Maira hadn’t made the decision on a whim.
It had been building quietly inside her for days, a silent storm of thoughts that refused to settle. Each morning she woke up in that unfamiliar bed, surrounded by the kindness of people who were not obligated to her, she felt the weight of something unsaid pressing heavier against her chest.
She wasn’t unaware of how her marriage had come to be. It hadn’t been love, or even companionship, it had been circumstance. Pity. A sense of duty. And though Hadi never made her feel small, she had learned long ago to read between silences. And his silences were screaming.
She had seen it, in the way he avoided her eyes sometimes, in the way his kindness came wrapped in guilt. And she understood. She truly did. A part of her had always known he was caring for her not out of choice, but out of a sense of responsibility, and possibly regret.
He was a good man. And he had done more than most would have.
But enough was enough.
She wasn’t someone who believed in holding on where she wasn't wanted. She knew what it felt like to be kept out of convenience, her uncle had taught her that early in life. She wouldn't repeat that mistake. Not again.
Still, the decision hadn’t come easy. The idea of a divorce wasn’t something she had ever imagined for herself. The very word felt heavy, like a stain society would never let her wash off. She knew the whispers would follow. People would ask questions in sharp tones and hushed voices. Some would pity, others would sneer. And many would say the same thing: She couldn’t even keep her marriage together.
But she also knew this, a life lived in someone else's shadow, out of someone else's guilt, was no life at all.
She wasn’t helpless. She was mature enough to start over, to earn for herself, to heal, even if it took time. What she wasn’t prepared for, however, was the hollow ache in her chest.
Because no matter how she tried to frame it, Hadi wasn’t hers to begin with… but it still hurt to let him go.
She had heard them talking, Rubina and Hadi.
She hadn’t meant to listen in, but the apartment was quiet, and her heart had been louder than the walls could protect her from. She had stood just behind the door, her fingers curled tightly around the knob, listening as Rubina gently offered a way forward.
“Why don’t you take her to Mumbai with you?”
The question had hit Maira like a jolt.
Her breath had caught in her throat.
And then Hadi’s stunned reaction followed. Not a yes, not even hope. Just confusion. Hesitation.
“But… how?”
She knew then that whatever bond existed between them, it wasn’t enough to survive the truth of his life back in Mumbai. He had a family. But what mattered now was this: she didn’t want to be a reason he felt stuck.
That conversation had sealed her resolve. She would speak to him. And she did.
But it had taken everything in her, every ounce of restraint and maturity, to keep her voice steady, to mask the tremble in her hands, to look away so he wouldn’t see the tears collecting behind her eyes.
Saying the words “get the divorce papers ready” had felt like tearing a piece of her soul and placing it in his hands.
And when he left the room abruptly, she understood. It was hard for him too. Not in the way it was for her, but still… hard.
She didn’t blame him for leaving. She didn’t even expect him to stay. She just hoped he would remember her as someone who had the strength to walk away, not because she didn’t care, but because she did.
Rubina had come in moments later, holding her close like an elder sister who didn’t need to say much to make it better. And in her arms, Maira finally let go. The tears came fast, a flood of grief for something that never really had a beginning, and yet still somehow felt like an ending.
But through the storm inside her, there was something that stayed unshaken.
Her dignity.
Her choice.
Her quiet courage to say enough.
Even if the world didn’t understand, even if people judged her, she would walk forward, slowly, perhaps painfully, but on her own feet. And with her head held high.
---
Hadi’s footsteps echoed through the corridor of the building as he rushed outside, the cool breeze hitting his face like reality snapping into place. His breaths were uneven. Everything Maira had said was still ringing in his ears.
“You should... get the divorce papers ready.”
He stumbled upon a quiet bench tucked beneath a gulmohar tree near the corner of the building. It looked deserted, just like he needed it to be. He sat down heavily, elbows on knees, palms holding his head as if trying to keep it from spiraling into chaos.
Maira’s words weren’t difficult to understand. In fact, he’d been expecting them. He would’ve agreed. If things were different, if life was simpler. If the truth wasn’t like a ticking bomb between them.
But it was.
And that’s what held him back.
It wasn’t about love. It wasn’t about loyalty. It wasn’t even about marriage anymore. It was about what she didn’t know, what he was hiding, what Dr. Zafar had strictly told him not to reveal. Not yet.
He clenched his jaw as he remembered the conversation at the hospital.
"She’s healing, Hadi. Physically, yes, but mentally? That will take time. Don’t tell her anything that might send her backward. Not now."
He had nodded then, silently agreeing. But he didn’t know it would be this hard. Not when she looked him in the eye and asked him to leave her.
And she loved kids.
Allah.
That one detail hit harder than everything else. She didn’t even know. And he didn’t have the courage to look her in the eye and say, “You might not be able to have them.”
He couldn't. Not now. Maybe not ever.
Hadi shut his eyes tight, his fists clenched against his knees. He wanted to proceed with the divorce. Allah knew that's the only thing he wanted. But was he ready to walk away knowing she was still healing from the injuries he had caused, physically, emotionally?
“No,” he whispered to himself, the word breaking free like an anchor finding the seabed. “Not yet. I can't leave her now. I owe her that much.”
She had no one in this world. Rubina was leaving. And Maira wasn’t strong enough to be on her own yet. No stranger could be trusted with her condition. And no matter how difficult this was, he had to see it through, till she was better. Till she could face the world with her chin up.
He pulled out his phone and dialed Dr. Zafar.
"Dr. Zafar, it’s Hadi.”
“Everything okay?” the familiar voice answered on the second ring.
“I've decided... I’m taking Maira with me. To Mumbai.”
There was a pause, but not of surprise. Then came a calm, approving response. “I think that’s a good idea. Change of place might help her too. I have a colleague there, Dr. Farha Wasim. Very experienced in trauma and post-operative care, also a Gynecologist. I’ll speak to her and have the case file forwarded.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Hadi said with genuine gratitude. “I’ll keep her under my care. Until she’s fully recovered.”
“Just keep her stress-free, Hadi. That’s key. Don’t rush anything.”
“I understand.”
He ended the call and stared at the screen for a long time before slipping it back into his pocket.
The resolve was clear now.
He would take her back to Mumbai. Quietly. Without involving anyone. Without disrupting any lives more than they already had been.
Lubna could never find out.
As much as he hated hiding things from her, Hadi knew, some truths do more harm than good. Lubna didn’t deserve the pain of knowing, and he didn’t have the strength to see that look in her eyes. The hurt. The betrayal. Even if unintentional, it would wreck her.
He loved her. And because he loved her, he would protect her from this.
Maybe this whole thing was temporary. Maybe once Maira healed, she would find her own path, her own life, far away from them. Maybe none of this would have to come to light.
He stood up slowly from the bench.
The decision was made.
With steady feet and a heavy heart, Hadi walked back toward the building, carrying a burden no one else would ever fully understand. A burden he’d chosen. For Maira’s healing. For Lubna’s peace. For his own conscience.
---
When Hadi stepped back into the apartment, the quiet felt heavier than before. The room was still, the curtains swaying gently with the breeze. Rubina was sitting on the couch, her posture stiff, eyes lost in thought, the kind that comes from watching people you care about fall apart.
He cleared his throat softly as he walked in. “Rubina... Where is Maira?”
She turned to him, her eyes snapping out of the swirl of worry. “She’s asleep. Got exhausted after...” she trailed off, knowing he’d understand what she meant.
A silent sigh escaped him, and guilt settled into his chest. He shouldn't have left like that. Not when she was so vulnerable. But he had needed a moment, to breathe, to think, to decide.
He walked over and took the chair across from her. Rubina's eyes studied him carefully, as if trying to read what decision he had returned with.
“What have you thought, Hadi bhai?” she asked, cautiously. Her voice trembled with hesitation, as though bracing for heartbreak.
“I’ve made my decision,” he replied quietly, looking down for a moment, then back at her.
Rubina’s heart thudded in her chest. “Please... think again. Maira’s not as strong as she pretends to be. Both of us, leaving her right now, it’ll break her. She needs someone to take care of her, Hadi bhai. Just... think about her, please.” Her plea was soft but intense, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
A small smile curved on his lips, a tired but genuine one. “Relax, Rubina. I’ve thought this through. And thank you… for everything you’ve done for her. She’s lucky to have had you around. And I'm sure she will miss you in Mumbai”
Rubina blinked. “Wait, what do you mean?”
“I’m taking her to Mumbai,” he said simply. “There’s an apartment where she can stay. I’ll arrange everything. I’ll keep her under my care until she’s fully recovered.”
Her breath hitched, and the weight lifted from her chest in an instant. “Alhamdulillah,” she exhaled, her smile widening, her eyes bright. “Thank you, Hadi bhai… I was so worried. I didn’t know what to do.”
He nodded quietly. “When she wakes up, help her pack, please. We’ll leave by evening.”
“Of course,” she nodded enthusiastically. Then, watching him retreat to his room, her expression softened.
Behind his calm tone, she could still feel the tension in his shoulders, the burden of choices he was carrying alone. She knew he hadn’t told Lubna yet. And she didn’t need to ask why. Some things didn’t need words.
As Hadi closed the door to his room, he pulled out his phone and stared at it.
Love.
The name glowed back at him like a lifeline. He needed to hear her voice, to ground himself again. To remind himself why he was doing all this.
He stepped aside, closing the door gently behind him, dialing the one person who always managed to calm his storm.
Meanwhile, Rubina watched the door for a moment, then turned toward the kitchen.
She was relieved.
Relieved that Maira wouldn’t be alone. That she wouldn’t have to fend for herself in a world that had never been kind to her. Rubina had seen Hadi change. The way he looked at Maira, the way his silence lingered longer around her, the guilt in his eyes... he had started caring, even if he didn’t admit it.
Maybe not like a husband.
But like someone who couldn’t walk away anymore.
And that, for now, was enough.
Rubina smiled faintly, wiping her eyes. She didn’t want to force Maira on Hadi. She just wanted her friend to heal, fully, deeply, without feeling like a burden. And Hadi… whether he knew it or not, was the only person who could help her do that now.
Maybe it was fate. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to their story than what met the eye.
She sighed, rolling up her sleeves as she walked into the kitchen, deciding to cook Maira’s favourite daal chawal, something simple, comforting, and warm.
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