“Are you sure you want to do this?” Zamirah asked Maya who was wearing her bracelet. Maya looked at her through the mirror, “I never dated anyone because I used to think eventually I'm going to marry Mahir. Now that I know that's not happening, I think it's better if I try to move on.”
“Maya, do you think you'd be able to let him go?”
“Not completely. But I don't think he gives a fuck about my feelings. It's better to move on.”
“If he didn't care about your feelings, he wouldn't be knocking on your door so desperately on the day of his engagement. It's just that he does not care about you the way you want him to.”
Maya sighed deeply, “Thanks for putting my feelings into words. It didn't help though. I'm getting late for the date.” She picked her clutch bag and walked outside. Zamirah accompanied her downstairs.
💓💓💓
Mahir and Shahzain were sitting in the living room with cups of coffee in their hands.
“Why did you decide to marry Aleena when you knew she had bullied Maya in school?” Shahzain asked him.
“Zain, I didn't know that earlier. I dated her for six months and proposed her. It was when I introduced her to the family that I got to know about it. But Aleena told me that she has changed and regrets her actions in the past.”
“Mahir, I've been in a toxic relationship. It's a piece of advice from my side that wait for another six months before getting married. Things will start making a lot more sense to you in the meantime.”
Mahir was listening to Shahzain's words when he saw Maya and Zamirah coming downstairs. Maya was wearing the pink dress he had gifted her on her birthday.
“Are you going somewhere, Maya?” He asked.
“On a date.”
“With whom?”
“Rahil.”
“Wait, what? You are going out with that asshole? How dare he ask you out? Maya, no way in hell you are going with him.” He stood up from his seat.
“I didn't ask for your permission, Mahir.”
Zamirah and Shahzain kept staring at the scene as Mahir gripped Maya's hand and took her back upstairs. They shared a worried look.
💓💓💓
“Mahir, leave my hand!” Maya yelled at him. He opened the door of her bedroom and made her sit on the edge of the bed before letting her hand go.
“What is this, Mahir?”
“You are not going on a date with him.”
“Why should I listen to you?”
“Because I'm your cousin.”
“No, you aren't. You have no right to dictate my life. If you can get engaged with Aleena then I can also date Rahil.” She shouted at him.
“Maya, please don't do it. I don't want our relation to get strained because of Aleena.” He pleaded to her helplessly.
“Then leave her. Everything will be back to normal once she is out of the picture.” Maya uttered those words emotionlessly.
“Maya, I love...” He paused and wiped the lone tear escaping his eyes, “You know what, I'll do it. I'll break off my engagement.” Saying so he walked out of the room.
Maya was left shocked at his last sentence. She wiped her tears, only to start crying again.
💓💓💓
Mahir rang the doorbell of Aleena's apartment. The door was opened and Aleena welcomed her in.
“So, what brought you here?” She asked with a smile. But then she saw that he wasn't wearing the engagement ring.
“Mahir, where's your engagement ring?”
He silently pulled it out from his pants' pocket and forwarded it to her. Aleena looked at him in confusion.
“What does this mean, Mahir?”
“I am breaking our engagement.”
Aleena stared at him in disbelief, “Maya. She forced you to do this. Right?”
Mahir sighed, “This is the reason I'm breaking this engagement. Aleena, I wouldn't have dated you if I had known you had bullied Maya. And she didn't force me. I'm doing it myself. Because this is the easiest way out of the chaos happening in my life. And it doesn't feel that hard either. I've known you only for eight months. I've known Maya since the day she was born. I have come to this realisation that she is more important to me than love. I'm sorry.” And he left.
Aleena kept staring at the ring he handed her.
💓💓💓
“I broke my engagement.”
Almost everyone sitting on the dining table choked on their food listening to him. They stared at him in shock.
“Why?” His mother asked.
“I don't think it's worth it.” He shrugged while serving himself some Dal.
“Did something happen between you and Aleena?” Maheen asked.
“No, nothing happened. I just returned the ring to her. That's it.”
He said it very normally. There was no sadness or regret on his face.
“Aren't you sad about breaking your engagement?” Ayan asked him.
“Strangely, I'm not. Actually I feel relieved. As if a burden has been lifted from my shoulders.” He smiled.
Maya too smiled secretly. She was happy. He didn't love her and yet he chose her instead of the woman he claimed to love.
•••
I'm getting a feeling that the next chapter will be the last.
•••
Question: Do you think Mahir took the right decision or not?
•••
Good night
😴😴😴
