, you showed Urhaan your tears. What were you trying to prove?"
Anabiya's eyes burned. A single tear escaped before she could stop it. Her voice shook:
"When you don't know the truth, don't speak. Not everything is what it looks like."
Without another word, she walked off, leaving Mahir standing still, confused, restless.
⸻
At her apartment entrance, Anabiya stopped, torn between exhaustion and unease. Her phone buzzed. It was a message from Zaki:
"Biya, I've got Urhaan's location. He's alone."
Her breath caught. Without hesitation, she turned back, entering the lift again. As the doors slid open—Mahir stood right in front of her. Their eyes met, but she walked past him without a word. Mahir didn't stop her, though his chest ached with unease. Where is she going this late at night?
⸻
Fifteen minutes later, Anabiya reached the park near her house. On a swing, Urhaan sat hunched, his fist bruised and bleeding. She walked straight to the swing beside him, sat down, and together, they said:
"Sorry."
They both laughed faintly. But when Anabiya turned to him, her smile fell.
"It must have hurt a lot, right?"
Urhaan shook his head. "It did. But I deserved it."
Her heart clenched. She took his hand carefully, noticing the blood on his knuckles. Tears welled up in her eyes.
"You always hurt yourself when you're angry. Why, Urhaan? Why do you do this?"
Seeing her tears, Urhaan panicked, softening his voice.
"Biya... yaar, this is nothing. Just a small cut."
But she kept crying, shoulders trembling.
"I'm sorry, Ahaan. It's my fault. I shouldn't have called you cruel. And I shouldn't have slapped you..." She rubbed her palm again and again, guilt eating her alive.
Urhaan caught her hand, stopping her. His voice was low but firm.
"If not me, then who else would you scold? Tell me, Biya. Remember our promise? We cry only in front of each other. We share our pain only with each other. No one else gets to see it."
Before she could answer, two familiar voices completed the line from behind:
"Because the four of us are each other's comfort zone... our safe place. Nobody else sees our tears. Nobody else feels our pain."
Mishal and Zaki stood there, smiling through tired faces.
The tension dissolved. The four of them laughed softly, like children who had survived a storm. Mishal, weak but stubborn, opened her medical kit and began tending to Urhaan's wound. Zaki pulled out a bag of burgers he had brought and handed them around.
For a while, they just sat there—eating, talking, forgetting the world. Together.
⸻
But not everyone was at peace.
Mahir sat in his apartment, restless. Again and again, his eyes drifted to the window, scanning the streets outside. His chest felt heavy. Where did she go?
At almost ten, a car pulled up. Mahir leaned forward immediately. It was Zaki's car.
When Anabiya stepped out, laughing faintly, Mahir finally exhaled. Only then did the tight knot in his chest loosen. She was safe.