LOVE WITHOUT DESTINY

part 4

There was a knock on the door.
Zain didn’t respond.

Another knock came — sharper, more persistent this time. With a sigh, he finally opened the door... only to find Amal standing there.

The moment their eyes met, Zain’s expression changed. Without a word, he slammed the door shut.

But Amal knocked again.

This time when Zain opened the door, his voice carried restrained irritation.
“What is it?”

Amal was about to speak when her gaze dropped to his hand — blood dripping steadily from his palm.

“Oh my God, Zain, what happened to your hand?” she exclaimed, stepping past him into the room without waiting for permission.

“It’s nothing… just a small scratch,” Zain muttered.

“A small scratch?” Amal shot back. “There’s so much blood, and you’re calling it a small scratch? Sit down — I’ll get the first aid kit.”

She made him sit, her movements firm but gentle. As she carefully cleaned and wrapped his wound, Zain’s eyes lingered on her face — the concern in her touch, the warmth in her voice.

Under his breath, he murmured,
“Dard bhi khud hi deti ho… aur marham bhi khud hi lagati ho.”

“Did you say something?” Amal asked, looking up.

“No,” Zain replied quickly.

Amal frowned, glancing toward the balcony where a few drops of blood still marked the floor.
“Zain… how did you get this injury?”

When he didn’t answer, she stepped closer to the balcony. “Zain, there’s blood here too. What were you doing outside? And who did this to you?”

Zain said nothing. His silence was heavier than words.

“Alright, fine, don’t tell me,” Amal said softly. “But at least tell me what you were doing on the balcony at this hour. Don’t tell me… you were looking at the moon like I do?”

Zain gave a sad, hollow laugh.
“I did like the view once,” he said quietly, “but not anymore. My moon has shattered now.”

Amal frowned. “Zain, your words and all of this… they’re beyond my understanding.”

She smiled faintly, trying to lighten the mood. “Could it be that you had a breakup? That’s why you’ve been so quiet lately?”

Zain looked at her for a long moment before saying, “The girl I loved… is in love with someone else. Tell me, what should I do now?”

Amal’s face fell. “Is it really true?” she whispered. “Uff… this unrequited love can kill a person. But if she’s happy, you should let her be. You want her to be happy, don’t you?”

Zain’s voice broke, his eyes glistening.
“She’s happy… but what about me? How can I live like this? I’ll die thinking about her.”

For the first time, Amal saw Zain this weak, this broken — and it shook her. She didn’t know that every word, every pain he spoke… was because of her.

“Forget her,” Amal said finally, her voice trembling. “As if you never met her.”

Zain met her eyes. “How can I forget her?” he whispered. “How can one forget to breathe?”

Amal froze — her lips parted but no words came out. The silence between them said everything. Forgetting the reason she’d even come, Amal quietly turned and walked out of the room.