Truly Madly Deeply

Chapter 49

A week later.

Ever since then, Misha's family was cold to her. They ate together but nobody really talked to her apart from her mother. Saleem was briefed about what had happened when he was away and he just nodded in understanding and remained silence. The matter was not discussed among any of them and Misha's phone and laptop were confiscated for good. Misha was okay with that, she thought she deserved that but there was one thing that she didn't expect. Her admission from the co-ed college along with her 100% scholarship was cancelled and the family had mutually decided to home-school her for the two years of college. Misha didn't raise questions about that either, she knew it was a matter of trust which she had broken and it was going to take a while for them to trust her again or maybe they never might trust her again. Misha didn't know.

She cried herself to sleep every day holding unto the chain she had gotten for Ibraheem. She would get random flashes of how he looked at her before he had left. How broken he was. She would stay up entire nights looking at the ceiling, remembering his voice, how he called her little fox, the way he smirked or listened to her intently when she was talking about her academics or anything, his cheesy lines that would come out of the blue. She would silently cry into her pillow or in the darkness of her room. She would unconsciously go to her window and stare outside hoping to see him but she knew he was gone for good. He left for her, so she wouldn't get married to some random stranger at such a young age. She knew her father had meant every word of that warning.

Her health deteriorated gradually; her dark circles became prominent, her weight fell and she looked like a mess. The only positive change that came into her life was she grew closer to Allah, more than ever. She prayed five times and even prayed Tahajjud. She made dua for Ibraheem, praying that he finds happiness and doesn't end up doing anything he would regret and she made dua for herself and her family hoping that she would be able to win her family's trust again and find peace.

Was love supposed to hurt like this? Misha just prayed Ibraheem was okay.

When Misha had been completely out of contact, Zoya and Rubab felt that something was off since it wasn't like her to just disappear. The suspicion got worse when Zoya didn't see Misha in her college at all. When she tried to call her but she didn't pick up in fact it said that the number no longer existed, Zoya's concern only intensified. Confused and worried, Zoya decided to visit Misha after college.

Misha wasn't expecting her family to let her meet Zoya but they had noticed how miserable she looked so they were hoping that talking to her friend would make things easier for her because that is all they could do for her right now. Her family was only looking out for her, they knew that even if Ibraheem was genuinely in love with her, they couldn't afford to let them be together, not at such a sensitive and young age, he couldn't be trusted, plus there was the fear of a scandal breaking out. They had to do this to protect their daughter's reputation which could be soiled in seconds if word of this spread. It takes seconds to ruin someone in their society.

Zoya gasped when she looked at Misha's state. Misha broke out in tears the moment she looked at Zoya. Zoya hugged her as she cried her eyes out. Once, Misha calmed down, she started telling her everything that happened and Zoya silently listened to it all. After completing her story, she just sobbed more when she told how Ibraheem had left with a broken smile. She showed the silver chain that she wanted to give to Ibraheem but never got to.

"What happened was awful and you have been through a lot but Misha you need to understand your family did all of this for you, they love you. You know how our society is, you would have been labelled and ruined if word of this had gotten out. You should be glad that Ibraheem understood your situation and left without causing any major problems." Zoya explained and Misha nodded her head knowingly.