Here, this is what you wanted right?

Chapter 6

" do you guys have to keep on rubbing those gems into my ageing face!"

" yes!" both of them said simultaneously

I rolled my eyes rushing over to the bookshelf, when I got married my engagement ring wasn't as expensive-looking as theirs, I guess the saying patience will be paid off is the truth. After watching them look like stupid kids I rushed over to my room grabbing my wallet. A picture fell out of it. A picture of my first date with Areeb, I picked up the photo feeling my heartache, we were nobodies back then, he was struggling to sell his homemade soaps and I kept on failing the exams that year. It felt strange looking at him in a white coat and a clean-cut, he always had a bouncy man bun and a stupid moustache…a new look doesn't mean he's changed though.

Visiting memory lane lead me to a late morning, it bothered me that I kept on dumping my work onto him...especially since I wanted to erase our past.

" Today you have a meeting with one of our biggest patrons, make sure that you serve her tea, and provide her with a memorable experience…she knows me too well now, so I recommended you to be her new psychiatrist," I say leaving after handing him the documents.

" I heard the radio interview, you did well!"

I salute him as I continue to take off to the consultation room…since his arrival the most difficult place to be in the room reminded me of our torturous couples therapy, I gave my all to make it work, with a low salary at the time, and my life falling apart with my studies, it was difficult watching him act so cold towards me. I still remember how he openly declared his love for someone else…it still felt like a fresh wound.

I watched the same woman come into the clinic every day to drop off his lunch, I bet he wants to settle the divorce…I refused to sign the papers back then. After hours I left the documents on his desk, as I marched out with my head high, I couldn't show him that I was still grieving over him. The next day I found him in front of my house, forced to invite him in because of the good manners my mother emphasized about.

I handed him a mug of hot chocolate, before rushing over to grab a blanket for him, he grabbed it as I observed the ring on his finger. I smile looking down, " say what you have to, my time is precious."

He places the mug down, " Liya, I'm sorry I really shouldn't have treated you like that back then."

" doesn't matter, are you done. Wouldn't want your wife and kid to think wrong about me."

"Wait you already knew."

"Areeb, I set you free. We're no longer glued to each other because of a paper, I'll be transferring to another hospital soon. So please don't try to find me this time."

"Liya, I…"

" if there's nothing else I'll see you out, I say opening the door."

He looked me in the eye, pain written in both of them, wasn't equal to the amount I felt watching him leave with another woman.

"wait!" I say calling out to him, " Have you ever loved me…even for a minute a second? When we were together of course."

He nods looking down, " Then why'd you do all those evil things to me?"

" somethings are meant to be untold, but I never stopped loving you…"

I froze watching him leave, why did he always have to confuse me with his mysterious behaviour. At that moment I felt relieved as if a huge boulder was lifted off my chest, now I think I can let him go willingly and wholeheartedly.