ABOUT THE AUTHOR

IShK is a final-year medical student with a soft corner for storytelling. She started writing in 2017, not knowing it would become a big part of her life. For her, writing is a way to say the things she can’t always speak out loud. It has helped her heal, grow, and connect with people.

----

THE GOODBYE WE NEVER SAID

“ Zuni, you forgot the charger… ” Fione came rushing down the stairs.

“ You think that's what I'll be worried about…” Zunirah replied in excitement as she kept the charger safely in her handbag.

“ You are glowing. ”

“ I am. It's visible, right? ” Zunirah grinned.

“ Yes, completely. I wish the best for you. And… and… don't forget to call me when you reach there… Because I know you’ll forget because of all this…” Fione pointed at the decorated stuff Zuni was taking with her.

“ Yeah…Ba-bye…” Fione stayed until she saw Zunirah walk out of the hostel campus wheeling her suitcase.

Soon, Zunirah boarded the plane. She leaned her head against the window while watching the clouds and the beautiful sunset view. The shiny sky, the cozy clouds, and the humming of engines soon faded as the memories played in her mind.

“ I promise you, Zuni. We will meet here after 3 years and propose to each other. ”

“ Well, I'll propose better. I have got some great ideas.” Zuni informed him with a teasing smile.

“ It may be better, but not as love, care-filled, and heart-connected as mine. ” Zuni giggled.

.

.

.

“ I miss you, Zuni. I wish you were here. Spending time with you on campus, even after our different streams, those were the best days of my life. Only you fill the lights in my life. I feel alone right now. Please come to me. Let's get together now. Let’s get married. ” Zuni could sense the dullness in his voice. She regretted missing the opportunity to meet him because of her busy hospital schedule.

“ I miss you, too, my sweetheart. I wish the same. Cuddling with you, talking about the future while drinking tea, walking hand in hand, watching the moon together… I want all these with you. Just 1 more year. The time will pass soon. ” Zuni tried to convince me, and he took a deep breath. After all, 1 year is a long time without loved ones.

“ I love you, my friend, my sukoon, my everything, Zuni. ”

“ I love you more…” Zuni smiled.

.

.

.

After about 3 hours of flight, Zunirah was waiting for her suitcase in line, still dreaming about the campus days with him. 

“ Doctor, would you like to have coffee or better sleep tonight? ”

“ Neither. It's biochemistry… ”

“ Need help with that? ” He asked, making a teasing face, and she smacked his arm playfully. 

He was studying for his engineering degree while she was studying medicine. He was the only one who made her smile and laugh during the burdens of medical classes, while Zuni was his real friend among the snakes on the campus. Zuni saved him many times from diverting onto the wrong path. She was the only light in his college life. They were not only childhood friends but family friends too.

Izhaan and Qizra came to pick Zunirah up at the airport, and they soon left for the resort where they were planning a surprise. Izhaan is his paternal cousin and Qizra is Izhaan’s wife. 

“ You look so beautiful, MashaAllah! ” Qizra entered Zuni’s room and found her dressed in a sky blue flared shiny dress with a net dupatta pinned on her shoulders, just like he loves.

“ Thank you. ” Zunirah smiled, and Qizra hugged her.

“ Tonight's the night!! I wish you the bestest…!! ” Qizra continued praying for her and hugged her once again before the door was knocked.

“ Come on, ladies, we’ll get late with this continuing…” Izhaan entered and pointed at the emotional Qizra. Qizra slapped his arm, and they laughed.

After about 8-10 minutes, Zunirah entered the party hall with Qizra and Izhaan, carrying the gifts for the birthday boy, none other than him.      

A pair of eyes watched her from afar and approached her.

“ Assalamualaikum Ammi ” Zunirah greeted her soon to be mother in law, Mrs. Haida. 

“ Walaikum as salam, my beautiful Zuni. ” Zuni smiled as Haida kissed her cheek.

“ I am truly blessed to have you as my daughter-in-law. ” Zuni blushed.

“ My son will be so thrilled to see you tonight. He is coming back home after years. He doesn't tell me much about his life. But… But…I heard about the little surprise you have prepared. ” Haida winked at the end. Zuni looked at Qizra and Izhaan, who acted awkwardly.

Haida continued,

“ But my son told me he has prepared a bigger surprise too. After all, it's his 28th birthday, I know he will propose to you tonight. I’m so happy already. ”

Before Zuni could reply, the entrance music played. Everyone looked at the right corner of the hall towards the stairs. Zuni looked at the gift wrapped in golden shiny paper in her hands.

“ You can do it, Zuni! ” Zuni said to herself, and she wanted to surprise him first.

She looked at the stairs and there stood the man she loves, Mr. Alzan, who changed her life. Zuni smiled widely and took small steps forward towards him. 

“ He looks so handsome…” She whispered as she saw him wearing a black-white tuxedo with unique velvety designs at the collar. 

“ Alzan!! ” She wanted to scream out loud, but stopped herself as her excitement died. Her heart dropped. She saw a lady of her age standing beside him, hand-in-hand. 

“What??!!” Qizra gasped and looked at Zunirah. Haida looked shocked and grabbed a seat with the help of Izhaan.

“ No… This can’t be real…” 

“ Izhaan, did you know about all this? ” Haida asked in a low voice and glared at Izhaan, who stayed silent. That was an answer, too.

“ How will I face Zuni? She prepared everything for the night. ” Haida asked, covering her face with her hands.

“ Good evening, everyone. Thank you so much for arriving at my 28th birthday party…” Alzan’s voice echoed across the hall.

“ Tonight I want to share my biggest joy, my wife, Gulnaz, and our child…” Alzan touched the baby bump while smiling widely.

Zunirah couldn't believe her senses. The gift dropped from her hands. She blinked twice, thrice before looking closely at the bump of the lady standing next to Alzan. 

“ It's going to be 6 months soon…” Zuni gasped and turned to walk out of the hall. She met Qizra, who held her by the shoulders, but Zuni pushed her away and ran out of the hall. 

‘ He got married while promising me our future together. He confessed to me a few weeks before she might have conceived. Alzan, I didn't expect that from you. Tonight was supposed to be ours, our engagement night, our celebration night.’ Zunirah cried out loud in the parking lot of the resort. She thought for a second and started walking on the streets. Some familiar ones reminded her of the memories they shared in the past.

‘ Maybe I should talk to him. Maybe she forced him. What if that child’s his… No. No. No. Stop it, Zuni. If he wanted to tell me, he would have done it before the announcement. ’ 

Zunirah thought of all the possibilities in her mind, proving everything false.

She kept walking and walking, reaching her house.

She unlocked the door and entered.

‘ Maybe it's my fault. I shouldn't have missed the opportunity to meet him during the holidays, the days I spent studying and revising, and treating patients to get more experience to make a better future with him. I shouldn’t have done that…’ 

Zunirah regretted and slowly walked towards her room. Closing the door, she cried out loud.

“ Alzan ” She cried, mentioning his name now and then. Her eyes went to the gifts Alzan brought to celebrate her birthday. She started throwing them one by one into the dustbin, murmuring and brooding until her eyes fell on the envelope-letter set he had gifted.

Zunirah sat down on the chair and wiped her tears. She looked at the birthday card on the flower vase next to the table, saying, 

“ To my love with best wishes… I hope to see you soon…” 

Zuni tore the card and threw it in the dustbin.

“ If you can move on this easily, I can too…” Zuni said, wiping her tears again before taking out a letter and an envelope. 

“ Dear Alzan…” She started but stopped as tears fell.

“ Why me?? Was it so easy for you to forget me? Was my love not enough? Was my promise not enough? ”

“ Was I the only one who meant it? I believed your every word, Alzan. We confessed, we promised, then why??? ” 

Zuni screamed and cried out loud, throwing everything around.

After a few minutes of silently watching the mess around, she said,

“ You have torn me apart, Alzan… All my dreams for our future together… all gone…”  

She grabbed another letter from the box and started writing,

‘ 

To,

Mr. Alzan

I don't know if I’ll ever get to say this to you face to face, so here I am, writing a letter to you.

I regret meeting you in the first place at our family function. I shouldn't have befriended you, knowing this would happen. All your promises were fake. I can't even say if your confession was true to your heart. 

Even if you were forced, you could have told me. You should have told me about your marriage because I love you dammit. I am not as crazy as you in love, but mine was no less than yours. I love you more, it's proven tonight. 

I remember the days on campus. All our memories. None showed the sign of betrayal that you will give me. It was a backstab for me. I wouldn't have known if I hadn't encouraged myself to propose to you at your 28th birthday party, which also marked your return home after years of business studies and expanding the business. 

The day of our farewell, were those red eyes lying to me? Your sweet words on the calls and texts were everything, a bloody lie?

I wish I could ruin you, but I can’t. Because that's not who I am. 

I am left behind with torn dreams of us together and a bitterness in me for you. It's all because of you!!

Yet, I wish you and your child the happy moments we once shared. I wish you a future filled with peace and harmony. I wish you always stay healthy. I wish you to reach the heights of success. I wish you a better future, even if you ruined mine. It's my love for you that I cannot wish anything bad for you. Even if I stay far away from you, I wish you all the blessings. 

Goodbye Mr. Alzan

Yours never

Zunirah 

’

Zuni gulped, controlling her tears as she folded the letter and sealed the envelope. She looked at the envelope and threw it away in the dustbin.

“ It's for the best that I leave this place forever. Nothing good will happen by confronting Alzan for what he did. I may still love him. I may remember him from our childhood and college moments. But I won't expect much. ”

Zuni packed her stuff in a new suitcase and left the house and the city forever. She found many missed calls as she sat on her airplane seat. She ignored all of them and blocked many.

Only a text notification grabbed her attention, 

“ I’m waiting for the proposal updates, Zuni…”

“ Why aren't you picking up the calls?”

“ Is everything okay?”

“ Zuni?”

“ Please tell me you are busy celebrating…”

“ Please tell me my gut feelings are all wrong…”

Zuni replied to her in one phrase,

“ It's over. ”

……

Years later

“ I have never seen her this quiet as her hostel roommate, Qizra. She was always a joyful kind of girl. I used to scold her sometimes for talking all night with me when I was sleepy. I never expected to see her like this. She has turned all quiet. No expressions. I have never seen her joke. I have tried everything all these years, but she never changed. She has busied herself with hospital rounds and volunteered in research work. ” 

Fione, sitting in a cafe, told Qizra about the changes she observed in Zunirah. After years of no contact, Qizra finally had tracked down Zuni’s whereabouts and reached out to Fione. Fione used a different number to book an appointment at Zunirah’s hospital for a reunion. Fione somehow managed to make Zunirah spill the beans. During their emotional conversation, Zuni invited Fione to join her at the hospital and share an apartment nearby.

“ I know Fione. I didn't expect Zuni to go through like this. Even we were shocked by Alzan’s action. But much more has happened in his life recently. I don't want him to ruin his life anymore. I want Zuni back in his life. ” Qizra informed.

“ No please, no more Alzan. Zuni is getting better slowly, I cannot risk that.”

“ I understand, Fione, but if this didn't happen, then…” Qizra tried to explain, but Fione stood up.

“ I cannot see my friend more devastated and depressed. She is improving a little bit, and I need to see her happy again.”

“ I, too, want that Fione.”

“ But your priority is Alzan. Mine is solely Zuni.” Saying that, Fione left the cafe when she received a call.

“ Where are you, Fione? I’ve been calling you for the past few minutes.” Zuni asked worriedly on the call.

“ I was having lunch at a cafe. I’ll be back soon.” Fione informed her.

Zuni was sitting alone in her cabin. She felt like talking her heart out today. She looked for her friend in the whole hospital until she was informed Fione was out. Zuni looked at her wrist to check the time. She had forgotten to wear a watch today, unlike her. She looked for the watch she kept in the drawers for emergencies, when a watch caught her eye, and a memory hit her.

“ I have sent a gift for you. You didn't come to meet me. ” Zuni heard him complain.

“ I was about to board the plane until my HOD…”

“ I don't need an excuse. Now unwrap the gift.” Alzan told coldly, cutting her off in mid-sentence.

Zuni smiled as the box revealed a classic skeleton watch she had always wanted. 

“ Thank you so much, Alzan.” Zuni sweetly thanked him.

“ This is for the moments we’ll share in the future and those we’ll never forget. ”

Zuni smiled, remembering the sweet moments when a nurse knocked on her door to inform her about the arrival of the appointed patients.

“ Send them in…” Zuni replied.

“ May I come in? ” A male voice asked after a few seconds.

“ Yes, please.” Zuni replied and looked up from her computer screen.

She froze.

“ Hi Doctor…” Her eyes met the brown orbs identical to the ones she loves. He was standing next to his 6-year-old son.

“ Mam, my son has a mild cough and he complains of earache more often now…” Alzan said, sitting across from her. He was using formal language. No sense of familiarity in his eyes.

“ What’s your name, son?” Zuni asked, controlling her emotions. 

‘Act professional, Zuni.’ She scolded herself.

“ My name is Zuhan. I’m 6 years old. Soon to be 7. ”

“ Wow! What a beautiful name.” Zuni replied, avoiding the gaze of his father.

“ May I check your mouth and ear to know what is causing pain and making such a sweet boy suffer? ” Zuni asked sweetly with a smile, comforting Zuhan.

“ Yes, please.”

Zuni smiled and asked Zuhan to lie on the examination table. Zuni checked his ears and then his mouth before diagnosing otitis media.

“ It’s common in children of his age. Please take care of his health. I have prescribed medicines. It will help him relieve pain in a few hours. Other symptoms may subside by 4-5 days. Kindly remember, no cold food or drinks, no going out in cold weather, no AC in his room. Monitor his temperature….” Zunirah kept explaining and advising Alzan like any other patient’s father. 

Zunirah passed the prescription to Alzan and said to Zuhan,

“ You will get better soon. Do as your parents say. I’ll meet you in a week. Contact me earlier if you don't feel well. Okay?”

“ Yes, Doctor Mam.” 

Zuni smiled, waving a bye as Zuhan turned to leave. Her eyes fell on Alzan, who stood up to leave but paused to hand out an envelope. It looked old and worn at the edges.

What caught her eye was the familiar handwriting.

‘ No… it can’t be… I threw it away…how did he? ’ She looked at him with wide eyes.

“ You left this behind years ago at Rukhsana Khala’s house.” He gulped and met her eyes.

“ I found this last month when she moved out.”

Zuni grabbed the letter with a trembling hand.

Zuni was looking at him, waiting for an explanation.

‘ Will he? ’ She thought.

Zuni waited for him to speak more, but couldn't ask. She controlled her tears and aching heart. She looked down to control herself from saying something, waiting for him to leave.

‘ Maybe he’ll say goodbye? ’ 

‘ Maybe he’s here to apologize? ’

‘ Maybe more? Like he had his reasons… Like silence was all he had left…’

Zuni sat straight and looked at him, who was looking at her with red eyes. Eyes that looked tired with dark circles around, no sign of happiness, pale skin, weight loss… 

‘ I never saw him like this before. Is everything okay? Can I ask that question? I can ask that as a doctor. What if he didn't say anything?’

‘ I didn't have any option, Zuni. I was tricked. You were my shield back then. I was safe with you around. But now, I don't want you and your future to suffer because of me. I have planned something. I hope your blessings stay with me like you said in the letter. I wish I had known you came to see me that day, unlike last month. You are the beautiful chapter of my life. I am afraid to close that chapter. I cannot say goodbye to you…I wish I could tell you all this…’ Alzan just kept looking, hoping she could read those unspoken words through his eyes. He never meant to cheat and break her heart. He hoped the truth was visible to her.

They talked through their eyes and shared emotions.

‘ Is this the final goodbye? ’

‘ Are we not going to say anything? ’

‘ What is it, Alzan? Please tell me everything… Please, for once… Let's talk heart to heart… ’

She craved to hear his voice more.

She expected him to speak, but he turned away, carried Zuhan in his arms, and left.

Zuni sat still, a letter clutched in her hand, and threw it into the drawer of the table. No more words, no more promises. Just silence. 

‘ Is that how our bonding will be from now on? Awkward? Even when our eyes and hearts crave, we stay away without saying goodbye. No final ending? No closure? ’

Unknowingly, tears fell through her eyes, like they did years ago.

Fione walked in after a knock and saw Zuni devastated.

“ I saw Alzan out in the corridor…” Fione wanted to ask what happened. Zuni ran to her arms and cried out loud.

“ Fione, he didn't even say goodbye to me. ”

……

That night, Zuni walked home alone. The world moved on…cars passed, couples laughed, someone played music across the street. But inside her, everything paused, once again.

The heartbreak didn’t roar. It settled. Just like dust on an old diary, like a letter returned unread.

After getting freshened up, Zuni opened her diary and started writing as a habit each day.

‘

They say silence is peaceful. But they never tell you how heavy it can be. Alzan walked out of my clinic today. No apology. No explanation. Just the return of a letter that once carried everything I never dared to say. A letter he never replied to. A letter he returned like an old book with no pages worth rereading. And yet… It felt like it was a wound reopened, not healed. He looked at me the way people look at homes they no longer live in, nostalgic, but not enough to stay. Maybe we could’ve had a lifetime. Or maybe we were only meant to be almost. A gentle heartbreak dressed in warm memories. I won’t write another letter because some stories end not with a goodbye, but with a silence that lingers. Mine ends in a quiet room, with a six-year-old's voice echoing a farewell his father never voiced. I still carry love like a scar, faded but tender. And maybe… that’s enough.

’

Outside, the sky remained unchanged. People passed by. Life continued.

Inside her, everything paused. Not broken. Not healed. Just still.

She didn’t cry. Not anymore. Some heartbreaks are so quiet, even the soul forgets how to scream. She went back to work. She greeted her next patient. She smiled when needed. And never spoke of him again. Because some love stories don’t end in fire or tears, they end in silence. In unsent letters returned. And in the goodbyes... that was never said…

……

It was past noon on a summer day. Zunirah was back in town for a conference. Her phone was in her handbag, and she handed it to the receptionist for full concentration. 

Zunirah and her teammates, Fione, Aman, Umair, Kriti, and James, were discussing the project at the conference with details of their study and clinical observation when the receptionist called Zunirah outside.

“ What?”

“ Sorry, Ma'am, but this is urgent. Someone named Qizra has been calling you for half an hour. I even told her you were busy, yet she kept forcing me to contact you.”

“ Okay, I'll deal with it.”

‘ She may have gotten to know I’m in town and wants to meet me, probably.’ That's what Zuni guessed.

“ Hello? ” Zuni asked as the call was not clear.

“ Zuni, come home fast… Alzan… Alzan…” Qizra started crying. Unknowingly, Zuni ran towards the mansion that was 7 km from the hospital. In the summer afternoon, Zuni was running on the streets with teary eyes, an emotional heart, and an overthinking mind.

“ No!!! No!!! No!!! ”

“ He is ill, not that!!! He’s anything but that…” She shouted as she took a turn on the streets with a heavy heart.

Just when she entered the mansion, she saw a body wrapped in white clothing being taken by men.

Qizra saw her and pulled her inside.

“ Where is Alzan? ” Zuni asked breathlessly.

“ You just walked past him, Zuni. He passed away… A heart attack…” Qizra informed her while crying.

Zuni couldn't believe her ears.

“ No. Don't say that. He can never have a heart attack at this young age. He is health conscious and…” Zuni broke down as Qizra said, “ But he was unhappy…” 

Zuni turned and ran outside to get one last glimpse of him, even though he was covered. Her heart pounded in a terrible rhythm. Was it the run for 7 km or her heart crying for losing her love once again? She didn't know. She stood still on the street as they took the turn. All she could see was the empty road. She felt she couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. Her mother, Rukhsana, and Qizra came behind her to help, but before they could reach her, Zunirah collapsed to the ground.

“ Zunirah!!!! ”

……

The noises from downstairs stirred Zunirah in sleep. She opened her eyes. She felt distorted. She looked around at the familiar room where she once lived years ago. The guest room. She stood up but stumbled, feeling weak. It's been hours since she ate or drank anything. It was 3 days after he left the world forever. She couldn't even mourn his death. 

She somehow managed to walk downstairs, confused, not knowing her whereabouts. But then she saw him. Zuhan. With the same brown orbs as his father. 

“ You are not my mother!! ” Zuhan screamed, which awakened Zunirah.

‘Wait, what?’

“ What is going on here? ” Zunirah managed to ask, blinking twice or thrice. 

“ Doctor Mam…” Zuhan ran towards her and hugged her legs with tears in his eyes.

“ Hey!!” Zuni knelt to his level and asked, 

“ What happened? ” She wiped the tears on his face while asking again. He looked behind and then to her. Zuni looked behind him to see an old lady, Gulnaz, a man in a suit with files, probably a lawyer, and Kaiz, Alzan’s PA, standing with different expressions on each face.

“ She’s not my real mom,” Zuhan choked, pointing to the woman behind him. 

“ She only wants me because I’m the heir. ” 

Kaiz continued,

“ Zuhan is Gulnaz’s cousin’s son. Not Alzan’s. She wanted the money.” 

The reality hit Zunira hard. She thought of this earlier. She wanted to ask, she wanted to speak, she wanted to slap Gulnaz, but a small trembling hand grabbed hers.

“ I want to go with you,” He pleaded. “ I want to be with you. Not her. Please...”

Zunirah wiped his tears, holding his small hands in her own. The boy had been through so much already.

“ Okay, Zuhan,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Okay, I’ll take you. You’re safe now.”

Zuni carried Zuhan in her arms when the lawyer came forward.

“ Are you Dr. Zunirah? ”

“ Yes. ” Zuni replied.

“ Mr. Alzan found out 2 years ago about this. ” The lawyer informed.

“ How? ” Zuni asked in confusion.

“ Alzan Sir submitted a sample for a fertility check years ago. Gulnaz illegally accessed it to use for her cousin’s surrogacy and forced Alzan to agree to marriage…”

“ Wait, what?? ” Zuni was shocked. 

“ She did what? ” Zuni couldn't believe what she heard.

“ It's true, Mam. To clear his doubts, Sir asked for the DNA report, which came back positive, but he couldn't understand how it was possible. To prevent the scandals that would have destroyed his parents…”

“ So he married her? Just like that? ” Zuni asked, infuriated.

“ He said that was his only option. To stay silent. To protect his family, including you…”

Zuni took a step back. 

‘He did that for me, too?’

“ He did everything to prevent misuse of his name and assets. They fought for years. He did play his duty well. After the divorce, he agreed for her to meet Zuhan as they were relatives. Zuhan was under Alzan’s care until one day, he was diagnosed with Atherosclerosis due to his bad routine and stressful days, as the business was affected by their divorce. That's when he asked me to check your whereabouts and name you as Zuhan’s guardian if anything happened to him. He never wanted surgery. He was on meds, and today, early morning, he passed away. May his soul rest in peace. ”

Zuni gulped and looked around. 

‘ He suffered so much. ’

“ The envelope Sir gave you about a week ago has all the information he told you, Mam. ” Kaiz said.

Zunirah was taken aback. Her eyes filled with tears. 

‘ He was ill when he visited me. Uff, Alzan!! ’

Anger developed inside her as she saw Gulnaz standing behind her.

Wiping her tears, Zuni passed Zuhan in Kaiz’s arms and ran to slap Gulnaz.

“ You destroyed what was left of him. ” Zuni shouted, pulling Gulnaz’s hair.

“ He never smiled again because of you…” She slapped hard wherever she could with all her anger and force until Gulnaz fainted and collapsed.

“ Mam, please stop.” Kaiz and the lawyer stopped Zuni.

“ Mam…” The lawyer passed the papers and made her sign the documents.

“ You may take him now.” The lawyer said, and she nodded.

Zunirah walked to Zuhan and knelt at his level. She looked at him. A younger version of him. 

“ Alzan loves you so much and so does Zuni.” Said Zuni with a comforting smile. He smiled.

“ I’ll take you with me now, Zuhan. ” Zunirah said softly, brushing away the tears that had begun to fall down her face. “ You don’t have to stay here anymore.”

Zuhan’s eyes filled with hope as he threw his arms around her neck.

“ Thank you… ” He whispered, clinging to her tightly.  

Zuni grabbed him tightly in his arms as they walked out of the mansion. Zunirah felt the weight of her grief start to shift. It was no longer just about the love she had lost or the love that had never come to fruition. It was about this child: this precious boy who carried Alzan’s legacy in his blood, his heart.

She had lost Alzan, but in a way, she had found a new purpose. She would take care of Zuhan, and in doing so, she would always carry Alzan’s memory with her. Zuni felt a strange sense of peace. The world outside seemed quieter now, as if the universe had shifted, aligning her with the one thing she could still hold on to: Alzan’s last piece of earth.

She has Zuhan.

……

‘

I am sorry, Zuni.

Just remember, I never stopped loving you.

I just stopped believing I deserved you.

I never wanted to hurt you, but somehow my choices hurt us both.

After gifting you the watch, suddenly everything was a mess. Our business dropped out of the billionaire ranks. Baba was unwell and was admitted to the hospital. And on top of all that stress, Gulnaz approached me with a fake pregnancy. I came for you one day to tell you everything. I even texted you to meet me at the cafe, but deleted it after the DNA report came back positive. 

How could I ask you to live with me in this hellish life because of my fault. Not even after I found the truth. 

Maybe we weren't meant to be.

I remember you being my light and shield. I remember you with smiles and laughs.

I am leaving Zuhan under your care. Please take good care of him. He means a lot to me. Be his light and shield, just like you were mine.

I hope your heart remembers me kindly.

Yours,

Alzan

’

The end.