The sun was beginning to set, casting hues of orange and purple across the lucknow sky. Mahenoor sat by her window, her chin  resting on her knees, gazing at nothing in particular. A strange calm had enveloped her today—perhaps because Omar's words lingered in her mind like echoes of an old forgotten melody.

For the first time in months, she didn't cry as she sat there. Instead, she thought about everything she had lost and how she had clung to memories that no longer held warmth. The house was unusually quiet, with Zikra and Rida playing outside and Sanober helping Nazia in the kitchen.

Sameer, sat with Imran and Ahmed Ali in the living room. A soft hum of their voices traveled through the house, comforting in its ordinariness. Yet, deep within, Mahenoor couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to change.

In the living room, Ahmed Ali, was sipping tea when Imran asked casually, "Where is Omar?"

Ahmed smiled faintly. "He has gone to the terrace. He wants to spend some time alone."

Sameer nodded, looking thoughtful. "He has always been like this since childhood. He takes others' pain as his own and becomes silent."

Meanwhile Zohra begum, entered the room, holding her walking stick. Her face lit up with a kind but weary smile. "Thank God, there's some liveliness in the house now. The coming and going of childhood friends is so important, isn't it?"

Sameer looked at his mother-in-law and smiled faintly. "Yes Ammi, and it's equally important that we try to understand our children's pain."

Zohra begum nodded wisely. "Pain is god's test. But the one who stays by your side since childhood becomes like an angel."

Their conversation was interrupted by Omar's voice, calling from the kitchen doorway. "Ammi, I am going, I have some work."

Rabia looked up sharply. "Omar are you leaving now? At least have lunch first."

Omar shook his head with a faint smile. "It'll get late. I will eat when i return."

Ahmed watched his son carefully but said nothing as Omar walked out. Something about Omar's face told him that the boy was carrying a heavier burden than he let on.

✦

Upstairs, Mahenoor's eyes wandered to the small notebook sitting on her desk. It had been months since she last opened it—her journal, filled with letters never sent to Asjad. Her fingers itched to pick it up, but a strange heaviness stopped her.

"Did Asjad ever think of me? Did he ever realize that there's a girl here living her life only for him?"

She pushed the thoughts away and stood up. The light breeze from the veranda beckoned her, and she stepped outside, inhaling deeply. It felt as though the evening air carried whispers of forgotten dreams and unspoken words.

Her Nani's voice floated up from downstairs, reminding her of a truth she could not escape. "True love is the one that becomes a prayer. One that is not asked for yourself but for the peace of another."

Mahenoor closed her eyes, tears threatening to spill. "So can I pray for Asjad's peace, Allah?"

✦

Omar stood on the edge of a quiet street near his house. The golden evening light reflected in his thoughtful eyes. Hands in his pockets, he kicked at a small stone on the ground, deep in thoughts.

"Is Allah(SWT) showing me all this just so I can carry her pain in my heart? Or is this a test that will never end?"

His phone buzzed in his pocket. It was Zoya.

"Bhai, where are you? Abba is asking."

Omar took a deep breath. "I'll be home in a little while."

Zoya's voice softened. "You think so much about Mahenoor appi, don't you? But she will never understand that."

Omar shut his eyes, his voice almost inaudible. "And she shouldn't understand, Zoya. This is my love alone. A part of my prayer for her."

✦

The evening wore on, and Mahenoor finally sat at her desk, flipping through old pages of her journal. Every word she read brought back a memory, a moment she thought she had buried.

Just then, her phone rang. The sound jolted her out of her thoughts, and she grabbed it absentmindedly, not even checking the caller ID.

"Hello?"

A familiar voice greeted her—one she hadn't heard in a long time. It was Asjad's old friend, Faizan.

"Mahenoor? How are you?"

She blinked in surprise, gripping the phone tighter. "Faizan? Why are you  calling, after so many years?"

Faizan's tone was hesitant, almost awkward. " I just wanted to share something with you. I thought it was better if you heard it from me rather than someone else."

Mahenoor's heart skipped a beat. A cold sense of dread crept up her spine. "What is it? Faizan? Speak clearly."

Rehan hesitated for a long moment before finally saying the words that shattered her world.

"Asjad is getting married next week, Mahenoor. I thought you should now."

The phone slipped from her hands, clattering onto the wooden floor. The sound echoed through the quiet room, but Mahenoor didn't hear it. Her whole body froze as the words repeated in her mind over and over.

"Asjad is getting married...."

The journal on her desk sat open, its pages fluttering softly in the breeze, as if mourning the words written inside it.

✦

Nazia and Zikra, who were sitting in the living room, looked up at the sound of something falling upstairs. Nazia frowned, a pang of unease settling in her chest.

"Zikra, go and check if Mahenoor is okay."

Zikra rushed upstairs and knocked on Mahenoor's door. "Appi? Is everything alright?"

There was no response. Panicking Zikra pushed the door open and froze. Mahenoor was sitting on the floor, staring blankly at the wall, tears streaming down her face. The phone lay discarded beside her.

"Appi? Appi, what happened?"

Sanober arrived behind her, her face turning pale as she took in the sight. She knelt beside Mahenoor, shaking her gently. "Mahenoor, Tell us what happened. Are you okay?"

But Mahenoor didn't respond. She didn't blink, didn't move. She just sat there, trapped in a moment that had shattered her world.

The house that had been bustling with quiet conversations now fell into a deafening silence.

Downstairs, Omar walked in just then, unaware of what had happened. Ahmed Ali glanced up, nothing the worry on Omar's face.

"Is everything okay, beta?"

Omar looked around, sensing something was wrong. He glanced toward the staircase, his chest tightening. Something in his heart told him that Mahenoor was not okay.

"What happened?" He asked softly, his voice carrying a weight of fear.

No one answered immediately. But as the words came–a whisper from Sanober who had rushed down—Omar felt as though the ground had shifted beneath his feet.

"She got to know....Asjad is getting married."

Omar closed his eyes briefly, a storm raging inside him. He turned to look toward the staircase, his jaw clenched.

"Ya Allah, how should I handle Mah now?"

Omar stood frozen at the base of the staircase, his father's voice calling softly behind him, But he couldn't move. The weight of Sanober's words hung heavy in the air, echoing in his mind like a relentless storm.

"She got to know...Asjad is getting married."

The ache he felt in his chest was not just for Mahenoor–it was for the love she had so fiercely guarded, now shattered into unrecognizable pieces. Omar's fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles turning pale. He wanted to rush upstairs, to see her, to pull her out of the dark place where her mind had surely taken her. But he stopped himself.

"Not now, I will have to act wisely."

Ahmed Ali's voice brought him back to the present.

"Beta, what happened? Are you okay?"

Omar turned to look at his father, his expression unreadable, yet his eyes spoke volumes. He nodded once, his voice calm but strained.

"Yes, Abbu.

Rabia frowned as she watched her son ascend the staircase with deliberate slowness. She knew her son too well. Omar carried burdens silently, his love for Mahenoor evident in his every glance, every word.

✦

In Mahenoor's room, the silence was suffocating. Zikra and Sanober sat beside her, their voices soft as they tried to coax her back to reality. But Mahenoor was far, far away.

Her tears had stopped, but her body remained frozen, her expression blank. Her mind replayed the words over and over.

"Asjad is getting married...he belongs to someone else."

Sanober's hand tightened around Mahenoor's cold fingers. "Mahenoor, please say something, we are scared."

Zikra's eyes glistened with tears as she glanced at Sanober. "Why has Appi become like this? She has become silent, Sanober Appi?"

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and the girls looked up to see Omar standing at the threshold. His face was calm, but his eyes reflected worry–an emotion so raw it made Zikra's throat tighten.

"Can I come inside?" Omar asked softly.

Sanober nodded and stood up gesturing for Zikra to come with her. "Come on, let's not leave Mahenoor alone for a while....but with Omar."

Zikra hesitated but followed Sanober out of the room, leaving Omar and Mahenoor alone. The door clicked shut behind them.

Omar stepped forward quietly, his gaze fixed on Mahenoor. She sat on the floor, her back against the bed, staring into nothingness. The tears on her face had dried, leaving faint trails of sorrow behind.

He knelt in front of her, close enough that his presence could no longer be ignored. He watched her for a moment, waiting to see if she would react. When she didn't, he spoke softly, his voice carrying the tenderness of someone who understood pain too well.

"Mahenoor...I know you're listening."

Her lashed fluttered faintly, but she didn't look at him.

Omar took a deep breath, his voice shaking ever so slightly. "Aapka yeh jo dard hai na...Woh sirf aapka nahi hai. Har woh insaan jo aapse Mohabbat karta hai, woh is dard ko mehsus kar raha hai. Aap akele nahi ho."

(This pain of yours is not just yours. Every person who loves you feel this pain. You are not alone.)

Her lips trembled, her hands clenching the fabric of her dress. Still, she didn't say anything.

Omar leaned back slightly, sitting on the floor beside her. His voice dropped to a whisper, as if he were speaking more to Allah(SWT) than to her.

"Pata hai, Mah? Kuch Mohabbatein sirf Duaon mein zinda rehti hai. Jo chahiye woh na mile toh dil phat jata hai, lekin....Allah(SWT) pe bharosa karne wale kabhi khali nahi rehte."

(Do you know, Mah? Some loves only live in prayers. When you don't get what you want, your heart breaks, but....those who trust Allah(SWT) are never left empty-handed.)

A tears slipped from the corner of Mahenoor's eyes. It was small, almost unnoticed, but Omar saw it. His heart clenched.

"Me nahi janta ki aapka dard kitna gehra hai, lekin ek baat zarur janta hu," he continued softly. "Jo bhi ho raha hai, woh aapke haq mein behtareen hai. Shayad aap abhi bhi samjhogi, lekin ek din yeh samajh aayega."

(I don't know how deep your pain is, but I know one thing... Whatever is happening is better for you. Maybe you won't understand now, but one day this will come)

Mahenoor's voice broke through the silence, barely a whisper but so full of pain it made Omar's chest ache.

"Kyu? Kyu mere sath aisa hua, Omar."

(Why? Why did this happen to me, Omar?)

Omar turned his head to look at her, his gaze gentle but firm. "Kyuki Allah(SWT) aapne sabse pyaare bande ko sabse zyada imtihan mein dalta hai. Aur aap unke nazdeek ho, Mah. Aap yeh dard seh rahi ho, kyuki aapki taqat duniya ke saare logo se zyada hai."

(Because Allah(SWT) test the ones He loved the most. And you are close to him, Mah. You are enduring this pain because your strength is greater than anyone else's in this world.)

She looked at him then, her eyes swimming with fresh tears. The raw vulnerability in her gaze was something Omar would never forget.

"Me Tut chuki hu, Omar."

(I'm broken, Omar.)

Omar shook his head gently. "Aapko yeh lagta hai, lekin aap abhi bhi zinda ho, Mah. Aur zinda logo ko Allah(SWT) hamesha nayi raahon pe le jata hai."

(You think so, but you're still alive, Mah. And Allah(SWT) always leads the living to new paths.)

✦

In the living room, the tension among the family members was palpable. Rabia sat beside Nazia, holding her hand in quiet reassurance.

"Nazia," Rabia began gently. "Mahenoor is going through a very delicate phase. But Allah(SWT) makes everything right, In Sha Allah."

Nazia wiped her tears, nodding slowly. "Seeing her pain, my heart is breaking, Rabia. She's fighting with herself."

Fazal Ahmed spoke up from his chair. "It takes time to understand the hidden blessings in Allah(SWT) decisions. Everything happens for a reason."

Sameer who had been silent all this while, looked up at Fazal Ahmed with a faint smile. "She needs both time and love. She will endure everything."

✦

Back upstairs, Omar remained seated beside Mahenoor, giving her time to let everything sink in. The room dark now, the last rays of sunlight having disappeared.

Finally, Mahenoor broke down. The sobs tore through her body raw and uncontrollable. She buried her face in her hands, and for the first time in a long time, she let herself grieve fully.

Omar sat quietly beside her, his own eyes shining with unshed tears. He didn't try to stop her. Sometimes, the heart needed to let go to heal.

When her sobs quieted, Omar stood up slowly. "Me yahi hu, Mah. Jab bhi tumhe zarurat ho, me hamesha yahi hu."

(I'm always here, Mah. Whenever you need me, I will always be here.)

He turned to leave, pausing at the door to glance back at her last time. In the faint light of the room, Mahenoor looked fragile, but something about her tears gave him hope. She had let herself feel again.

And that was the first step toward healing.

✦

The house settled into silence once more, but this time, it was a silence of release—a silence that carried the weight of pain but also the faintest whisper of hope.

Somewhere in his own room, Omar stood on his prayer mat, raising his hands toward Allah(SWT).

"Ya Allah, Mahenoor ke liye sabr aur shifa maangta hoon. Uska dard sirf tu samajh sakta hai. Mujhe uska sath dene ki taqat de."

(Ya Allah, give Mahenoor patience and healing. Only you can understand her pain. Give me the strength to stand by her.)

And as Omar bowed his head in prayer, the faint echo of Mahenoor's whispered plea rose to the heavens as well.

"Ya Allah, mujhe is andhere se nikal le. Mujhe tu apni roshni tak pahuchne ka raasta dikh de."

(Ya Allah, take me out of this darkness. Show me the path to your light.)

The prayers of two hearts–so different yet so connected–merged in the quiet of the night.

Anyways now tell me, what your thoughts on Omar's silent support for Mahenoor?

Do you think he is doing enough, or should he express his feelings openly?

How do you interpret Mahenoor's reaction after learning about Asjad's marriage? Was it expected or surprising?

Have you ever experienced or seen someone go through a situation similar to Mahenoor's? How did they cope?

Did you like the chapter?

Do follow me on instagram for reels and updates.

I'd:- author_mahenoor.

Love you all byeeee 💞

Author_Mahenoor.