My Best Friend's Girlfriend

Chapter 4

It had been three months since Hassam moved to China, and I still remember how excited he sounded when he told me about Vei. He'd found something special, or at least, he thought he had. His voice, usually monotone and reserved, had an energy I hadn’t heard in years. I guess that’s what new love does to a person—makes them forget everything else, even secrets that should remain buried.

Ali, Shahwath, and I hadn’t mentioned the secret since he left. It was an unspoken pact between us—keep it buried, keep it safe. Yet, it hung between us like a specter, lurking in the corners of every conversation. Sometimes, when Ali would call me, his voice would trail off as if he wanted to bring it up. But he never did. None of us wanted to be the first to break the silence.

One evening, I got a call from Hassam. He sounded happy, happier than he had in a long time, but there was a tinge of something in his voice—maybe a hint of doubt. “Vei wants to meet you guys,” he said, after a pause, and I knew he was testing the waters.

“Meet us? Like, she’s coming to the UAE?” I asked, faking enthusiasm, though my mind immediately jumped to the secret. What would she think if she knew?

“No, no,” Hassam laughed. “She thinks it would be fun if you guys came here, to China. She’s heard so much about you three. I told her all those old stories from college, and now she’s curious.”

It was easy to imagine him, sitting next to her, sharing stories of our youth—the foolish pranks, late-night drives, the kind of stuff that makes for easy conversation. But even as he spoke, I could sense the weight of everything we weren't saying.

“That sounds great, man,” I said, keeping my tone light. “I’ll check with Ali and Shahwath, but I’m sure they’d love to see you. It’s been too long.”

“Yeah, it has,” he replied, his voice turning more serious. “And Waqas... Thanks for everything. For, you know, keeping things the way they are.”

I felt a chill run down my spine. It was the first time he’d alluded to the secret since he’d left, and it was the closest he’d come to acknowledging it directly. But I pushed the feeling down and forced a smile into my voice.

“No need to thank me, man. We’re friends. Just focus on Vei, and we’ll figure the rest out when we see you.”

After we hung up, I couldn’t help but think about what lay ahead. A trip to China, meeting Vei, pretending that everything was normal while knowing what I knew. I picked up my phone and texted Ali and Shahwath in our group chat.

Waqas: Guess what? Hassam wants us to visit him in China. Vei's idea. He’s serious about her.

Ali: Wow, that’s fast. But, uh... you think it’s a good idea?

Shahwath: Yeah, man. What if, you know, it comes up?

I took a deep breath before typing my response.

Waqas: We won’t bring it up. We go, meet Vei, and be there for Hassam. Whatever happens, we’ve got each other’s backs. Just like always.

Ali replied with a thumbs-up emoji, but Shahwath took a while before responding.

Shahwath: Okay. But I’ve got a bad feeling about this.

I stared at his message for a long time, wondering if maybe he was right. The secret was a living, breathing thing, and China suddenly felt a lot closer.