Maya rushed out of the apartment wanting to run away from there without looking back. The noise in her head was coming back and it was too loud this time that it was overpowering her thoughts. 

"Salam, doctor sahiba," The building's guard greeted her. She had somehow adjusted to this life. This place had become a sort of home. Even the guard knew her. She had advised him a cough syrup once and since then he would always greet her. 

She rushed past the guard without replying and almost ran towards her car. She had to get away from this place.

Her hands shook as she opened the car and collapsed on the seat.

How was he married? How could he be married? He was her husband.

She put the keys in the ignition and recklessly reversed out of the parking lot.

She had always been scared that she was doing injustice to him by denying him his rights as her husband. But she never thought that he'd go and marry somebody else. He had said that he wasn't ready yet. Then why did he go marry somebody else?

She flicked away the sweat forming on her forehead. It was winter so why was she sweating this much? Beads of sweat dribbled down her forehead and she fumbled with the AC turning it on on high. The cold air from the AC blew on her face as she shivered a little. 

How could Zayan do this to her? When she was finally accepting him as her husband with whom she had to spend her whole life. Why did he do this to her?

It's your own fault. A voice from within told her. It's your fault.  She shook her head at the voice. A drop of sweat rolled down her cheeks. Or maybe they were tears? She wasn't sure. 

Fawad didn't tell you anything? Zayan's voice echoed in her head. 

Fawad didn't tell you anything? 

How could her brother do this to her? 

She angrily honked at the car in front of her. When the car didn't move, she honked again. The driver of the car looked out of the window and aggressively pointed at the red light. She stared at the red light and then the cars around her. Everyone had sopped. Suddenly the light turned green and the cars sped past her. She couldn't move but she could see the cars speeding past her. When horns blared around her, she was pulled out of her reverie and switched the gear, accelerating the car as it jolted forward.

The cold air from the AC blew on her face making feel cold but she didn't have the strength to turn the AC off. She had already forgotten to wear the sweater but she didn't care. 

She remembered how Zayan hated the cold. She shook her head to remove the images from her mind. 

In anger she turned the AC to full. She loved the cold.

She pressed her foot on the accelerator to go faster but the thoughts didn't leave her.

The car finally stopped. she shivered in cold as she stared at the builiding she had stopped at.

Her brother's office.

She glanced at the digital clock of the car. She had no idea how she had gotten here. She hadn't been thinking anything. Her mind was blank and she had automatically driven here. She didn't remember taking the decision consciously. As she raked her brain, she did remember breaking a signal while she had been driving.

She looked around for her phone. She had forgotten it at home.

She stepped out of the car with grace, her gait confident despite her inner state. The valet recognized her and immediately stepped forward and took the car's keys from her. 

She mumbled a 'thank you' She wrapped her arms around herself as the cold winter air nipped at her face. 

She stepped inside the building, her feet carrying her to the elevator. She took into the familiar surrounding of the office she used to visit so often to see her brother whenever he wasn't at home.

As she was stepping inside, the elevator she stopped in her tracks as she heard a distant voice calling out for her. She glanced at the source of the voice.

"How come you're here?" Areesha asked in surprise stepping forward to hug her. Maya couldn't return the hug with the same enthusiasm as her arms stayed by her side feebly.

"Bhai will be in his office?" She strung together her words. 

"Yeah." She nodded as concern graced her features. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm great." She said with a smile. 

She stepped in the elevator, her mind still void of thoughts. She didn't know what to think. She didn't even know why she was here. She was supposed to be at the hospital. Her shift had started. But she was here. She had no idea what she was going to say to her brother.

The elevator opened and she stepped out. She breathed in the familiar surroundings and walked straight towards her brother's cabin.

"Excuse me, miss?" The secretary voiced after her as she pushed open the door of Fawad's office. "There's an important meeting going on."

As she stepped inside, she stared at the people sitting in the office, but her eyes sought only one person. Surprised coloured his features as he stared at his sister in bewilderment.

"Can you please leave, ma'am?" The secretary's pleading sounded in her ears. 

"Can we please continue with the meeting later?" Fawad requested the board members staring at Maya. 

The men emptied the office one by one and Maya stepped aside to give them space.

When they all left, Fawad shut the door and turned towards his sister.

"How are you?" He asked as he stepped forward to hug her. It had been so long and he had missed her like anything. Maya made no attempt to reject him but she didn't hug him either. She relished in his warmth as his arms wound around her. 

"So to what do we owe this pleasure?" He smiled, his mood going up a few notches as the tensions of the office were relieved after seeing his sister after so long.

Maya stared at him, not saying anything. She had no idea why she was here. She didn't know what was going on with her. And the person who knew her well after herself was her brother. Maybe that's why her body had carried her here. She had no idea of what she was feeling. All she remembered were his words. 

Leya.

My wife. 

Was she supposed to feel angry?  Angry at herself or him? Disappointed? Jealous? She had no idea what to feel or think.

"Maya, are you okay?" Fawad's worried voice shook her from her thoughts.

"Come here sit down." He lead her towards the sofa.

When she said nothing and numbly sat down, he shook her in worry. 

"Is everything alright? Did Zayan do something?" He questioned, worry marring his face. "Maya, jaan, you're worrying me."

"Shut up." She snapped at him as anger took over her senses. 

Fawad knew, didn't he tell you?

She turned to look at her brother. The worry had been replaced by shock. She had never talked to him like that.

"Don't lie to me." She snapped at him. Finally she had started feeling something as she stared at him. "You don't care about me. So stop lying."

"Of course, I care about you." He said taking her cold hands in his own. "And why aren't you wearing a sweater? It's so cold today."

"I don't care." She snapped at him her tone equally cold. "I don't even know why I came here. I need to leave."

She got up from her place and turned to leave.

"Sit down. You aren't going anywhere before you tell me everything." He told her strictly and she quietly sat down. Fawad got up and turn the heaters up. He grabbed his coat from the hangar and hung it on her shoulders.

"Do you want something to warm you up? Coffee?" 

"I don't want anything."  She told him roughly.

"You're going to get sick like this." He said, touching her hands which were still cold. "Cappuccino?"

"No. I'll have tea." She gave in finally.

Fawad called his secretary for the tea.

"When did you start drinking chai? Last time we met, you despised it."

"Oh you remember when we met last time?" She said sarcasm lacing her tone.

"I'm sorry, jaan. I've been very busy here. One of the factories caught fire so the company has been in  great loss. I'm dealing with it."

"What? How did that happen," she asked in shock. " No one told me about it."

"We didn't want to worry you. You just got married and we want you to be happy."

"How do you know I'm happy?"

"What's wrong?" He frowned.

As Maya opened her mouth to speak, the door opened and the same secretary walked in.

She placed two cups on the table.

"Mr. Kirmani is here for the meeting." She told Fawad, glancing at Maya awkwardly.

"Cancel the meeting and please apologize on my behalf." Fawad instructed her.

"Sir, this appointment was already so hard to get. You know how busy he is."

"Tell him I'll visit his office myself." He informed her. Nodding, the secretary left shutting the door behind her.

"I'll go if you're busy." Maya said.

"No. You're more important." He said handing her the cup of chai.

Warmth spread in her heart at what he said and she wrapped her hand around the cup, its warmth spreading in her fingers.

"So? Are you going to tell me who upset my baby sister?"

"No one." She said staring at the cup of tea blankly.

"You didn't object when I called you baby sister. So something is definitely off." He said in a teasing tone but the concern was evident in his voice.

"Did- did you know that Zayan was married to someome else?" She voiced out hesitantly, hoping against hope that he had no idea about it. 

"Yeah of course I did." He said in confusion.

"You- you knew?" She said incredulously.

"Yeah. Why?" He frowned.

"You didn't tell me? You were so adamant on getting me married that you didn't have the grace to tell me?" She exclaimed, her tone disbelieving. How could her brother do this to her?

"I thought you knew already. You talked to him before you got married, so I assumed he had told you about it. He wasn't hiding it after all."

"I did not talk to him before. There was nothing between us." She snapped at him seething.

"Maya, I saw you two that day." Fawad snapped at her trying to keep his emotions under control. Now that she was married to him, what was the point of denying that?

"I-I need to go." She said all of a sudden, wanting to get away from him and his lies. 

"Where? You just came." Fawad frowned.

"My shift at the hospital has already started. I'm getting late." She said glancing at the watch tied to her wrist.

"Maya, are you okay?" Fawad asked in worried as he stared at his sister. She looked pale.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled. She had gotten used to deceiving people around her. 

"At least finish the tea and then I'll drop you."

"No." She shook her head. She had to get away from him. "I need to go. I'm getting late."

"Okay, calm down." He said as she hurriedly stood up. "I'll drop you."

"No, I have my car. You can continue your meeting." She said dismissively not wanting to be with him anymore.

"Are you sure?" He asked in concern as she nodded picking her bag. Fawad hugged her as she relished in his warmth. She hadn't realized that she was so cold and alone before. Her eyes teared up at the thought and she quickly stepped out of his embrace.

"Wear this or you'll get sick." Fawad said as he wrapped his coat around her shoulders. The warmth of the coat engulfed her body as her brother's warm scent provided her the feeling of security. 

"Thanks." She shakily nodded. She needed to get away from here.

"Text me when you reach, okay?" He asked still concerned about her. 

She hummed in response as she hurried out of his office not bothering to look back. 

She wasn't sure what hurt her more: the fact that the man who the world called her husband wasn't hers or that her brother hadn't cared enough to tell her the truth about him.

***

Comment away!

And please pray for me!