20th May, 2021

Sip.

Sip.

When anxiety strikes, people seek out a variety of techniques to help them relax. It was Caffeine for Shumail.

Despite the fact that it was his fifth cup, all he could think about or hear were Eram's words, which rang in his ears. Even though he tried not to think about what had happened earlier in the day, he couldn't help but remember what she had asked of him.

"Then leave me!"

Those words rang in his head like a tape recorder, and he couldn't get them out of his head.

He began to feel out of breath as if the oxygen level in the room had suddenly fallen. He removed his tie and opened the collar button on his shirt with his hand moving up towards it. He began to take deep breaths.

'What do you want?' He heard the voice in his head ask him.

'What does that mean?' He found himself asking back to the voice in his head.

'Do you want to stay with Eram or part ways with her?' He was at a loss for words when the voice asked. 'You may either forgive her and start a new life with her, or you can just let her go, which is the greatest option for you both.'

A knock at the door jolted him out of his reverie, and for the first time in his life, he was relieved to be interrupted in the middle of his job, most likely because he didn't want to answer the question.

'You can't keep avoiding answering the question indefinitely.'

Shumail let that slide and ordered the person to enter with a small "Come in."

His secretary entered. Her hips swayed beautifully, her normally knee-length skirt fell just above her mid-thighs, and her figure-hugging shirt accentuated her curves. She flashed a seductive smile across her lips, making her intentions to hit on him all too clear. Shumail was too preoccupied with other things to notice her inept attempts, and even if he did, he wouldn't care.

"Sir, these are the sales report files for this month. Also, before the new smartphone features are approved, a meeting has been arranged to debate them. It's at 4 pm, this evening. Later that, you don't have anything else planned." She gave him a rundown of everything he needed to know.

He simply nodded in agreement. She slid the paperwork onto his desk and turned around to walk away, giving him another seductive smile. He grabbed the files and started going through them, reviewing the sales figures. Looking at the file in his hands, his brows furrowed, and he grabbed for the intercom to summon his secretary. It continued to ring, but there was no response from her end. With an irritated expression on his face, he stood up and walked out of his office to his secretary's cabin.

Before entering the cabin, his knuckles made contact with the glass door and he knocked on it. She wasn't to be found. He took a deep breath and looked about the cabin for the previous six months' sales reports.

He rummaged through several cupboards. He couldn't find the files in there. He walked up to the desk, opened the drawers, and studied the files, but it wasn't what he needed. One of the four drawers had a lock on it. His gaze fell on the keys on the desk, and he proceeded to test each one to determine which one was the correct key for the lock.

The lock unlocked when he tried the last key and he yanked open the drawer. His hand came into contact with a letter. He slipped it out of the way and retrieved the files from the drawer. Those were the files he had been looking for. He was going to close the drawer and walk out the door when his gaze fell on the stacks of letters beneath the folders. His brows wrinkled in bewilderment.

The term Shumail drew his attention, and he took the letter from the drawer. He slid it open and yanked the paper out.

'Dear Shumail,

It's been four months that you left. These letters are the only reason I have hope of living. I'm not even sure whether my letters get through to you, and if they do, are you still so angry with me that you won't forgive me and return to me?

I love you. I really do. With all my heart.

With every letter that I write, I try my best to make you realise that I am ashamed of whatever I did.'

'This seems a letters written by Eram.' He thought to himself and continued to read the rest of it.

'I really wish I had met you in different circumstances, maybe then I would have got your love.

I'm not sure if this letter will reach you as well, but I'm not going to give up hope.

In the hope that you read this, I want to tell you that I am Sorry and I love you.

Please come back to me.

Yours,
Eram.'

His eyes were wide in shock. He set that letter aside and turned his attention to the others. There were dozens of letters in the drawer and every letter had his name in the same handwriting, belonging to none other than Eram.

He hurriedly took out another letter and opened it.

'Dear Shumail,

How are you? I hope you're doing well. Zayn is so happy to join his new school and he had promised to study hard. He says he loves you a lot and wants to play his new video game with you when you'll return. If not for me, then please return back for him. Please?

It's been 2 months and 4 days without you. I don't know if these letters even reach you! But I still write them in the slight hope that you'll read them and realise that I am ashamed of whatever I did.

I am really Sorry, Shumail. I really am.

I know I broke your trust but please give me another chance to win you back. I will do whatever it takes to win back your trust.

Please come back to me.

Yours,
Eram.'

The letters were a little smeared, which he assumed was due to her tears, which had fallen on the letter as she was writing it.

He was left speechless. He had no idea she was writing him letters all these time. He grabbed yet another letter and opened it.

'Dear Shumail,

How long are you going to punish me like this? Why don't you understand that I am ashamed of whatever I did and I am apologising for everything. Why is it so hard for you to understand that!!

Everyone deserves a second chance. Can you not give me a second chance as well?? Please??

I'm sorry.

It's already been over 8 months now!! Please come back. I beg you. Please?

Whenever you decide to return, you'll always find me waiting for you.

Yours,
Eram.'

With trembling hands, he picked up yet another letter and pulled the paper out.

'Dear Shumail,

You know what? You're right! I should be punished for whatever I did. I deserve it.

I had numerous opportunities to tell you the truth, but I failed to do so. When I first agreed to that plan, all I cared about was getting the job done swiftly so I could reclaim the custody of my brother. What I didn't expect was for me to fall in love with you and want to spend the rest of my life with you.

My mission was to betray you, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Because I began to fall for you, and I'm not sure when it started.

The memories of our time together keep flooding back to me, and anytime your name comes up in my thoughts, I find myself smiling. For the brief time that I had with you, you were nothing but sweet. I'm grateful for the wonderful memories you've given me.

Oh I forgot to ask! Are you doing well? Are you eating properly? You're not drinking excessive coffee, are you? It's not good for your health. You always leave your phone in your coat and then go looking for it all over the place. Is that something you still do?

I know you're still angry with me and that is the reason why you're not returning but being the stubborn girl that I am, I will continue to wait for you, even if it takes years.

I'll be waiting for you. Come back to me quickly.

Yours,
Eram.'

Shumail sank to his knees with a thud, as if they had suddenly lost all the strength. His eyesight was blurred due to unshed tears in his eyes.

He had been under the impression that it was only he who was suffering and that Eram was unconcerned, but the letters prove otherwise. He was completely wrong.

He glanced at the letters through fuzzy vision while holding them in his palm. He was at a loss for what to do with this new information. What was he expected to do and how was he expected to react?

His secretary walked in through the open door. She casually approached her desk, only to be astonished to see Shumail lying on the floor near it.

"Sir, can I assist you with something?" She inquired. Her eyes widened in fear as she saw the letters in his hand.

"Umm Sir..." She began to justify herself.

"Can you tell me what these are, Ms. Rose?" "Could you please explain?" His tone was icy, and his features had hardened. His jaw clinched, and he tightened his grip on the letters, crumbling them in the process. He raised his head to gaze at her, and she could know she was in trouble just by looking at him.

"Sir, I...Ms. Azam..."

When his voice boomed in the eerily silent cabin, she took a step back in dread, leaving her statement unfinished.

"It's Mrs. Ibrahim, Ms. Rose. She. Is. My. Wife. Mrs. Eram Shumail Ibrahim."

He rose up from his slouched position on the ground. He demanded an answer while holding the letters in his hands.

"How come none of these made it to me, although you obviously knew where I was?" As he shouted, his voice was loud. "Why the hell I ask!"

"Because I didn't want you to go back to her. What is so good about her that you don't even seem to notice anyone else beside her?!" She answered in a rage. Her hands were fisted by her side. "Shumail please listen to me. I love you. I love you so much. Please divorce that woman and come to me..."

Shumail interrupted her in the middle of her sentence, shouting, "Keep your mouth shut. Simply put, don't say anything!! Do you even know what you're talking about? You've lost your mind. You require medical attention. Idiot Woman. Have you any idea what you've done?"

He turned his gaze away from her and began to pull all of the letters out of the drawer. His secretary attempted to approach him, but he quickly moved away.

"Don't you dare come near me!! From this moment on you're fired. Take your stuff and just leave." He practically barked at her and taking all the letters with him, he left the cabin.

His footsteps echoed as he walked to his office. He was losing his mind. His body had turned cold and his  heart was racing rapidly. His hands shivered and his brain pounded as if it will explose any minute. His eyes were red with tears.

He walked into his office, placed the letters on his desk, and leaned forward with his palms flat against the desk. He began to take deep breaths to calm himself down.

"What did I do!!" He spoke to himself. "She had been waiting for me all this time and I kept being ignorant towards her. I was just looking at my sufferings and completely ignored the fact that her condition was the same as me!"

He ran his fingers in his hair and grabbed them into his fists in frustration. "She kept asking me for a second chance and I treated her as if her existence didn't even matter! I was so wrong!"

In a fit of wrath, he slammed his hand on the glass pen case, shattering it on the floor.

"I need to see her." He stated this as he snatched his coat from his chair and dashed out of the office. He couldn't care less what his employees thought of him as he dashed through the office on his way out. He only wanted to get home and see her as soon as he could.

Despite his phobia of speed, he kept ordering his chauffeur to drive as fast as he could and take him home, but the road seemed to go on forever, and when he finally glimpsed the familiar gates of Ibrahim house, he didn't waste any time rushing out of the car when it came to a stop in front of the front entrance.

"Eram," He yelled her name. He dashed across the living room and into the room beside the stairwell, where they had shifted due to Eram's injury.

"Eram," He yelled out once more, but this time in a much softer tone. There was no response from her side.

"Eram. Are you in there?" He inquired as he knocked on the washroom door. No response was received. He exited the room and dashed to the kitchen, but she was nowhere to be seen.

He took out his phone and phoned her number, and the phone rang in their room. He hung up and went back to looking for her.

"The backyard." He dashed out of the house, hoping to find her in the backyard, but she wasn't there either. He returned to the house and went looking for Eram's nurse, whom he had appointed, but he couldn't locate her either.

"Please. Please. Please. Where are you, Eram! Its scaring me now." He voiced out his thoughts. "I know I was being an ignorant jerk. Please. Where did you go!!" His heart was thumping loudly against his chest and all the worst thoughts began to fill his mind. He tried to shake them off but they wouldn't go. "Please don't leave me." His voice had a pleading tone to it.

He found himself back in their room, searching for her despite the fact that he knew she wasn't there. However, something drew his attention. A letter was left on the nightstand. It was something he was dreading.

"Dear Shumail,

I tried. I did my best but I don't think I can anymore. You're not ready to give me a chance and I really don't blame you at all.

Walking out of your life feels right to me at the moment. I'm sure I'll regret my decision for the rest of my life, but I don't want to be selfish and prevent you from living a happy life.

I just have one request. I don't want to give you a divorce. I want to live the rest of my life being Mrs. Eram Shumail Ibrahim. From this moment on, you're free. You have my permission to marry another woman and I wish you live a happy life ahead.

I love you and always will.

I just have one thing to say.

Please try to forgive me...

Until my last breath..
Yours,
Eram."

The letter slipped out of his grip, landing swiftly on the tiled floor, and Shumail stood there in utter shock.

Eram had left.

**The End!**

Lol just kidding! No this is not the end people!

Assalamualaikum everyone! Back with an update! How was it?

Belated Eid Mubarak to everyone! I wish you all are safe and doing well. Wear your masks and stay healthy.

Keep me and my family in your duas.

Until next time...Sayonara!