Anisa walked toward the payment counter as well. Standing a few people ahead of her in the queue, she noticed Yugh. Ignoring his presence, she waited quietly for her turn.
After paying for his items, Yugh turned to leave. At that moment, his eyes fell upon the supermarket's notice board. What he saw made the blood drain from his face. Pinned neatly at the center was a familiar photograph; Zahra and Zayan, standing side by side, smiling brightly at the camera.
Yugh felt as though the ground beneath him vanished. His body went numb, his mind spinning. He stood frozen for several seconds. Anisa noticed him standing still for an unusually long time and looked at him with concern. 😬
"Is something wrong?" she asked softly.
"Wrong?" Yugh shouted, pointing violently at the board. "Look at that! Your husband and my wife—together!" Forgetting completely that they were in a public place, his voice echoed across the supermarket.
"This can't be happening!" he yelled again. Overcome by rage, he struck the glass covering the notice board with his fist, shattering it instantly. Without another word, he stormed out of the supermarket, driven by uncontrollable anger. 😡
Anisa stood there trembling, her eyes filled with tears, watching everything unfold in fear. Soon, a staff member rushed to the scene. The people nearby explained that a madman had come shouting and broken the glass before fleeing. When the incident was reported to the manager, he dismissed it, assuming the man must have been mentally unstable and decided not to pursue the matter further.
Gathering her courage, Anisa carefully removed the photograph from the board and approached a staff member. She asked if he knew the couple in the picture. 📌
His answer echoed in her ears endlessly.
"Yes, madam. They were a very well-matched couple. They used to come to our supermarket regularly for almost two years—at least once a week.
About eight months ago, they won first place in our couple challenge competition. That's the photo we displayed here. But after that, they never came again. I don't know why."
Silently, Anisa placed the photograph into her bag. Carrying her groceries, she walked back home, not as someone returning, but like a lifeless body being dragged forward by fate itself. 🛑