24-09-2025, 09:49 PM
(This post was last modified: 24-09-2025, 09:50 PM by matiba2025213. Edited 1 time in total. Edited 1 time in total.)
Chapter 38: The return (Act 18)
Down the street, Rahim's hands clenched the bike's handlebars, his knuckles white with tension. The image of Lina on the floor, vulnerable, weeping kept flashing in his mind, intertwined with the violent, graphic scene her confession had conjured. A possessive, jealous heat simmered in his gut, hotter and more dangerous than his anger. She was his.
Her safety, her body, her secrets, they all belonged to him. The thought that others had touched what was his, threatened what was his, ignited a fire that demanded an outlet.
He wasn’t driving away from her; he was pacing, like a predator unsettled by a challenge to his claim. But the fury was too raw, too close to the surface. He needed to cool off before he could face her again. His bike roared through the quiet streets, the engine a growl of pent-up emotion.
Finally, he pulled into the dimly lit parking lot of a familiar bar. The neon sign buzzed faintly, casting a reddish glow over the asphalt. Rahim killed the engine and sat for a moment, staring at the entrance. He didn’t want to think. He just wanted to drown the storm inside him.
As he stepped inside, the smell of stale beer and cigarette smoke hit him. The bar was half-empty, the low hum of conversation and the clink of glasses filling the air. He wasn’t here to drink alone, but before he could even reach the counter, a voice called out.
“Rahim? Is that you?”
He turned to see Yusuf, an old friend from his college days, waving him over to a corner table. “What are you doing here?” Yusuf asked, grinning. “Feeling nostalgic for our wilder days?”
Rahim forced a half-smile. “Something like that.”
Yusuf slid a beer across the table toward him. “Take a seat. We’re starting a poker game. You in?”
Rahim hesitated, then nodded. Maybe this was what he needed, a distraction, some friendly banter to take the edge off. He sat down, grabbing the beer and taking a long swig. The cold liquid did little to quell the heat inside, but it was a start.
As the cards were dealt, Yusuf leaned in. “You look like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders. What’s going on?”
Rahim shook his head. “It’s… complicated.”
Yusuf smirked. “Isn’t it always? Come on, man, let’s focus on the game. Forget your troubles for a bit.”
The game began, and Rahim found himself slowly drawn into the rhythm of it. The banter, the laughter, the occasional outburst...it all helped dull the sharp edges of his thoughts. For a while, at least.
Meanwhile, back at home, Lina lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The room felt too big without Rahim beside her. She curled into herself, pulling the blanket tight around her shoulders. Sleep wouldn’t come, though she desperately wished it would. Her mind kept replaying the moment he walked out the door, the look on his face etched into her memory.
She whispered to the empty room, “Please, come back.” But there was no answer. Just the silence and the slow tick of the clock, marking the hours until dawn.
Meanwhile, Rahim sat at the dimly lit corner table in the bar, a half-empty beer bottle clutched tightly in his hand. The poker game had ended, and the other patrons had dispersed, leaving him alone with his thoughts. The alcohol had done little to dull the storm raging inside him. His mind kept circling back to Lina, her trembling voice, the tears streaming down her face, and the horrifying truth she had finally confessed.
“Another round?” Yusuf’s voice broke through his reverie.
Rahim shook his head without looking up. “No. I’m good.”
Yusuf leaned back in his chair, studying his old friend carefully. “You’re not yourself tonight. What’s eating you?”
Rahim’s jaw tightened as he finally met Yusuf’s gaze. “Lina… she told me something tonight. Something I don’t know if I can ever get past.”
Yusuf raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. “What could be that bad? You two have always been solid.”
Rahim hesitated, then set his beer down with a heavy thud. “She was… hurt. By someone else. And she didn’t tell me. She kept it from me for weeks.”
Yusuf’s expression shifted from curiosity to concern. “Damn, man. That’s heavy. But… if she was hurt, maybe she was just trying to protect you. Or herself.”
“Protect me?” Rahim scoffed, his voice bitter. “She let them get away with it. She let them walk free while I had no idea what they’d done to her.”
Yusuf leaned forward, his tone cautious but firm. “Maybe she was scared. Maybe she thought you’d do something reckless. Hell, look at yourself right now. You’re seething. You’ve got that look in your eyes like you’re ready to tear someone apart.”
Rahim’s fists clenched on the table, his knuckles white. “Wouldn’t you? If someone laid a hand on the woman you love?”
Yusuf sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I would. But here’s the thing, you can’t fix this by running off into the night or picking a fight with ghosts. She needs you, man. Right now, she probably feels like she’s drowning in guilt and fear. And you walked out on her.”
The words struck Rahim like a punch to the gut. He stared at Yusuf, his anger momentarily eclipsed by a sinking realization. “I didn’t want to hurt her,” he muttered, more to himself than to Yusuf. “I just… I needed space to think.”
Down the street, Rahim's hands clenched the bike's handlebars, his knuckles white with tension. The image of Lina on the floor, vulnerable, weeping kept flashing in his mind, intertwined with the violent, graphic scene her confession had conjured. A possessive, jealous heat simmered in his gut, hotter and more dangerous than his anger. She was his.
Her safety, her body, her secrets, they all belonged to him. The thought that others had touched what was his, threatened what was his, ignited a fire that demanded an outlet.
He wasn’t driving away from her; he was pacing, like a predator unsettled by a challenge to his claim. But the fury was too raw, too close to the surface. He needed to cool off before he could face her again. His bike roared through the quiet streets, the engine a growl of pent-up emotion.
Finally, he pulled into the dimly lit parking lot of a familiar bar. The neon sign buzzed faintly, casting a reddish glow over the asphalt. Rahim killed the engine and sat for a moment, staring at the entrance. He didn’t want to think. He just wanted to drown the storm inside him.
As he stepped inside, the smell of stale beer and cigarette smoke hit him. The bar was half-empty, the low hum of conversation and the clink of glasses filling the air. He wasn’t here to drink alone, but before he could even reach the counter, a voice called out.
“Rahim? Is that you?”
He turned to see Yusuf, an old friend from his college days, waving him over to a corner table. “What are you doing here?” Yusuf asked, grinning. “Feeling nostalgic for our wilder days?”
Rahim forced a half-smile. “Something like that.”
Yusuf slid a beer across the table toward him. “Take a seat. We’re starting a poker game. You in?”
Rahim hesitated, then nodded. Maybe this was what he needed, a distraction, some friendly banter to take the edge off. He sat down, grabbing the beer and taking a long swig. The cold liquid did little to quell the heat inside, but it was a start.
As the cards were dealt, Yusuf leaned in. “You look like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders. What’s going on?”
Rahim shook his head. “It’s… complicated.”
Yusuf smirked. “Isn’t it always? Come on, man, let’s focus on the game. Forget your troubles for a bit.”
The game began, and Rahim found himself slowly drawn into the rhythm of it. The banter, the laughter, the occasional outburst...it all helped dull the sharp edges of his thoughts. For a while, at least.
Meanwhile, back at home, Lina lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The room felt too big without Rahim beside her. She curled into herself, pulling the blanket tight around her shoulders. Sleep wouldn’t come, though she desperately wished it would. Her mind kept replaying the moment he walked out the door, the look on his face etched into her memory.
She whispered to the empty room, “Please, come back.” But there was no answer. Just the silence and the slow tick of the clock, marking the hours until dawn.
Meanwhile, Rahim sat at the dimly lit corner table in the bar, a half-empty beer bottle clutched tightly in his hand. The poker game had ended, and the other patrons had dispersed, leaving him alone with his thoughts. The alcohol had done little to dull the storm raging inside him. His mind kept circling back to Lina, her trembling voice, the tears streaming down her face, and the horrifying truth she had finally confessed.
“Another round?” Yusuf’s voice broke through his reverie.
Rahim shook his head without looking up. “No. I’m good.”
Yusuf leaned back in his chair, studying his old friend carefully. “You’re not yourself tonight. What’s eating you?”
Rahim’s jaw tightened as he finally met Yusuf’s gaze. “Lina… she told me something tonight. Something I don’t know if I can ever get past.”
Yusuf raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. “What could be that bad? You two have always been solid.”
Rahim hesitated, then set his beer down with a heavy thud. “She was… hurt. By someone else. And she didn’t tell me. She kept it from me for weeks.”
Yusuf’s expression shifted from curiosity to concern. “Damn, man. That’s heavy. But… if she was hurt, maybe she was just trying to protect you. Or herself.”
“Protect me?” Rahim scoffed, his voice bitter. “She let them get away with it. She let them walk free while I had no idea what they’d done to her.”
Yusuf leaned forward, his tone cautious but firm. “Maybe she was scared. Maybe she thought you’d do something reckless. Hell, look at yourself right now. You’re seething. You’ve got that look in your eyes like you’re ready to tear someone apart.”
Rahim’s fists clenched on the table, his knuckles white. “Wouldn’t you? If someone laid a hand on the woman you love?”
Yusuf sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I would. But here’s the thing, you can’t fix this by running off into the night or picking a fight with ghosts. She needs you, man. Right now, she probably feels like she’s drowning in guilt and fear. And you walked out on her.”
The words struck Rahim like a punch to the gut. He stared at Yusuf, his anger momentarily eclipsed by a sinking realization. “I didn’t want to hurt her,” he muttered, more to himself than to Yusuf. “I just… I needed space to think.”
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