Time has a strange way of healing wounds and creating new ones at the same time. A few days after the storm between Noor and Mohid, things slowly returned to normal.
One afternoon, Noor came to Areeba with a shy smile on her face. They were sitting on the same bench in the college campus where they usually spent their breaks.
Noor looked a little nervous.
"Areeba… Mohid and I talked," she said softly.
Areeba turned to her. "And?"
Noor smiled, her eyes shining a little. "Our misunderstanding is cleared. We… we are together again."
For a moment, Areeba simply looked at her. She had many thoughts in her mind, but she kept them to herself.
Then she smiled.
"As long as you are happy," she said gently.
Noor chuckled in relief. "You're not angry?"
"Why would I be?" Areeba said lightly. "It's your life."
Both of them laughed, and the tension that had once stood between them disappeared.
Soon Safa and Wisha joined them, and their little circle was complete again.
But this time, there was one new addition.
Mohid.
At first, things were slightly awkward. Areeba and Mohid had never been particularly fond of each other in the beginning.
Earlier, whenever Mohid appeared, Areeba would quietly feel irritated. From her perspective, he always took Noor away from her, and since she didn't know about their relationship before, she used to feel like an outsider.
And Mohid, on the other hand, had his own complaints.
To him, Areeba was always there.
Whenever he wanted to spend time with Noor, Areeba would appear. Conversations would turn into group discussions, and his private moments with Noor would disappear.
Both of them had silently disliked each other.
But now things were different.
Once Areeba understood their relationship, she began giving them space. Sometimes she, Safa, and Wisha would intentionally walk ahead or sit somewhere else so Noor and Mohid could talk peacefully.
Gradually, the tension faded.
Now they could sit together without awkwardness.
One sunny afternoon, all five of them were sitting under a large tree inside the college campus. The shade was cool, and a light breeze moved through the branches.
Mohid suddenly said, "Let's play Truth or Dare."
Safa clapped excitedly. "Yes! Finally something fun."
Wisha grinned. "But no cheating."
They sat in a circle, laughing and teasing each other as the game began.
Soon, the bottle stopped in front of Areeba.
"Truth or Dare?" Mohid asked.
"Truth," Areeba said calmly.
Noor leaned forward with a mischievous smile. "Alright then… tell us honestly. What did you think about Mohid when you first met him?"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Areeba covered her face with her hands.
"Do I really have to say it?" she asked.
"Yes!" they all shouted.
"No cheating," Safa added.
Areeba sighed dramatically.
"Fine."
She looked at Mohid and laughed.
"Honestly… I hated him."
Everyone exploded into laughter.
Mohid placed a hand on his chest dramatically. "Wow. That hurts."
Areeba continued, still smiling.
"I didn't know about their relationship back then. So whenever I saw him taking Noor somewhere, I used to get really annoyed."
She shrugged.
"I thought he was just stealing my friend."
Noor laughed loudly.
"And sometimes," Areeba continued, "I felt like a third wheel between them."
Mohid shook his head, laughing.
"Well, my turn then."
The bottle spun again and landed on Mohid.
"Truth," he said confidently.
Safa immediately asked, "Same question."
Mohid looked straight at Areeba.
"To be honest… I also didn't like you."
Everyone laughed again.
"You never left Noor alone," he said jokingly. "Every time I wanted to talk to her, you were already there."
Areeba pointed at him.
"That's because I didn't know you two were dating!"
The group burst into laughter again.
The game continued with endless teasing and jokes.
At one point, Noor chose Dare.
Wisha grinned wickedly.
"Your dare is… to clean the empty wrappers around this tree."
"What?!" Noor protested.
"No backing out," Safa said.
Noor groaned dramatically but eventually stood up and started collecting the wrappers while everyone else clapped and laughed.
Moments like these were simple, but they felt priceless.
Days turned into weeks.
Weeks turned into months.
And before they realized it, an entire year had passed.
Their group grew even stronger.
Inam had also become part of their circle now, adding more humor and chaos to their conversations.
College life felt like an endless adventure.
There were days when they laughed until their stomachs hurt.
Days when they argued over small things.
Days when they shared food and secrets.
Somewhere during that time, Areeba also met another girl.
Her name was Aasia.
Aasia was different.
She was intelligent, sharp-minded, and surprisingly kind. The first time they spoke was during a class discussion when Aasia helped Areeba with a complicated topic.
Gradually they became friends.
Whenever Noor or Safa didn't come to college, Areeba would walk with Aasia instead.
Sometimes they competed with each other in studies.
Sometimes they helped each other.
Aasia was the kind of person who made studying feel less tiring.
Areeba liked her very much.
Life seemed full.
Full of laughter, friendships, and little adventures.
But life has a strange habit.
Just when things feel peaceful…
It changes.
One afternoon, while Areeba was in her room studying, her phone rang.
It was her mother.
When Areeba answered, her mother's voice sounded worried.
"Areeba… did your father call you?"
"No, Mama," she replied. "Why?"
"He's not answering his phone."
A small uneasiness filled Areeba's heart.
Soon her mother began calling again and again, asking the same question.
Even Mili, her sister who lived in another city, called.
Everyone was trying to reach their father.
But there was no response.
Hours passed.
Finally, the phone rang again.
This time, it was her mother....she said she got a call from one of his colleagues.
the man said gently, "don't panic. Your husband had some chest pain today. We brought him to the hospital."
Her heart froze.
"The doctor says it was a minor heart attack," the man continued. "But they recommend surgery."
For a moment, the world felt silent.
Areeba's Father was in a different city, far away from home.
Alone.
Soon they arranged a video call.
On the screen, Areeba saw her father lying on a hospital bed.
Doctors stood nearby.
He tried to smile.
"Don't worry," he said weakly.
The doctor immediately interrupted.
"Please don't talk too much."
His colleague explained, "The surgery is tomorrow."
Everyone in the family wanted to rush to him immediately.
But the distance was too great.
Even if they left now, they wouldn't reach before the operation.
Areeba's father insisted they stay where they were.
"Don't come," he said. "Just pray."
But how could a family remain calm in such a moment?
Areeba's mother decided to go anyway.
She booked tickets immediately and left with Areeba's younger brother.
But Areeba and Mili were stopped.
Their relatives and their mother both insisted they stay back to take care of the younger siblings.
Those days were heavy.
Sometimes Areeba called and no one answered.
Sometimes she could only see her father for a few seconds through video.
She tried to stay strong.
During the day, she helped the family.
She cooked, cleaned, and comforted her younger siblings.
But at night…
When everyone slept…
She cried.
One evening, while she was sitting quietly in her relatives' house, one of their cousins came to visit.
He asked casually, "How is your father now?"
Areeba explained briefly.
Then he said something that pierced her heart.
"You know… if Areeba had been a boy, your father would have been more at peace."
For a moment, Areeba froze.
He had said similar things before, but she had never taken them seriously.
But that day…
Those words hurt deeply.
"Why?" she asked quietly.
"What difference does it make?"
He replied casually, "If you were a boy, you could have a job already. You could go there and take care of him."
Areeba looked at him.
"I can go too," she said firmly. "Being a girl doesn't stop me."
He shook his head.
"It's not safe for girls to travel alone."
His words felt like needles piercing her heart.
Without saying anything else, Areeba stood up and quietly left the room.
This was not her house.
She couldn't argue.
She went back to her room.
Her phone rang several times.
Her friends were calling.
But she didn't answer.
She wasn't in a state to talk to anyone.
Later someone called her to the kitchen, so she forced herself to return.
She helped them cook.
But she skipped dinner.
That night, her only companion was her diary.
She opened it slowly.
Her tears fell onto the pages as she wrote.
From that day onward, something inside Areeba changed.
She stopped arguing.
She stopped reacting.
If someone said something harsh, she simply stayed quiet.
She listened.
And later…
She told everything to her diary.
That became her routine.
A few days later, the same cousin came to her again.
"I talk randomly sometimes," he said awkwardly. "Don't take my words seriously."
Areeba looked at him.
And smiled gently.
But she said nothing.
Because some wounds…
Are too deep to explain.