Stay Mine

Chapter 33

The balcony, Fiza suddenly remembered. With determination in her heart, Fiza headed to Alex's room, her face a mixture of worry and hope. Alan had mentioned sneaking into this room through the balcony several times before, and she hoped that it would still be possible.

Opening the door to Alex's room, she stepped onto the balcony, with Alan's concerned mother following closely. The distance between the two balconies was minimal, just enough for a few pipes to run across, creating an obstacle.

Undeterred, Fiza pulled up the skirt of her lehenga, knotting it in front to make it more manageable, and prepared to take the risky journey across to Alan's balcony. Her determination to reach him was stronger than ever.

"Mole, that's dangerously high; you could fall!" Alan's mother exclaimed, clutching her heart as she watched Fiza's daring balcony crossing. Fiza, determined and focused, removed her dupatta and handed it to Alan's mother for safekeeping. She pressed herself against the wall, gripping the cracks between the bricks for support, her heart pounding in her chest. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she successfully reached the other side.

"Please call my mother and let her know I'm here and safe," Fiza urgently called out to Alan's mother. "484412" The deep worry etched on her face made Fiza acutely aware of how her own parents must be feeling at this moment. Alan's mother nodded and took Fiza's phone, entering the passcode she had provided, preparing to make the crucial call.

In the meantime, Fiza continued to bang on Alan's door, but there was still no response. Growing more anxious, she made her way to his window, where the curtains were wide open, revealing Alan lying sprawled on the floor, his eyes closed.

As Fiza peered through the window, her heart pounding in her chest, she noticed Alan wearing his headphones with his iPad nearby. Panic washed over her until she realized he had not heard her earlier. She pressed her face against the window, anxiously waiting for him to look up.

When Alan finally noticed her, his eyes widened in shock. He hastily removed his headphones and rushed to the balcony, his astonishment unmistakable. It was as if he had seen a ghost. He noticed Fiza giving someone a thumbs up and understood that it must be his mother on the other side.

Without hesitation, he let her in, and Fiza tumbled forward, falling into his arms. Tears streamed down her face as she clung to him, and he held her tightly, providing the comfort and reassurance she desperately needed.

"I thought I lost you," he whispered, his voice tremulous with relief.

"Never," she breathed, her words a fervent pledge. Tears flowed unchecked down her face, a testament to the turmoil raging within her. Fiza was trapped in a heart-wrenching dilemma, torn between the love she felt for Alan and the weight of her family's expectations.

Defying her family's wishes was an unthinkable act. Throughout her life, she had meticulously adhered to their directives, achieving academic excellence and becoming a doctor as they desired. But Alan's love had led her down an uncharted path, one that threatened to sever her ties with the family she held dear.

"Would they disown me if I chose to run away with him?" She wondered. Her tears soaked his shoulder as she sought solace in his embrace. He responded with a gentle kiss upon the crown of her head, understanding the gravity of her predicament.

She wasn't even really their daughter. Her biological mother had dared to marry outside their religion, and her life had ended in tragedy. Fiza's parents had rescued her from this dire situation, raising her as their own. Yet, she grappled with feelings of guilt and the impending consequences her choice would bring. Marrying Alan meant jeopardizing her family's reputation within their community. She owed them more than that.