LOVE WITHOUT DESTINY

part 54

The house was unusually quiet.
Not the uncomfortable kind of silence —
but the kind that wraps around you like a warm shawl on a cold evening.

Amal sat on the edge of the bed, one hand resting protectively over her belly. Eight months. Her body felt heavier these days, slower — but her heart… her heart felt strangely light today.

She didn’t know why.

Maybe it was because Zain had left the house smiling this morning.
Not his usual controlled smile — but a real one. The kind that reached his eyes.

“I’ll be back soon,” he had said, bending slightly to press his forehead against hers.
“Don’t move too much. Just wait for me.”

She had laughed. “I’m not made of glass, Zain.”

“I know,” he had replied softly. “But you’re carrying my whole world.”

The words still echoed in her chest.

Coco suddenly started barking near the gate.

Loud. Restless.

Zain pulled back slightly and glanced outside. “Why is he barking like that?”

Amal didn’t answer immediately. A strange feeling brushed against her chest.

“I don’t know,” she said finally. “He usually doesn’t.”

Zain smiled, brushing it off. “Guard dog instincts.”

But Amal’s heart felt oddly unsettled.

As Zain walked away,Her eyes followed him — quietly, helplessly — the way they always did when he was about to leave.

Something about that goodbye stayed with her.

_______

The curtains fluttered as a soft breeze entered the room. Amal stood up slowly and walked toward the window. The sky outside was painted in soft shades of blue and grey — calm, almost too calm.

She felt the baby move.

A gentle kick.

Her lips curved into a smile. “He’s restless today,” she murmured, as if Zain could hear her.

She picked up her phone.
No message yet.
He said he’d call.

Amal told herself not to overthink. She had learned that peace with Zain came when she stopped questioning happiness.

Still… something felt different today.
Not wrong.
Just… intense.

In the living room, Shanaya was folding tiny baby clothes, her eyes misting over every few minutes.

“Can you believe it?” she said softly. “In just a few weeks…”

Amal nodded, sitting down carefully. “It still doesn’t feel real sometimes.”

Shanaya smiled. “It will. The moment you hear the cry… everything changes.”

Amal swallowed. A sudden tightness formed in her chest.

“Zain was very happy today,” Shanaya added casually. “He was talking about names again.”

Amal looked up. “He didn’t tell me.”

Shanaya chuckled. “He wants to surprise you.”

Amal smiled, but her fingers curled slightly into the fabric of her dupatta.

Why does happiness feel this heavy? she wondered.

Hours passed.

The clock ticked louder than usual.