The next day, the world continued as if nothing had happened.
The city woke up.People ran after buses.Shops opened.Birds sang.
But for me…Something inside had changed.
Zahid had shown me his face.He had given me a piece of himself — a piece I never asked for, but he still offered.
I couldn't stop thinking about his words:"Then maybe there's still hope for me."
That night had felt like standing on the edge of something.Something terrifying.Something beautiful.
University – Later That Day
I sat in my lecture hall, heart racing. I hadn't seen Zahid since last night. And part of me didn't know how to act around him now. Should I pretend it never happened? Should I wait for him to speak first?
Then he entered.
The class quieted, as always.Tall, calm, unreadable — in his black clothes, leather gloves, and the faint scent of danger that followed him like a shadow.
But today, something was different.
His mask was still there…But his eyes?
They searched for me.
And when they found me in the second row — he paused. Just for a heartbeat. And in that heartbeat, his gaze held something new.
Warmth.
After class, students flooded around him with questions. I stayed back. I didn't want to interrupt.
But just as I turned to leave, his voice came low and clear.
"Miss Rida. A moment."
The others stared. My stomach twisted.
I stepped closer. "Yes, sir?"
He handed me a folder. "This is for your upcoming paper. You'll be working with me… directly."
My eyes widened. "What?"
"I've submitted your name. It's already approved."He didn't ask. He decided.
But the way he said it… it didn't feel like control.
It felt like protection.
That Evening – Library Room C3
The room was quiet. Dusty light from the windows filtered in like a soft dream. It was just the two of us — papers on the table, books around, silence in the air.
But the silence wasn't uncomfortable.It was filled with things we didn't know how to say yet.
He sat across from me, flipping through pages like nothing had changed.
But everything had.
"You're good at hiding pain," I finally said.
His fingers paused.
He looked up. "So are you."
Our eyes met. No lies. No masks. Just truth.
"I used to cry under my bed when I was little," I whispered. "After what I saw… I stopped talking for almost a year. My parents thought I was broken."
"You weren't," he replied. "You were just trying to survive."
I blinked. No one had ever said that to me before.
Zahid's voice softened. "When you fainted that night… I didn't know what to do. I've seen people die in front of me, Rida. I've made people bleed. But watching you collapse…"
He exhaled slowly.
"…it scared me more than any of that."
Suddenly, my chest tightened. Tears prickled.
"You're not the only one who's scared," I whispered. "I still flinch when I see red. My heart still pounds when the lights go out. But… I don't want to live like this anymore."
He leaned forward, eyes fixed on mine.
"Then don't," he said. "Let's start with small steps. I'll be your light in the dark."
A single tear escaped me — and I let it fall.
Because with him… I didn't have to hide it anymore.
As I packed my bag to leave, he stopped me with a single word:
"Rida."
I looked up.
"I may not have the right to ask this yet… but will you meet me tomorrow night?"
My heart stuttered.
"Where?"
"Somewhere safe. Somewhere I can show you… something important."
I nodded slowly.
And for the first time…I didn't feel afraid of the dark anymore.
Because he would be there.