As Hadi and Lubna stepped into the room, a strange tension followed them. Lubna’s brows were furrowed, her tone sharp with restrained frustration as she turned to her husband.
“You didn’t have to be so rude to the guest, Hadi,” she scolded softly, yet firmly. There was disappointment in her eyes, she wasn’t used to him being so dismissive, especially in front of others.
Hadi merely shrugged, a cold nonchalance clouding his face.
“She won’t mind,” he said, brushing it off like it didn’t matter. But it did. The atmosphere said it all.
Lubna didn’t back down. “How can you say that? She came all the way here because I asked her to and now...”
Before she could finish, Hadi cut her off, his voice lower now, but more pointed.
“How can you let someone like her be the nanny for our son?”
Lubna turned toward him, startled. “What do you mean by someone like her?”
“I mean...” he hesitated for a beat, searching for the right words, not because he didn’t have them, but because he knew he was about to lie, “....she’s so young. She doesn’t even look more than twenty-three. For all we know, she might not even know how to handle kids.”
Lubna stared at him, trying to understand what had gotten into him. “But... you haven’t even seen her properly. She’s really good, Hadi. And Zohan...he likes her.”
He scoffed, shaking his head. “How can you say that? You’ve just met her once.”
“Yes, Hadi, but....”
“No buts.” His voice was final. Hard. “I don’t think I can trust her.”
Lubna’s shoulders dropped slightly, her voice pleading now. “But Hadi... we’ve been searching for so long already. We haven’t found anyone yet. And Zohan really....”
“I will make sure we have someone by tomorrow,” Hadi interrupted, his tone slightly softening but still resolute. “Someone who is more experienced. Please, for now... just ask her to leave.”
There was a long pause. Lubna searched his eyes, hoping he’d change his mind. “Are you sure?” she asked quietly.
Hadi reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder gently, his voice coated in reassurance. “Yes, love. I’m sure.”
But inside, Hadi knew the truth, he was being cruel. Deliberately cruel. Each word he had uttered about Maira’s inexperience had been a lie. He knew, deep down, that she was more than capable of taking care of a child. He had seen her patience, her tenderness, her warmth. But he didn’t want her in this house. Not with his wife. Not with his son. Not anywhere near the world he had built with Lubna.
If keeping her away from his family meant hurting her, then so be it. He had brought Maira here for treatment, not to work under his roof, not to become a part of his life. He was determined to protect the boundary he had drawn, even if it meant breaking her heart.
Lubna let out a quiet sigh, reluctant but obedient, and walked out of the room with Hadi silently following her. When she approached Maira, her voice was gentle, almost apologetic.
“I’m really sorry,” she said kindly, “but we won’t be proceeding with the job.”
Maira blinked, trying to process the words. She could feel the sting before it fully sank in. Her eyes flickered to Hadi, standing a few feet behind. He didn’t meet her gaze. His face was hard, emotionless. Like she was a stranger.
Still, she managed to whisper, “It’s okay.” Just those two words. Nothing more.
She looked at him one last time, searching, hoping, for some trace of emotion, an explanation, a flicker of humanity in his eyes. But there was none. Only silence.
Then, she turned to Lubna, who gave her a soft nod, lips pressed into a polite smile that didn’t reach her eyes. Maira walked out of the house, led quietly by a member of the staff.
Each step away from the house felt like walking with weights chained to her ankles. The air outside felt heavier than inside. Rejection clung to her skin like sweat under the burning sun. But still, she lifted her chin, forced herself to walk with dignity.
She reached the main gate, its massive iron structure towering over her. Hiding behind it, she stood still. Waiting. Hoping. Maybe he’d come. Maybe he’d say something. Even if it was to scold her for her act, at least then, she’d know he still felt something.
Minutes passed. Long, empty minutes.
Then the front door opened.
And there he was. Walking out, with Lubna beside him. His arm draped around her shoulders in a casual, familiar way. He smiled at her, gently guiding her to her car like a doting husband. Then, in a moment that shattered Maira’s already fragile composure, he leaned in and kissed Lubna’s cheek. Softly. Tenderly.
He helped her into the car and shut the door, then waved at her as it drove away. The smile on his face so wide, so content was one Maira had never seen before. It felt precious. But reserved. Never meant for her.
Hadi climbed into his own car and drove behind his wife’s, both vehicles passing by her, unaware of her presence as she shrank further into the shadows behind the gate.
Once the cars had disappeared, Maira let out a shaky breath, one she hadn’t realized she was holding. Tears formed again, this time heavier. The image of him kissing his wife, of the joy on his face right after pushing her out of his house, replayed in her mind like a cruel film.
With trembling hands, she pulled out her phone and booked a cab. As she waited, her eyes wandered to something that brought a fresh wave of pain, the nameplate at the entrance of the house.
“MR. HADI ANSARI AND MRS. LUBNA ANSARI”
The words glared back at her like a final slap of reality.
She winced, smacking her own forehead gently, whispering in frustration, “How could I be so stupid?” The shame stung deeper now. She hadn’t even looked at the address Lubna had sent before coming, had shared it blindly with the cab driver, hadn’t noticed the nameplate when she entered. She had been too nervous, too caught up in her emotions to pay attention to the most obvious signs.
She cried until her cab arrived. And then, in the backseat, she wept silently all the way home, her face turned toward the window, trying to hide her pain from a world that wouldn’t understand.
Only one thought looped in her mind, Hadi was definitely mad at her.
And she had only herself to blame.
She had promised to keep their truth hidden from everyone. She had sworn to protect it, to protect him. But today, because of her own carelessness, she had risked it all.
Now, all she could do was pray that Hadi, somehow, finds it in his heart to forgive her.
---
As Hadi sat in his office, the image refused to leave his mind, Maira, standing in his living room, just a few feet away from Lubna.
His heart had dropped that very moment.
He hadn’t known why she was there. His mind had gone blank with fear, an unexplainable panic surging through him. It was only when he heard Lubna introduce her as the nanny had he managed to breathe again. But the dread hadn’t fully left him.
He felt horrible for hiding the truth. Every day was a battle with guilt, but still, the idea of Lubna finding out? That thought petrified him.
He couldn’t even begin to imagine what she would go through. What that revelation would do to her. The world they had built... it would crumble.
And so, Maira’s careless act had enraged him. She had put everything on the line. He was trying, desperately, to balance the weight of two worlds, but this? This reckless stunt was pushing things to the edge.
If it wasn’t for her abdominal injury, he would have ended this mess right there in Nashik. She had asked for a divorce. He could’ve given it. But guilt had chained him. He couldn’t walk away while she was healing.
Yet today, today had been a close call. One wrong word, one misstep... and their fragile web of lies would’ve burst.
With a frustrated exhale, he grabbed his car keys and glanced at the wall clock, 3:00 PM. He shoved his blazer on with urgency and stormed out of the office, his footsteps sharp and determined as they echoed down the corridor toward the elevator.
Minutes later, his BMW screeched to a halt in front of the apartment building where Maira stayed. The ride up to the 10th floor was agonizing, his foot tapped impatiently, fists clenched by his sides. He couldn’t wait. He needed answers. Needed to know what the hell she was thinking.
Standing before her door, he rang the bell, once, twice, then pounded his fist against the wood. The urgency in his knock filled the corridor.
The door finally creaked open.
And there she stood.
Still in the same clothes from earlier, her dupatta loosely hanging over her head, eyes swollen and red. It was obvious, she had been crying. For hours, maybe. Her gaze widened the moment she saw him, his presence, his fury.
But Hadi didn’t pause. He stormed in, slamming the door shut behind him with a resounding thud that made her flinch.
His voice came out sharp, clipped, controlled only barely.
"Why?"
Just one word. But the intensity behind it was enough to slice through the silence between them.
Maira stood frozen, her fingers twitching to explain, but her voice got caught in her throat.
She knew what he meant.
He stepped closer, his eyes cold—colder than she’d ever seen them. She had never seen this version of Hadi before. And it terrified her.
"Why?" he repeated, his voice laced with disbelief and betrayal. "You promised me you'd keep it a secret. So why would you risk everything?"
He didn’t give her time to speak. His anger came rushing out like a dam broken.
"Do you know what could've happened if she found out? It would've cost me my entire life!" he spat. "Maira, how could you be so selfish?"
The accusation hung heavy in the room, stinging like a slap. But still, he didn’t stop.
"Fine. It was an unexpected encounter, I get that. But why did you agree to the job?! And why the hell do you even need one? Am I not giving you enough? Have I ever asked you to pay for yourself?" His voice rose, thunderous, as he stepped forward.
Each word hit her like a blow.
Tears streamed down her cheeks. She opened her mouth to respond, her voice trembling.
"No... that's not what...." she began, shaking her head weakly, trying to speak through the lump in her throat. But her voice cracked mid-sentence, strangled by her own sobs.
But Hadi was far too angry to notice.
"What? What do you have to say now?" he fired back. "You're still healing! Why are you roaming around? Did you even inform me? I gave you a damn phone so you could update me, Maira. And this is what you do instead? Go behind my back and create more problems for me?"
He wasn’t just angry, he was blind to everything else. Blind to her pain. To her trembling lips. To her eyes that silently screamed for understanding.
His words, sharp and cruel, cut deeper than he realized.
Maira started hiccuping. The sobs refused to stop. She couldn’t even process his fury properly. Her ears rang with his accusations. It wasn’t his anger that shattered her. It was his lack of faith. His unwillingness to listen. His complete disregard for her truth.
Was she wrong to think her side of the story mattered too?
She began gasping for breath. Her chest heaved, her body shook. Panic crawled up her throat. She tried desperately to calm herself, wiping at her tears, breathing slowly, but nothing worked.
Everything inside her felt like it was caving in.
She reached out instinctively, fingers trembling as she grasped Hadi’s sleeve. He had just turned away mid-sentence, but the touch made him jerk back like he’d been burnt.
But then, he looked at her.
His entire world stilled.
Her eyes, red, swollen, desperate. Her lips cracked, dry. Her breathing, shallow. She looked fragile. So utterly vulnerable.
And then she whispered it. A breath, not even a voice...
"I'm... I'm sorry..."
And then her eyes rolled back.
"Maira?"
Her knees gave out. But before her body could hit the ground, Hadi lunged forward and caught her in his arms.
"Maira! What happened?" His voice broke. "Ankhein kholo... Maira!"
(Open your eyes)
But her body was limp. Unmoving.
Panic clawed at his chest. He lifted her gently and rushed her to her room, laying her down on the bed with trembling hands. Fumbling for his phone, he dialed the only name that came to mind.
Dr. Farha.
He stayed by Maira’s side, rubbing her cold hands between his palms, whispering her name again and again.
Please wake up. Please.
Moments later, Dr. Farha arrived.
She checked Maira thoroughly, then looked up at Hadi, her expression tight.
"She’s not physically hurt, but weak, her body has shut down from extreme stress. Hadi, she can’t go through this again. She needs peace. This... This can’t happen again. And she should also focus on having at least two healthy meals everyday."
He nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat, unable to speak. Guilt choked him.
Once she left, he sat back down beside Maira. The silence was deafening now.
And in it, his own words echoed back to him.
Selfish.
Creating trouble.
Why do you need a job?
He had destroyed her with his accusations. She had tried to speak. Tried to explain. And he hadn’t let her.
Now she lay there, unconscious, because of him.
He stared at her face, so still, so pale. His chest tightened with regret. The weight of his cruelty crashed over him like a wave. His guilt intensifying.
He reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair from her forehead, his thumb grazing the tears still drying on her cheek.
"I’m sorry..." he whispered.
But it was too late.
She couldn’t hear it.
All he could do now was sit and wait... and hope she’d wake up.
And pray, pray that when she did, she would still have something left inside her to forgive him for his mistake, once again.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
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