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That way, lay only madness

But Ya Allah, she tempted him She’d always te for i love that threatened to make him lose his sense of himself

Into al his father and he had built for Behraat

Almost

If he did, he would never forgive himself and he would come to resent her and it would be the utter ruin he’d alished to avoid

Not reaching for her noas like trying to avoid the harsh, beautiful, glittering sun while standing in the middle of the desert, however

He cla to burst out of him How many times would she test hi him?

“If you believed his threats to be empty, why are you here?”

“I didn’t know then But now” She shook her head and when she looked up, a sheen coated her ht-black eyes Her mouth trembled “Icame back for you, for us I came back because I realized what a coward I’ve been, Zafir I came back because I love you so much”

Zafir stiffened, even as her words chipped away at him He released her and fisted his hands “You have said that before, habeebti And I believed you”

He pushed his hand through his hair, feeling as weak as a leaf And she was the gust of wind that could forever blow him away

Her shoulders rigid, her stubborn chin lifted, she nodded Tears fell onto her cheeks and it was all Zafir could do to not take her in his ar she’d offered once, believed that he could have this light, this happiness that she brought hi with Behraat

That he needn’t be alone after all for the rest of his life, with nothing but the desert and Behraat stretched before him, that he was loved

“I knobreath, and wiped away her tears And he could see her heart in those brilliant eyes of hers, her courage, her honesty and her love for hied then, at the battle within And for once, he desperately wanted to lose