Winning her heart-Complete story

Hearting his ego

Hadi found himself sitting in front of his parents, facing their stern gazes and simmering anger. His mother, Rumaisa, spoke first, her voice laced with disappointment."Why are you acting like you haven't done anything wrong, Hadi Yusuf?" she asked, her eyes flashing with disapproval. "You caused your wife pain, and you have no excuse for your behavior."

Hadi's father, Rafiquzzman, nodded in agreement, his expression grim. "Your actions were unacceptable, Hadi," he said, his voice heavy with disappointment. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

Hadi felt a surge of defensiveness rise within him. "I didn't mean to hurt her," he protested, yet his demeanor was calm. "It was an impulsive reaction on my part. But you should have seen how she treated me." Rumaisa raised an eyebrow, her skepticism evident. "How did she treat you, Hadi Yusuf?" she challenged. "Explain yourself."

Hadi hesitated for a moment, trying to frame his words carefully. "I simply asked her to get ready for an outing," he explained. "But she dismissed my request in such a disrespectful manner that it provoked me."

Rumaisa's eyes narrowed, her anger intensifying. "First of all, who gave you the right to take her out?" she demanded. Hadi looked at his mother, his pride wounded. "She's my wife," he retorted, his voice laced with defiance. "I don't need anyone's permission to take my wife out." He was extremely irritated at Masooma's irrational behavior.

Rumaisa's face contorted in disbelief.

"Wife?" she echoed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "What are you talking about, Hadi Yusuf? You made it very clear before you left that you had no intention of staying married to Masooma. You even said you would divorce her."

"That was then," he replied."Things have changed."

Rumaisa shook her head in exasperation. "Hadi," she began, her voice softening slightly, "you can't just change your mind like that. You've already made up your mind, and you've hurt Masooma deeply. She's not going to just forget all that and welcome you back into her life."

"What do you mean?" He retorted, his voice laced with a mixture of frustration and defiance. "I'm everything a girl could want in a husband."

Rumaisa sighed, her gaze unwavering as she met her son's defiant eyes. "Hadi," she began, her voice calm yet firm, "I'm not saying you're not a good man. But you are not the man Masooma wants."

"Why? Does she like someone else?"Hadi asked; the thought of her having a relationship with someone else despite being in marriage boiled him in anger.'Shut up, Hadi. What do you think of Masooma? "

"Then what's her problem?" He was relaxed after hearing his assumptions were wrong.

"Hadi, when you told me that you wanted to divorce her, I didn't let her weave any more dreams of you. I told her what the truth was. I told her that she shouldn't think of you as her husband anymore. She was heartbroken. I have seen how much it destroyed her. At that time, I regretted my choice greatly in getting you two married. She had fallen into severe depression. We even took her to a psychiatrist, but nothing helped. However,with our love and affection, slowly she came back to life. Now, her feelings have changed for you."

"Okay. I'll apologize to her." Hadi said. "I am sure once I apologize, she will forgive me."

Rumaisa sighed in resignation, realizing that her son's arrogance and ego were deeply ingrained. "'Well, son,' she said, her voice laced with disappointment, "you may be willing to accept Masooma back, but she's not willing to accept you. She's already made up her mind to divorce you, and Rafiq and I support her decision."

Hadi's eyes widened in shock, his jaw dropping in disbelief. "What?" he asked as if he heard something wrong. Rumaisa stood up, her gaze unwavering. "We've already made up our minds, Hadi," she said firmly. "The divorce will proceed, and you will accept it."Hadi said nothing. His shoulders slumped. He had never imagined that his parents would take Masooma's side over his. But he had trust in himself that sooner or later Masooma would accept him. After all, how long would she run away from him?

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As Masooma exited college alongside Hania, a Pakistani girl, and Ima, a Bangladeshi, her gaze was drawn towards Hadi, who leaned casually against his car, adorned with sunglasses that day. She couldn't help but notice the magnetic pull he exerted, captivating the attention of numerous girls, including Ima and Hania.

A wave of unease washed over Masooma as she observed the crowd of girls casting admiring glances towards Hadi. She couldn't fathom the reason behind the sudden surge of anger she felt towards him. Amidst the ongoing chatter, Ima and Hania exchanged surprised glances as Masooma abruptly made her way towards Hadi.

Hadi, leaning against his car, removed his sunglasses and turned towards Masooma, whose figure was draped in an abaya, with only her eyes visible through the niqab. A hint of curiosity flickered in his gaze as he awaited her approach.'Mom couldn't come today to pick you up. So, she sent me to pick you up.'

Ima nudged Hania with her elbow, prompting her to look at Hadi. Hania shifted her gaze towards the enigmatic figure beside Masooma and inquired, "Masooma, who is this gentleman? Is he your brother?" Curiosity piqued their interest, as this was their first encounter with Hadi.

'Brother? I'm her husband. Get inside, wifey. We're getting late,' Hadi declared with a smirk, stepping into the car.

'Husband?' Ima echoed, and Hania exclaimed, 'Misi, you're married. Why didn't you tell us before?'

Masooma, caught off guard and growing angry, bid her friends goodbye without offering an explanation and joined Hadi in the car.

As Hadi started driving, Masooma couldn't contain her frustration. 'What was that?' she demanded.

Hadi, playing innocent, replied, 'What?'

'Why did you tell them that I'm your wife?'

'Aren't you my wife?' Hadi retorted, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

Masooma remained silent.

'Not for too long,' she replied.

'And what made you think so?'

'You.'

'Haven't you heard I change my mind?'

'May I know why?'

'You want to hear your praises from my mouth?'Hadi smiled.

'No, I want to know what made you change your mind?' Masooma remained unfazed.

'Look, you have transformed well. You possess all the qualities to be my wife.'

'Hadi Yusuf, have you wondered if you possess all the qualities to be my husband? You are irresponsible, arrogant, egotistic, ill-mannered, and somewhat narcissistic,' Masooma said.

Hadi, growing angry, abruptly stopped the car on the side and glared at her. 'Get out,' he barked. They were quite near their home, and he wanted to avoid doing something he might regret if he continued the conversation. Masooma immediately got out of the car. No matter how brave she was, she still felt scared whenever Hadi became angry.

Once again, she hurt his ego. He found himself driving aimlessly, the road a reflection of the confusion in his mind. 'Okay, if she doesn't want to stay with me, it's fine. It's not like she's the last girl on earth,' he reassured himself, but the words felt hollow. Despite the attempt at self-assurance, a nagging feeling persisted, something he couldn't quite comprehend. This wasn't like him; he was grappling with unfamiliar emotions.

Nevertheless, he steered his way back home, determined to convince himself that if she chose not to be a part of this marriage, he, too, was not desperate to cling onto it. His wounded pride drove him to this decision. He couldn't allow anyone to hurt him any further. Somewhere in the echoes of his hurt ego, he pledged to find someone better, as if that would heal the turmoil within.

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