Chapter Twenty

'Don't run away, I'll keep you safe. Safe in my arms. Don't be afraid, I feel the change. Within my heart. Marching towards the other side, I can feel it come at night, Falling straight through you. See the darkness settling. Are we all just wandering? I can feel it too. Searching for the truth..'

Searching for the truth by ISAMAR

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'Searching for the truth' was what they had both been listening to, for the past 5 weeks. Yes 5 weeks since they both hot separated. They were never the same after that night.

Omar knew he couldn't live Iqra like Ilham and Ilham had noticed how Levent seemed interested in her, but she saw no other man apart from Omar.

Even though he would probably have been married by now, she knew that part of him craved for her and vice versa. She missed him always. She used to reminisce the first time she met him. She missed those days.

Omar missed everything about her. He got married to Iqra about 3 weeks ago and has been living with her since. She tried to make him move on, but he can't. He still lives her with everything he has. Even though he believes she's dead, she still holds a greater part of his heart which no other woman could ever hold.

Hayat and Amir on the other hand have since been mourning Ilham. They hadn't smiled or laughed since she passed away. They had cut all contacts with Omar and his mafia. The most difficult thing to do was for Hayat to delete all pictures of Ilham. She felt too weak to do that. She didn't want to see all those good days. Days when everything was normal, until Omar came in and she fell in love with him and he destroyed her.

Nothing is more painful than grieving a loved one. May it never happen to anyone. But death, pain, anguish is inevitable.

Author's Perspective

Ilham got fed up of living with Levent. Not that he was mean or she was a burden, but the fact that Hayat and Amir, think she's dead, when she's actually alive and getting over Omar.

Wait...Who was born only yesterday? She is still madly in love with him. But she was doubtful of his love.

She needed to talk to Levent. He was a nice man and would let her go if she just asked.

"Levent?" She said as she met him in his office typing. He always took her to his workplace. It was like, he never wanted her to be out of his sight.

He looked up and smiled at her. She blushed and smiled back. She didn't understand why he made her blush. He chuckled a little and stopped his work and walked up to her.

"What's wrong Ilham?" He asked. She sighed and looked away as she tried to hide the tears forming in her eyes.

"I've been staying with you for close to 6 weeks. I want to go back home. My family would probably think that, I'm dead and will be mourning me. I just want to meet them and let them know that I'm alright" she said meekly.

Levent sat beside her and smiled. He gave her a side hug and a peck on the cheek. Those hugs and pecks reminded her of the man she was trying to forget. She had to force a smile out of her self.

"It's alright hun. Let's go home, we'll get dressed and we can go meet your family." He disclosed.

She smiled genuinely and nodded. He returned to his table and wrapped up whatever he was doing and came back for them to leave.

He loved her but she didn't love him. She liked him, but love...No!

He knew that she couldn't just start loving him. She would take time before. He would wait even a 100 years or more for her to return his love.

He drove her in his Mc Laren vehicle back home to her ready.

Ilham had a lot of thoughts in her mind. What was she going to do if Omar was there? How would Hayat recat to her almost suicidal mission?? What would she tell them about Levent and herself?

She was in so much thoughts that, she didn't realise that Leven was right beside her and was calling her.

"Shawty?" She finally snapped out of her trance.  Levent was so close to her. He was gazing right at her lips as though he wanted to devour them. Ilham noticed it and blushed.

Levent burst out laughing and soon Ilham joined in the laughter. It was the first time after a very long time since she got her final heartbreak.

It felt nice but left a pit in her heart. She was still trying to get over him. Levent held her and and wrapped her in a bear hug before walking her downstairs to his fellow of cars.

"I have a little surprise for you, before you leave. You can come back anyday. Because you mean a lot to me. I believe you know that Ily?" Levent was confessing love to her. She wasn't ready. He was a nice man in every way but love, no! She just couldn't.

He saw how she was battling with her emotions. He just sighed and pointed at a posh Rolls Royce vehicle.

"I got that for you as your birthday present " he sang into her ear making her giggle.

"But my birthday is nowhere near" Ilham countered. He checked and shook his head

"Sorry. I didn't know that. Anyways, I got this for you, as a symbol of my care for you" he announced while holding hands with her. She was scared. Omar or Levent?

She sighed and just hugged him. He was surprised. Had she returned his love? He didn't know.

"Thank you. But I hope you find someone who is good for you. But that someone is not me. I'm so sorry but I can't accept this" she said miserably.

He the front of his forehead with his forefingers in a pensive gesture. He nodded and held her hand and ushered her to his own car.

As they drove to her house, he placed a call to one of his bodyguards and ordered him to bring the new car he bought for her, over to her house.

She sighed. she didn't want it bug he was still persistent. She just looked away while he patted her palm softly.

He wasn't going to give up that easily. He would make Ilham his. He would try to.

When Hayat's home came into sight, Ilham felt heartbreak. She pointed Hayat's house out to Levent and soon he parked in front of the house.

She came out of the car feebly as Levent supported her to the door. She took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. After ringing for about 3 times, the face of her long lost best friend Hayat came into view. Hayat's eyeballs widened as her jaw dropped and tears rolled down freely from her eyes

"If I'm not back, I'm gone. But if I'm back, I'm here for my best friend " Ilham said feebly with tears in her eyes

"Ilhaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!" Hayat screamed, a little too loud for her pregnant state. The next thing they know it, Amir comes running down the stairs only to stop dead at the sight of Ilham.

"If I'm not back, I'm gone, but if I'm back, I'm here for my brother" she said as tears rolled down her eyes once more

"Oh my Ilham. Why did you do this to us?" Amir cried. For the first time ever, he cried in front of everyone. Hayat hugged her long lost best friend so tight. She had missed her so much. She was angry, sad, happy, everything.

She had got her best friend back.

"Don't you dare do that to me again Ilham! Do you know for how long all of us have wept?!" Hayat scolded Ilham while crying.

They all hugged each other. They were still shocked to see her, hear her, feel her. The girl they once thought, they lost, was here and was with them

"I'm sorry. I would have been dead by now,had it not been for this man Levent. He saved me from myself and I'm forever indebted." Ilham said between sobs. She was in Hayat's embrace.

Amir got up and hugged Levent very tight and patted his back.

"I don't know how to thank you enough. I hope you find all that you're looking for in this life and the hereafter." Amir blessed the man.

Hayat also higher Levent and even kissed his cheek, and feet. She didn't know how to thank him enough. Ilhan sat down quietly obviously thinking about Omar.

She wished to stop thinking about him, but she couldn't. Suddenly, Amir phone begun ringing. It was Omar. He was Facetiming Amir.

Amor quickly picked up the call and spat at Omar

"Ilham is not dead Omar! As a player of fact, she's here with us. But I'm not letting you have her anymore. She's not going to be yours anymore. She's going to recover and one day, she'll forget all about you!!!" He handed the phone over to Ilham. Ilham saw Omar and Omar saw Ilham. Omar looked very shocked.

Both their tears didn't go unnoticed. Omar looked messed up and Ilham looked depressed. They stared at each other for a while before they sighed in unison.

"Sorry for coming into your life" they said in unison before they both looked each other in the eye for the last time before smiling a little and hunging up.

Hayat was scolding Amir for letting Ilham see Omar. But Ilham felt happy to see him. Even though they were probably never getting back together, at least she knew that he cared.

Levent announced his departure. Ilham saw him off and promised to call him every day. Levent knew that she was still in love with Omar, but he wanted to change that.

He had to try harder to get her to love him back.

Now three men were in love with Ilham

Omar, Jamal and Levent.

The crazy thing is that she loves only one, hates one and likes one respectively.

What was she going to do? And beside, Jamal was also aware of her return and Omar's new bride.

He was cooking up another evil plan.

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