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Zaryab's POV
The moment those words left Meher's lips—"you Can... See?"—the color drained from my face. My entire body went completely still, as if time itself had frozen around us. Even the hand gently holding hers beneath the running water became motionless. For one endless moment, neither of us breathed.
The sound of the running tap echoed through the silent kitchen, yet somehow it was the silence between us that felt deafening. It grew heavier with every passing second, speaking louder than any explanation I could possibly give. There was no point denying it anymore. She had seen too much. Slowly, I withdrew my hand from beneath the water and lowered my head. "...Yes," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I can see." The confession felt like tearing my own heart apart.
When I finally gathered the courage to look at her, my heart shattered completely. Pain, disbelief, and betrayal filled her tear-stained eyes. She took a trembling step backward, shaking her head in denial. "N... no..." Her voice cracked. "You lied to me?" Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared at me in horror. "For all this time... you lied to me?" I closed my eyes for a brief moment before opening them again, forcing myself to meet her gaze. "Meher... please," I pleaded softly. "Listen to me. I can explain. I never wanted to hurt you."
She shook her head again and again, tears falling faster. "No!" she cried, her voice echoing through the kitchen. "You don't get to explain! I trusted you! I defended you... I cared about you... and you kept lying to my face every single day." Every word she spoke pierced straight through my heart. I took a cautious step toward her, terrified that she would walk away. "Meher... it wasn't like that. I wanted to tell you. I was going to tell you."
"When?" she cried brokenly. "When, Zaryab? After another week? Another month? Or after our entire life?" I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I was afraid."
A bitter, broken laugh escaped her lips. "Afraid? You were afraid?" She wiped her tears angrily. "What about me? Did you ever think how I would feel after finding out that my own husband deceived me?" I instinctively reached for her hand, desperate to stop her pain, but she immediately pulled away as though my touch burned her.
"Don't touch me."
Those three words stole every bit of warmth from my chest.
A strange calm settled over me—not peace, but the terrifying calm that comes just before everything falls apart. My voice became quieter... colder. "Meher... please. Just listen to me once."
She continued backing away, refusing even to look at me. "I don't want to hear anything. I will not live with a liar."
Those words knocked the breath from my lungs.
"No..." I whispered in disbelief. "You don't mean that."
"I do." Her voice was firm despite the tears. "I can't stay with someone who built our relationship on lies."
She turned as if to leave, and pure panic gripped my heart. Without thinking, I gently caught her wrist—not to hurt her, only to stop her from walking away. "Meher... please. Don't leave like this. I'll tell you everything. I swear."
She struggled to free herself, sobbing uncontrollably. "Leave me! I don't want to hear another lie!" Her breathing became faster and more uneven with every passing second. I could see panic taking over her completely.
"Meher... breathe," I urged, my own voice trembling. "Please... calm down."
But she couldn't.
Her sobs became harsher.
Her face turned pale.
"Meher..."
Before I could reach her properly, her knees suddenly gave way.
"Meher!"
I caught her just before she collapsed onto the floor. Her body went completely limp in my arms.
"oh god..." I breathed shakily.
Fear unlike anything I had ever known consumed me. I gently brushed the tear-stained strands of hair away from her face, my own vision blurring. "I'm sorry," I whispered brokenly. "I'm so... so sorry."
Carefully, I lifted her into my arms and carried her upstairs. Every step toward our bedroom felt heavier than the last. Once inside, I laid her gently on the bed and pulled the blanket over her, making sure she was warm and comfortable. My trembling fingers lingered against her cheek as I looked at the dried tears still staining her beautiful face.
"I never wanted the truth to reach you like this," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I only wanted a little more time."
After one last lingering glance, I quietly turned off the lights and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind me.
Outside, two guards immediately straightened.
"Sir?"
I looked once toward the closed bedroom door before speaking in a calm but firm voice. "Stay nearby. If ma'am wakes up distressed or tries to leave alone, inform me immediately."
"Understood, sir."
They nodded without another question.
I turned and slowly walked away down the silent hallway.
For the first time in years...
Zaryab Rizvi wasn't afraid of losing his sight.
He was terrified of losing the woman he loved.
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Meher's POV
I don't know how long I had been unconscious. When I finally opened my eyes, everything around me looked blurry. My head throbbed painfully, and for a few moments, I simply stared at the ceiling, trying to understand where I was. Then, like a cruel wave crashing over me, everything came rushing back—the kitchen, the spilled tea, his hands, my trembling question... "Can you... see?" And then his answer... "Yes." My breath hitched painfully. It felt as though someone had reached into my chest and squeezed my heart with all their strength.
A liar.
He had lied to me.
Every smile...
every conversation...
every moment I had spent believing he couldn't see... it had all been a lie. Fresh tears blurred my vision as I stared blankly at the ceiling. "Ya Allah..." I whispered brokenly. "Why? What did I do to deserve this?" I quickly wiped my tears away with trembling hands. No. I wouldn't stay here anymore.
Throwing the blanket aside, I climbed out of bed. My legs felt weak, but I forced myself to walk toward the bedroom door. I didn't even bother changing my clothes. I just wanted to leave this place. The moment I opened the door, I found two guards already standing outside. As soon as they saw me, they respectfully lowered their heads. "Assalam-o-Alaikum, mam." I ignored their greeting completely. "I'm leaving." I took a step forward, but both guards immediately moved in front of me, blocking my way. My footsteps came to an abrupt halt. My brows furrowed in confusion. "What are you doing?" One of them lowered his gaze respectfully. "I'm sorry, Mam... but we can't let you leave."
For a few seconds, I thought I had heard him wrong. "...What?" The second guard spoke carefully, clearly uncomfortable. "Sir has given strict orders. You are not allowed to leave even the room." My heart stopped. I stared at both of them in complete disbelief. "...What?" The first guard looked genuinely guilty. "Please don't make this difficult for us, mam. We're only following Sir's instructions." A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "So... your boss has ordered you to stop me?" Neither of them answered. Their silence itself became the answer. Something inside me shattered.
Slowly, I took another step forward. "Move." My voice was calm... far too calm. Neither guard moved. "I'm sorry, mam," one of them repeated softly. "We cannot." The pain burning inside my chest instantly transformed into anger. "What do you mean you cannot?" I demanded, my voice rising. "Move aside!" One of the guards looked as though he wanted the floor to swallow him. "Mam... hum majboor hain. Sir ka hukm hai. We can't let you leave."
I stared at him for several long seconds before a hollow smile appeared on my lips. "So now..." My voice trembled. "...I'm a prisoner too?" Both guards immediately shook their heads. "Nahi, Mam! It's not like that. Sir only wanted to make sure you're safe." I let out another humourless laugh. "Safe?" I repeated bitterly. "My husband lied to me... he hid the biggest truth of his life from me... and now he has locked me inside this mansion." My eyes slowly wandered across the long hallway that had once begun to feel like home. Now... it felt like nothing more than a beautiful cage. My voice cracked as another tear rolled down my cheek. "Does he think I can't even decide where I want to go?" The guards remained silent. Their silence hurt more than any answer ever could.
Tears continued to roll down my face despite my desperate attempts to stop them. "So this is what trust means to him?" I whispered painfully. "A lie... and now imprisonment?" I slowly shook my head. "No... I won't accept this." Turning away from them, I walked back into the bedroom. The heavy door closed behind me with a soft click, but to me, it sounded like the closing of a prison cell.
My back rested against the door as all the strength left my body. I slowly slid down onto the floor, pulling my knees tightly against my chest before burying my face in my arms. Hot tears soaked my sleeves as my shoulders shook with silent sobs. "I hate you..." I whispered between broken breaths. "I hate you for lying to me..." My voice cracked once more. "...So why does it hurt this much?"
Outside the room, the two guards exchanged worried glances. One of them quietly pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Sir..." he spoke softly as soon as the call connected. "Mam tried to leave." A long silence followed before Zaryab's quiet voice came through the phone. "...Is she alright?" The guard looked toward the closed bedroom door. "She went back inside, sir..." Silence filled the line once again—a painful, suffocating silence. When Zaryab finally spoke, his voice had become nothing more than a whisper. "...Don't leave your place. Whatever happens... don't let her go out and keep an eye on her." The call ended. Outside the room, two guards continued standing in respectful silence. Inside, a heart shattered by betrayal cried alone. And somewhere else in the mansion... another heart was breaking just as deeply.
After what felt like an eternity, I slowly pushed myself up from the floor, but whatever little strength I had been desperately holding onto finally disappeared. My legs gave way beneath me, and I stumbled toward the bed before collapsing face-first onto it. The moment the soft pillow muffled my sobs, I broke completely. My shoulders shook violently as tears refused to stop, soaking the pillow beneath me. I clutched the bedsheet tightly in my trembling fists, trying to keep myself from falling apart, but every memory only made the pain worse. His smile... his gentle voice... the way he would patiently guide me whenever I reached for him... the way he had cared for me when I was sick... the way he had stayed awake the entire night just to make sure my fever came down. Every single moment had felt so real. Every smile, every touch, every act of kindness... everything had been real. Everything... except the truth.
A broken sob escaped my lips as I buried my face deeper into the pillow. "Ya Allah..." I whispered helplessly, my voice barely audible. "I don't understand anything anymore." The weight inside my chest became so unbearable that it felt difficult to breathe. I rolled onto my stomach and hugged the pillow tightly against me, crying as though every tear carried another piece of my shattered heart. My eyes wandered aimlessly around the silent room until another pair of faces slowly appeared in my mind.
Mama...
Papa...
Fresh tears instantly blurred my vision. "I miss you..." I whispered, my voice trembling uncontrollably. "I really miss you." My lips quivered as another sob escaped. "If you were here... what would you have told me to do? I don't know what's right anymore." The loneliness inside me became unbearable. For the first time since coming to Rizvi Mansion, I wished more than anything that my parents were still alive—that I could run into my mother's arms and cry without saying a single word, that my father would gently place his hand on my head and tell me that everything would eventually be alright. But there was no one. Only silence... only memories... and an empty room that suddenly felt far too large for someone as broken as me.
Eventually, exhaustion won against my grief. My sobs slowly turned into uneven breaths, my eyelids grew heavier with every passing second, and before I even realized it, sleep quietly claimed me.
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Author's POV
The next morning, Rizvi Mansion felt strangely lifeless. The mansion that had once echoed with soft laughter, playful teasing, and the quiet warmth of a newly married couple now stood wrapped in an unbearable silence. Even the servants lowered their voices instinctively, speaking in hushed whispers as though afraid that even the smallest sound might shatter the fragile peace that remained. It was as if the walls themselves had sensed the storm that had swept through the house the previous night. No one truly knew what had happened between zaryab and meher, but everyone could feel that something precious had broken.
Upstairs, behind the closed bedroom door, Meher sat silently by the large window with her knees pulled tightly against her chest, staring blankly at the gray morning sky. She hadn't slept for even a single moment. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying, while faint tear stains still marked her cheeks. Every few minutes, without realizing it, her gaze drifted toward the bedroom door before she immediately forced herself to look away. Why am I looking at the door? she asked herself bitterly.
Am I... expecting him to come? She quickly shook her head. No. She didn't want to see him. Not after everything he had done. Not after every smile, every word, every moment she had believed had been built on the truth.
The memory of his quiet confession—"Yes... I can see."—still echoed mercilessly inside her mind. Just then, a soft knock interrupted the silence. "ma'am..." one of the maids called gently from outside. "Breakfast is ready." Meher slowly closed her eyes, feeling the emptiness inside her grow heavier. "I'm not hungry," she replied softly. There was a brief pause before the maid spoke again, concern evident in her voice. "But mam you haven't eaten since yesterday." Meher tightened her arms around herself. "I said... I'm not hungry." Her voice wasn't angry. It wasn't even firm. It was simply... empty. The kind of emptiness that only comes after someone's heart has been shattered. Outside, the maid exchanged worried glances with another servant before quietly walking away.
Downstairs, the untouched breakfast remained exactly as it had been prepared. One of the older maids let out a worried sigh before quietly informing Zaryab. "Sir...mam refused breakfast again." For several long moments, Zaryab remained silent. His eyes stayed lowered toward the file lying open before him, although he hadn't actually read a single word since morning.
Every page looked the same because his mind never left the woman upstairs. Finally, without lifting his head, he spoke quietly, "...Leave the tray outside her room." "Ji, Sir." The maid carried the breakfast upstairs once again and carefully placed it outside Meher's bedroom before knocking softly. "mam... I've left your breakfast outside. You should eat at least a little." Several long minutes passed. No footsteps approached the door. No answer came. The breakfast tray remained exactly where it had been placed. Untouched.
As the hours slowly slipped by, morning turned into afternoon. Sunlight shifted across the marble floors while the mansion remained trapped in suffocating silence. Lunch was prepared and, once again, another tray was carried upstairs. "mam..." another maid pleaded gently. "Please eat something. You've had nothing since yesterday." Silence. Only silence answered her. Eventually, the younger maid returned downstairs, her eyes glistening with tears. "Sir..." she whispered. "mam isn't opening the door. I don't think she's eaten anything." For the first time all day, Zaryab's fingers tightened around the file in his hands. The papers crumpled beneath his grip before he slowly closed them. Pretending to work had become impossible. Every passing minute, every untouched meal, every report from the servants only deepened the guilt already crushing his heart. Without saying another word, he quietly stood up. "I'll go."
The servants exchanged hopeful glances. Surely mam would listen to him. Surely she wouldn't refuse Sir. But reality proved otherwise. Zaryab climbed the staircase slowly until he stood outside their bedroom. His eyes immediately fell upon the breakfast tray... still untouched. Beside it now rested the lunch tray... untouched as well.
His chest tightened painfully. He slowly raised his hand toward the door. He wanted to knock. He wanted to open it. He wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to explain every lie, every fear, every reason behind his silence. He wanted to beg for one chance. Just one. But before his knuckles could touch the wood, his hand slowly fell back to his side. He couldn't. He simply didn't have the courage. Not after seeing the betrayal in her eyes. Not after hearing her say she couldn't live with a liar.
Closing his eyes briefly, he gently placed the lunch tray neatly beside the breakfast one. Two untouched meals. A painful reminder that the woman he loved was starving herself because of him. His voice barely rose above a whisper. "...Please eat something, Meher. So even if it's only because you hate me... please don't punish yourself."
Inside the room, Meher heard every single word. Her fingers tightened around the blanket resting in her lap. Instead, she remained exactly where she was. Tears rolled silently down her cheeks. "No..." she whispered shakily to herself. "If I open this door... I'll forgive him. And I can't."
Outside, Zaryab remained standing there for several more minutes, waiting... listening... hoping... praying. Perhaps she would open the door. Perhaps she would say his name. Perhaps she would allow him to explain. But nothing happened. Only silence greeted him. Eventually, with a heart heavier than ever before, he turned away and slowly walked down the hallway. His footsteps gradually faded into the distance. Only after the last sound disappeared did Meher finally bury her face against her knees and break down completely. Why did it hurt so much? She wanted to hate him. She truly did. She wanted to remember only the lie... only the betrayal. But every time she closed her eyes, she remembered something else—the cold towel resting on her forehead, the medicine beside her bed, the bowl of water, the trembling apology in his voice, and the way he had cared for her fever throughout the entire night. Her heart stubbornly refused to obey her mind. She cried even harder.
By evening, dinner had been prepared. Once again, another tray waited quietly outside the bedroom door. Once again... it returned untouched.
Downstairs, the servants gathered silently inside the kitchen. "This isn't good," the same maid whispered worriedly. "Neither Sir nor mam has eaten today." Another maid nodded sadly. "Sir has only had black coffee since morning... and Begum Sahiba hasn't even touched water." A heavy silence settled over everyone. No one dared ask questions. No one dared interfere. They simply watched as the pain between the couple slowly spread throughout the entire mansion.
Night eventually fell over Rizvi Mansion. One by one, the lights throughout the mansion were switched off until only a few dim lamps illuminated the silent hallways. Yet one figure remained standing outside a single bedroom door. Zaryab. He had been there for nearly an hour, leaning silently against the wall. He knew she wouldn't open the door. He knew she probably hated him. Still, his feet refused to leave. He didn't need forgiveness that night. He only needed to know she was safe.
Inside the room, Meher lay curled beneath the blanket. She hadn't eaten. She hadn't slept. And she hadn't stopped crying. Every muffled sob that escaped through the door struck Zaryab's heart like a blade. Slowly, he closed his eyes. Every broken breath reminded him of only one painful truth. I did this. I made her cry. A tear escaped despite every desperate attempt to hold it back. Resting his forehead gently against the wall beside her door, he whispered into the silent hallway, "I'm sorry... so sorry, Meher."
Meher lay quietly on the bed, her eyes fixed on the ceiling, but sleep remained far from her. Her mind refused to rest. Every time she closed her eyes, only one voice echoed inside her heart.
"I'm sorry..." Zaryab's broken apology replayed again and again, but instead of easing her pain, it only made the fire of anger burning inside her grow stronger. A bitter smile curved her lips as she let out a quiet, humorless laugh.
"Sorry?" she whispered into the empty room.
"Do you really think one apology can erase such a huge lie?" Her fingers tightened around the blanket until her knuckles turned white as countless thoughts stormed through her mind. He had deceived her from the very beginning. He had hidden the biggest truth of his life and expected her to simply understand once everything was revealed. No... it wasn't that easy. Trust, once broken, could never be repaired with a single apology.
As those thoughts settled deep within her heart, something inside her slowly began to change. The helplessness that had consumed her throughout the day gradually gave way to determination. She wasn't going to forgive him so easily.
No... this time, Zaryab Rizvi would have to understand what betrayal truly felt like. He would have to earn every bit of the forgiveness he so desperately wanted. The more she thought about it, the clearer her decision became. Slowly, a faint, almost mischievous smile appeared on her lips—the first genuine expression that wasn't born from pain since learning the truth.
"You're going to regret lying to me, Mr. Zaryab Rizvi," she murmured softly, her voice calm yet filled with quiet determination. "If you think saying sorry is enough... then you're about to learn just how stubborn your wife can be."
Hugging the pillow tightly against her chest, Meher slowly closed her eyes. Her heart was still wounded. The pain hadn't disappeared. The betrayal still lingered. But for the first time since discovering the truth, she wasn't crying. Instead, she was thinking... planning... preparing. Somewhere between those countless thoughts, sleep quietly claimed her. That night, beneath the silent roof of Rizvi Mansion, Meher Sultan drifted into an uneasy sleep—not with peace in her heart, but with a determination that burned brighter than her tears. For the first time, she wasn't planning to run away from the pain. She was planning to make the man who had broken her trust fight for every step toward her forgiveness.
Outside the bedroom, Zaryab stood in the silent hallway, completely consumed by his own guilt. His heart was heavy with regret, believing he had lost the woman he loved because of his lies. Every passing moment felt like a punishment, and all he could think about was how to earn her forgiveness. Completely unaware of the determination growing inside the room, he had no idea that while he was drowning in guilt... Meher was quietly planning to make him fight for every ounce of the forgiveness he desperately sought.
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Meher Sultan POV
The morning sun slowly slipped through the curtains, pulling me out of a restless sleep. For a few moments, I simply stared at the ceiling, remembering the plan that had formed in my mind the previous night. Today, I wasn't going to sit inside this mansion and let my thoughts consume me. I needed answers. I needed space. And most importantly... I needed to clear my head. I quietly got out of bed and walked toward the closet. After changing into a comfortable pair of jeans and a simple pink kurta, I slipped on my white joggers. If I was going to leave, I needed something comfortable enough to run quickly. I combed my hair carefully before tying it into a neat French braid, then glanced at myself in the mirror. My eyes still carried traces of the tears I'd shed, but there was something different in them now. Determination.
I reached for zaryab's watch that I had been wearing recently and fastened it around my wrist. For a moment, my fingers paused over it. The familiar sight of his watch brought an unwanted ache to my heart. "Why do you have to make everything so difficult?" I whispered bitterly, looking at my reflection. "I hate you... and yet I can't stop thinking about you." I quickly pushed the thought away and grabbed my cross-body purse. I slipped my phone, some cash, and a few necessary things inside before closing it securely. I took a deep breath and looked toward the bedroom door. No guards had entered. No one had come to check on me. Good.
My eyes slowly shifted toward the balcony.
That was my way out.
I walked toward the glass doors and stepped outside. The cool morning breeze brushed against my face as I approached the railing. Looking down, I swallowed hard. We were several floors above the ground, and the height made my stomach twist uneasily. I carefully measured the distance with my eyes, trying to convince myself that my plan was possible. "Ya Allah..." I whispered, gripping the railing. "Please don't let me regret this." My heart pounded violently against my ribs, but I refused to back down. I wasn't going to spend another day feeling trapped.
I hurried back inside and opened the wardrobe, searching for something long and strong enough to help me get down safely. I gathered several dupattas and bed-sheets, tying them together as securely as I could. My fingers trembled while I worked, partly from fear and partly from the adrenaline rushing through my body. "Bas, Meher..." I whispered to myself. "You can do this." Once I had secured everything, I carried the makeshift rope back toward the balcony and carefully fastened one end to the railing, checking the knot repeatedly. I wasn't taking any chances. After making sure it was firmly secured, I returned to the bed and picked up my cross-body purse.
My heart was racing now.
This was it.
I walked back toward the balcony, my purse resting against my side as I stared at the improvised rope hanging over the railing. My hands became slightly clammy. For one brief second, fear whispered inside my mind.
What if I fall?
I immediately shook my head.
No.
I have to leave.
I stepped closer and reached toward the railing, preparing to climb over.
Then—
Click.
The sound of the bedroom door opening froze me completely. My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, even the beating of my heart seemed to stop.
Slowly... painfully slowly... I turned my head toward the doorway. The door was opening inch by inch, revealing only a sliver of the hallway beyond it. Someone was coming inside. My fingers tightened around the balcony railing as panic rushed through my veins. No... My heart screamed. Please, not now. I swallowed hard, trying to control my trembling breath, but fear had already taken hold of me.
"Ya Allah..." I whispered under my breath, my voice barely audible. The door opened a little wider, and the faint creak of the hinges seemed unbearably loud in the tense silence. I stood completely still, caught between the balcony and the approaching figure, unable to decide whether I should run, hide, or simply wait. Then the door moved again... just a little farther. My eyes widened. And then I saw the person standing in the doorway.
My breath hitched.
For a moment, I could only stare, my fingers still tightly gripping the balcony railing as my heart pounded wildly against my chest. I hadn't expected this to happen... not now, not when I was only seconds away from escaping.
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Author's Note
Assalamualaikum, everyone! 🤍
Thank you so much for reading and supporting this story. It truly means a lot to me. If you're enjoying the journey of Zaryab and Meher, please don't forget to vote, comment, and share your thoughts. Your support motivates me to write more.
🎯 Target: 100 Votes
Let's reach this milestone together! Thank you for being part of this journey.
With love,
Fiza ali khan❤️
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