episode 6
577 Words
Chapter 6
Minhaj sat motionless, staring at his phone screen. His mind refused to accept what had just happened. The warmth, the affection, the words he had believed—were they all lies?
He ran a trembling hand through his hair. His past flashed before his eyes. Nawal. The girl he had convinced of his love, only to walk away when it suited him.
"She was my obsession, not my love," he had once told Hassan.
Now, standing on the same side of betrayal, he felt the crushing weight of realization.
His phone buzzed. Hassan.
For a moment, he considered ignoring it, but he knew he couldn’t keep this inside.
"Hello?" His voice was hoarse.
"Minhaj? What’s wrong?" Hassan immediately sensed something was off.
Minhaj let out a bitter laugh. "She left me."
Silence.
Then, Hassan chuckled. "Karma finally caught up, huh?"
Minhaj clenched his jaw. "You think this is funny?"
Hassan sighed. "No, Minhaj. I think this was inevitable. You broke someone’s heart without thinking twice, and now, the universe just made sure you knew how it felt."
Minhaj shut his eyes, his grip tightening around his phone. "I never thought it would hurt this much…"
"It always does," Hassan said softly. "Especially when you finally understand what you lost."
For the first time, Minhaj admitted to himself—he had never truly valued Nawal. She had loved him sincerely, yet he had discarded her without remorse. And now, Mahnoor had done the same to him.
A suffocating silence stretched between them. Then Hassan spoke again, "You need to fix this, Minhaj. Not for her, not for me. For yourself."
Minhaj exhaled sharply. "How? She’s gone."
"I wasn’t talking about Mahnoor."
Minhaj's breath hitched.
Hassan continued, "You need to ask for forgiveness, Minhaj. Not just from Nawal. But from yourself too."
Minhaj rubbed his face, his mind clouded with emotions. "Do you think she’ll even talk to me?"
"Only one way to find out."
---
Two days later, Minhaj finally gathered the courage to send a message.
Minhaj: How are you, Nawal?
His hands were clammy, heart racing. He wasn’t sure she would even reply.
Minutes passed. Then his phone vibrated.
Nawal: Alhamdulillah. What do you want?
Her tone was distant. Formal. Nothing like the girl who once replied with warmth.
Minhaj hesitated before typing.
Minhaj: I need to say something… and ask for forgiveness.
Another pause. Then—
Nawal: Go on.
Minhaj inhaled deeply. This was his chance.
Minhaj: I hurt you. I lied, I played with your feelings, and I walked away like you meant nothing. I thought it wouldn’t matter. I thought I’d be fine. But I wasn’t. And now, I understand what I did to you.
He stopped, staring at the words before hitting send.
Seconds later, her reply came.
Nawal: Minhaj, I forgave you a long time ago.
His breath caught in his throat.
Minhaj: You did?
Nawal: Yes. Not because you deserved it, but because I did. Holding onto pain wasn’t going to help me. So I let it go. And I moved on.
Minhaj felt something c***k inside him. She had moved on. And he was still stuck in the same place.
Minhaj: I don’t deserve your forgiveness.
Nawal: That’s between you and Allah now.
Minhaj exhaled, a strange heaviness lifting from his chest.
Minhaj: Thank you, Nawal.
She didn’t reply after that. And for the first time, Minhaj understood—this wasn’t a conversation anymore.
This was clouser.
- Writer
