Brutal yet severely charming man Shahmeer Jafri. The owner of a chain of the best luxury hotels in the world.
The definition of perfection in a human. Sweet mouthed and loyal girl Mahnoor Ali had the life of normal 27 year old. Or so she thought...
It's been weeks since the storm settled. Weeks since the last thread of chaos untangled, the last shadow slipped away from my life. For the first time in what feels like years, my days aren't heavy. The air feels lighter, my heart feels lighter. Maryam is thriving — her tiny hands grasping at everything in sight, her little coos filling the house like music.
I've fallen into a rhythm now. The long nights, the early mornings, the moments where I'm bone-tired but somehow still smiling because her face... her face makes everything worth it.
This morning, Shahmeer leans against the doorframe of our bedroom, watching me feed Maryam. There's a spark in his eyes, the kind that always means trouble — or something too carefully planned for him to hide. "I'm taking you somewhere special tonight," he says casually, as though my curiosity isn't going to eat me alive all day.
Before I can press him for details, he's already pulling his phone out and saying to whoever's on the other end, "Yeah, Ayesha, come over. Help her get ready."
Ayesha arrives in record time, grinning like she's in on the world's best-kept secret. "You, my dear, are being spoiled today," she announces, pulling me toward the wardrobe before I can even ask questions.
She lays out a dress — white, long, and flowing. The fabric is soft against my skin when I slip it on, and it sways gently when I move, brushing against my ankles like it belongs to a dream. She curls my long brown hair into loose waves that fall over my shoulders and down my back. My makeup is minimal — rosy cheeks, a soft glow, a hint of gloss on my lips.
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"You look breathtaking," she says with a wink.
Then she turns to Maryam. She pulls out the tiniest white dress I've ever seen, all frills and lace, and slips it over her small body. She looks like a doll, my perfect little angel. "Now you two match," Ayesha says proudly, stepping back to admire her work.
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We're driven to the destination, the driver following directions that only Shahmeer has given. My curiosity grows with every turn, my heart picking up speed as the streets become familiar... too familiar.
When we finally stop, I look out the window — and my breath catches. It's this place.
The restaurant where I first met him. Where I bumped into a man I didn't know, who caught me before I fell. Where he raised an eyebrow at my ridiculously specific tea order. Where I sat across from him, a stranger, completely unaware that my life was about to change.
I can't help but smile as I step out of the car, Maryam in her car seat held carefully in my hand. The memory of that day plays in my head like a scene from someone else's story.
