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Chapter 40 - She will be loved

Alan gazed at Fiza's trembling form, feeling a deep sense of responsibility towards her. He couldn't bear the thought that he had in a way abandoned her when she had needed someone the most.

"Shahana told me you were struggling," Alan said, his voice gentle and full of concern.

Fiza shook her head vigorously, but the emotions playing across her face belied her action. She didn't want to burden Alan with her troubles, but at the same time, she felt her pain becoming unbearable.

"You need to talk to Farzana," he continued.

Rumya felt relieved that this whole drama wasn't just about her dating Alan. "Who is Farzana?" she asked now curious about what was tormenting this friend of Alan's.

Alan replied without hesitation, "Her twin."

Fiza let out a sound that was mixture of a sob and a laugh. "She's my cousin," shr corrected him.

"Fiza, you grew up as sisters, as twins. Things are not as different as you think," Alan reassured her.

Fiza's gaze lingered on Alan, and placed his hand on her cheek affectionately. "Why were you pretending to me as though you were okay? You didn't have to deal with this alone. I would have been there for you," he said earnestly. "I'm calling your mother." He knew she would feel much better if she patched up with her family.

"No," Fiza protested, tugging at the sleeve of his shirt but Alan was resolute.

"Your dad then," he said in determination. "This is not negotiable. You need them, and they would come to you in an instant if they knew how you were dealing."

Rumya observed their interaction with growing curiosity. She could sense the depth of their connection, and it made her wonder why they weren't in a romantic relationship. They seemed incredibly close. She was sure that Fiza would become a complication if she pursued a relationship with Alan. But Alan was a great guy. This didn't have to be a reason for not exploring their connection further, did it?

"Rumya, I'm sorry this didn't go as planned. Are you doing okay?" Alan asked, realizing that he needed pay attention to his date.

Rumya beamed at him, trying to be understanding. "Yes, I'm good." She noticed that Fiza had barely touched her ice cream, and it had melted. Amused, Rumya thought, 'She should learn to share.'

Alan stepped away to call Fiza's father. "Hello?" called Alan, "Uncle, Alan here, do you have a minute?" He closed his other ear to block out the sound of traffic.

"Is everything okay, mone?" Fiza's dad asked with concern.

"Actually, uncle, it may be a good idea to visit Fiza," Alan began.

"There was a moment of silence. "What... what happened?" Fiza's dad sounded worried.

Alan hesitated before explaining, "Uncle, Fiza is not herself. She has been very... very depressed. She's been crying every night in bed. She isn't talking to Farzana and with what she found out about her aunt... It's a lot. She's going through a lot. And I... I just think seeing you and aunty will help her." Another pause followed.

"We'll be there tomorrow. We should have come immediately. She asked for space; we shouldn't have listened," Fiza's dad replied.

"Alan, how do you know she is crying at night?" Her dad asked sternly, his protectiveness now overpowering his worry.

Alan chuckled, realizing her dad misunderstood and thought he was in bed with his daughter every night. "Uncle, Shahana told me," Alan clarified.

"Thanks, mone, thanks for everything," Fiza's dad said before hanging up, sounding relieved.