I came downstairs and found Ali sitting on the couch in the hall. He was staring at me, and it felt a bit embarrassing.
"You look gorgeous," he said, complimenting me.
I smiled.
"Thank you so much."
"This is for you," he said, handing me a rectangular box.
"What is it?" I asked as I opened it to find a beautiful bracelet inside.
"This is beautiful, but what can I do with it?"
Ali looked at me as if it was obvious.
"What do you do with a bracelet, Areena?"
"Yeah, I mean..."
"This is the most important day of your life, dear, so it's my good luck for you. All the best."
He smiled warmly.
He was here just to encourage me. Oh, he was so sweet. Sometimes I wondered why I couldn’t fall in love with him when he loved me so much.
Because you still love someone else.
Oh, my inner voice, the most irritating thing in the world.
"You don't like it?" Ali asked, a bit worried.
"No...yes...no...I mean, I love it. Thank you so much."
I felt flustered, and he laughed at my stupidity.
"You're nervous," he said.
I nodded, trying to wrap the bracelet around my wrist. He gently took it and fastened it for me with a subtle smile on his face.
Mom and Dad arrived, and we bid goodbye to Ali as he was going abroad for his concert. Then, we headed to our destination.
When we reached, the manager led us to a room where I found Mr. Zain Abdullah, the CEO of The Shimmer Pvt. Ltd, waiting for us.
"Assalamualaikum, Mr. Abdul...sorry, Uncle," I said, correcting myself.
He laughed a little.
"Walaikumusalam, beta."
I introduced him to my parents, and they greeted each other warmly.
"It's my pleasure to work with your daughter. She is very intelligent and hardworking," Uncle said to my parents, and I felt embarrassed. I was not good at taking compliments.
"All the arrangements are done, and the guests are waiting for our arrival. So, I think we should go," Uncle said.
I nodded, but my heart was pounding, and my stomach was doing somersaults. I had never felt this nervous before. I took deep breaths to calm my nerves.
Uncle offered me his hand, and I took it with a smile. It really helped.
We entered the hall together. Cameras flashed everywhere, welcoming us with blinking lights. I covered my nervousness with a smile and walked firmly.
We reached the stage, and someone handed Uncle a microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome all of you here with all my warmth," Uncle said, and everyone cheered.
"As you all know, we are here to celebrate our collaboration with the rising company in the market, The Galaxy Star. As its name suggests, the owner of the company is also like a star of the galaxy."
He looked at me, and I felt shy.
"Miss Areena and I are collaborating our companies on a new project, which will surely become a huge sensation, In Sha Allah. We will update you soon about that. But I am not the right person to sign this agreement."
I had advised Uncle not to share much detail about the project to create suspense and boost our market presence. But what he said next caught me off guard. After a brief silence, he elaborated.
"As you can see, I am getting old now. It's high time for my retirement. So, I have already transferred my rights to my star, my buddy, my share of love after my daughter."
Please welcome my son, Mr. Abid Abdullah, who is the new chairman of our Shimmer enterprise."
My heart sank.
Abid Abdullah.
It was a great shock. Abid was Zain Uncle's son. He was the son of the biggest businessman in the country, but he had never told me.
Why are you so stupid? Can't you figure it out yourself? Zain Abdullah - Abid Abdullah. It’s so clear.
My heart was racing. The room echoed with applause, and from the left side, I saw him walking towards us with all his dignity.
I stared at him, and he locked eyes with me. It seemed like everything blurred except him. He looked devilishly handsome.
All the feelings I had buried deep in my heart resurfaced.
Uncle’s voice broke my thoughts.
"Shall we, beta?"
He asked, handing me a pen and the agreement papers.
I tried to steady myself, but my hands were trembling. The pen slipped from my hand.
Abid picked it up and handed it back to me. Our eyes met again, and the intensity of his gaze made me weak.
I quickly averted my eyes, took the pen, and signed the papers. Then Abid signed the agreement, and we all stepped down from the stage.
People came to congratulate me, but I couldn't hear them properly. I was still in shock. I could feel his eyes on me.
After some time, I excused myself and went upstairs to the bathroom. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I felt like I could hardly breathe. I locked the door behind me and leaned against it, closing my eyes and trying to gather my thoughts.
The flood of emotions was overwhelming, and despite my efforts to hold them back, tears started rolling down my cheeks.
I didn’t want to cry. Not here, not now. I rubbed my face, trying to wipe away the tears, but they kept coming.
I turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on my face, hoping it would calm me down. But the memories came rushing back with a vengeance.
I can't let him affect me.
I told myself firmly. He broke me. The thought of Abid, the way he had shattered my heart, was almost too much to bear.
I remembered the dark days that followed, how I fell into a pit of depression that seemed endless. The whole six months were like dark, thunderous nights for me, filled with a storm of emotions that I couldn’t escape.
Every day was a struggle to get out of bed, to face the world, to pretend I was okay when inside, I was falling apart.
It was so suffocating. If Bhai and Sara hadn’t been there for me, I don’t know what would have happened. They were my lifeline, pulling me out of the darkness, supporting me when I was at my lowest.
Bhai with his unwavering support, and Sara with her gentle encouragement. They never gave up on me, even when I had given up on myself.
I don't want those things in my life again. Never. I couldn’t go through that pain again.
I had to be strong. I had to control myself. He was the one who ruined me, but this time, I wouldn’t give him any chance to hurt me.
I wouldn’t let him see my vulnerability. I wouldn’t let him break me again.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. I wiped my tears away and looked at my reflection in the mirror.
My eyes were red and puffy, but I forced myself to smile. I had to put on a brave face. I had to show the world, and Abid, that I was strong. That I had moved on.
With shaky hands, I touched up my makeup, covering the traces of my tears. I straightened my dress and smoothed my hair, taking one last look in the mirror.
I needed to pull myself together. This was my moment, and I couldn’t let him take it away from me.
I opened the door with a newfound determination. I was ready. Ready to face him, to face my fears, and to reclaim my strength.
This time, I wouldn’t let the past dictate my future. This time, I was in control.