Signed To Be His | Book By Ayna Malik

The First Mention of Him

When Maya turned back, she saw her father glaring at her with anger. His face was tight, and his eyes were filled with pain. “Why are you here, Maya? Why?” he shouted, his voice echoing in the heavy silence of the room.

Maya took a step closer, feeling a lump in her throat. “Abba, mai sab bataungi, per Amma—” she began, wanting to explain, but before she could finish, her father interrupted her.

“Tumhare hi wajah se ye haal hui tumhari ma ki!” Mateen shouted, his voice full of emotion. “Tmhare jaane ka ghum hi to kha gaya usey!” His words struck Maya hard, filling her with guilt and sorrow.

“Abba, mai—” she tried to say, but her father was too hurt to listen.

“Nahin, mat bolo kuchh! Meri galti thi, jaanta hun mai,” he said, his voice breaking. He couldn’t finish his sentence, and tears began to fall from his eyes.

Seeing her father in so much pain made Maya’s heart ache. Without thinking, she rushed into his arms and hugged him tightly. “I am so sorry, Abba!” she cried, her tears flowing. She cried, and she held him even tighter, wishing she could take away her father's pain. In that moment, they both shared their grief, knowing they had lost so much.

Zavian was watching them from a distance, and after a while, he turned and walked away.

—

It has been more than 40 days since Maya's mother passed away, and the weight of that loss still hangs heavily in the air. The days have blurred into one another, filled with sadness and memories that feel both fresh and haunting. Maya has returned to her family home, the place where she grew up and shared countless moments with her mother.

The house is quiet, almost too quiet. The laughter and warmth that once filled the rooms have been replaced by an emptiness that makes her heart ache. Every corner reminds her of her mother—her favorite chair in the living room, the kitchen where she had taught Maya how to cook, and the garden where they spent afternoons planting flowers and sharing stories.

Maya spends her days trying to keep busy. She helps her father with household chores, hoping to ease his burden and distract herself from the pain. She often finds herself in the kitchen, preparing meals just as her mother had done, trying to hold on to the memories of their time together.

However, the silence settles in too often, and she finds herself lost in thought, missing her mother’s voice and comforting presence. At night, she lies in her old bedroom, staring at the ceiling, feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders. During these moments, the reality of her mother’s absence hits her hardest.

Maya often sits in the garden, where her mother used to spend hours tending to the flowers. She touches the petals gently, remembering how her mother would explain the care each plant needed. The scent of the blooms brings a mixture of comfort and sorrow, reminding her of happier times.

As she adjusts to life without her mother, Maya tries to find solace in the little things—a warm cup of tea in the morning, a good book to escape into, or a walk through the neighborhood. Yet, she knows it will take time to heal completely. With each passing day, she strives to honor her mother’s memory by living life fully and cherishing the moments they shared.

—

Her father almost conducted all his business deals from home because there was no one else in their house. Adil, Maya's uncle, and his family had shifted abroad for business purposes, and Mr. Mateen Rajpoot didn't want to leave this house since it held many memories of his wife. That’s why he chose to do deals in India, mostly from his mansion.

One day, Maya brought snacks for her father’s partner, who was also a very good friend of his. As she set the tray down on the table, ready to leave, her father stopped her. He started introducing Maya to his partner, saying, “Maya, meet…” Maya took a seat on a nearby sofa, next to her father's.

Her dad continued, “Beta, inse milo. Yeh mere purane dost hain aur mere business ke partner hain. Hum saath hi 18 saal se kaam kar rahe hain.”

Maya smiled and said, “Abba, let me guess: he is Adam uncle?”

Her father replied, “Yes, he's Adam R. Ventur, who shifted abroad. Mujhe yeh apni padhaai ke time mile the jab mai abroad padhne gaya tha. Hum bachpan se dost hain; wahan bhi dost the aur ab tak dost hain!”

Maya responded, “Oh, you didn’t tell me this. Khair, anyways, nice to meet you, uncle.” She smiled warmly.

Adam chuckled, “Same here, beta. Aur beta, tumhe pata hai jab tum chhoti thi, meri wife Naina tumhe hamare ghar rokne ke liye mujhse lad jaya karti thi. Usko shuru se ek beti chahiye thi, magar…”

Maya asked curiously, “Magar uncle, kya?”

Adam laughed and said, “Zavian ladki thodi hai!” He paused for a moment, then added, “Isse mujhe yaad aaya. Aur beta, jab bhi tum parties mein jaati thi, Zavian ke intelligence ke kissay sunti thi or, munh fula kar apne Abba ki godh mein baith jaati thi, aur kisi se baat nahi karti thi. Kyun ki wo tumse accha kyun hai?” He chuckled.

Maya looked at her father and said, “Abba, Zavian?”

Mateen explained, “Zavian Mr. Adam ka ek lauta beta hai. Jab wo abroad shift hue, Adam yahan aaya karte the business ke liye, par Zavian nahi aaya.”

Adam added, “Shayad wo 1 ya 2 baar aaye hain, not sure. Lekin Maya, tum saare cousins ke saath khelti thi, tum usse nahi mili!” He laughed again. “Q ki jab tak wo school, multiple coaching, aur foreign languages ki classes mein busy rehta tha, or jab wo aya krta tha tum so Jaya karti thi.”

Maya gave an awkward smile and said, “Hehee… jii.” She didn’t know how to respond.

Adam said “Ji kya ji? Beta, dosti kar lena! Bahut suljha hua ladka hai wo mera!”

Mateen laughed and said, “Huh? Mazak accha hai, Adam! Dosti aur Zavian? Mujhe nahi lagta!”

Adam replied, “Arrey, kyun nahi karega wo dosti Maya se? Akhir Maya bhi meri beti jaisi hai, meri sari baatein manta hai wo. Yeh baat bhi manega!”

Feeling embarrassed and awkward, Maya quickly pretended to get a phone call and excused herself.

Maya thought to herself, “Allah jaane kaunsi bala hai ye Zavian! Allah, issey mujhe dur rakhe! Mujhe kuch aage sahi nahi lag raha!”

As Maya left the room, she leaned against the hallway wall, taking a deep breath. Her cheeks felt hot from the awkwardness. “Zavian? Why do I feel so uneasy just hearing his name?” she thought, shaking her head to push away the strange feeling.

Just then, her father’s laughter echoed from the living room. She could hear Adam and Mateen discussing more memories from their younger days, making her smile a little despite the odd feeling. She knew her father had few friends he truly valued, and seeing him so happy with Adam reminded her of the bond they shared.

But the thought of Zavian lingered. She had no memory of meeting him, yet the stories and comments about him kept resurfacing, making her curious and a little nervous. “He’s just Adam uncle’s son,” she assured herself. “Nothing more. I don’t need to think about him.”

Determined to focus on her own life, she headed to the kitchen to help prepare for the evening meal, hoping that her sudden interest in this stranger would fade away with time. But deep down, a small part of her wondered if meeting Zavian was inevitable, and what it might mean for her peaceful life because she was getting not good vibes from him..and she doesn't know why.

—

Yayyy!! Tadaa!! Double update!!

I hope that you guys liked this do not forget to vote and comment you thoughts!!

And sorry for grammatical errors as my all published chapters are not edited yet... Will start editing the chapters once the book is finished
in sha Allah!!

With love Ayna!✨

TalesbyAyna!
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