**Winner 2024 Amby Awards**
Fiza has everything planned-medical school, a respectable future, and an engagement she never wanted. Determined to escape a loveless match, she creates a checklist to find the perfect husband her father will approve of.
...
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I gazed at Fiza's trembling form. I couldn't bear the thought that I had, in any way, abandoned her when she needed someone most.
"Shahana told me you were struggling," I said, my voice gentle.
Fiza shook her head vigorously. Raw emotions played across her face—the grief, the loneliness, the sheer exhaustion. She didn't want to burden me, but the pain was becoming too much for her to carry alone.
"You need to talk to Farzana," I continued, ignoring my reservations about her sister.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rumya's posture change. She seemed to relax slightly.
"Who is Farzana?" she asked curiously.
"Her twin," I replied without hesitation.
Fiza let out a sound that was a mixture of a sob and a bitter laugh. "She's my cousin," she corrected.
"Fiza, you grew up as sisters, as twins," I said, my voice firm yet soft. "Things are not as different as you think."
My gaze lingered on her, and I placed my hand on her cheek, my thumb brushing away a stray tear. "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," I said earnestly.
"I'm calling your mother." I realized she would feel much better if she patched things up with her family.
"No," Fiza protested weakly, her hand coming up to tug at the sleeve of my shirt.
"Your dad then," I said, my voice firm. "This is not negotiable. You need them, and they would come to you in an instant if they knew how you were dealing."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rumya watching our interaction.
A pang of guilt hit me. I had brought her here, into this mess. "Rumya, I'm sorry this didn't go as planned," I said, turning to her briefly. "Are you doing okay?"
She beamed at me. "Yes, I'm good." Her eyes flicked to Fiza's bowl. The massive Death by Chocolate had barely been touched, now a sad, melted pool. The corners of Rumya's lips twitched at the sight.
I stepped away for some privacy, phone in hand. Taking a deep breath, I dialed.
"Hello?" I said when the call connected. "Uncle, Alan here. Do you have a minute?" I pressed a finger into my other ear, trying to block out the ambient noise of the ice cream shop and the traffic outside.
"Is everything okay, mone?" Fiza's dad asked immediately sounding concerned.
"Actually, uncle, it may be a good idea to visit Fiza," I began.
There was a moment of heavy silence on the line. "What... what happened?" Fiza's dad asked, his voice instantly weighted with worry.
I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. "Uncle, Fiza is not herself. She has been very... crying at night. 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."
