Their Last Season

"No worries, Sumi. I just like him. It'll fade away," Rahila said with great difficulty, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"Who are you hiding it from, Rahila?" Sumaiya asked softly.

That was the last straw.

Rahila didn't realize when the tears began to fall. The storm inside her chest grew so fierce that she struggled to catch her breath.

Sumaiya heard it.

Every shaky gasp.

Every muffled sob.

She could feel Rahila's tears through the silence.

Never in her life had she felt as helpless as she did at that moment.

She knew Rahila.

She wasn't someone who liked people easily.

If it was Danish...

Then it wasn't a passing crush.

It was for a long time.

Maybe forever.

That thought haunted her.

"Shh... calm down, bachha," Sumaiya whispered.

Rahila tried to compose herself.

"Let me cry for two more minutes," she pleaded.

Once she had calmed down, she took a deep breath.

"Sumi, don't worry. I'm not dying. It just hurts... but I'll be fine. And besides, I already have a lot on my plate," she said, trying to reassure her.

Sumaiya knew this wasn't the time to offer advice.

She simply hummed in response.

After the call disconnected, Rahila felt as though she couldn't breathe.

She pressed her dupatta against her mouth, trying to suppress another sob.

The same pillow in which she had buried her face yesterday to hide her blush...

She buried her face in it today to hide her tears.

After a while, she opened her diary.

"You can't make someone love you.

And I don't even love him yet... but it still hurts.

It feels as though someone has suddenly woken me up from a beautiful dream.

But it's okay.

I have too many things to do.

Danish is not my endgame.

My case and my career are."

The pages of her diary bore silent witness to every emotion she couldn't say aloud.

She stood up, picked out a fresh set of clothes, and disappeared into the bathroom.

After her shower, she dressed in baggy jeans and a knee-length kurti.

She wore her chandbalis, tied her hair into a ponytail, adjusted her scarf, and slid on her sunglasses.

With that, another Rahila Siddiqui stepped out - Not the girl nursing her first heartbreak...

But the investigator was determined to solve her case.

Little did she know...

This very case would lead her back to Danish -

In a way she had never imagined.

---

Hashir sat in his office, absentmindedly rolling the paperweight across his desk.

Hamza isn't looking into anything right now because of my health.

But for how long?

What will I do if he uncovers the truth?

How will I save Sabiha from all of this?

His mind felt as though it would explode under the weight of endless possibilities.

Questions.

He had countless questions...

But not a single answer.

He picked up his phone and dialed a number.

As soon as the call connected, he spoke.

"Listen, Khusbu. I want you to shift with her to Allahabad for now."

He paused before continuing.

"I'll take care of the arrangements. Just do as I say.”

---

Sumaiya and Hamza were sitting in the balcony of their room.

Sumaiya could tell Hamza was quieter than usual.

He was physically there, but mentally, he seemed to be wandering somewhere far away.

She handed him a cup of coffee.

Seeing it in front of him, he took it and offered her a faint smile.

But it never reached his eyes.

"What happened, Hamza?" she finally asked.

He looked at her for a few seconds.

Then he averted his gaze.

"It's about my family."

A brief silence followed.

She tilted her head towards him.

He took a sip of his coffee.

"Ammi is going through so much, and I never even realized it.

Abba and Ammi's marriage isn't as perfect as it always seemed.

Seeing that Ammi doesn't even remember what her own choices were... it makes me wonder if Abba ever truly cared about them."

He felt Sumaiya move closer.

She slipped her hand into his and intertwined their fingers.

He tightened his grip around her hand.

"And then there's Bhai.

I still haven't forgotten what happened at the restaurant.

I don't have a good feeling about it either."

He turned to look at her.

"I don't know, Sumi..."

His voice was barely above a whisper.

"I'm scared.

I feel like something has happened... or is happening... or is about to happen...

Something that will shake the very foundation of my family.”

Sumaiya listened to him.

"Hamza, what has happened, or is happening, or will happen isn't under your control. All you can do is pray and not ignore the signs.

And whatever it would be, we are together in this," she said with a smile.

He looked at her.

Just then, the wind blew.

Due to the wind, some tendrils of her hair came out of the clutcher.

She was about to push them back when Hamza held her wrist.

"It's my work, meri jaan," he smiled at her, pushing the strands of hair back.

She looked at him then, She took his palm and pressed a soft kiss to it.

---

After dinner, Sumaiya and Hamza were retired to bed.

But Sumaiya couldn't sleep.

Whenever she closed her eyes, Nayyara's eyes flashed before her.

The corners of her eyes were always red.

Why does Nayyara always cry?

Why does she want Ayla's forgiveness?

Then her mind drifted to Shanaya.

Her suicide.

Her relationship revelation.

Her brother ran away.

Sumaiya felt a wave of anger towards her brother.

Who leaves their parents in such a situation?

Then it clicked.

Wasn't he also asking Aunty for forgiveness?

But for what?

Sumaiya slowly got up. Taking her diary with her, she walked out to the balcony.

She wrote down the names.

Shanaya.

Whimsical.

Charming.

Teenager.

Suicide.

Relationship.

"Nobody can run away from their fate."

Aunty's words echoed in her mind.

At the same time, her conversation with Anaya about honour killing flashed before her.

Was Shanaya's death really a suicide?

Her mind whispered,

No.

A girl who teased me in the evening can't just end her life at night.

Does her brother have something to do with her death?

She shook her head.

What are you thinking, Sumaiya?

No...

I need sleep.

I'm overthinking.

---

On Sunday, she woke up and, after making breakfast, was about to get ready when her mobile rang.

She took the call.

It was Rahila.

"Sumi, do you remember the case?

I was certain that she was killed by her in-laws. I am even more certain now. But it isn't a dowry case, Sumi. Her husband killed her due to his narcissism."

And Sumaiya's mind whispered,

What if Shanaya also died due to narcissism?

She didn't know why, but her mind kept whispering the same thing.