The night was heavy as Hadi drove his car quietly, watching the blurred city lights rush past the window. The streets of Mumbai were alive, cars honking, people moving, the chaos as usual, but inside him, a strange kind of silence brewed. His mind, however, was far from silent.
Every image of Maira from earlier today kept flashing like an uninvited reel.
Her forced smile.
The way her hands trembled ever so slightly when he placed the envelope and card into them.
The pain she tried so hard to hide.
And the tears she silently swallowed.
He rested his head back against the seat, trying to gather himself.
I hope Rubina can handle everything... I hope Maira will be okay, he thought.
But the guilt gnawed at his chest like a parasite he couldn’t shake off.
The car rolled to a halt outside his home, their home, in the quiet upscale neighborhood of Mumbai. The porch light was still on, casting a soft golden glow against the dark velvet sky. The familiar sight brought an ache to Hadi’s chest, half comfort, half guilt.
He stepped out slowly, dragging his small bag behind him. His heart pounded harder with every step towards the door. The weight of what he had just left behind pressed heavily on his chest. His hand hovered near the doorbell for a moment before finally pressing it.
The door flung open even before the second ring.
Lubna stood there.
Her face lit up the second she saw him, her eyes widening with that pure, unfiltered joy only she could offer him.
"Hadi!" she breathed, rushing forward into his arms.
Hadi smiled softly, wrapping his arms around her slender frame. The way she fit perfectly against him never failed to ground him. He buried his face into her hair, inhaling the familiar scent of her jasmine shampoo. For a moment, the world paused.
"I missed you so much," Lubna whispered against his chest, her voice trembling slightly.
"I missed you too, love," Hadi whispered back, tightening his embrace as though trying to hold on to this moment forever.
He meant it. He did miss her. But the weight pressing against his ribs reminded him of everything unsaid. The hidden truth clinging like shadows behind his every word.
Before Lubna could say anything else, a tiny voice echoed from inside the house.
"Pa...pa!"
Zohan.
Their one-year-old son came waddling toward him, his tiny legs unsteady but determined. His chubby face broke into the biggest toothless grin, and his small hands waved excitedly.
Hadi immediately knelt, opening his arms wide as Zohan stumbled right into his embrace, giggling.
"Mera shehzada! (My prince!)" Hadi whispered, lifting him into his arms, kissing his soft cheeks repeatedly as Zohan squealed in delight.
"You’ve grown so much in these days, haven’t you? Papa missed you so much."
Zohan babbled something unintelligible, his tiny fingers tugging at Hadi's collar. The little boy’s innocence, his warmth, filled a void that Hadi hadn’t even known was growing inside him these past few weeks.
Lubna stood beside them, her hand stroking Zohan's head, her eyes full of love. "He kept getting cranky without you, wouldn’t even eat properly unless I played your video recordings," she chuckled, shaking her head softly.
Hadi’s chest tightened. The guilt once again crawled up his throat.
"I’m sorry." he whispered, gazing at her. "I shouldn’t have stayed away this long."
"I know you had to. It’s business. But now you’re home, that’s all that matters," Lubna replied, brushing it off easily with a smile.
She didn’t know. She had no idea. And it hurt him that she didn’t.
For a moment, the words almost slipped out.
Lubna... I need to tell you something...
His lips even parted slightly.
But then her eyes glowed again as she laughed while tickling Zohan, whose giggles filled the apartment like music. The joy, the innocence, the completeness of this moment, it disarmed him completely.
How do I tell her? How do I shatter this peace? he thought.
The weight of what waited behind him, Maira’s tear-streaked face, her pain, her helplessness, the accident, the marriage, all loomed at the back of his mind like a dark cloud.
He lowered his gaze briefly, pressing his lips into a thin line.
Not now. Not tonight.
He couldn’t rob Lubna of this happiness. Not while she was smiling like that. Not while Zohan was giggling in his arms.
"Come inside, Love. You must be tired. Let me heat up your dinner," Lubna said warmly, taking Zohan from his arms.
He followed her into the apartment, the life that had once been simple, now turned into a fragile glass that he was terrified might shatter any moment.
He sat on the couch, rubbing his face with both hands as Lubna busied herself instructing the staff in the kitchen. His eyes wandered around the house, familiar yet distant. The family photographs on the wall, Zohan’s toys scattered across the carpet, the half-finished jigsaw puzzle on the coffee table.
He closed his eyes briefly.
I don’t deserve this peace. Not while another woman sits in a strange apartment, lost, broken… because of me. Not while my own wife is unaware of a truth that would shake the core foundation of our marriage and my loyalty towards her.
He couldn’t bring himself to tell her, not because he didn’t care, but because he cared too much. How do you shatter the heart you’ve sworn to protect... especially with your own hands?
The guilt was suffocating.
Yet he smiled faintly when Lubna placed his dinner on the table and sat beside him, her head resting lightly on his shoulder.
"I’m so glad you’re home," she whispered again.
"Me too," he lied softly, wrapping his arm around her.
But his mind remained divided, part of him here, present in this happy home, while the other part stood beside Maira, alone in that unfamiliar apartment, carrying a wound neither of them knew how to heal.
And for the first time, Hadi feared that no matter how much love surrounded him tonight, this secret may one day cost him everything.
---
Later that night, after dinner, Zohan had been tucked into bed. The house was dim, the soft hum of the air conditioning the only sound filling the master bedroom.
Lubna lay beside him, her head resting on his chest, her fingers drawing lazy circles on his shirt as they talked quietly about small things, her work projects, funny things Zohan had said, and much more.
As she fell asleep, He held her tighter, burying his face into her soft hair. The warmth of her body, the rhythm of her breathing, everything lulled him into a state of false safety.
And for a little while, as sleep began to overtake him, the heavy thoughts of Maira faded, dissolving into the background like mist.
In that moment, it felt as though he had never left.
As if he had never signed that paper.
As if the accident, the hospital, the nikaah, it had all been some faraway dream.
Here, in the cocoon of his love’s embrace, it was easy to forget.
At least for tonight.
---
For Maira, the apartment was unusually quiet after Hadi left. The silence pressed against the walls like a heavy fog. Every corner seemed emptier, colder. She sat quietly in the master bedroom, leaning against the headboard, her mind unwilling to let go of the ache in her chest.
Rubina, sensing the heaviness, had stayed busy in the kitchen. She had seen the unshed tears in Maira’s eyes when Hadi left and knew her heart needed a distraction tonight, something soft, something warm.
Soon, Rubina entered the room with a small tray in her hands, carrying two delicate bowls of freshly prepared sheer khurma. The aroma of warm milk, roasted vermicelli, cardamom, and saffron filled the room. She placed the tray on the bed with a gentle smile.
“Bas ab. Enough sulking. We both need some sugar therapy tonight,” Rubina said with a soft chuckle as she settled beside Maira on the bed.
Maira smiled faintly, taking the bowl from Rubina’s hand. The warmth of the bowl felt comforting against her cold palms.
“Thank you, Dii.” she whispered softly.
They both sat cross-legged on the bed, small pillows supporting their backs, the dim yellow light of the bedside lamp casting a cozy glow over their faces.
After a few minutes of quiet eating, Rubina gently broke the silence, her voice warm, filled with a tenderness that only women who understood each other's silent battles shared.
“Maira… can I tell you something? Something I usually don’t talk about much.”
Maira looked up curiously, grateful for the change in subject. “Of course, Dii.”
Rubina smiled wistfully, staring for a moment at her bowl before speaking.
“Apart from my work at the NGO… my husband is in the military. An officer.” Her voice held pride, but also a layer of quiet sadness beneath it.
Maira’s eyes widened a little in surprise. She had never thought about Rubina's personal life before.
“You’re married?” she asked softly.
Rubina nodded, her eyes sparkling faintly with unshed emotions.
“Yes. We had a love marriage about three years ago. He was stationed in Nashik when we first met. It didn’t take long for us to fall for each other.”
She paused to take another spoonful of dessert, letting the sweet warmth settle her nerves.
“After our nikaah, he was transferred out of Nashik. My in-laws live in Bangalore, but because of my work commitments here, I stayed behind. Thankfully, they are wonderful people. They understood and allowed me to continue my work here without any complaints. But…” she trailed off briefly, her smile faltering slightly.
“I haven’t seen him for two years now. Communication is rare and often brief. Sometimes weeks go by without any contact. And yet, I wait. Because that’s what love teaches you, to endure, to hope, to stay strong even when your heart aches.”
Maira listened intently, her own bowl now resting untouched in her lap. Rubina’s words were like a soft balm to her aching heart, painting a picture of patience, resilience, and quiet strength.
“Isn’t it difficult, Dii? To live so far away from him, to not know when you’ll see him again?” Maira asked softly, her voice laced with the rawness of her own emotions.
Rubina smiled again, this time with a gentleness that came from deep acceptance.
“Of course it’s difficult, Maira. There are nights when I cry myself to sleep. Days when the house feels unbearably silent. But love… love makes everything bearable. It gives me strength. It reminds me that distance doesn’t lessen feelings, it only makes them stronger.”
She reached over and gently patted Maira’s hand.
“Heartache is a part of love, Maira. But so is hope. Healing takes time, but one day you’ll wake up, and it won’t feel this heavy anymore.”
Maira felt her throat tighten, tears brimming at the corners of her eyes. For the first time that evening, she allowed herself to breathe a little lighter, feeling the comfort of Rubina’s words wrap around her like a warm blanket.
“You’re very strong, Dii” she whispered.
Rubina chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood, “Strong? Hmm… Maybe. Or maybe I just pretend to be. We all have our ways of surviving, don’t we?”
Maira gave a small, genuine smile, the first real one in days.
“Thank you for sharing this with me. It helps… it really helps.”
Rubina smiled back, her eyes gleaming with sisterly affection. “And I’m here for you. Always. We’ll get through this together, okay?”
Maira nodded, feeling the tight knot in her chest slowly loosen, even if just a little.
For the first time since Hadi’s departure, the room didn’t feel as lonely.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
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