The Last Girl friend

Episode 2 - Secrets Beneath the Surface

After their first encounter at the park, Tauheed and Muskan continued to meet by chance. Each time, their conversations grew longer, their connection deeper. The initial awkwardness between them melted away, replaced by a growing comfort. Muskan’s playful nature always brought a smile to Tauheed’s face, and Tauheed’s quiet, thoughtful demeanor made Muskan feel understood. It wasn’t long before they exchanged contact numbers, a small but meaningful step in their growing friendship.Late-night chats became their routine. Tauheed, with his simple and straightforward nature, was someone Muskan could easily talk to. She found solace in his calm voice, while he, too, found himself eagerly waiting for her messages. Each conversation was like a new discovery, and they were soon spending hours sharing their thoughts, dreams, and little secrets.One evening, as they sat under the stars after one of their walks in the park, Tauheed gathered the courage to express his feelings. “Muskan, I’ve been meaning to tell you something…” He hesitated, feeling a knot in his stomach, unsure of how she’d react. “I… I think I’ve started liking you. More than just a friend.”Muskan smiled, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. She had sensed it for a while now, but hearing it from him made her heart flutter. “Tauheed… I’ve been feeling the same way.”Those words were all it took. Over the following days, their bond deepened as they officially came into a relationship. They began meeting regularly, exploring the town together, sharing quiet moments in parks, and talking about everything under the sun. Their love blossomed quickly, and both of them felt like they had finally found something real.One fine day, they decided to spend time by the riverbank, a serene spot where the gentle flow of water seemed to mirror their peaceful relationship. The sun was setting, casting a golden hue over the horizon, and the breeze carried a sense of calm. They sat across from each other, watching the water ripple gently.Tauheed, leaning back on his elbows, looked at Muskan, who was idly playing with the pebbles. A question had been on his mind for a while now, and he felt it was the right time to ask.“Muskan,” he began, “I’ve always felt like there’s more to you… Something you’re not telling me. I want to know more about you. What’s going on behind that beautiful smile of yours?”Muskan’s expression faltered for a moment, her fingers tightening around a pebble before she sighed. “Tauheed, there’s something you should know about me. My past… it’s not a happy one.”She paused, as if gathering the courage to open up about the demons she had kept hidden.“I’ve been through a lot. Mentally, emotionally… I was in a relationship before where I was tortured. Mentally abused to the point where I stopped recognizing myself. I would wake up every day, forcing myself to smile, pretending everything was okay. I never really healed from it. That’s why I’m like this… I still carry those scars, Tauheed. Sometimes I feel like I’m not completely okay.”Her voice cracked slightly as she spoke, and Tauheed’s heart ached hearing the pain behind her words. He reached across, gently taking her hand in his.“You don’t have to live that life anymore, Muskan. You deserve real happiness, not just a mask of it,” Tauheed said softly. “I love you. I want to marry you. Let me help you carry that burden, so you don’t have to do it alone.”Muskan’s eyes welled with tears, a mix of relief and fear. “But Tauheed… I’m not perfect. I’m damaged.”“You’re not damaged. You’re strong,” Tauheed insisted. “You’ve survived something terrible, but you don’t have to keep pretending. I see you for who you are, Muskan, and I love you—everything about you. You deserve to be happy for real, not just put on a fake smile.”Muskan was overwhelmed by his words, feeling the weight of her past slowly lift. In that moment, she realized that maybe, just maybe, she could let herself be truly happy again. But then, her eyes drifted to Tauheed’s full-sleeved shirt, a question forming in her mind.“Tauheed… why do you always wear full-sleeved clothes? You’d look cool in half t-shirts, you know,” she teased lightly, trying to lighten the mood. “Here, let me fold them up a bit.”As her hands reached out to roll up his sleeves, Tauheed’s mood shifted. He gently but firmly pulled his arm away, his expression hardening.“Muskan… don’t. Don’t ever try to fold my sleeves.”The sharpness in his voice startled her. “Why? What’s the big deal?”“I can’t tell you right now,” Tauheed said, his tone more forceful. “I’ll tell you when the time is right. Just trust me.”“But why not now? What are you hiding, Tauheed?”He stood up abruptly, his frustration evident. “I said I can’t talk about it right now. Please, Muskan, just leave it alone.”Muskan was hurt by his sudden change in demeanor, but she didn’t push further. The rest of the evening passed in silence, and when Tauheed dropped her home, the tension between them lingered.Over the next few days, Muskan tried asking him again, hoping he would open up, but every time, he brushed it off with vague reasons, making excuses to avoid the subject. Each time she grew more frustrated, sometimes even resorting to angry texts or harsh words, but Tauheed remained distant, never explaining himself.One day, after another heated argument over the phone, Tauheed finally replied in a calm, yet stern voice. “Muskan, if you love me, you need to mind your tongue. Don’t push me past my boundaries. I’ll tell you everything when the time is right, but not now.”Muskan was taken aback by his words. There was a seriousness in his tone that made her realize there was more to this than she had initially thought. She couldn’t let go of the curiosity gnawing at her. She needed to understand Tauheed—why he was so secretive, why he reacted so strongly about his sleeves.Desperate for answers, she decided to contact Vikas. If anyone knew about Tauheed’s past, it would be him. Vikas had been his closest friend for years, and Muskan hoped he could shed some light on the mystery that Tauheed was hiding. She dialed his number, hoping he could help her understand the man she had come to love.

Muskan paced around her room, phone in hand, her mind swirling with thoughts. The tension between her and Tauheed had been growing ever since that evening by the river. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something important was being hidden from her, something that Tauheed didn’t trust her enough to share. Her frustration had boiled over more than once, but each time, Tauheed’s response was the same: “Not now.”She sighed, looking down at Vikas’s contact on her phone. Her fingers hovered over the call button. She didn’t want to go behind Tauheed’s back, but she felt trapped, unable to move forward without knowing what was really going on. After a moment of hesitation, she pressed the button.The phone rang twice before Vikas’s familiar voice picked up on the other end. “Hey, Muskan! What’s up? Everything okay?”Muskan bit her lip, trying to find the right words. “Hey, Vikas. I… I’m not sure if everything’s okay. I need to talk to you about Tauheed.”Vikas paused for a second before responding. “Tauheed? Did something happen between you two?”Muskan took a deep breath, sitting down on the edge of her bed. “Not exactly. I mean, sort of. It’s hard to explain. He’s been acting strange lately. There’s something he’s not telling me, and I can’t help but feel like it’s a big deal. Every time I try to ask, he shuts me out.”Vikas sighed on the other end of the line. “Yeah… that sounds like him. Tauheed’s always been like that when it comes to certain things. He doesn’t open up easily, especially when it’s about his past.”“That’s exactly what I’m worried about,” Muskan said, her voice soft but tense. “We were at the river the other day, and I tried to fold his sleeves just for fun, but he got really upset. It wasn’t like him, Vikas. He was almost angry. He told me not to touch his sleeves, and when I asked why, he refused to tell me. I don’t know what to think.”There was a long silence on the other end before Vikas finally spoke, his tone more serious than before. “Muskan, I’m not sure I should be the one telling you this. It’s something Tauheed has to explain when he’s ready. But I understand why you’re worried. The thing with his sleeves… it’s a big part of his story. He’s been through something.”Muskan’s heart sank. “Something… bad?”“Yeah,” Vikas replied, his voice low. “Something that left a mark on him—literally and figuratively. Tauheed doesn’t talk about it with anyone, not even me, unless he really has to. It’s one of those things he’s been carrying for a long time, and I think he’s afraid of how people will see him if they know.”Muskan closed her eyes, a wave of sadness washing over her. She had seen the pain behind Tauheed’s eyes at times, but she had never imagined it ran so deep. “I don’t care what it is, Vikas. I love him. I just want him to trust me enough to share it with me.”“I know,” Vikas said, his tone softening. “But trust me, Muskan, it’s not easy for him. He’s not trying to shut you out; he’s trying to protect himself. Give him time. He’ll open up when he’s ready.”Muskan nodded, even though Vikas couldn’t see her. “I hope so. I don’t want this to push us apart. I feel like we’re drifting, and I don’t know how to fix it.”“You’re stronger than you think,” Vikas reassured her. “Just be patient. Tauheed cares about you more than you know. If anyone can help him break out of that shell, it’s you.”After they hung up, Muskan sat in silence for a long time, processing what Vikas had said. Tauheed had been through something—something painful, something he wasn’t ready to share. She felt a pang of guilt for pushing him so hard, but at the same time, she couldn’t help but feel frustrated that he still didn’t trust her enough to confide in her.Days passed, and though Tauheed and Muskan continued to meet, there was an unspoken tension between them. Muskan didn’t bring up the issue of his sleeves again, but the curiosity still lingered in the back of her mind. She could sense Tauheed trying to act like everything was normal, but the distance between them grew with each unspoken word, each unasked question.One evening, they met at the park again. The sky was painted in soft hues of pink and orange, the air cool and crisp as autumn began to settle in. Tauheed was quiet, more so than usual, and Muskan couldn’t help but feel that something was weighing on him.“Tauheed, are we okay?” she finally asked, breaking the silence.Tauheed looked at her, his expression unreadable. He seemed to hesitate before answering. “Yeah, we’re okay. Why do you ask?”Muskan sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I just… I don’t know. It feels like you’re holding something back. I don’t want to pressure you, but I can’t help but feel like you’re not telling me everything.”Tauheed’s jaw tightened, his gaze shifting to the ground. “Muskan, I told you before. I’ll tell you everything when the time is right. But right now, I can’t. Please understand that.”Muskan felt a lump in her throat, but she nodded, trying to keep her emotions in check. “I’m trying to understand, Tauheed. I really am. But it’s hard when I feel like you’re shutting me out.”“I’m not shutting you out,” Tauheed said quietly. “I just… I’m not ready yet.”“Not ready?” Muskan’s frustration bubbled to the surface. “How long do I have to wait, Tauheed? I’m here for you, but I need you to be here for me too. Relationships are about trust, and right now, I feel like you don’t trust me.”Tauheed looked at her, his eyes filled with a mix of guilt and frustration. “It’s not about trust, Muskan. It’s about… shame. You wouldn’t understand.”“Then make me understand!” Muskan’s voice cracked, her emotions spilling over. “I love you, Tauheed. But I can’t keep pretending like everything’s fine when it’s not. I want to be there for you, but I can’t if you don’t let me in.”Tauheed’s face hardened, and for the first time, Muskan saw a flash of anger in his eyes. “I said I’m not ready. You don’t need to keep pushing.”Muskan recoiled slightly, hurt by his tone. She stood up, her heart pounding. “Maybe you should let me know when you are ready, then.”With that, she walked away, leaving Tauheed sitting alone on the bench. He watched her go, a deep sense of regret gnawing at him, but he couldn’t bring himself to chase after her. Not yet.For the next few days, Muskan barely heard from Tauheed. He sent short, distant replies to her messages, and she could feel the growing rift between them. She tried to give him space, hoping he would come to her when he was ready, but the silence was unbearable.It was on the fifth day of this strained silence that Tauheed finally called her. His voice was soft, almost apologetic.“Muskan… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he began.“I just want you to be honest with me,” Muskan replied, her voice gentle but firm. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”Tauheed sighed on the other end of the line. “I know. And I promise I will be. But for now… please, just trust me. And… please, Muskan, don’t speak to me the way you did the other day. If we’re going to make this work, we need to respect each other’s boundaries.”Muskan nodded, her heart heavy. “Okay. I’ll try. But you need to meet me halfway.”“I will,” Tauheed promised. “Just give me some time.”They hung up, but the uncertainty lingered. Muskan couldn’t help but feel like she was standing on the edge of something, waiting for Tauheed to let her in. And as much as she wanted to respect his boundaries, she couldn’t ignore the growing fear that something more was at stake than just his secret.