"I just can't stay there dad." She said not facing him.

"But why? I am doing well now, you need not worry." Her father spoke.

"I don't want to live with him anymore!" She said and barged into her room.

Closing the door behind, she fell on her knees, as tears rolled down her cheeks. She felt helpless. Never had she thought she would come at such a point, where she no more wanted to live with the person she loved so much.

Pulling the drawer open, she removed the file kept in it. With a strong will, she flipped the pages, opening the pen, she moved her hand on the divorce papers he had sent earlier, as her hand shivered while she looked at the names.

Zayaan siddique and Aayat khan.

Before her pen ran through the papers, signing them, her phone rang, dragging her attention. She picked up her phone, and answered the call.

"Aayat...I need to talk to you, just once please." He spoke.

"Armaan, if it's about Zayaan, I don't want to talk about it, please." She replied.

"Just for one last time, then I leave it up to you. I know he sent the divorce papers to you, but before anything moves forward, just listen to me once." He said. Half-heartedly she gave in, and went to meet him.

~

"If you are here to justify Zayaan, then I don't want to listen to those justifications please." She said.

"I am here to justify, not Zayaan, but the truth. The truth that is important for you to listen to. I want you to know the full story, before ending up on any conclusions." He said and she looked back at him.

"You know Hania and Zayaan were in the same college, and it was since then, that Zayaan had liked her. He was very happy when your sister's marriage alliance had come for him. They met each other, twice- thrice, and you know all of that." He spoke as his back faced her.

"Only a week was left for the wedding, and Hania asked him to back off, because she didn't want to marry him. Since the very first time she was quite, she hardly spoke properly, but Zayaan always thought that was Hania for him. A very silent and reserved girl. He didn't want to back off, he was happy with the marriage and didn't want to move away from it, as she asked him to do."

"When he didn't backoff, few days before the wedding, she went away, and as soon as she left, Zayaan got to know about it. Little did he know she already loved someone else, and that was the reason she didn't want to marry him. But she very well knew that he liked her. At this point, yes, he was wrong to take this step but he did. He told his family, he wanted to marry her younger sister and not Hania. Not thinking about the consequences, he decided to marry you. Due to his blackmail, she came back so that you don't face any of the consequences, but on the way she met with an accident." His voice lowered as he spoke

"I know the situations weren't in your favor, but trust me Zayaan loves you, and he realized that very late. It was only then, when he didn't want to reveal the truth, because he knew it would ruin the relationship, and he didn't want to lose you."

"Hiding the truth did no good either." She spoke after patiently listening to him.

"Aayat, he never spoke about anyone the way he does about you. And I have never seen him so broken, or shattered, the way he is now. Not even when he got to know Hania left. Just give him a chance Aayat. Forgive him Aayat." He spoke.

Silence took over them for a good five minutes until she finally decided to break it.

"Even if I forgive him, I can't forget everything that happened Armaan. It's not easy for me. Everything was genuine from my side, my love for him, the care, the concern, but I never expected such lie or betrayal from someone who I loved so much. These few months itself have been the worst for me, and I hate to admit, but yes, I can't live without him. I lost my sister because of all this, when there was no fault of hers. I was bought away from my husband, when there was no fault of mine either. He could have told everything earlier. Blackmailing my sister, marrying me, just for revenge, and then falling for me, and hiding every thing, how is it acceptable to me? I can't forget everything that happened Armaan, I just can't." She replied.

~

Her thoughts kept revolving around everything that he said her. She knew the whole truth about him, about how his revengeful marriage lead to this, and how at the end he fell for her. But it was very hard for her to forget. Time passes by, but words and actions don't.

She drove the car in full speed, increasing it by each second. Her confused mind could only think about him. She knew he regrets for what he did, but now she had realized that he hid the truth just to keep her with him, and not ruin things between them.

Probably if she would have never saw his phone, and all the messages to Hania, she would have never gotten to know about it. Yes that would be wrong, but he would take way through it. Things would have been much better between them. But on the other hand, she deserved to know the truth, and now she did.

"I forgive you Zayaan Siddique." She spoke, before the car drove in full speed and hit another vehicle.

———————————-
Name: Aayat Khan
Cause of death: Car accident
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And...we come to the end of this short story. Did you expect this end...?
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And thank you to all the readers of this book♥️