In the bustling heart of Islamabad, Abeer Hussain discovers the depth of her feelings for her childhood friend, Rehman Malik, only after he's crossed oceans for a new life. As she faces mounting pressure to settle down, her heart yearns for a miracl...
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December 2023.
The winter chill seeped into my bones, mirroring the cold emptiness I felt inside. Days blended into nights as I buried myself in work, confined to my room, disconnected from the world outside. My online job as a graphic designer was the only lifeline, keeping me anchored to reality, even if just barely.
I scrolled mindlessly through my Instagram feed, a mind-numbing ritual, when a cat meme popped up. A cat with its tongue out, eyes closed. It was innocent, silly. But for me, it was Pandora's box. Maan and I used to send each other countless cat pictures, and suddenly, the dam of memories burst open.
Maan loved cats. He had a Persian cat when he lived here, Busters had passed away a few years before he left. I remember how excited he was about-yummy- his black cat that he bought after moving abroad.
Maan and I always had a way of making even the simplest moments and smallest happiness seem extraordinary. Many such moments are crossing my mind now, nostalgia taking over. There was this particular picture of a cat with frosting on its face, which I used to send him on his every birthday, and he'd always reply with, "What are you doing eating my cake, huh?"
The last time I wished him, his reply had changed. It was nothing, really, just a slight shift in tone. But it hurt. I had cried so much over him that seeing the message, all I could manage was a broken smile.
His reply:
'hahahaha'
'thank you'
He was not my Maan anymore. Maan had become a memory. This person was someone new and I don't know him. This reality has been hard to accept. I tell myself everyday that he is a different person now, that he doesn't miss me and that with life he too has left me behind. But my heart just won't accept it.
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