As Saad sat in his lavish office, staring out at the city skyline, he couldn't shake the feeling that his carefully constructed life was beginning to crack. The walls seemed to close in on him as his mind replayed the recent events—his conflicting emotions between Aisha and Zara, and the growing tension between him and Zain.
Saad was used to being in control. In the world of stock trading, he had built a reputation as a master of predicting market trends. He could foresee crashes, booms, and everything in between. But in his personal life, things were spiraling out of control. The stakes were different now—he wasn't playing with stocks, he was playing with people's hearts.
His phone buzzed on the desk, snapping him out of his thoughts. It was a message from Aisha:
Aisha:Hey, Saad! Are you free tonight? I was thinking we could have dinner at that new restaurant you mentioned.
Saad's heart sank. He loved Aisha—he truly did—but the guilt over his unresolved feelings for Zara was eating away at him. And now, there was the added pressure of Zain unknowingly being caught in the middle of this complicated triangle.
He typed back a quick response, agreeing to the dinner, but his mind was elsewhere.
As he closed his phone, the door to his office swung open, and in strolled Fahad with his usual carefree attitude. Fahad had become quite the ladies' man, ever since his relationship with Maria had blossomed. He was no longer the lonely third wheel. Instead, Fahad was now living a life full of romantic bliss, and he loved to flaunt it.
"Yo, Saad! You look like you've seen a ghost, man. What's up with you these days?" Fahad joked as he plopped down on the couch in Saad's office.
Saad forced a smile. "Just... business. You know how it is."
Fahad raised an eyebrow. "Business, huh? Or is it something else? I've been noticing you've been acting a little... off lately. Everything okay with Aisha?"
Saad hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, everything's fine. Just the usual stress, I guess."
Fahad laughed, but there was a glimmer of concern in his eyes. "Well, if you ever need to talk, you know where to find me. By the way, Maria and I are planning a trip next weekend. You and Aisha should join us! It'll be fun—just the four of us, like old times."
The mention of Aisha and Maria in the same breath made Saad's stomach churn. If only Fahad knew the tangled web he was caught in.
"I'll think about it," Saad said, trying to sound enthusiastic.
As Fahad left the office, Saad's phone buzzed again. This time, it was Zara.
Zara:I can't keep this up anymore. We need to talk.
Saad's head began to pound. He couldn't keep juggling these two relationships—one built on love and trust, the other on lust and dangerous emotions. Zara had been a temptation from the start, but now things had gotten out of hand.
Later that evening, Saad arrived at the restaurant to meet Aisha for dinner. The setting was perfect—the dim lighting, the soft music, the elegant décor. Aisha looked stunning in a simple but beautiful dress, her smile lighting up the room as she waved at him from their table.
Saad's heart ached as he sat down across from her. He had to make a decision soon. He couldn't keep stringing Aisha along while Zara loomed in the background.
The dinner started smoothly enough, with Aisha excitedly talking about her day and their future plans. But as the meal progressed, Saad could barely concentrate. His mind was elsewhere—wondering what Zara would say to him, what Zain might discover, and how long he could keep this charade going.
At one point, Aisha reached across the table, taking his hand in hers. "Saad, you seem distracted. Is everything okay?"
He looked into her eyes, feeling the weight of his deceit bearing down on him. "Yeah, just a lot on my mind. Work's been tough lately."
Aisha smiled softly. "I get it. But you know, you don't have to face everything alone. I'm here for you. Always."
Saad felt a lump form in his throat. He didn't deserve her loyalty, her love. Not with the mess he had created behind her back.
Later that night, after dropping Aisha home, Saad drove to a secluded park where he had agreed to meet Zara. She was waiting for him on a bench, her arms crossed as she gazed up at the starry sky.
As Saad approached, Zara turned to him with a mixture of frustration and longing. "This has to stop, Saad. We can't keep pretending everything is fine. I'm tired of hiding, tired of feeling like a secret."
Saad sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know, Zara. But this isn't just about us. There's Zain... and Aisha. They don't deserve this."
Zara stood up, her voice trembling with emotion. "Then what do we do? Because I can't keep living like this. Either we're together, or we're not. You need to choose, Saad."
Saad was silent for a moment, the weight of the decision crashing down on him. He had always prided himself on being decisive, on making quick, calculated moves in the stock market. But this... this was different. This was life. Real people. Real emotions.
"I need time," Saad finally said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Zara looked at him, hurt and disappointment etched across her face. "You can't keep asking for time, Saad. Sooner or later, someone's going to get hurt."
She turned and walked away, leaving Saad standing alone in the park, the sound of crickets filling the silence around him.
As he watched Zara disappear into the night, Saad knew that no matter what decision he made, his life was never going to be the same again. The shadows of betrayal were closing in, and he was running out of time.