Ignoring the strange warmth, she pressed the doorbell and prepared herself for the fight she was about to conduct.
The door was opened by her father as expected, and without paying any attention to the strict come worried look on his face, she just walked pass by him,
"maheen I told u to return in 20 minutes, it's more than an hour now!", Ahmed Malik followed her through the lounge, "dad, u haven't bought me a rocket which can bring me home at a lightning speed, I was at the Piccadilly circus, which is the other corner of the city", she replied drinking water, leaving her father with no answer again.
"umm , chalo okay, leave what happened, I think u just sleep for some while, then have to go to ur university today too", he caressed her hair and she moved away, "and why do I have to go to university today?', she glared at him and Ahmed Malik got embarrassed reading the fire in his daughter's eyes.
"I received a warning letter from ur institute yesterday, it said these are the last six months for ur thesis submission, if u don't follow the deadline then ur degree will not be issued"
"so?, I don't need any degree!", she replied calmly and turned to go upstairs to her room,
"maheen, please beta, u are just left with ur thesis, ur hard work of four years will go in drain, without it, why don't u..
"dad what exactly is ur problem?", she stopped midway in the stairs and held the railing for a support, "can't u just let me live in peace, u are always coming up with strange demands in front of me!"
"this is for ur future child, I ..
"what future dad??, I don't have any future!!, why don't u..
"stop talking these foul things", this time Ahmed Malik's voice was raised and even maheen felt a wave of fear passing through her body, "don't u dare say such things about urslef again!!"Ahmed climbed the stairs and again caressed her hair an this time she felt too weak to move away, "maheen, I understand u have lost hope from life, whatever u saw since childhood is not leaving you, but beta that was past, that is not going to return, I am your sinner child, whatever u are doing to your life today is just because of me, I wasn't able to protect u both from the harshness of life and I am sorry for that, but beta I am certainly not going to allow you to ruin your life, please maheen, for once in ur life agree to me .. ", he cupped her face and tears trickled down maheen's cheeks, "how do u expect me to agree to a person who snatched my mother?'
"I didn't snatch her maheen, she left you both on her own", he pressed his hands on her cheeks and he pushed them away slightly,
'she left because you never loved her",
"no maheen, she left because she never loved me".
"dad, why.." her voice was becoming weak and she could feel the dizziness turning sharp, while Ahmed just cupped her face again, "maheen I can't explain what happened between me and your mother, all I can say is that we both were just not meant for each other, even after spending 15 years with each other, we couldn't discover our love, the magic amongst us never bloomed, it was the forbidden magic maheen, we were not supposed to fall in love, but still we thought our infatuation was love and the result is we have two broken and shattered children.", he paused for a while to gain breath and maheen closed her eyes to let the tears flow,
"maheen, I know you love your mother more than u love me, and I never complain, but atleast beta, I deserve some fragment of your love too, my heart just pierces when I see my princess being so heart less with me", he said in a helpless voice and maheen just kept her eyes lowered, "I promise maheen, whatever happened was not my fault, it wasn't your mother's fault even . we both tried our best to make our relation work, but as I said, it was the forbidden magic maheen, and forbidden things don't work", he again paused to wipe his tears and this time maheen just ran upstairs, "maheen I beg you not to ruin your life behind your past, please .."
Ahmed Malik said behind her and she stopped at the door of her room, "I'll go the university only if u promise not to demand love and respect for u in return, ", she said bluntly and Ahmed Malik felt his heart sinking, 'I am sorry dad, but I cannot love the person I have seen beating my mother, I am sorry", and with this she banged her door leaving Ahmed Malik with a sigh again but this time accompanied with a thankful prayer.
---------------------------------------------------
Dressed in a black jeans and a maroon high neck sweater, maheen was walking by the street quickly, leading to her university.
She was doing everything against the will of her mind, but she somehow couldn't refuse her father last night, she never hated him, it was just a gap which she didn't want to cover, she always felt that being polite with her father would lead to betray her mother, after all he was responsible for all what happened, but after last night's confrontation, things felt as being a bit changing or she allowed them to change herself, but whatever it was, the truth was that she was heading towards some light after so long.
She walked by the lush green gardens of the NUL ' National University of London. She loved the campus, it was beautiful and walking through them made her feel warm and fresh every time she entered it, and today the aura was giving some strange vibes and she was liking it.
She went straight to English department, and there, she headed towards the main notice board, where the names of the students with pending thesis were displayed, along with the names of their instructors. She made a note of the name of her instructor and the office too.
Climbing the stairs, she reached the research cell, and sensing a strange un easiness in her heart, she slowly knocked the door, "may I come in?,
Waiting for a couple of seconds for an answer, she slowly opened the door and a person was sitting on the chair behind the main desk, hidden behind a huge journal,
"may I come in sir?', she asked again and the person closed the journal and there maheen was startled .."TUM!!"
She was shocked, and totally bewildered she stood still on the door, "come in Miss Malik", the person smiled sweetly and Maheen thought this was definitely a dream.
"What the hell are u doing here?", she asked involuntarily and walked towards his desk in fury, while the person was amused at her shock.
"Well .. ummm .. working .. earning some money so I can live a peaceful and respectable life", he answered normally and things began to dawn on Maheen, "so you are my instructor?', she asked helplessly and he nodded.
Maheen couldn't understand that what exactly was she feeling standing in front of him, the way he looked at her made her feel vulnerable and shallow, but at the same time , he had this aura of protectiveness round him.
"Shall we start?", if I am not wrong then u are already late", he said pulling a chair and maheen reluctantly sat down, while he took the seat in front of her.
"Let's start with names, hi I am Zeeshan Ali", he put his hand forward and maheen put his palm hesitantly on his hand, "Maheen Malik", she said and was greeted with a smile.
"Okay so Maheen Malik, firstly I need to know that why are you so late?", you must have submitted this thesis last year but it's still pending, any specific reason?'
No!,, just couldn't focus"
"I see!, and are you sure you will focus this time?' he leaned a bit to see in her eyes while she opened them more wide, as if accepting the challenge that u can see in my eyes, I won't get scared, "I am not sure for this time even", she replied with a blunt tone and Zeeshan smiled,
"don't worry, I'll make sure your focus doesn't shifts anywhere"
"don't be so sure about me", she answered stiffly as if insulted with his confidence,
"I am not sure about urslef, I am sure about myself, now let's begin, I need to see the work you have down so far."
40