Zawad's P.O.V.

I knocked on the door being prepared for all kinds of humiliation from Shayba's mom when she opens the door, sees me and then slams the door on me. I deserve this. I made the situation turn this way. I should have explained to her and then leave the venue probably? But that would mean wasting more time and missing the plane. If I missed the plane, Mahmud Bhai would have already been flying to the US right now. He had everything planned. I had no choice!

The door opened. Her father was standing in front of me. With wonder in his eyes. He is probably not angry right now. Or is he? He always looks so calm and robotic and well, he doesn't have a readable face. I gave salam, "Can I come in uncle, please?" He stared for a while and then seeing me pleading, he nodded and let me in, oh Alhumdulillah.

He stared at me. But didn't say anything. Probably he knew I was going to come. Probably he still didn't lose his faith in me. He locked the door and went inside keeping me stand beside the front door.

Shayba's mom came after a second and screamed, "What the hell are you doing in our home?! Get out! I said get out!"
"Aunty, please listen to me first. I need to explain myself."
"Where is Sabbir?" she frantically looked to her right and left, "Sabbir? Get this boy out right now! Oh my God, my pressure is getting high." she started sweating due to extreme anger and sat down on a dining chair, still screaming, breathing hard. Oh dear God, she is going to choke out of breath.
Hearing her, Annaba and everyone else except Shayba came out and seeing me standing with so much guilt and shame in eyes they were stunned. Annaba ran back to her room, maybe to inform her sister.

"Why are you here?" her brother asked in a blatant cold voice.
"I need to explain myself. Please! Just listen to me. I need to tell her why I did what I did."I almost begged.
He stared at me with doubt, "Why?"
I took a deep breath. "Can I have a seat?"
He eyed my expression and maybe realized I was being honest."Come to my room."
"What are you doing Sabbir? Get him out of my house right now!"
I followed him to his own room on the second floor while Shayba's mother hysterically shouted at her son. I don't care. I just need to tell my part of the story.

"Sit." Sabbir bhai said pointing at his bed. He took a chair and folded his hands. "Spit it."
I sighed, thinking about from where I should start. He needs to know the history too. "It's a long story."

"Yeah, start."

"Do you read newspapers?" I asked.
"Not so often."
"If you did, you would have known what our company H2O is going through for the last couple of months?"
"Not really, I don't know. I usually avoid the economy page."
"Here," I gave him the newspaper. That's the only thing I can convince him with now, he isn't going to believe my words.
He stared at the news, probably battling with his own mind if he should trust me or not.

I started explaining how our business was having a very hard time, why we had to fire so many employees because we couldn't provide enough salary. I honestly blurted out every mistake and every gap we had within. I told him about Mahmud bhai, how important a role he played for us. I said everything, maybe as an owner, I shouldn't have let the secrets out, but this is a do or die thing. I need everyone in her family to be convinced of the truth. I didn't stop, I didn't hesitate. He eyed me with doubt and questioned me here and there, and I instantly replied. I have all of his answers. I'm not a liar!

Her brother seemed a bit annoyed when I started speaking only about my business that had nothing to do with her sister, so gauging his mood, I quickly shifted to the story of the last few days.

He shut his eyes off and listened. Thank God he is being so patient with me unlike his mom!

"It still doesn't say enough."
"Huh?"I replied anxiously.
"It still doesn't give you the right to leave my sister just like that without any clarification given. Have you any idea what she has gone through?" he looked at me with despise.
I bowed my head down in shame. "I really am sorry about this. I had no option but to catch the plane at that very moment. You have no idea how terrible I felt leaving her on the stage just like that."

"Saying sorry doesn't justify your behavior Abir. You are not a kid, you are a grown up man. You cannot leave her just like that."

I couldn't even look at him in the eye. He is right. Probably I should leave. I don't deserve to be forgiven after what I have done to this girl.
"I am sorry." was the only line I could mutter.

"Now leave. I will let my family know about your explanation."

"Yeah." I got up from the bed. Thinking for a while, I finally spoke out, "Can I please at least meet her for once?"

"No, I don't think she will want to." he rudely replied.

"For one last time? Please? I need to apologize to her. Just tell her I'm here."

"You don't deserve that Abir. My sister deserves someone better, who would be understanding and loyal to her." his voice was cold, "Leave." he pointed towards the door.

"I am being loyal! I promise!" I pleaded, "I had no other option! I promise you, I'll be the most loyal person to her than anyone will ever be! Please! Try to understand. Just tell her once I came here to explain myself. Maybe she will agree!"

"You should leave now Abir. It's been late."

I pressed my lips trying to proceed everything in my mind. "I'm sorry. I just hope you realize how awfully guilty I am feeling. Please convey my words to her."

"I don't think she will be needing them, you can move on with your life."

I sighed. He is being extremely difficult. Solid like rock. I left the newspaper on his bed ay came out of the room and then I noticed Annaba outside the door. Was she eavesdropping? I stared at her with a bit shock and then with guilt and tried to put on a smile, "Can you please tell her instead?" She turned her back and went inside her room without saying anything to me. Damn it!

I came out of the house and stood in the parking lot. Is that it? Done? Shayba's chapter is a closed book now? Will she ever forgive me? Will she really be married to some other guy? I explained everything to her brother, yet he wasn't convinced. He was the only person who at least showed the courtesy enough to hear my story, others didn't even care about that. I'll be damned if her mother finds someone else and she agrees out of her stubbornness. If she wants to punish me by settling up with someone else, I'll be dead.

Nope, she won't, she most definitely won't. She can't do this. She loves me, doesn't she? She will probably stay single for the rest of her life. Or not? What if she really agrees to marry someone else? What happens then? God! I moved my hands through my hair. I feel like pulling them out! I sat on the grass of the lawn out of frustration, not knowing what to do next.

I am extremely hungry.
I am starving.
I am losing the love of my life.
I lost my whole bank balance.
I cannot pay my employees.
I am losing my company.
I turned into a beggar from a millionaire in just one day. Well, not a beggar, I have a temporary job, but almost like that.
I lost the man I leaned on in every difficult situation whom I trusted like my own blood.

I sat on the grass like a statue for almost twenty minutes, when the guard came to pull me up and said I had to leave now. I stood up but I couldn't think properly. What am I going to do now?

Mom dropped me here and then left, so I don't even have my car with me. I stepped out of their lawn, the area is very serene at this hour of the night. I checked the clock, it's thirty past eleven. Maybe I should get a CNG or rickshaw or Uber. But I didn't feel like calling one. I don't think I will get one either. My apartment is very far from here.

Without thinking anything, I started walking on the pavement, distraught, having no reason to be happy, thinking of no destination to go to right now, I am horribly hopeless.

I need to see her.
I really need to.

I don't know what version of my story her brother will tell her. She needs to know the genuine version from me, and then hate me as much as she wants. But first, she needs to listen.

Even if I lose her in the end, she needs to know the whole story before marrying someone else.

I got into a restaurant in the rich business area side of Banani that is still open. I ordered some food for me, and while I waited for my order to come, I fell in a deep slumber out of exhaustion. For the last week, I haven't eaten properly, haven't slept properly. When the waiter called me twice, I woke up with a tremor as my mind couldn't proceed where I am.

I ate as if I was starving for weeks. Then I took up my phone and decided to text Shayba. From where should I start? I typed a big paragraph and then cleared everything. A text can't express how sorry I am. I need to explain everything face to face.

Damn it! I punched on the table and got up. I'm going to see her again.

Shayba's P.O.V.

I finished reading the news Annaba showed to me. Even though I was ardently angry with Abir, the news hurt. Is this true? Is this company really going to be closed? The news didn't say anything specific, which increased my doubts, it only said, the company's owners are victims of bankruptcy.
When? How? By whom? It said nothing about it.

I dropped the paper on my bed, still fuming in anger. "What did he say?"I sternly said to Annaba while focusing on my nails.

"He had no other option but to catch a flight at that moment."

"Oh right." I sneered. "Couldn't even send a text to me? A call? An explanation? Anything?!!"

She kept quiet. "Sis, I think he has a lot to say. Can you please just talk to him once?"

"Talk? How? Has he called me? He came to my house, yet he didn't meet me-"

Annaba cut me off in the middle, "Bhaiya and mom didn't let him meet you! He wanted to talk to you!"

"That's not trying enough." I stated. Allah knows why my eyes are welling up again. "If he tried, he could have talked to me. He could have at least texted me once! Just a call! How much time would it take? He did nothing! And now you are telling me to talk to him?!"

Annaba went silent.

Don't know why, but the fact that he didn't run to win any of his ex-girlfriend back gave me a great relief. I don't know what to call this stupid feeling. It's not like I am not angry at him, but my heart is still contented that he didn't disappoint me and he actually has a valid excuse.

"He should have found one minute for me in all these days!"

My voice was yielded over by my ringtone, as I couldn't believe my screen read "Abir."

Thinking if I should pick up the call or not, it went off. But it started ringing again. It's already 1 a.m. Why is he calling at this hour?

I waited for another five seconds as the call went off again. But it started ringing again immediately. Damn it! I picked up and sighed holding the phone to my ear without uttering anything.

"He...hello? Shayba?"
"What is it?" I calmly replied. I thought my tears dried up already, but I guess I was wrong as his voice brought out another bunch of them from my eyes now.

"Don't hang up. Just don't. Listen to me. Please. Can you come to the balcony and ask the guard to let me in?"

What?! What is he doing in front of my house now?!

I wrapped my scarf and went to the balcony. The view of his face outside the main gate contorted my entire chest, an unusual feeling I never felt before. It made me happy and sad at the same time. Seeing me he went silent too. None of us uttered anything for a while.

"Oh.. ah.. ummm. Here. Talk to the guard."he stammered transferring the phone to our guard.

"Should I let him in?"the guard asked me.

"No." I don't know where the strength in my voice came from. "Tell him to go, uncle. And make it very clear to him that he doesn't have to come here anymore ever again." I hung up the phone, maybe he should know too how a heartbreak feels like. I went inside, immediately locking myself up in the washroom as I let all my tears flow at their own pace.

My heart is such a betrayer! I thought I had already made a deal with it to never shed tears for that guy ever again. But here, it flipped back the moment it saw him. Treacherous!

I sat on the floor pulling my knees closer to me. It became crystal clear to me how easily his voice, his presence could affect me. And this fact scared me. Even though I am trying, it's not helping. I don't know how I'm going to attend my classes. Even if I get married somewhere else, his presence in the same freaking department will affect me. Even if he gets married to someone else, I won't be able to forget his chapter. I can't. Never for once did I feel so weak in my whole life!

How can I equally love and hate the same person at the same time?!

I decided to join the class after two days. Sitting at home isn't helping at all. Rather my mind stays constantly preoccupied with this guy. So I went to the class, trying to prepare myself for all the harsh comments. They will look down upon me, laugh at me, but I have my friends too, who will understand what I am going through. Maybe I should focus on the positive part for now.

"Shayba!?"someone shouted my name seeing me and all of a sudden, there was a pin drop silence as I entered the class room.
No, please! Damn it!

I felt all the eyes turning to me and then awkwardly turning somewhere else as they tried to relieve the coldness of the situation.

Nadia ran to me and hugged me, "I'm so proud of you for being so strong, you have no idea!" She whispered to my ear. "Thanks," I formally replied, when I loosened the hug, she was crying already. Why man?!

I heard laughter too, and I could already recognize who those people were, but I decided not to look at them. I am a pathetic mess and that's a fact. There's no point of arguing.

But the negatives m part was I still couldn't bring my mind out of this incident. I couldn't pay need to what the teacher was saying. I just recalled his face at midnight outside my home. His voice begging me not to hang up and listen to him. It still hurt so much, I wished I never fell in love at the first place.

Why Allah? Why are you punishing me in this way? What wrong move did I make? Why are you testing me like this? Why me?

There was a break of an hour after the class, so I came out to the plinth with my two roommates. Of course they wanted to know the whole story, but I don't want to talk about it anymore.

As I stepped out, the familiar voice called out to me loudly making my heart clench again. Oh I shouldn't have come to the class! I immediately regretted my decision.

He sprinted to me in a second and stopped breathing heavily. How does he know I came today? Who told him?!

"Please, listen to me. Can we talk?"
Allah, he is standing way too close to me and it's damaging my heart to a great instant. Why could I smell his perfume through my niqab? Why could I?

I stepped back and glared at him, "Don't you dare create a scene here. Leave me alone."I gritted my teeth.

"You have to listen to my part of the story before deciding anything."

I started walking out of the building, I don't want to see his face.

"Shayba! Shayba!" He followed me and blocked my path, "I had no choice! Please believe me! I beg you, Shayba! Please!"

Oh dear Allah, everyone is looking at us! I want to kill him right now!
"Don't follow me! I said, leave me alone!" I shouted in anger but it didn't seem to create any effect on him as he continued, "Promise! I had to catch the plane to stop Mahmud right at that moment to save ourselves, Shayba, please. Try to listen to me!"

His audacity to humiliate me once again in front of the whole department left me stunned. I didn't know what else to say, so I kept walking to the stairs, I have to get out, else he is going to make a scene again. Oh wait a minute, he has already made it successfully, just look at the eyes around me!

But he blocked me again. This time, he fell to his knees.

Oh for Allah's sake, what on Earth is he doing?!! My eyes shot up to my forehead. Someone please stop him!

"Shayba, I love you! Please don't do this to me! Please!" he folded his palms together and pleaded to me. Oh my goodness, is he going to cry? I stopped as my jaw dropped.
What am I supposed to do?!

"Oh my GOD! Did he just propose to her?!!! Someone please kill me!" I heard girls screaming but right at this moment, I am totally feeling blank.

"Abir, please get up."I replied as calmly as possible.

"Forgive me, please! I made a mistake and you have no idea how awful I felt for that! But I couldn't call you, I was on the plane already!"

"Get up!" I ordered. People are taking pictures now. Oh Allah! Why are you making my life so miserable?!

He almost begged folding his hands together, "Shayba, will you marry me? Please?!"

"He proposed! Aaaaaaa!!!!!!" Some girls screamed at the top of their lungs blowing up my eardrums.

"My goodness! He really loves her! What trick did she use on him?! What potion did she make? Damn! I need one!"

I decided to walk out immediately. I need air! Allah!

He followed me too. I kept walking to my car, seeing me our driver also approached the car and turned the ignition key. But Abir kept talking. He blabbered the almost same story my brother told me last day when he paid a visit. He kept talking and talking. He gave excuses for every single detail leaving me with zero doubt about his activities. I almost started to feel sorry for the trouble he had to go through. But then again, he left me on my wedding stage. How can I forgive him so soon?

I opened the car door and got in. But he didn't let me close the door, I looked up, his face was red with sorrow and sweat that made me feel pathetic for him a bit. "Shayba, I know you are angry with me, I am sorry! But please try to understand my point! What was I supposed to do back then?!"

"You left me on the wedding stage!" I screamed back. "How can you even expect I would forgive you for all the humiliation you caused to me and my family?! Have you the slightest bit of idea what I went through?!"

He remained silent, but the volcano in me erupted already. I have suppressed my anger for too long and I can't do it anymore, so I turned straight to his face and kept shouting at him, "Have you any idea how everyone looked down upon me when you left me?! Have you any idea how badly I waited for one call, or one text from you?! Were you so busy that you couldn't even bother to tell the bride why she was left all alone minutes before her marriage for God's sake?!" My voice raised way too high I suppose. I was trembling, I have never acted so stupid in front of people.

"I'm sorry." These were the only words he could mutter to me. He put another newspaper on my lap, "Give it a read, please. Bye." He stood up and closed my car door as I headed for my home.

It felt good screaming at him at the top of my lungs. I have been in even more embarrassing state in front of people than today, it wasn't as pathetic as the one that happened before. But shouting on his face felt awfully good. He deserved it.

I picked up the newspaper and saw their was a headline about H2O at the very front page. I read the whole news, it was scary. How someone from inside could ruin a company so meticulously. I wondered at the subtlety of the plan, what good did it bring? Now the case is raised to the high court, but Abir's family should clearly win everything back if Allah helps.

I wondered at my own thought. Even though I didn't want to admit, I am praying for his welfare. I sincerely hope that he wins his company back. And it's also clear that even though my brain isn't complying, my heart has already forgiven that guy a long time ago.