A rare day off in early February found Yugh waking late, at 10:30. After a leisurely brunch and a stroll in the garden to soak in the fresh air, he returned to his room as the sun climbed high, with nothing pressing to do. 🌞
His thoughts turned, inevitably, to Zahra's diary. He retrieved it from the trunk, locked his bedroom door, and lay on his bed, opening it once more. It fell open to an entry from November, two years prior.
24 November 2022
It's starting to get chilly now, Christmas is just around the corner. My favourite season is spring, but Yugh always prefers winter... I suppose it's because he likes the colour white... ⛄
A faint, nostalgic smile touched Yugh's lips at her familiar observation. Then he read on.
...It's been six months since I met Zayan. Honestly, when the attention from Yugh started to fade, Zayan was like a star that shone light into my loneliness. He's married, and I'm married, but we're both trapped in mismatched bonds. If we had met first, we could have been together without hurting Yugh and Anisa. Now, what should I do?...😣
Yugh's breath stopped. It was a confirmation, in her own hand. The "he" from the earlier entries was undeniably Zayan. While a part of him still recoiled, refusing to fully believe his wife could have maintained an affair, the evidence was no longer circumstantial. It was a confession.
The puzzle pieces he had been suppressing now assembled themselves with brutal clarity: Zahra and Zayan found dead, hands entwined. Anisa's desperate visit, her story about the ring meant for Zahra. The photo of the two of them, smiling as "Couple Competition Winners" at the market. It was no longer a series of tragic coincidences; it was a narrative. 😖
He closed the diary, put it away, and lay back down, his head throbbing as if it would split. A storm of grief, betrayal, and a futile rage boiled within him. Why, Zahra? he thought, the words a silent scream against the ceiling. What did I do wrong? What was my fault? The questions offered no solace, only the hollow echo of a truth he could no longer outrun. 🌪