23 Chapter 21: The Revenge

Rania found herself in the company of Zinat, a culmination of years of relentless pursuit. Initially, her animosity had been directed more towards Aayat than Zinat. But as time passed and Aayat seemingly snatched her beloved away, her resentment had pivoted, and she grew to despise Aayat more than her weaker friend. The loss of both her love and her former closest companion had been irrevocably linked to Aayat, and now, Rania was determined to exact her revenge.

She had ensconced Zinat in a place so obscure that no one could locate her. Rania roused her captive from slumber with a splash of water, then followed it with a stinging slap as she gradually awakened. Zinat's initial confusion quickly gave way to anger, and she demanded to know her whereabouts in a tone that matched her frustration. "What in the world? Where have you brought me?" she questioned with a fiery glare.

Rania's smirk revealed her malicious intent. "Don't fret. I won't harm you just yet. First, I'll torment your feeble best friend until she's incapable of resisting, until she surrenders her life willingly. Only then will you truly understand the depths of despair," she explained with a wicked glint in her eye.

Infuriated, Zinat spat back, "You wretched witch! Lay a finger on her, and you'll regret it!”

With that, Rania left, confident in her plan. Torturing Zinat directly would be challenging, so she intended to employ Aayat as a pawn in her scheme. She made her way to the university, ostensibly for her classes, while secretly instructing a trusted confidant to slip drug powder into Aayat's drink. Her aim was to create an alibi, to divert suspicion from herself. But once again, Aayat was saved, this time by a vigilant new friend who foiled the plan.

Rania couldn't help but wonder how long Aayat would continue to have people who came to her aid. She believed that she knew precisely what could break Aayat, and she was determined to see her vengeance through to the end.

Aayat had exhausted all her options, trying numerous tracking software to no avail in her frantic search for Zinat. It was then that she turned to Ahaana, renowned for her prowess in hacking, a last hope to find her missing friend. In an astonishingly swift hour, Ahaana's talents led them to Zinat's location - the university building itself.

The revelation left Aayat breathless with relief and fear intermingled. She wasted no time, immediately embarking on a search alongside Aditya. Two gruelling hours passed without success. Finally, they managed to persuade the security guards to allow them access to the security cameras. What they saw shocked them: Zinat was trapped in the cold room.

Without hesitation, they rushed to her aid, imploring the guards to open the door. Zinat, covered in layers of hoodies and jackets, had been exposed to the cold for some time. The danger of pneumonia loomed, and the cold was taking its toll. Rushing to her side, they quickly transported her to the hospital. Aayat's tears flowed freely; she couldn't bear the thought of losing yet another person dear to her.

Amidst the chaos, a call from Rania pierced through. Aayat's anger surged as Rania taunted her, suggesting that this wasn't the true attack. Enraged, Aayat abruptly ended the call, hurling the phone against the wall. If Rania thought she could toy with them, she had another thing coming. Aayat needed to safeguard Zinat, ensuring she was beyond Rania's reach.

Once Zinat regained consciousness, Aayat entrusted Aditya with the responsibility of escorting her away, using the private jet she had arranged for the day. Before seeing them off, she issued strict instructions. They were to keep their new location a closely guarded secret, even from family. Aditya, who would be training Zinat, would stay with her around the clock. Aayat trusted no one else for this task. They could continue their work from their concealed sanctuary, but their whereabouts must never be disclosed.

Aayat embraced them both tightly, her protective instincts in full force. Aditya couldn't help but chuckle at her newfound assertiveness. "Since when did she grow up? Look at her, she's giving us orders and shielding us," he remarked with pride. Smiling, Aayat bid them farewell and returned to her apartment, only to find a tearful Dafne awaiting her.

Concerned, Aayat inquired about Dafne's distress. Dafne clung to her, eventually managing to speak. "He cheated on me," she confessed, her voice filled with pain. Aayat was taken aback. "With who?" she asked gently.

Dafne's response left Aayat stunned: "A girl named Rania, Rania Ahmed." The name sent shockwaves through Aayat. It seemed that Rania's malevolence knew no bounds. Despite the turmoil, Aayat reassured Dafne. She was convinced that the choice her ex-boyfriend had made was unwise and that he would soon rue his decision.

Aayat managed to comfort the sobbing Dafne, soothing her until she fell into a peaceful slumber. After ensuring her roommate was sleeping soundly, she turned her attention to her phone, hoping to find some reassuring news about Zinat. However, she was met with a message from Rania. Aayat wondered why she hadn't blocked Rania's number before.

The message read, "Hope your sweet room-mate is still holding up." Aayat chose not to dignify it with a response. Her priority was looking after Dafne, who was still whimpering in her sleep. Gently, she kissed Dafne's forehead and quietly moved away, her mind focused on the revenge she had decided upon.

Rania had chosen the wrong person to target this time, and Aayat couldn't help but smile. She had found the starting point for her revenge. With determination in her heart, she allowed the darkness that had taken hold of her to guide her actions.

Rania meticulously reviewed her plan for the day. Over the past two and a half months, she had observed how much Aayat cared for her roommate, Dafne. This insight had given her the perfect alibi to exploit. While she did find some likeable qualities in Dafne, Rania believed she could use her to her advantage. Aayat and Zinat needed to pay for taking Zubair away from her. Aayat, in particular, had dragged her best friend into their lives and had effectively stolen the one person Rania truly loved. This was why she harboured such intense hatred for them.

*Flashback*

"Zubbu, you will always be my friend, right?" asked the innocent girl, her curls falling gracefully onto her face.

"Of course, Rania. You are my best friend. Why would I ever leave you?" Zubair replied warmly.

The two kids continued to play, sharing a bond that was unbreakable at the time. However, as Zubair welcomed his little sister, his attention began to shift, and he slowly drifted away from Rania. While he still considered her a friend, Rania's growing insecurity got the best of her. She began to act rudely towards Zubair, resenting the newfound attention he gave his little sister, Aayat.

Zubair always included Aayat in their activities, and he no longer devoted the same amount of time to Rania as before. Zubair remained soft-hearted, but his friendship with Rania began to wane. Rania's jealousy and insecurity continued to fester. She hoped that someday, Zubair would realise how much she cherished their friendship.

When Zubair developed feelings for Zinat and decided to express them to Aditya and Rania, it marked a turning point. While Aditya was happy for his friend, Rania's heart burned with jealousy. She had come to love Zubair and was determined to win him back at any cost. She held onto the hope that he would one day recognise her deep affection.

A year later, when Zinat started dating Zubair, he communicated with Rania only sparingly. This rejection fueled Rania's anger and hurt. She resented both girls who had seemingly stolen her best friend and her love. Rania chose Aayat as her primary target for her attacks, knowing she was the more vulnerable of the two.

As her hatred for the girls grew, Rania launched a series of petty attacks on them, aiming to humiliate and hurt them. However, everything changed on Zubair's engagement day when he tricked her into getting drunk at Zinat's behest. Rania endured severe humiliation that day and faced harsh consequences from her parents.

With Aditya and Zubair preparing to leave for university the following week, Rania bided her time to exact her revenge. Not only had Zinat taken the love of her life away, but she had also subjected her to humiliation. After Zubair's betrayal, Rania no longer held back her hatred, allowing it to consume her.

The day after Zubair's departure, Rania set her revenge plan in motion. She orchestrated an accident involving Zinat, breaking her leg. Although Rania despised both Aayat and Zinat, she was aware of her limits. This accident led Aayat to take action, gathering evidence against Rania and presenting it to her parents. In response, Rania's parents sent her to Malaysia after she completed her A levels to keep her away from Aayat and Zinat.

*Flashback end*

Rania couldn't hold back her emotions any longer; she let the tears flow freely. "I hate you, Aayat. Your very existence ruined my life. I hate you for taking away my best friend. I hate you for bringing Zinat into his life. I will never forgive the two of you. I'll make sure you both end up alone, just like I am," she whispered, her tears streaming down her cheeks.

After a while, Rania managed to compose herself and prepare for the day ahead. A new day meant a new plan for her revenge. As she walked across campus, she was greeted by videos and pictures of herself displayed on screens. One video showed her being intimate with Dafne's boyfriend, accompanied by several indecent photos. One particularly cruel image was photoshopped, labelling her as the "plastic surgery queen.”

Unable to contain her emotions, Rania cried openly. The reputation she had carefully built over the past two years was now tarnished, and she knew exactly who was behind this. Unfortunately, she was helpless and turned to her friends for support.

However, Rania's friends were largely judgmental and shallow. They refused to help her, leaving her to deal with the situation on her own. The videos and pictures had only been displayed for fifteen minutes, but that was enough to cause the damage that Aayat had intended. While Rania struggled to collect herself, Aayat faced the anger of her own friends.

Aditya was beyond irritated by Aayat's actions. "How could you do this?" he demanded. "She hurt both Dafne and Zinat in a single day. Do you think I would let her get away with that? Don't forget she made Abyad cheat on me as well," he added, equally frustrated.

Aayat, equally frustrated, replied, "Let's be clear once and for all. No matter how low she stoops, you are not following in her footsteps. I won't let you burn in the fire of revenge. You need to be composed and wise. What I did here was proof of my impulsiveness.”

Aayat stood silent, knowing she had acted impulsively. She had not thought before acting because she was blinded by the pain suffered by the two girls she cared about. Aditya was about to continue scolding her, but Dafne intervened and asked Irshad to leave them alone for a while.

"Look, Aayat, I know you wanted to get back at them for hurting Zinat and me, and we love you for that," Dafne began gently. "But the measures you took were extreme and not your style. Reputation is precious to a girl, and by tarnishing hers, you took the wrong step. You should never have done that. Whatever she did was out of jealousy; maybe try talking it out. It's better to bury a hammer than to shed blood.”

Aayat responded, "Please don't ask me to apologise to her. Even if I am at fault here, there's no way I will say sorry to her.”

Dafne reassured her, "You seriously think I would ask you to apologise to the witch who cheated on me with my boyfriend for three years?”

Their exchange made both of them smile, and Aayat apologised to Aditya, promising not to let her impulsiveness cloud her judgment. She also managed to sort things out with her friends, who, while still mad at her, understood her motives.

As Aayat headed to her lab class, she unexpectedly ran into a crying Rania. Rania, in her distress, slapped and punched Aayat in the face, but Aayat didn't retaliate. She felt she deserved the physical reaction after tarnishing Rania's reputation.

"You stole my best friend. You made my life a living hell! You took away my love, and now you took the last thing I had left—my reputation! How dare you? I hate you, Aayat. Every time I think I could befriend you, you make me regret my decision," Rania cried out.

Aayat was genuinely puzzled; she had never initiated an attack on Rania, always defending herself from Rania's bullying. In her view, Rania had been the aggressor.

"What are you talking about? I never bullied you. You were always the one bullying Zinat and me," Aayat replied, genuinely confused.

Rania left her with a cryptic question, "You are right. I always bullied you, but did you ever ask yourself why I was always after you and Zinat?