Chapter 7: Ending of hate
Two Weeks Later
Zahra returned to university.
She refused to speak to Professor Sarwar.
He, in turn, never called her again.
Only one feeling remained in Zahra's heart toward him:
Hatred.
She blamed him for everything because he was the last person she had spoken to before disappearing.
However, the incident had changed her in many ways.
She became frightened at night.
She refused to go anywhere alone.
Darkness terrified her.
She never locked her bedroom door anymore.
She also learned that Jafar had suddenly left the country without informing anyone.
A Few Weeks Later
By now, Zahra's health had improved.
Dressed in a blue abaya with a white hijab and niqab, she looked graceful as always.
One day, she noticed Fajr and Professor Sarwar talking together.
Both looked worried.
She tried to overhear their conversation but couldn't hear clearly.
Still, she sensed they were discussing her.
Then she heard one name clearly:
Jafar.
At that moment, she realized they suspected Jafar—not Professor Sarwar.
Which meant…
Professor Sarwar hadn't been responsible.
A crack appeared in the wall of hatred she had built around her heart.
She decided she owed him an apology.
She bought a small cake and had the word "Sorry" written on it.
Without saying a word, she handed it to him.
He simply smiled and said,
“Thank you.”
Later, she saw the cake in the hands of the university watchman.
Her temper flared immediately.
The wall of hatred became stronger again.
But the crack still remained.
And cracks often bring walls down.
That night she couldn't sleep, thinking about confronting him the next day.
The Next Day
The following morning, Zahra marched straight into Professor Sarwar's office.
The moment she entered, she began scolding him.
Professor Sarwar listened patiently, wearing only a faint smile.
Zahra was dressed in a red abaya with her niqab, looking elegant despite her anger.
Professor Sarwar wore grey trousers and a black shirt.
His smile only irritated her more.
After that day, however, they gradually began speaking to each other.
One Week Later
Another lecturer asked Zahra to deliver an official document to Professor Sarwar.
On the way, she came up with a mischievous idea.
Instead of giving him the paper immediately, she asked another student to deliver it first.
Later she approached him.
Zahra: “Sir, is this your Gmail address?”
Professor Sarwar: “Yes, it is.”
Zahra: “Is it your personal email?”
Professor Sarwar: “Yes. Why? Are you planning to hack it?”
Zahra: “No, Sir! Why would I do that?”
Then she became serious.
Zahra: “Actually... I received an email from this address.”
Professor Sarwar: “When? What did it say?”
Zahra: “I'm not sure when it was sent. It didn't contain any message.”
Professor Sarwar: “Please send me a screenshot on WhatsApp.”
Zahra: “No, Sir. I don't WhatsApp teachers.”
Professor Sarwar smiled.
“Alright. I'll look into it.”
As soon as he walked away, Zahra hid her laughter.
She had finally succeeded in teasing him.
The cake incident had been avenged.
For the first time in many days, she felt genuinely happy.