Retiring to the small library in my house, I sat on one sofa and closed my eyes. I was exhausted beyond limits and needed a good book to escape from reality. While settling down on a sofa, I jumped as I noticed someone suddenly standing behind me.

Iyaz.

I turned towards him with a resigned look.

"What do you want now?" I whispered in exhaustion. "Why can't you just leave?"

"I have been thinking. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I think I acted just like my father."

"You can't just blame it on your dad," I rolled my eyes. "You were the one who fooled me."

"I never fooled you," Iyaz sternly denied, staring in the distance "I just wanted to be happy. I never really felt happy with my other family, and I didn't want those two sides of my life to collide."

Sighing, I changed the topic. "You were saying something about your dad?" I prompted. He took the hint and continued with his confession.

"He was a man who had several families. It was the norm for me. I would watch my pa be cruel to my ma, slap her, while he adored his other wives. My mother would ask for divorce several times, but my pa was firm about not breaking bonds-no matter what. For him, only his happiness mattered, even there were families dependent on him. He offered no escapes. I never thought he was wrong. Even when I don't love Nadia, I act like my pa's son...still see him as my hero.

"What happened to you at Nadia's parents' house?" I curiously asked, somehow my heart already hurting with immense pain. I wanted to know more about his past.

"Nothing." He shook his head. "They were just the kind of people who preferred punching out their anger, so when I was forced to get married to Nadia-whom I never really bothered about-I just didn't care. I could still get any other girl as my wife because having a lot of families meant nothing to me. There was no sacrificing of my happiness, so I went along with it. However, when I saw you, I felt happy and wanted to protect you. You are my only family. No one else.

Shahmeer...I care about my step-son, but I will only choose you.

Back then, like my pa, I was least concerned about consequences because I just didn't care. I was a boy who simply deeply fell for a wonderful girl and knew he would pay all to get her to marry him. I grew a tunnel-vision. I didn't think of the consequences. I was selfish. Making such choices was a norm at my home. But I realize now that my father was wrong.

The thought of losing you makes me realize that I don't want to any other person but you. I am affected by your tears and how I want to protect you instead of treating you as my possession. I can never hurt you like my pa hurt ma, and that is why I didn't tell you about Nadia and Shahmeer.

With you, I no longer care about my own happiness. It is yours that matters the most to me. Ties...we-men of the Iyaz family-don't break them, but now I believe that I have been so unfair to both you and Nadia. I mean I should have never strung Nadia along." Regret gleamed in his eyes.

My heart squeezed. He was right. He shouldn't have. He was right to say that he had been wrong to both Nadia and I...and the sudden pang of jealousy that struck me as I saw him looking guilty for hurting his first wife, too, made me feel so bitter. I shouldn't be feeling this way. Iyaz should have never put me in a situation where I would feel jealousy over some wounds being sympathized. He had did me so wrong...so wrong.

I wasn't this bitter, insecure and mean woman.

However, seeing the in my eyes, made his own breath hitch with a devastating form of horror, panick and fear. He was terrified of losing me, of seeing me misunderstand his emotions.

"But let me assure..." He was quick to explain "Even when Nadia was my secret reality, I was content in just caring for you. For me, Nadia will mean anything to me. The only reason I was a bit calm towards her because that is how I wanted my ma to be treated. I am simply sympathetic because I know what I have done is wrong, wasted time of another when my heart has been yours, and it destroys me to think that my mistakes have hurt you so much. By breaking Nadia's heart, I got my own heart broken as a payment. Your tears and hurt are my ruination."

"This is so messed up. You know that, right?" I sniffed, causing Iyaz to weakly smiled. My mind was tangled between forgiving him, or being selfish and mending my own wounds.

"I know," he finally whispered. "But for you, I am willing to mend this. I am willing to mend it all and return back. I won't give up. No matter what. Just stay patient, okay?" He tried assuring, making my heart bleed at his vulnerable request.

This was so complicated.

"Okay," I promised with tears brimming in my eyes. Seeing my expressions, he gave a sad smile and then left.

****

Since that day, Iyaz had disappeared from my life. I no longer had him barging into my house. He no longer came for me. Making me see him as just a bittersweet chapter of my life. Albeit, his absence had made me sad, I would often find myself wondering why I couldn't have forgiven him. But then I felt like I already had, but there was no future for us because he seemed to be empty of realization and clues of what he could do to change his life.

He had never felt remorse for his actions, and now that he was gone, I felt myself breaking over how messed up he was; he was such a vulnerable mess. Sometimes, I hated him for giving up, for not fighting. I knew it was my decision to leave, but by not being persistent, it showed that he had moved on.

Anyhow, shaking away these depressing thoughts from my mind, I now walked into a handbag shop and began with choosing a bag. My cousin was getting married in a month, and I really had to buy a gift for her. While looking through the collection of bags, I gasped as I heard a shrill voice call over to me.

"Ma'am, what are you interested in?"

Turning around, my eyes widened at the sight of Nadia. Her eyes narrowed into slits and she sneered at me.

"You!" She pointed a finger. "You are the reason he left me. You are the reason I have to do this horrible job! "She screeched. What?

"Security!" She then started to call out loud. "Security!"

What the heck!

Before I could feel even more embarrassed, I immediately started to rush out of the shop, not even caring if people saw me sprint. This was embarrassing.

While managing to make it out the door, I had managed to stumble back on to the grey pavement when I saw someone getting out of a black Lamborghini parked before the shop

"Iyaz?" I looked at him in shock. He was smiling at me, looking so fresh and better. He seemed like he had fought his demons and was happy now.

"Yes, I told you that I would be back. Didn't I?" He smiled.

"B-but-"

"Your mama told me that I will find you here. Come, let's have a cup of coffee.. I will tell you all about how excruciating my struggle was and how I have finally managed to get over my mental mess." He opened the car door for me. I was dumbfounded.

"Wha-"

"Life wasn't the same without you, Mahira. I realized how wrong I was, how cruel I was...and I don't want to continue living in my past. I am sorry for all the pain I caused you. I am sorry for lying, I am sorry for hurting you. You were right. I had messed up. I should have told you the truth, shouldn't have caused you pain, and instead, should have let you go. So, I am back, asking you again. I still don't think I am brave enough, but I am willing to accept. Do you still hate me?" he spoke so earnestly and sincerely. My gaze softened at that.

"I never did." I softly smiled. "Let's have a cup of coffee." He beamed at that.

It is true when they say all is well if it ends well, and I was definitely finding my pain worth it for managing to start a new chapter in my life with a man who managed to replace his rosy betrayal with earnest honesty and complete adoration for me. He healed for me.

Have an awesome day!