When Inaya opened her eyes, the room was bathed in soft morning light, but the absence of Malik hit her like a physical blow. He was gone, had left her house in the dead of night.

The realization made her heart ache, but it was his scent still lingering on the pillow that brought a strange comfort, as though he had never really left. She clutched the pillow to her chest, burying her face in its fabric, inhaling deeply as if trying to hold onto a part of him.

Her breath hitched, and though tears welled up in her eyes, she didn’t allow herself to fully cry. It hurt too much. She couldn’t let it consume her, not yet.

Taking a shaky breath, she forced herself to get up. After going through her morning routine mechanically, she stepped out of her room, the weight of her thoughts making each step feel heavier.

As she descended the stairs, she noticed people in the hallway, carefully arranging delicate pink and white flowers, adorning the house with an almost festive air. She stopped, a strange chill crawling up her spine.

Her eyes wandered, taking in the decorations, but no one was around to answer her unspoken questions. Then, a horrible realization struck her. The decorations. The flowers. They were for her engagement.

Her heart plummeted, the air leaving her lungs as the walls seemed to close in around her. She spun on her heel, rushing back to her room as if the house itself might swallow her whole.

Locking herself in, she collapsed onto her bed. Her breath came in ragged sobs, and the tears she had held back finally broke free. She cried without restraint, her body trembling with the force of it.

How could her father do this to her? How could he force her into a marriage with someone she didn’t love—someone who wasn’t Malik—when he knew the depth of her feelings? The pain was suffocating. Every inch of her felt trapped in a life she didn’t want. She had never felt more alone.

Meanwhile, Malik sat at his desk, but his mind was a thousand miles away. He couldn't focus on the work in front of him—his thoughts kept circling back to Inaya.

The way she had cried the night before, her voice broken, her eyes filled with despair. The image haunted him. He couldn't escape it. Every time he tried to push it away, it came crashing back with even more force.

His office door creaked open, snapping him from his thoughts. Zain walked in, his presence as commanding as ever.

"What are you doing here?" Zain asked, irritation in his voice. "It’s my engagement day, and you're just sitting here, brooding."

Malik didn’t respond, his gaze cold and piercing as he stared at his best friend. The anger he felt was bubbling beneath the surface, but he kept it contained, his jaw clenched tight.

Zain took a few steps closer. "Come on," he said, his tone carrying a mixture of mockery and annoyance. "We have errands to run. Get ready. We’re going to Inaya’s house."

The words hit Malik like a punch to the gut. His chest tightened as the pain surged through him, but he managed to stand, his hands balled into fists at his sides. "Why are you doing this, Zain?" Malik’s voice was raw with emotion. "You know I love her. And yet you're marrying her. How can you do this to me?"

Zain’s eyes flickered, but his expression remained neutral. "It’s not about me, Malik. It’s about my dad and Rashid uncle. You know that." There was an edge to his voice now, but Malik could see the flicker of uncertainty in Zain's eyes. Still, Zain’s voice dropped to a more insistent tone. "You know I can’t say no to them."

Malik’s breath came faster, his heart pounding. "You can! You should!" He took a step toward Zain, his voice rising in desperation. "I can't live with her marrying someone else. You know what we have! We can't just throw it all away."

Zain’s face hardened, but there was something in his eyes, something that looked almost like guilt, before it was quickly masked. "I tried, Malik," Zain said, his voice softer now, but with a hint of resentment.

"I tried to talk to my father, but he won’t listen. And Inaya... Why didn’t she stand up to her dad?" His words dripped with thinly veiled contempt, and Malik felt a flash of anger surge through him.

"She tried, Zain," Malik shot back, his fists trembling with fury.

"She tried to fight for us, but her father won’t listen. You all know this. You all know what she’s going through. How could you do this to her? To both of us?" His voice cracked on the last words, the raw emotion spilling over.

Zain didn’t meet his gaze. Instead, he smirked, his tone laced with a cruel satisfaction. "Please, Malik. Just come to the engagement. For Inaya’s sake. She’ll be happy to see you there."

Malik’s blood ran cold. He turned sharply, storming out of the office without another word. Zain’s laughter echoed behind him, sharp and triumphant, which Malik didn't hear.

Zain knew exactly what would hurt them the most and he was enjoying every moment of it.

Back at Inaya’s house, she sat in front of the mirror, her mind not in her senses. The makeup artist worked silently, carefully applying the makeup to her face, but Inaya didn’t seem to notice. The brush strokes felt like nothing more than a distant sensation as her thoughts swirled in turmoil.

"Mam," the makeup artist said gently, her voice cutting through the haze of Inaya’s grief. "If you keep crying, your makeup will be ruined."

Inaya’s eyes were red-rimmed, her gaze vacant. "My life is ruined," she whispered, her voice empty, like a hollow echo of the girl she used to be. "Why bother about makeup?"

The words were barely audible, but they carried a weight that hung in the air, making the makeup artist hesitate for a moment.

Inaya sat motionless, her body rigid with despair as the artist finished her work. When it was done, she asked Inaya to look at herself in the mirror.

Inaya hesitated, the thought of facing her reflection too much to bear. She already knew what she would see Malik’s face, etched in every corner of her mind. The thought of seeing him there in her eyes, even in the form of her reflection, made her chest tighten painfully.

"If I look at myself," she thought, her eyes stinging with more tears, "I’ll only see him. It’s better not to."

She squeezed her eyes shut, taking a deep, shuddering breath. When she opened them again, she forced a small, lifeless smile. "It’s fine," she said, her voice a fragile whisper. "You can finish."

The makeup artist paused for a moment, but then continued, unaware of the storm inside Inaya’s heart. Inaya stared at her reflection, but the face staring back at her wasn’t her own. It was someone who had already lost the only thing that truly mattered.

After the makeup she sat on the floor near the balcony, gazing at the sky, lost in a sea of memories. Her mind drifted back to the days spent with Malik, the laughter, the love, the plans they had made.

The future they once dreamed of now seemed like a distant fantasy, slipping away with every passing second.

She tried to steady herself, to force her heart to stop aching, but the memories of him refused to fade. His smile, the warmth of his touch, the sound of his voice it all rushed back, overwhelming her.

Meanwhile, Malik was in the same place, though miles away. He couldn’t stop thinking about Inaya. The thought of seeing her, holding her, feeling her delicate frame against him again consumed him. He wanted to touch her, to remind himself that she was real, that they were once real. The longing in his chest was almost unbearable.

He stood in front of the mirror, trying to compose himself, but there was no hiding the turmoil in his eyes. With a deep breath, he grabbed the keys to his car and left the apartment, his face a mask of indifference. But beneath that cold exterior, his heart was breaking.

He drove to her house, each mile feeling like an eternity. When he arrived, the house was full of people, but his eyes only searched for one person, Inaya. He made his way to the living room, where he saw Zain and his father on the couch with other guests, but Malik’s gaze never wavered from the staircase.

And then he saw her, Inaya appeared at the top of the stairs, descending slowly as if she were floating. She wore a soft pink dress that clung to her form like a dream, and her hair cascaded down her back, shimmering in the soft light.

Her face was full of light makeup, her features soft and glowing. It was a version of her he had never seen before elegant, poised, as if she were someone else's dream. He couldn’t look away. She didn't apply makeup not she got this much dressed before.

But then, as she met his gaze, his heart sank. The sparkle he once knew in her eyes was gone. She was staring at the ground, her face pale, her eyes bloodshot from tears. Her hand trembled, clutching the other in a desperate attempt to hold herself together. Her nails dug into her palm as if to stop herself from breaking.

His heart cracked as he took in the sight of her pain. He wanted to rush to her, to pull her into his arms and make everything right again, but he remained frozen, trapped in the invisible barrier between them.

Inaya felt the weight of his gaze on her. Her heart raced, a silent cry reaching out for him. When their eyes met, it was as though the entire world stopped. It was just the two of them, separated by so much yet still connected in ways neither of them could explain.

But she couldn’t bear it. The ache in her chest grew unbearable, the sight of his pain too much to handle. She forced herself to look away, as her father’s voice broke through the silence.

"Come on, daughter," Mr. Rashid said, his voice gentle but firm, urging her to snap out of the moment and focus on the task at hand.

Zain's mother gestured for Inaya to sit beside Zain, and though every part of her resisted, she knew she had no choice. With a quiet sigh, she made her way to the couch and sat next to him, keeping as much distance between them as possible.

But Malik couldn’t stop looking at her. His eyes were locked on Inaya, and everything else in the room faded away. He felt as though he was drowning in the sea of emotions crashing over him. His chest tightened, the longing almost too much to bear.

He closed his eyes for a brief moment, imagining her smile, the way her eyes would light up when she looked at him. He could almost feel her warmth again, a sweetness that made everything feel right. But when he opened his eyes, the sight before him made his stomach turn.

Inaya’s trembling hand was now outstretched toward Zain, and Malik could see the way her fingers curled around the engagement ring. Her hand was shaking, her grip tight as though she was holding herself together by sheer will alone. He could see the pain in her eyes, the effort it took not to crumble in front of everyone.

And when Zain’s hand touched hers, Malik could almost feel the burn of it, as though he were the one being scorched by the touch. The disgust, she felt because of his touch was too much, but she hid it behind a mask of forced composure.

Malik’s chest tightened painfully as he watched Inaya struggle, his heart breaking for her. He couldn’t stop her from this, couldn’t save her from the life she was choosing. But deep down, he knew she wasn’t choosing Zain. She was choosing her father's reputation.

He could see it in her eyes, her soul was fighting, screaming, begging for something more, for him. But they were too far apart, too broken to heal. All he could do was watch as she closed herself off, the last remnants of their love slipping away with every passing moment.

---

𝑽𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕. 
𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉💖 

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Cover by Seong_Grace
Thank you so much sweetie❤️✨