I was lying on the couch, slipping on my headset and letting calm music play, when suddenly the door burst open. Someone barged in. It was him.
He grabbed my wrist, gentle but firm, and pulled me toward him. I froze, too shocked to react, and before I knew it, we were already at the entrance of our apartment.
“What happened?” I asked, my voice full of confusion.
“You can’t stay here anymore,” he said quickly.
“Huh? What do you mean?” I asked again, my face twisted in disbelief.
“I’ll explain later. For now, let’s go,” he said, holding a backpack in one hand and my hand tightly in the other.
My thoughts couldn’t catch up with the rush of it all, until suddenly—he pushed me into someone else. The alley was dark and empty, too quiet, yet I could hear the pounding of the heart echoing in my ears. I looked up, blinking hard, trying to recognize the man before me.
“Take her with you,” the one who had brought me here said urgently.
Before the guy could grab me, I pushed him away and ran back to the man who had dragged me here. “Please, tell me what’s going on?” I begged.
“Sweetheart, I can’t let you suffer because of me,” he said, his voice breaking, his eyes glassy with tears.
“But at least tell me what happened, brother,” I pleaded, my chest tightening.
He held my face in his hands, looking deep into my eyes. “Go with him. Only he can protect you.”
“No!” I cried, tears running down my cheeks. “He can’t, not when you’re still here.”
“I’m sorry, Caroline,” he whispered, his body trembling as he collapsed into my arms, finally letting the tears fall. “I failed to protect you.”
“BUT AT LEAST TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED?” I asked loudly this time, my voice echoing through the quiet alley.
“He will tell you everything,” my brother said softly, breaking our hug, “but first, tell me do you trust me?”
“Of course, brother. You’ve been my parents, my best friend, and my big brother too,” I answered without hesitation.
He took my hands gently into his and whispered, “Then please… marry him, and leave this country as soon as possible.”
I froze. It felt as if the world itself had stopped moving. Yes, I trusted him blindly, but his words still shattered me. After a few painful seconds, I nodded.
“I’m sorry for the consequences,” he said, pointing toward the man standing silently in the shadows, “but only he is the one I trust when it comes to you.”
I turned to look at him—a tall man with warm ivory skin, curls falling over his clean-shaven face, and eyes so blue they seemed endless.
“Now go with him,” my brother urged.
“No!.. No, I can’t—” I cried.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be safe.”
“Still… I can’t leave you. Not when you’re in trouble.”
He pressed his lips to my forehead and held me tightly. “I love you. You’re my angel baby, and when your prayers are with me, I’m always safe.” His embrace was one I never wanted to let go of.
But then he pushed me gently toward the curly-haired guy. My body being pulled away from his felt like my heart was being torn apart. Tears streamed down my face, and that silent goodbye stabbed deeper than any knife.
“Death is better than leaving him,” I whispered as the guy guided me to the other end of the alley.
I had so much to say, but no words would come out. He led me straight to the court, and before I could even breathe, we were married—just on papers. My hand didn’t even tremble as I signed the certificate.
“We are leaving tonight,” he said firmly, when a cab pulled up in front of us. I stayed silent, stepping into it without protest. At the airport, he bought me coffee, but I only held it in my hands, unable to sip.
“Are you alright?” he asked gently, noticing my silence.
“I want… m-my brother,” I stammered, finally breaking into sobs.
He passed me a tissue that came with his coffee.
I shook my head, staring at him with tear-filled eyes.
“Let’s go,” he said quietly as the boarding announcement echoed. He stood up, ready to leave.
“I want my brother!” I resisted, like a child refusing to be dragged away.
“That’s where I’m bringing you,” he said softly, his eyes warm with understanding.
Without a second thought, I jumped up. He took me out of the airport and quickly booked another cab.
Our ride ended at a luxury hotel. No one stopped us not even the guard as he led me inside. And then, suddenly, we burst into a room where I heard broken sobs.
“B-Brother!” My voice cracked as I saw him, crying like a child.
He turned to me in shock and rushed forward. “Why are you still here?”
“I can’t leave you,” I said, tears blurring my vision.
“You idiot girl! You missed the flight—do you know how expensive that ticket was? He booked you in business class!”
“Seriously? That’s what matters to you when I almost lost you?” I snapped angrily.
“No… but you shouldn’t be here,” he said weakly.
“Okay, I’ll leave. But first, let me say something.”
“What?” he asked calmly.
“I LOVE YOU!” I cried, tears streaming endlessly.
“I love you even more than you can imagine,” he whispered, pulling me into his arms.
“I don’t know if we’ll ever meet again… so take this,” he said, taking off his necklace.
“No. I’ll steal it when we meet again,” I said through sobs.
“What if we don’t?”
“We will,” I said firmly. Then, holding out my pinky, I whispered, “Pinky promise.”
He hooked his finger around mine and said, “Promised.”
“Now you should leave,” he said quietly.
“But only with a temporary goodbye,” I replied.
He smiled softly and nodded. “Then let’s not say goodbye at all.”
This time, my brother turned to the curly-haired man. His voice was firm but full of emotion. “I’m trusting you. I know you’ll never betray me. But please… never leave her alone. If you ever did, I’d die completely.”
The curly-haired man extended his hand toward me. “Hold it for a lifetime, my dear wife.”
In just a single day, my whole world had collapsed. Within a few hours, my life had flipped upside down. And now, I was leaving the country where I was born and raised, this time with my husband, who was never meant to be more than my brother’s best friend.
‘some tragic starting leads to beautiful endings’
Leave your remarks under the comment section and yeah take care of yourself my lovelies!
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JAAN-E-ISHQ
RomanceShe's a British girl- calm, grounded, and driven by hard work. He's a Pakistani man- bold, proud, and convinced the world bends to his will... until he discovers his entire world rests in the heart of just one person. But love is never simple. With...
