Life didn't stop.
Even when his world did.
Arif still woke up every morning.
Still wore the same worn-out shirt.
Still left the house with the same quiet determination.
But something inside him was different now.
Something was missing.
Her.
His mother noticed it first.
"You don't smile anymore," she said one morning while placing breakfast on the table.
Arif forced a small smile.
"I'm just tired, Ma."
But it wasn't physical exhaustion.
It was emotional.
The kind that sleep couldn't fix.
His father looked at him seriously.
"You need to focus on your future now."
Arif nodded.
Because his father was right.
Love didn't pay bills.
Dreams didn't feed families.
Reality did.
That day, Arif went to another job interview.
It was his twelfth rejection.
He sat outside the office, waiting for his name to be called.
His hands were cold.
Not from fear.
But from pressure.
He needed this job.
Not just for himself.
But to prove something.
To prove he was worthy.
Worthy of respect.
Worthy of a future.
Worthy of her.
Even if she was no longer his.
"Arif Rahman?"
He stood up quickly.
"Yes, sir."
The interview lasted only ten minutes.
Ten minutes that decided his value.
Ten minutes that judged his entire existence.
"Do you have experience?" the interviewer asked.
"No, sir."
"We'll contact you."
He had heard those words too many times.
And they always meant the same thing.
No.
He walked out of the building slowly.
The world outside looked normal.
People laughing.
People living.
People moving forward.
While he felt stuck in the same place.
He sat on a bench nearby.
His phone was in his hand.
Without thinking, his fingers opened her contact.
Hena.
Her name still made his heart react.
He stared at it for a long time.
He wanted to call.
Just to hear her voice.
Just once.
But he didn't.
Because he knew—
She wasn't his anymore.
And he had no right to disturb her peace.
Even if he had none.
Back at home, his younger sister walked into his room.
"Bhai," she said gently, "you'll get a job. I believe in you."
He looked at her.
And smiled weakly.
Because belief was the only thing he had left.
That night, he couldn't sleep.
Memories haunted him.
Her smile.
Her voice.
Her promises.
All of it felt real.
And yet—
Gone.
He closed his eyes tightly.
And made a silent promise to himself.
He would not break.
He would not give up.
He would become someone the world could not ignore.
Even if she was no longer there to see it.