Assalamualaikum, here's a long chapter as I'm updating after quite a while. This chapter is pretty intense and emotional because I wanted to wrap up as many things as possible so I can share some very interesting drama coming up in the next chapter In Sha Allah. Enjoy (;

TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER

Maha's POV

Soft rays of golden light streamed through my window as I lay on my bed. My graduation cap and gown were tossed to the side while I scrolled through my phone after a tiring yet eventful day. After years of hard work and countless sleepless, tear-filled nights spent drowning in assignments and classes, I had officially graduated from university. Time seemed to have flown by in the blink of an eye, and before I knew it, I was already 24.

After the long-awaited ceremony and bidding farewell to my friends and teachers, my family took me to one of the most luxurious restaurants in the city for lunch. The day had been filled with well wishes and congratulations, mixed with laughter and the relief of not having to attend any more classes for a while.

I hummed along to the the song playing in the speaker placed on my bedside table as I read a post from one of my favorite writers,

"Some people profoundly impact our lives, leaving an indelible mark on our hearts and shaping who we become. Their presence can feel destined, and the memories created together are often treasured. Yet, despite the depth of connection and affection, life sometimes charts different courses for us, leading us away from each other.

Sometimes, soulmates meet at a time in their lives when their journeys diverge or when external factors make a lasting partnership impractical. Personal growth and evolving life circumstances can alter their dynamics but though circumstances may change, the impact of those we care about remains a part of us, woven into the fabric of who we are. Their influence lingers, reminding us that love and connection are not confined by physical presence, but continue to exist in the echoes of our hearts.

Even when paths diverge, the significance of those relationships endures. We remember these individuals with fondness and gratitude, understanding that their role in our lives was essential, even if not permanent.  It manifests in cherished memories, the lessons learned, and the enduring respect we hold for each other."

An empty feeling took over my heart as I read the words which reminded me of a certain someone. 

Sighing, I scrolled down to a reel from a Chinese Drama I had recently watched, where the second male lead was talking to the female lead who was in a sour mood after not being in contact with the guy she liked, "Both of you have reached the phase of the cooling period when two people are apart.You'd talk on the phone everyday in the beginning. 

But it would take about a month or two at the most before you start treating each other coldly. You become strangers who don't know how to start a conversation anymore."

Scrunching my eyebrows at the reel, I quickly scrolled past it only to come across another similar post. 

The music switched, "I know that I said you'd be easy to forget, but I know I'll never get you off my mind...I miss you more than you know." 

I clicked my tongue and pressed on the next song, "Now you're just somebody that I used to know -"

My fingers pressed on the forward button and the tune changed to another track, "And what hurts the most is that people can go from people you know to people you don't."

Groaning out loud, I disconnected the Bluetooth from the speaker, turning off the music as I massaged my throbbing forehead. 

No matter how hard I tried to not think of him, somehow everything seemed to be reminding me of him. My heart seemed to sink as I opened my inbox to see multiple texts from friends and families, but none from Isahaq. 

I went to my post from a few hours ago, where I had added a few clicks from today's events, celebrating the turning point in my life. 

Isahaq still hadn't seen the post. That's what I assumed considering he hadn't liked the pictures or congratulated me in the comments, let alone through a separate text. 

I opened our chat history to see the last text between us was from months ago, during the last Eid. But after that there were no texts from either of our ends due to busy schedules.

A few years ago the realization would have made me feel like crying and although it did ache a little even now, I knew our lives didn't exactly revolve around each other and we had our own priorities to attend to.

I smiled subconsciously when I saw Zamar had commented on my post with a personalized animated sticker which he mentioned he had made himself. The sticker included a hijabi girl throwing a graduation cap in the air which suddenly transformed into the words 'Congrats!'. 

Against my better judgement, I opened Isahaq's profile from the search bar and went through the posts which I had already seen multiple times. 

The latest picture was from two weeks ago where he stood on top of a mountain in hiking gear along with a few guys who I now knew were his best friends back in Sydney. 

Isahaq rarely posted anything apart from random shots of scenery or a few snaps along with his new friends. 

The little I knew about his life in these past years was through these random posts and a few conversations here and then.

There was a new comment on his last post. Some girl called Anastasia had left heart emojis underneath his picture. This sent a pang of jealousy coursing through my veins and I immediately clicked on her profile. 

My mood soured and I could feel my eyes narrowing when I saw her latest post. In the picture, she was sitting in between Isahaq and his raven haired desi friend, Rivaan. To Isahaq's credit he seemed to be leaning more towards one of his other friends and away from the gorgeous blonde girl on his left. But who knew what was the true story behind the picture? 

It seemed like a party and I scanned it to recognize most of his friends were there. But why was she sitting so close to him? Was she a close friend too? 

I zoomed in to the shot and seeing Anastasia clearly only fuelled my envy further. No matter how much I hated this, I couldn't deny the fact that she was gorgeous. With her sleek straight blonde hair falling over her shoulders and that dazzling smile etched on her scarlet coated lips, she could be a model for all I knew. Her hourglass figure was wrapped in a mauve mini dress paired with sheer black tights and she had tagged Isahaq and his friends in the post. 

Though for some reason, none of them had reacted to the post. 

Stalking her for a few more minutes, my investigation revealed that she was also a resident doctor in the same hospital as Isahaq. So they were colleagues huh? Beauty with brains, who wouldn't fall for such a girl?

Besides, did he ever actually consider me as something more than a friend? I had always imagined my feelings towards him to be one sided.  Yes, he was kind to me and we shared a few heartfelt conversations. But that didn't prove anything. The last few moments between us made me think that maybe there was a chance he liked me too. But that bubble of hope only shrunk with time and now seemed to have been completely shattered due to the growing distance between us. 

Do I cross his mind the way his thoughts plague mine?Does he even care about me now? Did he find some girl he likes over there? Is it this girl? 

But he's clearly leaning away.

But what if there's some other girl ?

After all, I barely know anything about his life over there. He's got a new circle of friends who seem to be super close. What if there's some girl there in it too? 

Suddenly I remembered one of his posts from a month ago where he had gone to some kind of fancy event in the heart of the city. The pictures depicted live concerts and people dressed up in famous costumes along with many other festivities. As usual the pictures provided snippets of his moments with his new friend group. But that particular post also featured a red headed beauty. The girl had wild auburn curls framing her pale freckled face as her forest green pupils gleamed underneath long lashes. She stood between Isahaq and the blonde tattooed guy, her cherry coated lips curved up in a joyous smile as she stared at the camera in one of their other friends' hands. They were all grinning happily as if they were having the best time of their life. 

Who was she? 

Scrolling to the comment section I found her username, 'Natalie' had commented some kind of inside joke underneath Isahaq's post and he had replied to that with the words, "You owe me a treat Nat!" 

I could feel my eyebrows scrunching further as the scowl on my face depended, "Nat? They're on a freaking nickname basis?" 

For one moment of weakness I considered asking Zamar for information. But rationality immediately took over and prevented me from making a dumb embarrassing move. 

Although Zamar had been a good friend even after Isahaq went away, this would be too awkward and make me seem like a desperate obsessed girl. 

At that moment, all I wished was for there to be a button to turn off emotions. So that my heart didn't have to hurt so much. So that I didn't have to feel so damn much. I overthink too much and I hated it. 

The last time I had seen his face was a year and a half earlier, when my mother and I had visited their house to see his newborn niece. Yashra had given birth to an adorable baby girl who had immediately stolen everyone's heart at first glance. 

I had been sitting on the bed cradling the newborn and admiring the little angel when Maria aunty walked into the room with her phone held high, moving it around to show everyone. 

When she had turned the screen towards me, my heart had stopped beating for a second as my eyes fell upon Isahaq after such a long time. 

He was dressed in blue hospital scrubs, the smallest hint of a five o clock shadow of a stubble covering his chin as he stared back at me through the virtual screen of the phone. 

For a moment we were both quiet until he had muttered something incomprehensible. The only thing I had managed to decipher in the sentence was my name, which had further sped up my heart rate way above normal. 

Maria aunty had asked him to repeat his words as no one had understood anything among the chatter of gossip but he just shook his head with a  smile, opting for a simple sentence, "I was just surprised to see Maha holding the kiddo. It's good to know y'all are hanging out." 

After he told his mom how much he missed everyone and couldn't wait to see them again, a minute later he had to end the video call when one of his seniors started calling him for some emergency regarding a patient. 

Even though I had only seen him for a minute and through a screen, the glimpse had been enough to bring back all the feelings which I had been trying to suppress for so long.

He had returned home once to meet his niece, but fate seemed to have a twisted plan in store for us, causing us to miss each other yet again. The very week he decided to come back to Dhaka, my family had planned a visit to my aunt in Australia. As a result, when he was home, I was in Sydney, returning only after he had left once more. What impeccable timing for both of us to visit each other's countries!

There had been multiple moments when I had thought of something funny or interesting and my first instinct was to text Isahaq about it. But whenever I typed out a few words I would end up pressing  backspace, thinking it'll disturb his busy schedule. 

So instead of the previous playful banters, whenever we did end up communicating, it would be a dry text. Due to the different time zones and busy schedules from both sides,  our replies would come hours later, making it difficult to have a long conversation. 

Time flew by in the blink of an eye  and before I knew it, more than  2 years had passed. 

And one day I suddenly realized, separation is normal and inevitable in life. We have new places, new friends and new dreams. Gradually because of the distance, even though we cared for each other we became strangers who had no idea what to say to each other.

After all, what did we now know about what's going on in each other's life? I had no idea about his problems and nor did he know about mine. 

The dreams we are pursuing have taken all our attention. Everyone was busy in their own lives.

Like others, our contact gradually decreased and decreased until it eventually disappeared and as time went on, his thoughts started plaguing my mind less. Instead of wondering about him and what he's doing all the time, he just crossed my mind at the most random moments. Strawberries would remind me of his scent. His memories would flash by when I would suddenly see a meme from a fandom we talked about,  would hear a song we listened to in his car, or seeing the books he gave me resting on my bookshelf would remind me of his presence.

All that's left is the memories we had made in the little time we knew each other before we separated and moved on into different orbital paths.

Long late night conversations turned into brief texts of well wishes during festivals or special occasions. 

Sometimes I found myself scrolling through our past chats and smiling at the screen before realizing that the last text exchange was from months ago when we wished each other a simple Eid Mubarak or have a good day. 

I wanted to ask him more about his life there and the people who he was surrounded with. But could I really understand all those from mere texts? And with what right would I be asking him for all that information? 

Plus he's busy, he probably doesn't have time for these random stupid questions. Sometimes when I'm sad I wish he was here, maybe he would listen to my rants like he did that day at the resort. Or maybe that was just a one time thing. 

Suddenly I'm 24, feeling burnt out and inadequate in life, missing the youth but still grateful to be here through it all. 

He was living his life and I was living mine. We knew we were out there in the world . I was still waiting, hoping the right time would come soon. But now I don't know what to do anymore. Everything felt like a jumbled mess and all I needed was someone to hear me out. To assure me that everything's going to be fine and better days are coming ahead. 

Third person pov

The sound of the porcelain plate shattering on the ground reverberated through the tense atmosphere, mixed in with the shouts of disagreement and argument. 

Maha stood to the side, her eyes welling with tears as she watched her parents shout at each other back and forth. 

Her temporary bliss of the acceptance letter from the University of Sydney for her masters had all been shattered as soon as her father got to know about it. 

Although her mother was happy for her, she was indecisive about letting her go, worrying if she would be able to manage everything on her own and wishing she could keep her child by her side for a while longer. 

"You're not getting a penny from my side!" Her father glared at her, furious and appalled that she would even consider the prospect of studying abroad. 

"Why? What's the problem?! I'm not even asking for much money, I got a fair amount of scholarship and I'll work part time -"

Her father cut her off with a mocking laugh of disbelief, "You think it's so easy? You can't survive a day out there without our support! The world isn't so easy!"

Maha knew her family didn't have financial issues. If they wanted they could have supported her, but the problem was getting the permission to go. While both her parents were working doctors, she knew she couldn't expect her mother to give her financial support. Not because she didn't have the ability, more so because Maha's ideals wouldn't allow her to accept that. Why should her mother spend her hard earned money on her when it was her father's duty to do so?

"You want to go abroad? Fine, I'll give you all your inheritance. Go away, ruin your life by staying in an insolent environment. Pack your bags permanently, you can go forever, only on one condition- you can't step foot back in this country ever again! Stay there even if I die!"

Maha gasped in disbelief, her eyebrows scrunching in tension as pain flashed through her pupils, "What's with this emotional blackmail? I will obviously come back home!"

Her mom shook her head and started bickering with her dad but she knew she couldn't give all the expenses alone either. Studying abroad in Australia was expensive. 

Even with scholarship, there was the accomodation and living cost to think about. And of course, she was scared to let her daughter go alone, worrying about her safety and all the work she would have to do on her own. 

"I should have just gotten her married earlier like Asif Bhai did to his daughter!" 

Asha groaned at her husband and retorted, "Asif Bhai bought them such a huge mansion too, how about you do that first!"

As they kept throwing accusations and complaints at each other, the fight escalated and before she knew it, Maha's tears flowed down like a surge of tidal wave, her hiccups echoing through the room.

"What happened? Why are you crying now,ish?" Her dad shook his head in exasperation and clicked his tongue while her sobs grew in intensity. 

"Uff she's overthinking again, this way it'll affect her brain and she'll get psychological issues! I have so many issues in life I can't see these nataks (dramas) on top of that"

Asha turned towards her daughter,
"I can't deal with everyone behaving like this all the time, stop crying Maha. What's the problem? You always overthink about anything. We're talking about this right? What good is crying going to do? As if your father has the ability to understand anything properly. Just look at Asif Bhai - how he behaves with his family-"

Her dad marched forward with eyes bulging out of his socket in fury, 

"You useless woman, you always know what's happening in other homes. Why can't you take care of your own house?"

"You have the nerve to talk to me  like that while living for free under my parents roof?" Asha screamed back furiously, "Why do you always behave rudely with me? You don't leave me yet you don't let me live in peace either!"

"STOP, I CAN'T DEAL WITH YOU GUYS FIGHTING ON TOP OF MY ISSUES TOO!" Maha's broken scream cut through the tension filled air. 

Nanu sighed from her position on the sofa, massaging her forehead, "I can't take it anymore. I'm so old, I don't have much time left and here they are screaming again, making my health deteriorate."

Asha turned to complain to her mother, "Well why didn't you think about that before getting me married to such a miser?" 

Having enough, Maha stood up and let the words plaguing her mind loose, "You guys don't get it, I'm going crazy. I can't take this anymore! Your constant fighting, your overprotectiveness. I wouldn't have minded staying here if it was a good environment but face it, this is toxic! Everyday you guys fight over the tiniest things and tear each other apart. Everyday it's all over such silly reasons just for the sake of it. You stay in separate rooms. Sometimes I think it's better if you get divorced. I'm sorry for saying it but it's true!

But you are scared what society will say ammu, you're scared to think you have to take all the responsibility alone but you don't have to be! You're strong, you've endured so much, you've been an equal if not more when it came to finances. You've given the roof over my head, taken me to visit all the countries around the world. So why can't you just get away from this toxicity? For your own peace and mine too!"

Controlling her sniffles and wiping away her tears, she turned towards her other parent, "And dad, you're a good person deep down but why why why do you have to behave like this? Why can't you understand when you're wrong? Why do you behave so  ungrateful towards mom? Why do you always complain about everything about her and still bother staying together? If it's so much trouble just live your separate lives!

Don't make excuses that you're together for me. I'm grown now. I won't be sad. I'M TELLING YOU, enough is enough. Everyone should be able to live in peace! 
And if that requires you having to take different paths then -"

"Shut up! I thought you were a well mannered child, you have disappointed me. You think you're so grown now? How many days will you be able to live without our help and money? Don't show me your face anymore. Pack up everything for once and for all. Since when did you become so shameless and selfish?" Her dad hollered at the top of his voice as he glared at her shaking frame. 

"You guys don't understand anything. If only you knew how you've ruined my mental health, having to worry and take care about stuff you guys should be taking care of!" She says with quivering lips, eyes once again filling with salty water. 

"Who told you to worry about anything huh? Why did you worry unnecessarily? So much overthinking will make you crazy. God forbid if we need to take you to a psychologist. Go once and you'll be labeled with the word pagol (crazy) forever." The man spat out, clicking his tongue at his daughter.

"THAT'S THE PROBLEM! YOU'RE SO BACKDATED YOU DON'T REALIZE ANYTHING! 

YOU'RE A DOCTOR STILL YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT MENTAL HEALTH IS A REAL THING! AS MUCH IMPORTANT AS PHYSICAL HEALTH.

IT'S NOT A DISEASE IT'S NOT BEING CRAZY EVERYONE NEEDS MENTAL SUPPORT!

WHY DO YOU TAKE MEDICINE WHEN YOU GET A HEADACHE THEN? IT'S THE SAME WITH OUR MINDS -"

He let out a mocking laugh, "Here she goes with the mental health bullshit again!"

"You know what? It's not your fault you grew up with that mindset after all. You're too old to realize or understand anything. You guys still haven't learnt your lesson after what happened with-" Maha stops, hesitating for a second as she watches her father's eyes flash with shock and then something unreadable before he turns away. 

The name was on the tip of her tongue and Asha sat down on a chair, her eyes glazed with unspoken memories while Nanu sighed louder, "That's enough Maha beta. I know it's hard but...calm down everyone you're just riled up and furious."

"I don't care, I'm sick of all these. I need a moment of peace! They're so weird, one minute they fight, the next day they attend parties together like a freaking family. There's moments when they're laughing and talking at the dinner table and I wonder why can't it be like this all the time? And a few minutes later once again they're shouting at each other.

This is a toxic loop, this isn't normal. This society has normalized this but it isn't normal! I can't think about all these anymore. I want to get away."

Maha slammed the door to her room shut and locked the door before  she broke down on the cold white tiled floor, her face drenched with salty tear drops.

She had always been the dutiful daughter, prioritizing her family's wishes over her own dreams. Yet now, frustration bubbled to the surface, threatening to overflow. Why couldn't they try to understand her for once? She had earned a prestigious scholarship entirely on her own merits, proving her dedication and hard work. Didn't she deserve the chance to study at a top university, to pursue the future she had worked so tirelessly for?

The resentment simmered within her as memories resurfaced. She could have gone abroad for her bachelor's degree, but she had stayed. For them. She had always sacrificed her own aspirations, pushing aside her desires to fulfill their expectations. While she understood that her parents wanted the best for her and loved them deeply, couldn't she be selfish just this once? Couldn't they acknowledge her choices, her dreams?

They had made mistakes before, and yet their perspective hadn't changed. She knew their restrictions came from a place of love and care. They feared losing her, afraid she might leave and never return. Their heart ached at the thought of her absence, worried if she would be able to manage everything on her own and she understood the hesitation. But someday, she had to leave, didn't she? It wasn't as though she wanted to abandon them or sever ties. She envisioned a future where she would frequently return to visit, a future where she could even bring her parents to Australia to share in the life she hoped to build.

But for now, the weight of their expectations felt stifling, and the ache of her own suppressed dreams burned brighter than ever. Her parents had always been supportive and never pressurized her about getting good grades, knowing she was serious about her studies and would achieve the golden results herself. But on the other side of the coin no matter how caring they were, her inner turmoil and the chaos in her mind went unnoticed by everyone. She was tired of trying to be as strong as people thought her to be.

She felt utterly overwhelmed, crushed beneath the weight of the problems in her life. All she wanted was a hug, a comforting presence to hold her together . But instead, all she got were dismissive words telling her to stop crying. She understood that everyone carried their own burdens, their own struggles, but that didn't lessen her pain. All she needed was someone to listen, someone to let her pour out the chaos in her heart without judgment.

Her head throbbed as if a hammer were pounding against her skull, the relentless pain driving her to the brink. Every nerve in her body felt as if it were aflame, her senses stretched to their limits. Each sob heightened the pressure in her mind, and the tears streaming down her face only added to her misery. She felt sick, her stomach churning. The room spun around her, a suffocating, dizzying haze that made it hard to focus. Her chest tightened, gasps for air coming shallow and strained, while the throbbing in her head grew more unbearable with every passing second. Every joint in her body burned as if set alight, the pain searing through her like wildfire. When she felt all alone and stranded in a trapped corner, she remembered a face which used to be a beacon of light through the dark times. She choked out his name once, as if in a silent prayer hoping her plea would reach him and then, everything went black.

A young boy in his early twenties sat on the floor, clutching his head as he rocked back and forth, tears flowing down his cheeks. He clutched his shirt and tugged at it, pressing his hand over his chest as if the pain was unbearable, "I can't do it ANYMORE!" He shrieked at the top of his lungs. 

His gaze fell on the teenage girl standing worriedly by the side as she tried to find words to console him. 

"I feel like I'm going crazy. It hurts so much." the boy choked out in between rugged breaths. 

Maha's eyes flew open, her body soaked with sweat as she gasped for breath. 

Why did she have such a dream at this moment? 

Turning to the clock, she saw that it was 4 am. She had fallen asleep on the ground itself, her aching neck now suffering the consequences. 

The morning adhaan played from the nearby mosque, filling the air with peace and serenity. After doing her wudhu, Maha stood on the prayer mat, submitting her worries to the Lord of all the worlds.

After praying fajr, she lay on her bed recounting yesterday's incident.
She felt guilty for yelling at her elders and saying such harsh things, but she was only human. The dam inside her had finally burst after years of bottling up burdens and frustrations she could no longer bear. While she regretted the way she had spoken, she couldn't deny the truth in her words. She loved her family deeply and genuinely wanted everyone to be happy and healthy. Yet, after years of experience, she knew that unless they changed their ways, living in this environment would be nothing less than toxic.

Her room was still locked and every time anyone had tried to knock or talk to her, she ignored them until they eventually went away.

After a few hours, her grumbling stomach finally forced her to open the door and she made her way out towards the living room knowing her parents must have already gone to work.

Maha noticed a variety of her favorite food resting on the table, no doubt bought by her father after yesterday's incident.

She scoffed at that. Why did they always think food will make up for all the fights? That's not how it worked. It wasn't just a normal fight now. Why didn't they understand that mental health mattered too?

On top of that the dream had left her shaken. Why did she have to have that dream right after that fight? The guilt she had been carrying got mingled with frustration as her thoughts drifted back to the past and suddenly anger was bubbling up inside her all over again.

Anger and hunger was the worst combination. Though she was tired of crying so she finally took a few bites out of the chocolate coated donut lying on the table, the sweetness calming her down a little bit.

Hushed voices drifted through her ears, coming from the direction of Nanu's room and she heard her mother's voice. Why hadn't she gone to the hospital today?

Confused and curious, Maha tiptoed her way near the mahogany door and pressed her ears against it.

She could hear her Nanu and Ammu's voices going back and forth, laced with an urgent tone.

"I wasn't expecting this. But considering the current situation maybe-"

"No Asha, don't take any rash decisions. Why would they send such a sudden proposal after so many years? Something's fishy." Nanu pondered out loud.

"His mother had always admired and praised Maha since childhood." Asha informed her mother.

Nanu remained silent. Maha's curiosity piqued and her eyebrows scrunched in apprehension.

What exactly were they talking about?

"I mean, I had hoped maybe Maria's son and Maha...but now that Isahaq's been abroad for so long...
I don't know what their stance is. I think the kids aren't in contact either."

Maha's heart which had fluttered upon hearing Isahaq's name now shrunk like a deflated balloon. Was there truly no hope left for them after all?

Asha continued with a sigh, "To be honest I would feel much better sending Maha abroad if she had a partner by her side, and now maybe she could look into Canada? As far as I remember, Ahaan was a nice kid. They were pretty good friends, no? His mom was praising Maha so much over the phone."

Maha's heart stopped beating.

A proposal from Ahaan?

What's wrong with him all of a sudden? Why was he doing this? Did he still have feelings for her? That can't be. Besides, she had left those days far behind.

Everything felt messed up and blurry. Fishing for answers she rushed back to her room to fetch her phone only to see a text notification glaring on the screen. To her surprise, the text was from none other than Ahaan.

✨

In the afternoon, Maha found herself back at her University. She needed to pick up some graduation related paperwork from her there and while going out she saw a seminar being conducted on mental health inside one of the lecture halls.

The lecturer was one of the previous alumni who was back for a visit after getting his master's degree in psychology from the prestigious University of Cambridge.

The young man stood on the podium, dressed impeccably in a white shirt and navy pants as he delivered the last line of the speech, causing the crowd to break out in applause.

Maha waited by the door for everyone to leave and just as the guy was coming out, he paused as he saw her leaning against the wall, his eyes widening in a flicker of recognition.

"Hey- Maha right? It's been a long time. The last time we met was..."

Her lips curled up slightly around the corners,  "When I was in my first year having a breakdown over the project from that Hitler teacher and you saved the day by helping our team sort everything at the last minute. I'll always remember your assistance."

Zuhayr chuckled with a reminiscing smile, "Oh! That was an interesting incident indeed. No one knows the pain better than someone who'd been at the receiving end of the same situation. Haven't you graduated this year? Wow, time goes by so fast. How have you been?"

Maha nodded sadly, "Bhaiya, if you're not busy, I have a question. You said we should tell our loved ones our worries instead of confining the trouble to ourselves. But what if your parents don't understand and tell you to stop crying? What if your friend is too busy or hasn't gone through the things you have to understand just how much you're suffering? What if it makes you feel like sharing these to someone you know would be a burden and make you feel awkward later ? And the only person who could understand you, has been in the same boat as you , has changed and isn't by your side anymore?"

Zuhayr looked at her with eyes full of pity but understanding, "I'm at a loss for words..." He sighed, "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help all this time. The trauma you have gone through, I can't begin to fathom just how much you have suffered all these years. But I'm here at this moment to lend you a listening ear. Even if for a while, you can share your burden with a not so stranger who promises not to judge you. Would you like to talk?"

Maha's eyes prickled with tears of gratitude. Being comforted even for a second felt like a warm hug, and she needed to let out her fears, talk about the problems plaguing her mind. Speak to someone who knew what she was going through but wasn't close enough to be biased. Someone who would give her professional outlook and advice while also being caring due to a string of bond they shared during the past.

✨

A few hours later -

Maha got out of the car in front of the fifteen storey high rise building hosting the modern posh apartments of the city. When she told the security guard who she wanted to visit, his reply left her feeling confused.

Raiyyan had called her an hour ago asking her to come by to his newly bought apartment to pick up something which needed to be delivered to her. Apparently he was too busy to drop it off at their house himself.

"He called me and now he's not home himself!" Muttering in exasperation, she dialed his number as she stood waiting by the door, impatiently tapping her foot on the marble floor of the building's lobby.

Raiyyan picked up on the third ring,
"I got an urgent call from work so I left but I'll be back in a few minutes. Ah...the parcel is upstairs and I'm texting you the door's password so you can go and take it."

He cut the call before Maha could say anything and she stared at the phone's screen in confusion.

Why did he sound so hesitant and nervous? Maybe it's something related to his work problem. Shrugging off the nagging feeling in the back of her mind, she boarded the lift and pressed the button of the 11th floor.

She got outside and pressed the buttons on the keypad outside Raiyyan's door which then clicked open just as he had said.

She made her way inside and shut the door knob wondering where he had kept whatever he was talking about only to halt in her steps when her eyes fell on a pair of suitcases lying in front of the spare bedroom.

What were these doing here?
Raiyyan wasn't going anywhere...so whose suitcases are these? Did someone come to visit? But no one's supposed to be coming as far as she knows.

Just then a sound came from the kitchen making her heart rate speed up in fear. Wait, did someone break in?

Of course not, a thief wouldn't just leave suitcases lying around.

She mentally facepalmed at her overthinking and carefully made her way around the corner preparing to greet whoever was there.

But the person she saw standing there with a teapot clutched in his hand was the last person she ever expected to come across at that moment. Someone very familiar yet distant. Known yet unknown.

Her heart seemed to drop down to her stomach as she took a sharp intake of breath, unable to believe her eyes. This must be some kind of dream...how was this possible?

Even after the newly grown beard framing the lower half of his face, the crew cut covering his head rather than his usual locks of fringe throughout the years, he looked quite the same. His muscular frame towered over her in height as he took a step forward, his pupils swimming with unspoken words. As if he was alive but missing an integral piece of himself. As if he was a wanderer searching for home.

"I never thought I'd say this- but I missed you." A deep gravelly voice which she would recognize anywhere spoke out. It had been years since she heard that voice but at that moment it felt like no time had passed at all. It was all so familiar. All so close.

Maha could feel her eyes getting blurry and soon her cheeks dampened with those traitorous tears. She tried to control the watermarks for a moment but immediately failed, "Sahad?"  she croaked out in a shaky tone.

Author's Note

I know there's been a lot of revelations in this chapter which may have left you with an abundance of questions. You'll find the answers among the next few chapters In Sha Allah.

There's also been a lot of new names which may feel confusing so let me make it easier- Zuhayr isn't any wild entry character, his only purpose in this story (so far) is because I wanted Maha to have someone to share her worries with and get proper mental health help. I want to emphasize how especially in the society I grew up in, it's not so big on focusing or accepting mental health but every day I realize just how much each and every human being deserves someone to hear them out, share their thoughts with and how equally important mental health is alongside our physical well being.

Take some time out to talk with your friends and family and let them know you're there for them <3

And I'm here if anyone ever feels like ranting about anything 💗

So while Zuhayr just serves the purpose of a guest appearance, Sahad will play an important role in the upcoming chapters 👀

Any thoughts or guesses?

The next few parts are the main climax of the story. (These are some of my favorite chapters ahead )🤭Yes, the prologue scene is coming up after about one more chapter.

Warning:  Expect the unexpected! Nothing is what it seems like. It's not going to be some predictable cliche storyline, there's a plot twist ( which I hope no one finds obvious or else I'll seem like a fool hyping it up lmao )

Are we ready for drama ?
And oh- Isahaq's pov coming right up 😏

Vote and comment to motivate me 🥹✨🤍