A tale of love, loss, and new beginnings.
Hareem wants to start over, Momin is stuck in the past. Can a newly wedded couple learn to love and accept one another while also dealing with an uncertain future and a haunting past?
Trigger warning: ptsd...
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Chapter Thirty Five
"Mr. Mehmood, please be mindful of the exam I asked you to prepare." Professor Hammad said to Momin as they exited a classroom late that Thursday.
"Yes Sir." Momin curtly said, pulling his bag closer to his body.
The professor walked a few feet ahead of him, parting the sea of students packed in the hallway.
Usually Momin liked taking the lead on tasks that required exertion in respect to his mentor's age and rank, yet when it came to dealing with emotional female students who didn't feel any shame flirting with him, he let the professor take the lead. The last thing he wanted was to associate himself with any woman, and in particular at his wife's university.
He lowered his gaze as he noticed some heads turn, focusing on the tiled floor he followed the Professor's footsteps. When his mentor halted, he halted too. He was still staring at the ground when a figure passed by him, bumping into his shoulder so hard he felt like it broke.
Letting out a gasp in pain he whirled around to look at the other party to check if they were okay, but the girl had recovered and was running away. He squinted as he took notice of the familiar scarf. Hadn't he seen Hareem wear one when they went to get her ring?
He was still thinking when he heard a voice from the other end of the hallway, rushing through the crowd with a sense of urgency.
"Please wait!" A girl with a scarf loosely wrapped around her head announced. "Hareem!" The girl shrieked, her voice full with emotion. Momin snapped back his neck towards the running figure and felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach.
Just for a second, when the running figure looked back, Momin saw the face he had come to love. Her chocolate orbs were bloodshot and cheeks were flushed with tears.
Hareem.
Every single thought from Momin's mind disappeared as worry filled him. There was nothing more important to him in that moment than Hareem.
He discarded the bag hanging from his body, shoving his folders into a student standing near him. He didn't bother checking with his mentor or consider what he was doing, instead he took off, leaving Professor Hammad calling out for his assistant.
His walking shoes and his long legs helped him close the distance between them soon. The students parted when they saw him charging towards them, cowering to both ends of the walls. His heart throbbed in his chest with exertion, his eyes set on his wife as she ran.
He exited the building panting, and found himself at the back of the campus. He saw Hareem dashing down the stairs, running towards the other side of campus. Getting an idea, he turned towards the other side and started running faster than he had in his life.
Sweat lined his forehead as he took a shortcut and ended up only a few feet away from her.
"Hareem!" He called out, before reaching for her arm and turning her to face him. "What's wrong?" She was crying heavily, her nose running, and her face all wet.
