Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha~ Short Stories Collection

4

Author's POV

It had been a week.

Seven whole days of silence.

Mahira hadn't called. Neither had Sameer.
And still, she checked her phone every hour.
Still, he stared at hers in his contacts, thumb hovering, never dialing.

Today, she was meeting Karan again. She had promised herself to give this a real chance. He was sweet. Smart. Kind. He really liked her.

But even as she got dressed and fixed her hair, her thoughts drifted—to Sameer.

Karan was waiting for her at the same café where they'd met.
He stood up with a smile as she walked in, pulling her chair like a gentleman.

"How have you been?" he asked softly.

"Good," she lied with a small nod.

The conversation flowed... at least, from his side. Mahira smiled and responded when needed, but her mind was elsewhere. With someone else.

He spoke about a new project at Microsoft, his plans to visit his family next month, his love for music. He even mentioned a song that reminded him of her.

And all Mahira could think was, Sameer would've teased me for this.

Finally, as the plates cleared and coffee arrived, Karan leaned in slightly.
"Mahira," he said gently. "I really like you. I feel something real here. And I was wondering... do you think this could turn serious?"

Mahira froze.

She looked at him, then at the cup in front of her, then back.

"I... I don't know, Karan," she admitted. "You're amazing. And you've been nothing but kind. But... I'm not sure I'm fully present."

Karan's expression changed slightly. "Is it about him? Sameer?"

She hesitated. Then nodded. "I didn't think it was. But his absence... it's been louder than I expected. I realised I've been comparing everything about you to him. Your words, your laugh, the way you order food, even how tall you are. You're an engineer, like him... but so different. And I keep wondering how Sameer would've reacted in your place."

Karan smiled softly. "That's okay. It means you care for him more than you realised."

"I think I love him," she whispered.

"Then you should go tell him," Karan said gently. "Before it's too late."

Mahira blinked, overwhelmed. "But—"

"No 'but'," he interrupted kindly. "You don't owe me anything. But you owe yourself the truth."

She stood up, fumbling for her purse. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," he said with a warm nod. "Go."

She left money on the table, whispered a sorry, and ran.

Everything else was a blur.

The streets, the traffic, the beats of her heart.

Mahira drove like her life depended on it.

When she reached Sameer's home, she rang the bell, breathless. Sia opened the door and blinked.

"Mahira?"

"Where's Sameer?" she asked, panting.

Sia stepped aside. "He's upstairs, packing. His flight's in a few hours."

Mahira didn't wait. She sprinted up the stairs and burst into his room.

Sameer was by his table, sorting documents and shoving them into his file bag. He looked up in surprise.