For the next two days, Hadi did everything within his power to find Faiz Pathan. He scoured every place he could think of, Faiz wasn’t at work, nor at his home. It was as if he had vanished into thin air. Hadi even checked around Mumbai, but there was no trace. Maybe Faiz had anticipated Hadi’s wrath and gone into hiding. Whatever the case, it felt like he had disappeared from the face of the earth.
But what kept Hadi up at night wasn’t Faiz’s disappearance, it was the thought of Maira, alone in that apartment. What if Faiz returned without warning? What if Hadi wasn’t there in time to stop him? There were too many “what ifs” clawing at him, possibilities that made his stomach twist. Maira was here in Mumbai because he had brought her, he had assured her safety, he was responsible for her well-being. And if anything happened to her while she was under his care, there’d be no one else to blame. Especially not with Lubna still blissfully unaware of any of this chaos.
It was messy, too messy and the more he thought about it, the more it fried his nerves.
That’s why now, as the sky turned indigo with dusk, Hadi was driving to Maira’s apartment straight after work, having come to a difficult but necessary decision.
He knocked on the door.
Maira opened it, wearing a black cotton kurta paired with a white shalwar. A crisp white dupatta covered her head, as it always did, giving her that calm and composed presence. Her eyes sparkled slightly upon seeing him, but she remained composed.
"Assalamualaikum," Hadi greeted, his voice even, though his heart felt heavier than it had in days.
(Peace be upon you)
“Walaikum Assalam,” she replied softly, stepping aside to let him in. She had been expecting him, he had informed her earlier about the visit.
(Peace be upon you too)
She quietly went to the kitchen, fetched a glass of water, and placed it in front of him. Then she sat down on the adjacent chair, her posture upright, but not rigid. There was a gentle grace about her.
He took a few sips before setting the glass down and turning to her. “How are you?” he asked.
“Alhamdulillah, I’m fine,” she answered with a polite smile. She didn’t elaborate, not about the way her anxiety had surged since Faiz’s outburst, nor about how she barely slept at night. She didn’t want to worry him more than she already had.
“I’ve actually been trying to track him down,” Hadi said slowly, choosing his words with care. “But... it’s as if he’s too scared to face the consequences and has just vanished.”
She gave a small, understanding nod. There was no need for names, she knew exactly who he was referring to.
“I actually wanted to ask you,” he began again, his gaze fixing on her, “if you’re still up for the offer Lubna gave you?”
Maira blinked. “I don’t understand,” she said, eyebrows pinched in confusion.
“Do you still want to work?” he clarified.
“Yes… but...” she started, then paused, her voice trailing off.
He knew what she meant. He had shut her down before, had made it abundantly clear that he didn’t want her working, not in his house, not around his family, and nowhere else. She had respected that and withdrawn completely.
“I haven’t been able to find someone reliable to look after Zohan,” he said, rubbing his temple lightly. “And Lubna’s been insisting I find someone soon. Would you be willing to help?”
Maira looked at him, startled. Her brows rose involuntarily. This was the same man who had once lashed out when she showed up, unknowingly, at his house for this exact job. Why now? Why the sudden change?
“I don’t think I can help,” she said carefully, not wanting to sound ungrateful but unable to forget how harshly he had rejected her before.
“I understand,” Hadi nodded, his tone softening. “You probably still hold it against me… what I said, how I reacted. And I won’t blame you. But please try to understand, this isn’t just about work. I honestly don’t want you working at all right now. But with Faiz missing, and you staying here alone… it’s just not safe. If you’re at my house, at least I can make sure you’re protected.”
Maira lowered her eyes to the patterned carpet beneath her feet. She understood. It wasn’t about affection, not about love. This was responsibility. He had taken her under his wing, and now he was trying to protect her the only way he knew how.
“I don’t want to come between your family,” she murmured. “This doesn’t seem like a wise idea.”
“I’m more afraid of something going wrong when I’m not around,” he admitted, his voice lined with helplessness. “Yes, Lubna and you being under the same roof… it’s a risk. A huge one. But can you at least try to understand why I’m doing this?”
He exhaled sharply, the weight of the situation etched onto his face.
“I don’t even know how long I can keep this from Lubna,” he added quietly. “But I can’t tell her, not yet. That’s why we’ll have to keep this between us for now. Please.”
“I can look for work somewhere else,” Maira offered, though her voice was uncertain.
“Won’t that just make it harder for me?” he asked gently. “Where do I split my attention, work, Lubna, Zohan… and you? If you’re at home, it’s simpler. I’ll know you’re safe.”
His words weren’t emotional, but they were deliberate, careful. He wasn’t trying to win her over, he was trying to keep her from harm. She could see it now.
“I… I don’t know,” Maira replied, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked overwhelmed, torn.
“Okay,” he said, leaning back slightly. “Think about it. And if you're worried about how long this might last… please don’t. I’ll do everything in my power to find him. This isn’t permanent, just until then.”
He paused, watching her reaction.
“Okay,” Maira said after a beat. Her voice was soft but firm this time. “I agree.”
“You sure?” he asked again, searching her eyes.
She nodded in response.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. “Thank you,” he murmured, a quiet relief settling over him.
“I’ll ask Lubna to give you a call soon,” he added. “Is that okay?”
“Yeah,” she said simply.
He sat there for a little while longer, neither of them saying much. Then he stood up and quietly took his leave. As he walked toward his car, he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling from his chest. Had he just unburdened himself or added another weight to his already overloaded conscience?
He knew Lubna wouldn’t refuse. If he asked her to hire Maira, she’d do it in a heartbeat, she was already fond of her. But he couldn’t talk to Lubna directly. If he did, Maira might’ve refused the job, not for her own sake, but because of him, because of how he had reacted the first time she came to their house. Hence, he had decided to come and talk to Maira first.
It was better this way.
Still, it felt… strange. Heavy. Ironic, even.
He was the same man who had once told Lubna to send Maira away when she’d come looking for work. He couldn’t tolerate the idea of them under one roof. But now, here he was, convincing Maira to accept that very same job.
He laughed bitterly under his breath.
What twisted game was fate playing now?
---
Later that day, just as the evening shadows began creeping across the apartment walls, Maira’s phone buzzed with an unexpected or rather, expected call. It was Lubna. Her voice was formal but not impolite, asking if Maira was still interested in the job they had discussed earlier. Maira, took a slow breath, she wanted to say no, but Hadi's almost pleading face came into her mind and she replied with a soft but steady yes. She didn’t need to ask, she knew this wasn’t a coincidence. Hadi must have spoken to Lubna after returning home. He had always kept his promises, especially the silent ones.
Maira would be starting the next day.
Lubna had gently insisted on night stays, under the guise of it being more efficient, given Zohan’s routine. But Maira had respectfully declined, stating that she’d prefer to leave by night and return to the apartment. She had delivered it with quiet firmness, not aggression, just enough to make sure her boundary was clear.
None of this had been discussed with Hadi. She doubted it ever would be. Even though both homes were his, and technically she’d be under the same roof either way, staying in the same house as Lubna felt wrong. Almost like betrayal. To herself, to lubna, to their marriage, everyone.
Her chest tightened as she sat quietly on the couch where she had spent the last few hours lost in thoughts. The room was dim, the silence thick. Nothing had changed outwardly, yet everything felt heavier, more complicated.
The ache in her heart pulsed with each realization. She wiped the tears that welled up uninvited, blinked a few times to clear her vision, and then stood up. It was time for Isha.
She walked over to her prayer mat, spread it out with quiet intention, and raised her hands in supplication, asking for clarity, strength, and a way forward that wouldn’t leave her spirit so conflicted. She needed peace more than ever. And for tonight, she found a sliver of it in the folds of prayer.
---
That night, as Hadi returned after putting Zohan to sleep, he walked into their room to find Lubna sitting cross-legged on the bed, her phone aglow in her hands as she scrolled with quiet focus.
“You haven’t slept yet?” he asked, placing his phone gently on the bedside table.
“Nah, I just had to check a few things,” she replied, holding her phone up briefly with a small smile.
He nodded, about to head toward the closet to change when her voice halted him.
“I thought you weren’t okay with Maira being Zohan’s nanny. What changed?”
His steps froze mid-way, and for a moment, he didn’t turn around. Her words had landed softly, but they carried weight.
“Nothing really,” he said after a beat, his tone carefully neutral. “I haven’t been able to find anyone else trustworthy. I’ve been looking for a while now. And since you were quite insistent about her, I figured we could give it a try. See how she does. If she’s not the right fit, we can always look for someone else.”
He kept his tone light, casual, trying not to let the heaviness he felt seep through.
Lubna studied him briefly, then nodded with a small hum. “Okay,” she said, seemingly satisfied with the explanation, and turned her gaze back to her phone.
Hadi quietly turned and entered the closet, closing the door partway behind him. The calm on the outside felt like a fragile veil. Inside, he leaned against the wooden frame of the cupboard and rubbed his forehead, a dull ache forming just behind his eyes.
He hated lying to her.
He hated that it had become a pattern, habitual, even. And what pained him more was how natural it had started to feel.
Every time he tried to muster the courage to tell her the truth, something would hold him back, Zohan’s smile, the memory of Lubna’s laugh, Maira’s health condition. So he kept retreating. Further and further into silence.
Lubna had been surprised earlier in the evening when he told her to go ahead and call Maira. After all, he had said no before. She's too young to look after a child, he had said. So when he came home and softly suggested she make the call, she’d been curious. But his explanation about trust and availability had seemed valid enough.
And truthfully, she was relieved. Having someone reliable meant she wouldn’t have to break momentum at work anymore. She could focus, be efficient, and give her all, just as she always had.
Meanwhile, Hadi stood staring at the black night suit in his hands.
Was this really the best decision?
He told himself it was. That this was the only way to protect everyone. To not break Lubna. To not put Maira in harm’s way again. That maybe, with enough time, this guilt would quiet down.
But tonight, his heart wasn’t convinced.
He shook his head as if to push the thoughts away and turned toward the bathroom.
Let’s just go with the flow, he told himself.
But even as the door closed behind him, a part of him knew, he was already being swept away.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
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