The past.

Everyone has a past that they would like to forget about it. But what happens when you can't forget or even believe that it happened to you?

Seven years ago.

Naeem PoV.

"Loving her became a curse to me. I couldn't get her out of my mind and out of my heart ever since the day I saw her. I fell in love without knowing that she is going to be the one who will make me never believe in love again?".

I was heading to run an errand for my mother when I saw her. She looked beautiful in her blue blouse that matched her hijab.

She walked across the road not looking where she was heading. When a car was coming straight to her while she was talking on her phone.

I ran towards her and pushed her away from the moving car. She was so beautiful. It wasn't the first time I had seen her.

"Thank you so much", She thanked me and then walked away. I stood there like an idiot who didn't know how to speak.

No one knew what effect she had over me. Each time I would hope that I would run into her so I could just speak to her.

Then something great happened. I saw her at the mall alone trying to get on the full elevator.

"You could just wait for another one", I tell her. She turned to me and sighed.

"You are right. Thanks".

As she was about to walk away, I walked beside her wanting to know more about her.

"Sorry but would like to go out for coffee?", I nervously ask her.

"Sure but how do I know that you won't kidnap me?".

"I promise I won't do that. My name is Naeem, what's yours?", I asked her.

"Aisha".

"Now can we get some coffee?", I ask her.

"Sure. Lead the way".

We went to the coffee shop and ordered. She told me that she was in her senior year in high school but wasn't planning on going to college.

I didn't ask why was that because everyone has their own choices in what they want to do with their lives.

"Okay, thanks for accompanying. It seems my friends ditched me again", she tells me. I couldn't let her go without getting her number first.

"We should do this again sometime".

"Sure I would love to".

We then exchanged numbers and went in different ways. Each time we would meet up for coffee, go to the movies, and just hang out. I was slowly falling for her without realizing it.

We introduced each other to our friends but her friends didn't like me that much. They kept saying they like the other guy better.

Whenever I ask who was the other guy, Aisha would try and change the subject. After a few months, I confessed to her that I loved her and wanted her to be my wife.

Aisha told me that she felt the same way too. I had planned on telling my parents about her and our relationship but something happened that made me realize that she wasn't the girl that I knew and fell in love with.

I was heading to see my grandparents when I notice that I needed to buy some things for them.

I drove to the supermarket and parked my car.

I got the cart and went to get the things that my grandparents needed. As I walked towards the ice cream aisle I saw her but she wasn't alone.

Aisha was with another guy and they were holding hands. I ducked so that they won't see me but unfortunately she saw me.

The expression on her face was speechless as if she was caught doing something illegal.

I walked out of the supermarket after paying for my things. After a few days, I was at the mall, looking for a gift fr my sister. When I saw her friends there.

As I was approaching them, I heard that they were talking about me.

"Aisha should tell Naeem about Nabeel. She is engaged to get married for 4 years now. Why is she lying to him and leading him on?", one of her friends asks. No one in the group had an answer and the only one that had it was her.

I had to go and confront her because in my heart I knew that I needed the truth from her lips.

I called her and asked her to meet me in the park. When she arrived, she tried to hug I couldn't help but push her away.

"What's the matter?", she asks.

"Tell me the truth. Are you engaged to someone else?", I asked her.

"I...

"I need you to tell me the truth please".

"Yes, I am".

When those words came from her mouth, I felt my heart getting shattered into tiny pieces.

"Why did you lie? Why?".

"I didn't know how to tell you. I love you only you..."

I laughed at her but I wasn't laughing.

"You had so many chances yet you chose not to tell me anything. Who is he? At least tell me who he is". I knew I was asking her to break my heart more than it was already broken.

"My childhood best friend. I will break it off because I love you and not him", Aisha tries to tell me but I knew deep in my heart that she won't do that. But I had to have a little bit of hope.

As I fool I believed her lies because I was blinded by what I felt for her. We still saw each other in secret until one of her cousins saw us together in the movie theatre.

That's when all hell broke loose because when she got home, her parents forbade her to see or even talk to me. When someone is in love, they do stupid things like try and eloped with their lovers.

I gathered enough courage to go see her parents, to tell them what their daughter meant to me.

I walked up to their front door, took a deep breath, and knocked hoping that they will listen to me. Hoping that they wouldn't turn me away.

Her father opened the door and looked at me.

"Assalam aleikum sir. Can I talk to you?", I politely ask him.

"Waleikum salaam. Who are you?", he questioned me.

I explained to him who I was. Instead of him turning me away, he invited me inside the house.

"Shukran".

"Take a seat young man", he tells me. I took a seat.

"So tell me young man. Explain to me how come you didn't know that my daughter Aisha is engaged?".

I knew that he would ask that, so I explained to him everything that happened including finding out about it through her friends.

Her father looked at me knowing that she can't be mine as I wanted her to be.

"Do you love my daughter?", he asks me.

"Yes, sir. I do. I am willing to marry her".

"I am sorry but I can't accept your relationship with her as she is someone's fiancée. I know that you love her and will do anything for her but I can't break her engagement to her fiancée".

I knew that I lost her forever.

I got up and thanked her father and walked to my car. I could hear my heartbreak into pieces while I try to open the door to my car.

I drove to the park to calm myself down because I didn't want my parents or even my twin sister to see me. I know that they would want to know because they care and love me but I didn't want to tell them anything.

"Love doesn't exist. Don't fall in love you will end up hurting yourself". These are the words that I engraved in my brain as I turn my heart into stone not feeling anything.

This is how I was known as The Heartless Ceo.