Chapter 26

Palwasha had been praying for Osman's health day and night since he had returned home. They had resumed talking just as they used to, but then, suddenly, Osman vanished into thin air.

Now, Palwasha was growing frustrated and couldn't understand why Osman would act this way. Why wouldn't he share what was on his mind or let her know if he was busy? Why leave her in a state of worry and tension?

She decided to text Aban, saying, "Hi Aban, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Palwasha. And you?" Aban replied.

"I'm fine too. I wanted to ask you about Osman," Palwasha inquired.

Aban asked, "Sure, Palwasha, what would you like to know about him?"

"Do you know where Osman is at the moment?" she asked.

"I went to Qatar last week, and I met him there. He's working in Qatar now. After that, I lost contact with him," Aban explained.

"Has he actually reached Qatar?" Palwasha wondered aloud. "It's been a month since I've been waiting for him. No sign of him, not even a message."

"Are things okay between both of you?" Aban asked.

"Yes, everything was fine as usual, but then he disappeared, and I've been waiting for his message or call. His number is still inactive, and I don't know any other way to contact him. So, I thought I'd ask you," Palwasha replied.

Aban then shared Osman's contact number with Palwasha. She immediately texted Osman, "Hi Osman, how are you? This is Palwasha."

But as soon as a reply came, Palwasha found herself blocked from that number. She made several attempts to reach out but received no response. She couldn't hold back her tears and messaged Aban, explaining that Osman had blocked her.

Aban spoke up, "Palwasha, I respect you, and I didn't want to intrude into your personal matters, but I think I should tell you something. How do you know Osman?"

"I've never even seen him in person. We've been talking on the phone for several months now. He reached out to me, and over time, we fell in love and even discussed marriage. But then he fell ill, and now all this has happened," Palwasha explained.

"Listen, Palwasha, I respect you a lot, and I didn't want to interfere, but I have to tell you something. Osman's way of interacting with girls is quite common. He tells every other girl the same thing – that he loves her. He enjoys some time with them and then disappears. The girls keep searching for him. So, I'll say this to you as well, be cautious," Aban advised.

"But he promised to marry me, and he even sent a marriage proposal!" Palwasha protested.

"Did you receive a marriage proposal from his side? He hasn't sent any proposal right.He is already engaged to his brother's wife's sister. They had a love marriage, and his family is quite well-off. They won't allow him to marry you," Aban revealed.

"No, no, this can't be true. How can he do this to me? I don't deserve this, do I?" Palwasha said, her voice trembling.

"Palwasha, I know you don't deserve this. That's why I told you. Osman has not been truthful to you. He had cancer, but it was because of some toxic substance he consumed due to an argument with one of his ex-girlfriends. It led to his hospitalization. Please, you need to take care of yourself and focus on your future," Aban advised compassionately.

Palwasha found herself enveloped in a profound darkness of uncertainty. Her emotions, once vibrant with love and hope, had now turned into a complex puzzle of disillusionment. She had genuinely loved Osman, not just with her heart but with her soul. She had whispered countless prayers into the quiet night, beseeching the heavens for his well-being and imagining a life together that seemed so promising. Yet, all of it had crumbled into an enigmatic abyss of unanswered questions.

As she grappled with this bewildering turn of events, Palwasha couldn't help but draw a parallel to the mysteries found in the Quran, specifically the Muqatta'at, the disjointed letters at the beginning of certain chapters. These letters, their meanings hidden from human comprehension, stood as enigmas beyond human understanding. Just as Palwasha pondered who Osman truly was, where he had come from, and why their paths had crossed, she realized that some mysteries were meant to remain unsolved, known only to a higher power.

In this moment of profound reflection, Palwasha recognized the power of the unknown. Sometimes, life presented us with situations so intricate and bewildering that even our most earnest efforts to decipher them proved futile. Just as the Muqatta'at were beyond human interpretation and understanding, the answers to my questions about Osman seemed destined to remain shrouded in mystery.

With a heavy heart, she understood that there were aspects of life that transcended human comprehension. The enigmatic nature of Osman and the perplexing course of events had left her with no choice but to accept that, much like the Muqatta'at, some answers would forever remain concealed, known only to a force greater than herself. In her heartache and uncertainty, Palwasha found solace in surrendering to the notion that perhaps, in the grand scheme of things, not knowing was a part of the divine plan, a testament to the intricate mysteries of existence itself.