Love :That needs no permission

Chptr 5 Shoaib confronts saif

Aly Pov

After spending hours laughing, dancing, and catching up with everyone, we finally stepped out of the hookah lounge and headed toward our vehicles.

The night air felt calmer compared to the chaos inside.

I was about to walk toward Sameer’s car when Irfan suddenly stopped me.

“Aly…”

I turned around.

He looked uncomfortable for once.

“I’m really sorry for Nazia’s behaviour,” he said quietly.

I gave him a small smile.

“You don’t have to apologize for her, Irfan.”

He nodded awkwardly, but before he could leave, I added—

“And I really think you need to move on too.”

He froze completely.

“What do you mean?”

I looked at him carefully for a second before answering.

“I mean… I don’t think Nazia realizes you like her.”

He immediately looked away.

“No,” I corrected softly, “not like. Love.”

The silence between us said enough.

“You either confess and confront it,” I continued gently, “or you let it go and move on. But staying stuck in between will only hurt you more.”

I paused briefly.

“It’s your choice.”

Then I smiled lightly.

“Goodnight, Irfan.”

And I walked away toward Sam’s car.

When I glanced back once, Irfan was still standing there silently, lost in thought.

Sameer dropped me near my apartment a while later.

On the way upstairs, I called Rizwan.

The second he answered, guilt settled inside me.

I lied immediately.

“The bus was crowded,” I said casually. “And I forgot my earphones too, so I couldn’t really talk earlier.”

Like always, he complained softly about me never making enough time for him.

And honestly…

I understood his frustration.

He was my boyfriend.

At the very least, he deserved attention.

But somewhere between work, family pressure, and my own emotional confusion, I had stopped knowing how to balance anything properly.

Rizwan was insecure too, though he never admitted it openly.

He knew my father wanted someone highly educated, settled, respected.

An engineer.

A graduate.

Someone “perfect.”

And Rizwan feared he would never fit into that image.

That was why he kept asking me to speak to my family about us.

But marriage was the last thing I wanted right now.

I still wanted to study further.

Build my career.

Live for myself before becoming someone’s wife.

Maybe that was the problem with people around our age.

Commitment felt terrifying when life itself still felt unfinished.

After dinner, I spent some time with my family before finally going to bed while still talking to Rizwan on call.

At some point during the conversation, exhaustion won.

And before I realized it—

I fell asleep.

Saif Pov

“This was a mistake.”

The words echoed again.

I woke up suddenly, breathing heavily.

That dream haunted me even now.

The look on Aly’s face that night…

The heartbreak in her eyes…

The way she cried after I pushed her away—

It never left me.

No matter how many years passed.

I closed my eyes briefly and leaned back against the headboard.

Because the truth was simple.

I still loved her.

Maybe not loudly anymore.

Maybe not openly.

But somewhere deep inside me, hidden beneath guilt and distance and ruined decisions…

She still existed.

And that was dangerous.

Because I knew if I ever saw her again properly—

I wouldn’t stop at just looking.

I would hold her and never let go.

Even after being the one who walked away first.

Shoaib was getting married.

And the i***t hadn’t even bothered telling me himself.

I found out through my niece and his parents instead.

At first, I was angry.

Then I realized maybe I deserved it.

Things between us had changed badly over the years.

Nausheen still spoke to me sometimes, even if she was blunt and annoyed most of the time.

But Shoaib…

Shoaib had never forgiven me for hurting Aly.

And honestly?

I couldn’t blame him.

He thought Maya was just a rebound.

Maybe he wasn’t completely wrong.

Maya was kind.

Gentle.

Patient with the children.

She had first entered our lives as Haya’s tutor, but slowly the kids grew attached to her.

And somewhere along the way, I did too.

Not the way I had loved Aly.

Never like that.

But Maya brought stability into a life that had been chaos for years.

And maybe that was why I held onto her.

Not love.

Comfort.

Responsibility.

Escape.

That evening, while Maya played with Haya and Aram on the lawn, my phone rang.

Shoaib.

The second I answered, he started yelling.

“What do you want now, huh? Because of you, I accidentally hurt her today.”

I frowned immediately.

“What are you talking about?”

“At dinner your topic came up,” he snapped. “And I stupidly mentioned your relationship in front of Aly.”

The moment he said her name, my chest tightened painfully.

I stayed silent.

Because I could already imagine her expression.

The way she would pretend to be okay even while breaking inside.

Shoaib exhaled heavily.

“It’s all because of you.”

And the worst part?

He wasn’t wrong.

Trying to escape Aly had only ended up hurting everyone around me.

I changed the topic quietly and congratulated him for the wedding before asking why he never told me himself.

His reply came instantly.

“Do you even care anymore?”

That hit harder than I expected.

“For years we tried contacting you,” he continued. “You were the one who disappeared. You only talk properly when it’s about Dadu or Daadi. Otherwise, you act like we don’t exist.”

I rubbed my forehead tiredly.

“Shoaib bhai… my life has been a mess. I was trying to fix things.”

“But what’s the use now?” he replied coldly. “Time changes people.”

The silence after that felt heavy.

Finally, he changed the topic himself.

“How are the kids?”

I looked outside toward the lawn.

“They’re playing with Maya.”

The second I said her name, his tone changed again.

“I’m getting another call. I’ll talk later.”

And he disconnected.

I stared at the blank screen for a long moment.

Everyone hated Maya because they thought she was replacing Aly.

But nobody understood the truth.

Nobody understood that no one could ever replace Aly.

Not even if I spent my entire life pretending otherwise.

And suddenly, I remembered something Aly used to say whenever life became unbearable.

“When things don’t go your way, leave it to Allah. Maybe He’s leading you toward something better.”

I didn’t know what “better” was anymore.

But strangely…

Even after everything—

I still believed her