Mending The Broken Heart

Chapter 12: Nightmares

2 years later...

Maya jolted awake in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat. The same nightmare that had haunted her for the past two years was back, and he—the man she once loved—was the reason her nights were sleepless. Her life had ended long ago, but she was still here, alive only for the sake of her parents. She felt like a living ghost, going through the motions without truly living.

The memories of that night and her love for him still crushed her. The betrayal, the pain—it was all too much. As she lay in bed, tears welled up, and soon she was sobbing uncontrollably, reliving the past that refused to leave her mind. She tried to sleep again, but peace was far from her.

She rose and walked to the window, staring out at the black sky dotted with stars. It only reminded her of him—of the nights they had spent together. She felt trapped in a loop, where the same hurt resurfaced over and over again. After a while, exhausted, she managed to drift off to sleep. She had work in the morning, and if she didn't rest, her mother would start asking questions she didn't want to answer.

"Maya, wake up, child. You're getting late for work! Get up fast, or I'll have to come and pull you out of bed!" her mother called from downstairs.

Reluctantly, Maya dragged herself out of bed and headed to the bathroom. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror—puffy, red eyes, and swollen cheeks from crying herself to sleep again. She hurriedly washed her face and got ready for the day, pushing her emotions aside.

In the kitchen, her mother noticed immediately. "Maya, what's wrong with your eyes? You look so tired. Is there something you're not telling me? You can share anything with me, you know that."

"No, Mom. I just slept late last night. I was tired, that's all," Maya said, forcing a smile. She sat down to have breakfast, trying to push away the memories of the night before.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Maya opened the door to find Aditi standing there, tapping her foot impatiently.

"You idiot! What were you doing in there? I've been standing outside for 10 minutes!" Aditi exclaimed. "We're late! How can you forget we have work to do? We have responsibilities, you know!"

"Okay, okay, calm down! I was just coming," Maya replied, rolling her eyes. "I'll grab my bag, and we can go."

She quickly grabbed her things, said goodbye to her mom, and left with Aditi for work.

At the office

As they arrived at work, Aditi immediately noticed Maya's eyes. "Maya, you cried again, didn't you?" she said, her voice full of concern. "Where's my brave Maya, the girl who never cried? You need to stop torturing yourself like this. I know it hurts, but what can we do? Everything happens for a reason. He was just a bad dream, and you have your whole life ahead of you. Please, try to move on and enjoy life. I'm here with you, and guess what? This Sunday, we're going shopping!" Aditi announced excitedly.

"No way. I have too much work to do," Maya protested, burying her face in her hands. "You know we're working hard to get that opportunity to visit the other branches. I can't waste time shopping."

"You're coming with me whether you like it or not!" Aditi teased, chuckling. "If you don't, I'll kidnap you myself. You can't say no to me!"

Maya sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll come. Happy now?"

"Very!" Aditi grinned. "Love you, bestie! Keep working hard, and I'll see you later!" she called out, heading to her own cabin.

Maya worked as a fashion designer and assistant to Mr. Khurana, her boss, who was a kind and supportive man. He had personally interviewed her and selected her for the job. Maya was grateful for the position, but there was even better news: she and several other candidates were being considered for promotions, with the chance to transfer to other branches for higher positions.

Though she loved her current job, the thought of advancing to the next level was thrilling. Maya couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement. She had worked so hard for this opportunity, and now it was within her grasp.

Later that day

As Maya sat at her desk, her thoughts drifted to Aditi and Rohan. A smile crept onto her face as she remembered their happy news. The two were still together, and next month they were getting married. Rohan had personally gone to Aditi's parents to ask for her hand, and they couldn't have been more thrilled. The couple had gotten engaged, and now they were preparing for their big day.

A lot had changed over these two years. Life had moved on for everyone. But for Maya, the past was still a heavy burden she carried every day. Even though she was happy for Aditi and Rohan, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, a reminder of what she had lost.

As she stared at her computer screen, Maya promised herself one thing: she would keep moving forward, no matter how hard it was. Maybe one day, she would finally be free from the nightmares.

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