In The Midst, All Alone.

Meher spent every moment of her life asking herself if any of it was actually worth it. When she finally returned to Pakistan from Luxembourg, the weight of her choices hit her all at once. She found herself dwelling on the bitter feud with her younger brother, Haris, and the lingering disappointment she saw in her parents' eyes.

She thought of the best friend she had lost and the pain of an unrequited love that had never been returned. The old insults still felt sharp, and the wounds she thought had closed began to open the moment she stepped back into her old life.

Pakistan did not feel like a sanctuary; instead, it stripped away the peace she had managed to build for herself abroad. Being forced to face these people and places again meant Meher had to confront her own perceived failures.

She felt the heavy burden of being a daughter who couldn't please her family, a sister who was useless to her brother, and a friend who had failed those closest to her. Most of all, she had to admit the mistake of being a girl who had spent her life chasing a boy who never liked her back.