THE LAST INSURGENT

Twenty-four

There was a three second silence before Mufty said, “ I must apologise for interrupting you. I also apologise for eavesdropping.”
Adam said nothing. He still had his hands in his pocket, and trying to calm down. He could not stop the anger in him as he looked at Mufty. This was the guy who came to put a veil on his bliss. The guy who got into Leena’s head and made her derail. But he would calm down and listen to him. He wondered what he had to say.

“I regret been involved in this saga. Leena is in a hot spot right now. If this story leaks, she would be the one to suffer from blames. She would be seen as a player, toiling with the hearts of two men. She will be called a liar because she lied to you.
You asked her if there was someone else in her life and she said there was no one. I can imagine how disappointed you are right now, how hurtful it is to find out that the girl you have paid her dowry is in a relationship with another man.

I also stand in a position of being called a devil because I fell in love with a girl who has just a few days to stay in her parent’s house. Two muslims cannot court a girl at the same time. You have formalised the relationship so I am the wrong guy here.
Please forgive me. She told me she had someone in her life. Having someone in her life did not stop me. I asked if there was any formal arrangement. That is what can stop me. She said there was no one.

She made a great mistake here. She is wrong but I still do not see her as a player or a girl just toiling with our hearts.
She lied to you because she could not tell you. You have a history and she never said a single thing wrong about you.

She did not know how you would react if she had told you.
I am not justifying her actions. I am only trying to see things from her angle of view. We are not impeccable but we do bad things for various reasons. Hers was not with a bad intention irrespective of the consequences.

She lied to me because she knew I was going to leave immediately. I have made a lot of goofs in my life. I will never go close to a girl who has been betrothed to another man no matter how I love her.
Leena is a girl with heart and soul. A mere mortal who is prone to goof. I can imagine how confused and uncomfortable she must have been.
Please don’t judge her. I don’t know and I am not a clairvoyant but from what I see of you, you are a nice guy. From what I heard from you, you do not deserve to get hurt.

I placed myself in your shoes. How will I feel if a girl whom I am supposed to get married to gets abducted just three weeks to our wedding, comes back and another date is fixed only for me to find out that she is seeing someone else?

The pain is unimaginable. I do not wish this for myself and would never wish it for anyone. Firstly, I need you to forgive her and never hold this against her. Secondly, I need you to forgive me for coming into the picture. Thirdly, I implore with gusto, for the sake of Allah to keep this as a secret.
If I say I do not feel anything for her, I am a liar but if I really like her, then I should set her onto the right part. That calls for the word sacrifice. I have to supress my feelings, wishes and wants for the right thing.

The right thing here is to keep to her promise. Like I said in retrospect, I don’t know you but I feel you will never hurt her. I feel you will give her all the love and joy she needs.
That is my consolation. I just want her to be happy and be with the right person. I want you to take this event as just a hitch to a better life with her. I promise you that neither you nor she will ever see me again.

I will be just a part of history, a mistake and forgotten issue…..” He turned at Leena. “This is your man. I may not be privileged to attend the wedding, or know what happens after the wedding but I have this to say to you: never let him feel bad. Get married to him and fulfil all of your duties. This world is just a small temporary home. Besides, it will all come to pass.”
Amid tears, she nodded.