Muneeb’s POV

"How is she?" I asked as bhabi (sister-in-law) came out of Hana's room.

"She's sleeping," bhabi said, wiping her tears. I swallowed hard to hold back my emotions.

"Marzi… Insha’Allah, everything will be okay. Don’t worry," Nabeel bhai tried to console her.

"Don’t worry! You’re telling me not to worry!..." Bhabi almost yelled, but then realized she was standing outside Hana’s room. She quickly pressed her lips shut. Nabeel bhai took her to their room, while I followed them. Hana had told everything that happened—or should I say, bhabi had forced her to confess everything.

"That family ruined my little sister! That Rumaan! I will kill him!" Bhabi seethed.

"Marziya… we will talk to them…" Nabeel bhai was saying, but bhabi cut him off angrily.

"Talk!? There is nothing left to talk about! Did you see her?! My innocent baby—how cruelly he broke her! I should have taken her here after Baba’s death… but I believed in them, that they would take care of my Hanu…" Bhabi yelled at first, then sat on the bed, holding her head while crying.

"What was her mistake? That she loved that heartless bastard all her life? That she was always loyal to her marriage? And in return, what did she get? Disgrace from him?" Bhabi asked, sobbing. Nabeel bhai sat on the ground in front of her and held her hand.

"Marzi… it’s not her mistake. We all know our Hana. She’s too innocent…"

"And that was her biggest mistake, bhai… being innocent was her biggest mistake," I mumbled, and they both looked at me. Taking a deep breath, I walked toward bhabi.

"Hana needs us, bhabi. We have to take care of her. You can’t break down like this—you have to be strong for her," I said, and bhabi nodded, wiping her tears.

"I’m enough for my Hanu… and I’m not going to spare him like this," bhabi said in rage.

---

I walked inside Hana’s room slowly and saw her sleeping—but not a peaceful sleep. She was mumbling something while tears were slipping from the corners of her eyes.

I went closer and sat beside her gently. Leaning in, I moved my ear to her lips to hear what she was murmuring. But what I heard made my stomach churn, and a sharp pain pierced my heart.

"Ma…an… I… I… lo… love… you… Do… don’t do… do this," she mumbled, and I moved back, feeling my eyes burn.

Why do you love him so much, Hana! He doesn’t deserve your love, princess! How can that bastard be so lucky to have your blind devotion!

I thought bitterly while caressing her forehead and wiping her tears. My own cheeks felt wet—I touched them and realized I was crying too. But the only difference was… she was crying for Rumaan, and I was crying for her.

I still remember every moment I spent with her since childhood, especially after Rumaan left for America. When he was here, I never had a chance to spend a single moment with her—he was always clinging to her. But when he left, I finally got the chance. And that’s when I realized how much I loved her. I was 16, and Hana was 13 at that time.

Flashback

I was at Mirza house. She was seated in the garden, looking sad. I went to her and sat beside her.

"What happened, princess?" I asked, and she looked at me. Her lips started trembling.

"He stopped talking to me," she said as tears slipped from her eyes.

"Who?" I asked.

"Maan… Maan stopped talking to me. Last night he called, and I asked Mama to give me the phone, but she told me Maan was busy and would call later. But he didn’t call," she said and lowered her head, sobbing. My heart tightened seeing her like this.

"He must be busy, princess. You know, he just started going to a new school, and he has to adjust. But don’t worry, he’ll call you when he’s free," I assured her, but she shook her head.

"I think Mama and Baba don’t want me to talk to him… You know, it’s been three weeks since we’ve spoken. Muneeb, please do something… I want to talk to him," she pleaded, holding my hand while tears kept rolling down her cheeks.

"Okay, wait here," I said and ran inside.

I went to Shabana aunty’s room and found it empty. She must be in the kitchen, I thought, and quickly searched for her mobile. Finding it on the side table, I grabbed it and ran outside.

I searched for Rumaan’s number and dialed it.

"Hana… take it. It’s Rumaan. Talk to him," I said. She looked at me with wide eyes, surprised and happy.

"Maan!" she smiled and snatched the mobile from my hand.

"Hello," she said and listened to the other side.

"Yes, Hanu," she replied, pausing to hear Rumaan.

"I’m not fine… Maan, I miss you," she said in a low, sad tone.

"If you miss me, then why didn’t you call me? Last night you only talked to Mama, Baba, and even Fathu aapi, but you didn’t talk to me," she said angrily, then listened again.

"You were busy—I wasn’t! I waited so much for your call, but you didn’t call me…"

They kept talking while I walked to the other side of the garden. I stood near the flower pots, staring at the flowers, and then at Hana, who had now started smiling shyly while talking to Rumaan. And I smiled too, looking at her happiness.

After a few more minutes, she came to me and hugged me, making my heartbeat speed up.

"Thank you so much, Muneeb… you’re my best friend," she said, pulling back with a smile.

"You know, Maan said last night he asked about me, but Mama told him I was busy… I’m hurt that Mama lied to both of us. I’ll ask her why she lied," she said, disappointed, then looked at me.

"Again, thank you… you made my day. Maan said he really missed me… but he couldn’t talk longer because he wanted to go with his friends," she said and walked inside, flashing me her breathtaking smile.

I was old enough to recognize this feeling—this wasn’t just a crush anymore. I knew I had always liked Hana, but now… I realized my feelings were much deeper. I loved her. And I would do anything for her smile.

Because I loved her.

Flashback End.

"I love you, princess… I wish you loved me the way I love you," I whispered, holding her hand as she kept mumbling Maan’s name.

I stood up and walked out of her room, because I couldn’t see her like this anymore. One thing was clear—Hana never loved me. All of her love belonged to that ungrateful man. And I knew she would never love another man in this lifetime.

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Rumaan’s POV"

I was sitting on the ground, my head resting against the bed, eyes closed. Memories kept flooding my mind—every moment I had spent with my Hana. Her nonstop confessions, her blush, her shy smile, her bold romance, her jealousy, her anger, her craziness for me… everything flashed before my eyes, making me smile bitterly as tears rolled down.

I never realized before that I loved her to the extent that without her, my life would turn into hell. She had told me never to show my face to her again—and that thought alone was killing me inside. The idea of never seeing her again, when she didn’t want to see me, made me want to die.

"Hana, please come back… Sorry, jaan (beloved)… I’m really sorry. Please come back…" I kept mumbling those words since last night, about to drift into a painful sleep, when I felt someone shake my shoulder.

"Hana?" My eyes shot open, hoping my Hana had come back. But no—it was Fathima.

I sat up properly, rubbed my face, and wiped my tears. I sighed and looked at her; her eyes were filled with tears too.

She didn’t say anything at first, just sat beside me. Neither did I. We stayed lost in our thoughts until Fathima finally held my hand.

"No one ever thought that Hana—our Hana—could leave this house," she said in a low tone, sniffing.

"We all believed Hana’s love for you would never let her do such a thing. But no—you proved us wrong with your betrayal!" she said, turning to look at me. I couldn’t meet her eyes. I lowered my head in shame.

"She never asked you for anything, did she? She always said she could wait for you her whole life without complaint. Then why did you do this to her?" she asked, and my chest burned with guilt and regret. But I had no answer.

"Do you know how much she loved you, Rumaan? She never looked at any other man, even when half the college boys and even our relatives were smitten by her beauty. Still, she never gave them a single glance. And you… you accused her of sleeping with someo—"

"No!" I cut her off before she could finish. "I didn’t accuse her of that! I know my Hana! I know how much she loves me! It’s just that I… I wasn’t thinking straight! I was frightened when I heard about her pregnancy. I thought if I told everyone tha… then Mama and Baba would agree for an abortion! And then I could apologize to Hana. But trust me, Fathu… now I regret every single word I said." I confessed, burying my face in my hands.

"But it’s no use, Rumaan," she said with a cracked voice. I looked up at her as she wiped her tears and held my arms.

"Get up. Mama said you were screaming all night." She made me sit on the bed.

"I want my Hana back," I muttered.

"Go change. I’ll bring you breakfast. Mama said you haven’t eaten anything." She ignored my words.

"Fathu, I want my Hanu back," I said like a child, my eyes welling up again.

"Tell me what you want to eat…" She ignored me once more, which made anger flare inside me.

"Can’t you hear me? I want my Hana back!" I screamed, and the next second, she slapped me.

"You lost her for good! You can’t get her back ever again, Rumaan!" she shouted in my face. I could see hurt and disappointment in her eyes. But what shattered me wasn’t her slap—it was her words.

You lost her for good. You can’t get her back ever again.

"Fathima, please don’t say that," I pleaded, a lone tear escaping my eye.

"Forget her, Rumaan! I know her very well. She loved you with all her heart, never listened to anyone against you—not even her Marzi aapi! She always stood up for you. And when she finally decided to leave you…" She paused and came close to my face. "Then believe me, Rumaan, she left you to never come back!"

My heart shattered into pieces hearing this.

"I love her, Fathima," I confessed, looking at her desperately.

"I want my Hana and… my… my child back," I said, uncertain if I was ready for fatherhood. But one thing was sure—I wanted Hana back at any cost. If that meant accepting this child’s responsibility, I would do it with all my heart.

"If you love her, then let her go. You broke her beyond repair, Rumaan."

"Letting her go means letting my soul go! And if I let my soul go, I will die," I said, my voice cracking as more tears fell. Fathima’s eyes softened.

"You’re my brother, Rumaan. Even if I want to hate you, I can’t. I can’t bear to see you in pain either. And yes, I can see you’re in pain now… but it’s too late. You realized your feelings too late," she said softly, cupping my cheek.

When she was about to turn away, I clutched her waist and hugged her desperately.

"Fathu, don’t leave me like this! Please help me! I can’t live without her. I realized it now—just one night without her was hell for me. Please, help me get her back!" I begged shamelessly, my tears soaking her clothes.

She stroked my hair like a mother.

"Don’t just get her back, Rumaan… win her back," she said. I looked up at her in confusion. She wiped my tears and sat beside me.

"Stop crying like a child. You’re going to be a father soon, you idiot," she said with a small chuckle.

"Before your child is born, win her again, Rumaan."

I still didn’t fully understand. "What do you mean?" I whispered.

"Show her you truly regret everything you did. Prove to her that what you said wasn’t meant to disgrace her—it was a momentary mistake, born of fear. Show her your love is real," she explained.

"Then she’ll forgive me?" I asked, desperately hoping for a yes.

"No. Not that easily. In fact, as far as I know her, she must be hating you right now," she said, and my heart stung. I was so used to Hana’s love that the thought of her hatred made me want to die. But deep down, I still believed she couldn’t truly hate me. Could she?

"You’ll have to face her hatred. Her harsh words. Her accusations. So tell me, do you love her enough to endure all that?" Fathu asked.

I smiled faintly. "I’ve already made her endure so much. This is nothing compared to what I put her through. Fathu, I’ll do anything to win her again."

She smiled and hugged me. "Control your emotions. Give her time. Don’t lose your temper," she reminded me.

"I will," I nodded.

"Now get ready. Come downstairs. First apologize to Mama and Baba."

"Yes… I have to," I agreed as she walked out of the room.

I will win you again, Hana. You will love me again. I hurt you, I broke you… but I will erase every pain. Your broken heart will be healed by me. Soon.

"I’m coming, jaan," I muttered, heading to the washroom to prepare for a new journey.

*******

Author’s POV

Marziya came to see Hana and found her still sleeping. She sat beside her on the bed, caressing her head gently.

"Hanu… baby, wake up," she said softly. Hana frowned in response.

"Baby, wake up. You haven’t eaten anything since yesterday," Marziya continued, caressing her head. After some time, Hana stirred.

"Maan…" Hana suddenly opened her eyes and sat up.

"Shh, baby… it’s okay. Look, aapi is here," Marziya said. Hana looked at her, and Marziya saw her tear-filled eyes.

"Why these stupid tears in your eyes?" Marziya wiped them away.

"Aapi…" Hana whispered and hugged her tightly, weeping silently.

"Why? Why did he do this, aapi? I loved him! I gave him everything, but still he broke me. Wh… what was my fault? Where did I go wr… wrong? Why couldn’t he love me? Am I not worthy of his love? Do I not deserve—" Hana kept saying between sobs, but Marziya stopped her.

"No, Hanu! He doesn’t deserve your love! He’s the one at fault! Your only mistake was that you loved that bastard blindly!" Marziya said furiously, while Hana sobbed harder in her arms.

"Shh… don’t cry, Hanu. My Hanu is not so weak to cry like this. Look…" Marziya consoled her, cupping her face.

"You have to be strong! Don’t let anyone think that without Rumaan you’re broken and weak. Be strong, Hana! Face this! Show him you don’t need him anymore. Don’t worry, I’ll always be by your side," Marziya said, and Hana nodded slightly.

"Now go, freshen up. I’ll bring you something to eat," she said, wiping Hana’s tears and kissing her forehead before walking out.

As soon as she stepped outside, tears filled Marziya’s eyes.

I will never let you come into my Hana’s life again, Rumaan.

She promised herself, wiping her tears.

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