Signed To Be His | Book By Ayna Malik

When It Rains

Zara's heart raced as she looked at the message again. The name attached to the message made her blood run cold. It was from someone she never wanted to hear from again...it was-

...it was Riyaz.

Zara swallowed hard, her mind racing. She hadn't seen or heard from him in years, and his sudden message was like a ghost from the past rising to haunt her. She tried to calm her breathing, forcing herself to appear unaffected, but Maya wasn't easily fooled.

"Zara... who is it?" Maya asked, her voice laced with concern.

Zara hesitated, feeling torn. She hadn't told Maya much about her past, especially not about Riyaz and everything that had happened. Taking a deep breath, she finally replied, "It's... someone from my past. Someone I thought I'd left behind."

Maya's brows furrowed. "Do you need to talk about it?"

Zara shook her head. "Not tonight. Let's just get some rest."

But as she lay down, Zara couldn't shake the feeling that this message was only the beginning.

---

The next morning, sunlight streamed softly through the windows, gently waking Maya from her sleep. She stretched and glanced over to find Zara already awake, sitting at her dresser. Zara turned and smiled, "Good morning, sleepyhead! Chalo, freshen up. Mummy ne breakfast ready kar diya hai."

Maya freshened up quickly and changed into one of Zara's pastel blue kurta, which was both comfortable and pretty. She tied her hair into a simple ponytail, applying a touch of lip balm. Zara, on the other hand, wore a soft pink salwar kameez, her hair braided loosely with a hint of kajal, looking effortlessly graceful.

They both made their way to the breakfast table, where Zara's parents were already waiting with a spread of hot parathas, scrambled eggs, and chai.

As they sat down, Zara's mom looked warmly at Maya, "Toh Maya beta, agey ka kya socha hai?"

Maya hesitated, feeling a little shy. She glanced at Zara, who gave her an encouraging nod. "Aunty, mujhe university join karna hai. Main apni padhayi complete karna chahti hoon aur ek acchi job bhi."

Zara's father smiled proudly. "Bilkul, beta. Padhayi toh sabse important hai. Aur dekho, tumhe financial stress lene ki zaroorat bilkul nahi hai. Main tumhari madad karunga."

Maya's eyes widened in surprise. "Nahi uncle, yeh main kaise... I mean, aapko takleef dene ka mera bilkul iraada nahi hai."

"Nonsense, Maya," Zara's mom cut in with a smile. "Tum toh humari beti jaisi ho, aur tumhare sapne pure karne mein humari bhi khushi hai. Kyun Zara, hai na?"

Zara grinned, nudging Maya. "Bilkul, Maya! Tumhe mana nahi karna chahiye. It's all settled, so no more arguments!"

But Maya wasn't convinced just yet. "Lekin aunty, uncle, main aap logon ka paisa kaise le sakti hoon? Yeh toh theek nahi lagta," she protested, trying her best to keep her tone respectful.

"Maya, hum bas khushi khushi tumhari madad karna chahte hain," Zara's dad insisted, his voice gentle. "Aur tum jab financially stable ho jao, tab wapas kar dena agar tumhara mann ho."

Maya sighed, finally giving in with a smile. "Theek hai, uncle... par jab main financially stable ho jaungi, tab zaroor repay karungi," she said, her voice firm yet grateful.

Zara's mom patted her hand warmly. "Hum bas yahi chaahte hain ke tum apne sapne pure karo. Hum hamesha tumhare saath hain, Maya."

After a few days, Maya joined the university. She was both excited and determined to study hard. Every day, she went to classes, took notes, and spent long hours studying in her room. Zara often saw her surrounded by books, focused and serious.

Two months passed quickly like this, with Maya giving her best effort. Her professors and classmates noticed how hard she was working, and she started feeling more confident about her future.

One evening, after finishing her studies for the day, Maya received an unexpected email. It was a job offer from a good company looking for a part-time assistant! Her hard work had paid off, and someone wanted her to join their team.

Feeling both happy and relieved, Maya quickly accepted the job offer. That night, she shared the news with Zara and her family, who were all very proud of her. They even celebrated with a small family dinner.

As Maya got ready for her first day at work, she felt proud and hopeful. She was finally starting to see her dreams come true, and she was thankful for Zara and her family's support.

After three years, Maya bought her own apartment and decided to move in. Zara and her family didn't want her to leave their house because Maya had become like a daughter to them, but they understood that she couldn't live with them forever. So, she shifted to her apartment, but she often visited them on weekends and sometimes on other days too.

Zara would sometimes stay with Maya for a few days or even weeks at a time in her apartment. Zara's parents also visited Maya on festivals, and whenever Zara's mother felt like meeting Maya, she would immediately go to Maya's apartment. Over the years, they had all become very close, and Maya and Zara became more like best friends.

-

One day, Maya received a call from an unknown number.

"Mam, aapne jaisa kaha tha humne nazar rakhi thi aapke ghar par," said the girl on the call.

"Aage bolo, Trisha," Maya said, her tone tense.

"Aapki mom ki state theek nahi hai, ma'am, and-" Trisha was about to say more, but Maya ended the call the moment she heard that her mom's condition was not good.

Zara was with Maya and immediately noticed her distressed expression. "What happened? Teri shakal se lag raha hai ki kisi baat se pareshan hai tu?"

Maya took a deep breath. "Zara, main sab aa kar bataungi."

Zara nodded and didn't press her with questions, trusting Maya to explain when she was ready.

Maya quickly changed into a simple yet beautiful white kurta and churidar with white dupatta. White was her mother's favorite color, and Maya always wore it whenever her mother was unwell, as it brought a sense of calm. She grabbed her essentials and left for Uttar Pradesh.

-

When Maya arrived at her family home, she felt her heart sink. Tears began to flow from her eyes as she saw many people gathered outside. "Allah... mera dil baitha ja raha hai, kitne log kya kar rahe hain mere ghar mein? Allah khair," she said softly, looking up at the sky. She placed one hand on her chest, feeling her heart beating so fast that it felt like it could burst out. The weather was gloomy, thunder echoed, and rain began to fall slowly, adding to the heaviness she felt.

When she stepped into her home, her worst fear came true. Her mother's body lay lifeless in front of her. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she let out a scream, "Mumma! Nahii! Mom!" She began to cry loudly, her heart breaking with each tear. Everyone around was shocked, but no one said a word.

As she tried to move closer to her mother's body, her father suddenly pushed her toward the door. She lost her balance and closed her eyes, ready to hit the ground. But instead, she collided with the hard chest of a tall man, around 6'5", who caught her by the waist. Her eyes flew open, and she saw dark blue eyes staring back at her-deep like the ocean, but empty, holding no warmth, no emotion. His face was cold and expressionless, and through her tears, she could only see his eyes clearly, everything else was blurry.

They were close, her hand resting on his chest, his one hand firmly on her waist, hidden by her dupatta, while his other hand stayed in his pocket. Feeling her struggling, he quickly let her go, releasing her from his hold.

When she turned back, she saw her father glaring at her with anger. He shouted, "Why are you here, Maya? Why?"

To be continued 🥀

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With love Ayna ✨