Maha's POV

I rarely post on social media but the pictures from Tahira's cousin's holud ceremony had come out too good to not be shared.

Scrolling through the pictures on my camera roll, I selected some of me and Tahira together and another one with Zamar who I had unexpectedly met at the event.

Then I posted these clicks on my account's story along with a few shots of the decoration and the food. The last post was a picture of me in a floor length rose gold lehenga. The dress had a bodice made of glittery jewels attached to a flowy rose-gold skirt which had tiny pink roses scattered all over.

I checked the notifications and grinned when I saw Isahaq had pressed the "heart" reaction on my story. Giddiness flowed through my veins and I took a screenshot of this to save for the future.

Another notification bubbled up from Isahaq and I saw he had texted me.

Isahaq -
You're having Biryani without me? :(
P.S. Zamar told me he met you at his friend's holud

Maha -
Haha yes the picture is from a few days ago. The bride is my best friend's cousin. I am going to their wedding tonight

Isahaq-
More Biryani? I'm jealous!

Maha-
Who's stopping you from crashing the wedding uninvited and having the food? 👀
Though I'm sure Tahira wouldn't mind extra guests coming over

Isahaq-
As much as I want to, such risky acts don't always end well

Maha-
You seem to be speaking from experience

Isahaq -
Zamar might have convinced me to do something similar in the past. But before you judge me - we had left a gift for the couple in exchange for the food

Maha-
woah you guys actually went to a wedding uninvited?! That's crazy! I'm impressed lol. Though with the amount of guests in Desi weddings it's difficult to know if someone has snuck in

Isahaq -
Precisely how we managed to pull that act haha, anyways whatcha doing?

Maha-
Waiting for the parlor lady to arrive so she can apply mehendi on my hand

Isahaq-
Oh- why so much trouble, you could have asked my sister to do it for you

Maha-
I don't want to bother her with something so silly

Isahaq -
Pfft Yashra's just lazing around at our house anyway. She seems to be home more than she's at her in-laws lol. You can come over whenever you want, she's free most of the time.

Maha-
I'll keep that in mind XD
Though I'm thinking about learning how to apply mehendi myself

Isahaq -
Great she can help you with that too

A surprised smile took over my face as I read his texts. Is he discreetly asking me to come over at their house ?

Maha-
Okay, I'll drop by sometime

Isahaq -
Yay (:

I pressed my face into the pillow, failing to fight off the humongous grin stretching across my lips.

He's too cute!

A few days later

Isahaq's POV

"Isa bro. I was just hanging out with Maria Chachi (aunt) and guess what I saw on her phone's gallery?" Zamar yanked the blanket from over my body and thrust the screen of his phone right at my face.

I squinted my eyes at the glaring brightness, unwillingly brought out of my nap, only to see a familiar picture staring back at me. The picture of me dozing off on Maha's shoulder as she herself lay asleep against the glass window of the microbus.

Zamar wiggled his eyebrows, a cheshire grin stretched on his face,
"I have a sudden urge to text Maha. You know, to ask how she's doing and maybe if something interesting happened on that trip-"

"Don't you dare-" I sat up and tried to take his phone away, "And why did you transfer the picture to yourself?!"

"Oh dang- you knew about this. You knew, and you didn't bother telling me about such a huge incident?" he put a hand over his chest and dramatically feigned falling over the bed like a dead goldfish, making the mattress bounce under his weight.

I rolled my eyes and pushed him off from over my blanket, "Cut the drama."

"Does she know?" Zamar's wavy brown locks peeked from under the blanket, as a pair of curious eyes observed me.

I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders, falling back on the soft pillow.

My phone vibrated beside the pillow and I tapped open the screen to see Maha's name flashing on the device.

"Shoot-" Once again I sat up straight, accidentally throwing Zamar off the bed and onto the floor in the process.

"Uff-" He groaned out in pain, not making any move to get back up.

"Is there something you forgot to tell me?"

The text appeared on the notification bar but when I clicked on the chat I saw she had deleted the message.

A few seconds later a new text popped up, "Just heard the news from my mom. Many congratulations! Royal North Shore hospital huh? That's incredible."

My heart seemed to drop down to my stomach as I read the words.  This wasn't the plan- I was supposed to tell her myself. I just didn't have the courage to say it out loud, fearing her reaction. Would she be shocked? Or angry at me for not telling her sooner? Is she upset? I didn't know what to do.

Especially after our conversation that night when she opened up to me about losing her friends, I became more hesitant to tell her the news. I didn't want to make her sad or let her think I was the same as the others. I didn't want to leave her behind. But destiny seemed to have other plans in store.

All my life I have been focused on one goal- to achieve success and make my parents proud. They were so happy when my interest  in Biology resulted in me willingly pursuing the medical field. I had my focus set on the prize, working tirelessly day after night to achieve the best possible grades. And now I have finally received the fruit of my hard work. An internship offer from one of the best hospitals In Sydney. A one in a million opportunity. This is what I had always wanted.

So why did everything feel confusing now ? As if my carefully calculated plans have been drenched with water and I'm left drowning in the aftermath.

I should be happy. I am happy. Although my parents are wary about letting me go all alone , even though the prospect of us being continents apart is heart wrenching , my family couldn't be prouder of what I had achieved.  So why did I suddenly feel torn between decisions, skeptical about leaving?

Falling for Maha, wasn't in the plan. She crashed into my life like a beautiful dream. One I didn't even know I was praying for. And now - the future seems blurry and uncertain. Full of opportunities as well as the possibility to lose something precious. What was the right choice ?

I quickly typed back with shaky fingers, "I was just about to tell you."

Her reply came immediately, "It's okay. When's your flight?"

"In two weeks." I type back and just as I had feared, she leaves the text on read.

A few hours earlier

Maha's POV

Loud thunder rumbled outside as I lay on our living room's sofa bed, randomly flicking through the TV to see if anything caught my interest.

Due to heavy downpour, the wifi connection had been temporarily cut off for a while so after a long time I found myself watching my favorite childhood cartoons like Shin-chan and Doraemon.

Watching these shows as I finished the last bite of the mouthwatering chicken shawarma Nanu had bought for us, gave me a feeling of deja vu. It reminded me of how I used to skip school in childhood and watch cartoons during rainy days, huddled under the blanket as my mom made me a glass of chocolate milkshake. Those were the days.

The sound of a door opening cut through the air and Nanu walked out of her room, a tasbih on her hand as she finished her Isha prayer.

The sofa dipped as she sat down beside me and I lifted my head to put it on her comforting lap. Nanu's delicate fingers caressed my hair, massaging my head,
"it's been a long time since you applied Oil. You need to take more care of your hair dear."

"Hmm, I want to but I don't find the time." I murmur with closed eyes, cherishing the feeling of the massage while listening to the pitter patter droplets of rain crashing over the earth.

"Tch- kids nowadays, crying and getting hurt over such shameless people. Things were much simpler back in my days." Nanu's disapproving voice makes me open my eyes and sit up. I followed her gaze to see she was commenting on a scene playing on the TV where a heartbroken girl was crying by the road after she caught her boyfriend cheating.

"You know, I didn't even see your Nana's ( Grandpa's) face or talk to him before getting married."

I angle my body towards Nanu and ask curiously, "Really? Were all marriages arranged like this during that time?"

"Most of them. But there were also exceptions. Your Nana's younger sister had a love marriage with her cousin. Apparently that guy used to wait for her outside her college with a motorcycle to see her and her friends would tease her relentlessly. Everytime she got a proposal he would be there to crash the meeting, declaring himself as her fiance! Initially it was difficult to get the family's approval but they managed to convince everyone and had a happy married life." Nanu motions for me to fetch her the cup of tea resting on the coffee table.

I handed her the steaming cup,
" What about you and Nana?"

"Let me tell you the story." Nanu took a sip from her chai and smiled, "He was actually 17 years older than me."

"WHAT?! For real?" I gasp as my mouth falls open in disbelief.

Nanu softly chuckles at my reaction, her eyes twinkling with amusement, "Yes. He was already 35 years old and still single. His older and younger siblings had all gotten married but apparently he refused all the proposals which came his way. Then one day your Nana's older brother had enough. Our families knew each other through mutual relatives and thought I would be a good match. One day your Nana's older brother brought him to my university to see me. I was 18 at that time and had no idea about this. Your Nana saw me for the first time when I was walking out of the gate of my university after class."
Nanu giggled as her eyes danced with memories of her youth, no doubt recalling past memories.

I had seen the beautiful pictures of my Nanu when she was young. She was still gorgeous. With her milky white skin and thin rosy pink lips, everyone said her beauty was no less than a Mughal Queen.

"Then?" I prodded for details, waiting excitedly to hear the rest of their tale.

"He finally said yes to a proposal and our marriage was fixed. I didn't know anything about him except that he was Doctor who worked in Saudi Arabia. I agreed to the marriage because I thought I'd get to travel around the world. At first when the girls from your Nana's family saw me, they were surprised to see my face. I think they weren't expecting me to be so beautiful. That's what they said." A chuckle bubbles out of her throat and her lips curve up in a shy smile as she narrates the incident, "Then we got married and moved to Saudi.Let me tell you a secret, I didn't know how to cook well when I first got married. Your Nana was great at cooking and he taught me many recipes. After a few years your Mother and aunt were born. It was too difficult to handle all the chores and kids alone over there so we moved back to Bangladesh and so your younger khalas  (aunts) were born here.  Then I spent my whole life raising my four daughters." She finishes the tale and takes the last sip from her chai, setting it back on the table.

I could feel myself smiling widely listening to the tale of my grandparents. My Nana (grandpa) passed away when I was a child but I still remembered some precious memories with him. He used to lovingly call me moyna pakhi (bird) and I always rushed to him whenever I had to complain against someone. Every morning I would run towards his room to listen to stories about kings and queens and in the evening I would pretend to hold concerts with his walking stick as my makeshift microphone. Everyone we met always praised my Nana, recounting events of how he had helped them all in various ways and what a great person he was. I missed him, but the stories I heard about him always filled my heart with admiration.

"Wow, that's quite interesting. Tell me a few more stories-"

"Amma, I just got a call from my friend Maria." Ammu walked in the room, her phone clutched in her hand.

"She just told me a huge news. Her son got an internship offer at a prestigious Hospital in Sydney." Ammu informed us in an excited voice, "It's a very rare opportunity!"

"Mashallah. May he always be blessed with good things." Nanu replied, muttering prayers for him.

"Yes, they invited us over for a farewell party hosted for Isahaq next week."

"Wait- how long is this internship for?" I finally spoke out, too shocked to process everything. It was amazing news. Isahaq definitely deserved the best. But doesn't this mean he has to stay there?

"A couple years at least. And then obviously he'll continue working there if possible. Royal North Shore hospital is one of the best in Australia! I can't believe the news." Ammu continues telling Nanu more but I tune out the conversation.

A couple years? He's moving to another country?

✨

Tonight, I woke up with a heavy feeling in my heart. I reached for my phone, and the first video that appeared was an Islamic lecture by Nouman Ali Khan. Intrigued, I clicked on it and then after a few minutes on another, spending hours immersed listening to his wise insights tinged with humor which resonated deeply with our generation.

As I lay in bed, contemplating his words, my mind wandered through a tangled web of thoughts and emotions.

It all begins with a simple smile, a casual "Hi." Soon, you find yourself searching for their face everywhere, stalking their social media, and engaging in late-night chats. What starts as innocent text exchanges can subtly shift to a game of desire, where even random touches are rationalized and yearned for. Little by little, these small threads weave into a complex tapestry that your soul must carry.

Neither of us had any ill intentions. Our feelings were genuine and pure, marked by respect and admiration. Yet, there's a nagging whisper tugging at my soul, warning and questioning whether he's truly the one destined for me. If we're not meant to complete each other's Deen, what was the purpose of these moments? What meaning do they hold if fate ultimately parts us?

Unnecessarily getting tangled up in each other's emotions only for the threads to be cut off by destiny.

Now I understand that our religion's guidance against becoming too  entangled with non-mahrams is not a restriction but a form of protection.

In an era when dating and casual flings are normalized, adhering to these values can feel like holding burning coals in the palm of our hands. But I'm grateful for this upbringing, which shielded me from the heartbreak that comes from temporary relationships.

The sorrow of losing friends was too much for me to handle. I wonder how much the heart aches when a person you have shared your deepest secrets and exposes your soul to suddenly leaves. That's why whether it was stated in our religion or not, I always knew temporary relationships were not meant for a soul like mine which gave it's all to the people it loved. I couldn't handle the pain of that heartbreak.

I've become so accustomed to Isahaq's presence that even the thought of not seeing him or not texting him for days leaves my soul yearning for his company. How will I cope with the distance when he's on the other side of the world?

I've experienced this pain before, having given my all to Ahaan, only to be left heartbroken when he stopped reaching out and changed completely. And that was with someone I only considered a best friend.

No one is permanent in our lives,  especially if our bond isn't formalized by a proper name. Casual interactions are manageable, but becoming emotionally invested can leave deep, lasting scars that no remedy can fully soothe or heal.

Despite knowing the risks, my feelings for Isahaq are unlike anything I've experienced before. It's not a fleeting crush but a profound affection for his character and his values.

I fell in love with not only his looks, but his soul. The way he helped strangers, smiled at people and spoke to them with utmost respect and kindness. The way he tried his best to lower his gaze if I ever seemed to get uncomfortable. His wisdom, humor and drive for success. He was truly a gem.

But I didn't know if this gem was meant to be mine. I could hope and pray for it all I wanted but only time will reveal what fate has in store for us.

And until then, it's best to maintain a safe distance and prevent our lives from getting more tangled up, especially now that we are both in such important stages of our lives.
For now, the wise decision would be to focus on our respective paths—his internship in Sydney and my continuing studies in Dhaka.

At the end of the day we're humans. We're sinners. There's no exception. But what matters is learning from our actions and respecting the boundaries we must uphold.

✨

Once again, I'm back in front of Isahaq's house. This time for his farewell party as Maria aunty ushers us inside their home which was brimming with guests.

My mother handed Maria aunty the bag of gifts and an envelope which she had brought for Isahaq as a parting gift as he embarked on a new step in his life.

"I don't know what's taking him so long! He went out during the afternoon for a last meetup with his friends. His flight is in less than two days and he is still wandering around outside. Youngsters these days- barely at home, always running around with friends." Maria aunty complained about her son but behind the words, a longing and fear was hidden, no doubt thinking about him going away to a different country, "I reminded him there's a party for him tonight and he said he'd be back before 7- Oh finally, the nawabzade is here." Her eyes drift towards the door through which Ishaaq has just walked through.

He was wearing a white jeans paired with a sky blue shirt. "Assalamualaikum!" He greeted everyone and went to hug a few guys whom I don't recognize, before taking a seat beside them.

Our gazes met across the room and he hesitated for a second before smiling at me in greeting.

I tried to smile back but I'm afraid it's more of a grimace as a sudden pang of sadness engulfed my mind . Is this the last time I'll ever see him ?

Maria aunty called him inside for some work and when he came back he chose to take the seat right adjacent to me.

I turned towards him in surprise but before we could talk, a random aunty came over and started bombarding him with questions about his internship and related stuff.

Soon, dinner is served and I hand my plate to my mother, "I'll be back after washing my hands."

When I come out of the kitchen , I'm surprised to see Isahaq standing in place of my mother, patiently holding my plate of food and waiting, "Here you go."

I take back the plate from his outstretched arms, "Ah- thanks."

"So I wanted to-" once again his words get interrupted by the arrival of a random uncle who slings his arm around Isahaq, "So where are you going to be staying in Sydney? My brother lives there in case you ever need any help."

✨

The next hour passes by in a blur and the whole time Isahaq is swamped by his various relatives who can't stop interrogating him. It's natural for him to be the center of attention, the party is for his farewell after all.

After finishing dinner I sat in Isahaq's room which was the only place not brimming with guests.

A suitcase lay on the corner, overflowing with clothes and necessities. The rest of the room was in a similar state of unrest, further reminding me about his impending departure.

The only other occupants in the room were Yashra Apu's husband and Zamar.

Isahaq's brother-in-law, a bearded guy in a crisp white shirt, quietly sat in the corner, politely greeting people who passed by.

He seemed to be a man of few words who didn't speak more than necessary. His eyes protectively looked over Yashra through the open door as she walked about, tending to the guests.
Apparently she had been feeling sick for the last few days and her husband who was a doctor too was extra attentive towards her at the moment.

On the other hand, the ever cheerful Zamar seemed to have lost his enthusiasm, his spirits dampened for some reason as he ranted about his university course and the ruthless grading system, "Can't catch a break, there's even inflation in studies now! Most of our grandparents only finished high school and our parents did bachelor's but here even if we do PhD it's not enough nowadays!
I know a guy who got his master's degree and joined a bank only to get 30k per month. Bruh what the heck was the degree for then?"He shook his head in frustration,
"A side business earns more.
I'm sick of this system. At least I have a passion for coding hence I'm surviving this war somehow. I can't imagine the pressure people feel when they have to study a subject they don't even like."

"True. But the world isn't made to be easy. People suffer all around and the majority of us are doomed to follow generational views about what is a proper career. Our elders think anything besides being a Doctor, Engineer or a Lawyer is a disgrace." Yashra's husband speaks up in a tired voice as if contemplating his own life choices.

"Exactly! If I could, I'd probably be a football player over all these." Zamar says, laughing at his own words as if it's absurd to even dream about it now.

"What about you Maha? What do you truly want to do?" Zamar's gaze turns towards me as he looks on with curiosity.

His question catches me off guard and suddenly I'm reminded of a dream from the past, "I initially wanted to be a writer but my attention span and determination is too weak." I answered in a joking tone,
"My parents wanted me to be a doctor but I nearly faint at the sight of blood or injections hence I immediately steered clear off that path and ended up taking Computer Science as it's a popular subject with lots of opportunities."

What I don't say is that if I had a choice to change my decision , I would want to study psychology. The reason being too personal to share with anyone, even though I knew Zamar wouldn't judge me, I was afraid he would pity me if he knew whatever I had endured all my life.

( Sneak peek of next chapter)

As soon as Isahaq finally managed to escape the throng of relatives bombarding him with questions and well wishes, he pulled Maha aside to talk in the balcony.

"Sorry I couldn't talk much earlier, everyone's been bombarding me with questions the whole night. Thankfully I finally managed to sneak away." He smiles, but the expression lacks the usual warmth and ease it carries.

Maha was vaguely aware of her heart thumping away inside her ribcage as time mercilessly slipped away, plaguing her mind with thoughts of the uncertain future that now lay in front of her.

"It's okay, you have nothing to apologize for."

Except for stealing my heart. Her traitorous mind reminds her.

Author's Notes

Hi? It's been a while 😅

Fun fact: The story of Maha's grandparents is actually inspired by my own Nana Nanu's story lol

Did you expect Isahaq moving to a different country? 👀

I got too swamped with studies so took a little break. I felt a bit demotivated and questioned my writing ability for a while -
but I finally got back inspiration.
Special thanks to halishar and fictionaldove for checking in with me and motivating me to publish asap

I know I had said I'll give a double update but I unfortunately still have a little part left to write. I didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer hence decided to publish this one at least.

The next part will be up by next week or sooner In Sha Allah. (if god wills )

Vote & comment your thoughts ✨