Pinky's house has so far been wonderful; it was a two-story farmhouse surrounded by huge fields and wide stables. Her family, comprising of her mother, an elder sister and an elder brother, were very friendly. They embraced me with open arms and gave me a wide room on the first floor to stay at.

Full privacy and space were given for me to settle in, and it was when I woke up early the next morning and settled down on a couch that the silence of the morning air truly started to wreck my mind. While alone in the guest room, I withered pathetically with the pain of loneliness and hurt. My thoughts were really haunting my soul. It felt so excruciating to feel this broken and pathetic. Iyaz had truly shown me how foolish I was.

All my life, I had dreamt of fairy tales, powerful dreams and obsessed confessions. I was hopeless with my emotions, yet life had taught me how much of a delusional fool I was. To be rescued you have to be a princess, and I was nowhere near a princess; just a commoner seeking for peace. This feeling of loneliness and depression had literally started chewing me up, and I was hating how bitter I had turned towards everything. Often the thoughts of just giving up would circulate in my mind, but I just couldn't be that selfish and ungrateful. Life was a blessing. I needed to show gratitude towards that.

Sniffing as helpless tears started flowing down my cheeks, I suddenly jolted upon hearing someone knock on my door.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty. Come down for breakfast," Sana called out from the other side, making me loudly reply.

"Of course! be right there."

Quickly getting up, I headed downstairs and walked into their small kitchen. I really needed some distraction and noise to block out my inner demons, or else I would really grow ill.

"There she is," Sana announced, as I stepped into the kitchen. She was standing next to the stove, with her daughter 'Huma' flipping pancakes on the stove fire. Pinky was sitting on the kitchen Island, munching on a red apple. At my sight, she hopped off the aisle and smiled.

"You are awake!"

"Duh!" I joked, causing her to chuckle.

Giving everyone a polite nod, I then walked up to Sana.

"Need any help?" I asked.

"No, no," she quickly shook her head. "Huma has got it covered for today. Why don't you go sit down?" And with that, she shooed me away to sit on the chair placed next to the kitchen island.

Complying, I sat down and enjoyed the sound of activity in the air. Anything to fill up my idle mind. Pinky seemed to be eyeing me with happiness. Turning towards her, I watched as she grinned and began heading towards the kitchen's back door.

Upon reaching the net screened door, she loudly announced, "After breakfast, do come outside, Mahira. We will go for horse riding." And with that, she disappeared behind the screen door. I couldn't help but shake my head at her goofy ways.

Pinky had such a sweet vibe around her. Too bad her ex-husband treated her like trash. I don't exactly know the exact story, but once while crying over Iyaz, I had Pinky confess to knowing the pain of toxic emotions. She didn't even tell me the name her ex-just how she had faced ultimate humiliation.

I used to think it was Pinky's own bitter experience with bonds that made her biased towards mine, but now I had realized it was her lesson learnt that she wanted to share with me; she wanted to teach me when to be cautious when to give up. And sadly I had learnt it-a bit late. I should have given up a long time ago before I ended up this broken and used. But alas, every heartbreak teaches us an important lesson, and what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.

"Here you go, dear," Sana now broke me out of my reverie, passing full of hot pancakes towards me. I was quick to dig in. Food and noise were one of my major stress-relieving treats. I needed a distractions-a reason to not give up, and I was using all the help I could get.

After munching on my breakfast, I thanked Sana and Huma for making such a delicious breakfast for me and headed outside. Depression had actually killed my willingness to do anything. The heightened feeling of excitement and happiness was what I was missing incredibly, and I truly believed that horse riding could get my adrenaline rushing again.

Stepping out on the fields, I watched Pinky sitting on a brown horse, galloping her way towards me. She was wearing a brown cowboy hat, along with some cowboy boots, and had her brother following after her on a black horse. Catching my gaze, she waved excitedly and stopped her horse right beside me.

"Howdy, partner," she mocked a southern accent while getting off the horse. Her action made me roll my eyes and smile.

"That was one heck of horse-back riding," I politely praised, stepping towards her.

"Impressed?" She raised one mischievous eyebrow, turning to share a look with her brother who suddenly turned shy, her gesture made me grow awkward.

Immediately growing composed, I simply averted my eyes and changed the topic. "So, where can I get a horse?"

"Well, for you, I have arranged a white horse. He will be here in a minute," True to her words, a small farm boy, wearing dirty clothes, soon appeared tugging a huge white stallion alongside him. The boy seemed about the age of 6 or 7 years old, yet his cute, goofy, flushed cheeks were proof that he was a happy farm boy.

The little boy literally skipped all the way towards us and giggled when Pinky's brother playfully ruffled his hair. With such extravagant horses, helper boys, I was actually curious why Pinky had to work as a servant at my place. She looked pretty well-off. But not wanting to dwell in her matters, I simply shrugged the thought away and smiled at the little boy.

"Timmy, good job, buddy," Pinky gave the little boy a thumbs-up, grabbing the horse's reins from his hand. "I will take it from here."

"Course," Timmy smiled and rushed away. His smile made me feel so envious and lonely. I wished for such care-free days.

Turning towards me, Pinky smiled and offered me the reins. "Ready?" she confirmed. I actually didn't know how to ride a horse. Back when I was little, my parents used to take us for horseback riding, where the horse owners held on the reins, but I, myself, hadn't learnt how to ride a horse.

"I don't know how to ride a horse," I replied back, honestly.

"Don't worry. You just sit on the saddle and look happy. Later on, my brother would love to teach how to ride a horse," she smiled at me, making me grow a bit awkward. Lately, her words had started to seem like they were filled with hidden meanings. I had known Pinky for so long, and I had never her trying to match me up with someone else, despite how much she despised Iyaz. Maybe, it just my recently acquired loneliness that was making me overthink her words.

Frowning at such weird notions, I compiled, walking up to the horse, and tried climbing up the horse. It was too tall for me. However, before I could continue with my failed attempts of climbing the horse, I heard Pinky ask her brother to rescue the damsel in distress...hold the saddle for me.

"No!" I immediately refused, turning my head around and frowned at the sight of a beaming Pinky innocently staring at me. "I can handle it," I responded in a stern manner.

"Okay." She playfully raising her hands at me. I shook my head and tried to climb up the horse again. Pinky chuckled, along with her brother.

Finally managing to push me on the saddle, I watched as she grabbed the horse's rein and began tugging it forward.

"Pinky," I spoke after we had travelled for almost half an hour. "Are you feeling okay?" I asked, making her turn around to give me a confused look.

"I am okay? I should be asking you that," she mused, making me wince. This is not where I wanted the direction of this conversation to go towards. Trying not to dwell on the soul-crushing reality, I diverted my back towards my honesty.

"No, I am not talking about that. It's just that you are being...umm...forceful. I don't like it," I informed, making her sport a serious expression and turn her head back. A sudden feel of seriousness and sober vibes immediately spread in the air.

"I am not trying to set you up, Mahira," she whispered, causing me to frown.

"What do you mean?"

"I care about you, Mahira...care about you enough to want to see you settled in your life," she confessed, making my heart jolt.

Shoot!

Her confession made me immediately grow pale. Was she serious? I don't understand. Had Pinky hinted towards wanting me to marry her brother? I mean she always acted childlike in front of me. Her silly choices, girly advice made me see her as nothing but a sweet friend. Did she really want me to suddenly be available for becoming her brother's wife? Had I been extremely naïve all this time? Or perhaps, I was just taking this all into a whole new context and Pinky was talking entirely in terms of a general conversation. However, whatever she had meant to confess, I knew it was time to maintain distance from her. I was too tired and broken to deal with this. If Pinky wanted to force me into another chapter of my life without being considerate of my pain, then this little bond was finished. I had to find myself a new place to stay-no more drama in my life.

Deciding to remain quiet and not respond, I watched as Pinky slightly led me towards the forests lining this farm. My self-loathing thoughts were returning back. Now entering the dark forests, I soberly watched the small patches of the sun fall brilliantly through gaps on the dry forest trees. The forest seemed so dry at this hour of the day. I wanted to hide in their shades, away from this world.

After her confession, Pinky didn't speak again. Although, her actions did seem awkward; continuously fiddling with her cowboy hat and running her fingers through the horse's mane. I just wanted to go home now-wherever it was.

Soon, we were near a small lake when Pinky decided to pull my horse to a stop. She wordlessly offered me a hand to get off the horse. I simply ignored it. Jumping off the horse, I straightened up and haughtily began heading towards the lake.

"You have misunderstood my confession," she spoke out loud as I leaned over the lake. "I care like a sister, like a friend, yet if you want someone to be your prince charming, I care enough to help you find your happy ending," she explained, slowly walking towards me. I didn't respond.

"Truly, I mean no complication," she stood beside me.

"Pinky, I don't get it," My voice slightly cracked, staring at her in a cautious manner. "Is this because Iyaz treated me a-as a doormat that you have decided to take away my choices from me?" I asked, vulnerably.

The hurt of what Iyaz had done to me was making me a mess. Was this one of the consequences of being treated like a doormat by Iyaz? Had I become too weak to have anyone make decisions for me? Did my lack of resolve make me easy prey? I didn't believe myself to be one. I wasn't a string to be tagged along, yet I knew that is exactly what I had become for Iyaz. My emotions for him had destroyed my personality.

"No, Mahira," Pinky immediately shook her head. "You have always known me to be better than that. The way you sacrificed your happiness for Iyaz never showed you as being a doormat, it showed how pure your emotions were. I have always seen you as my baby sister, someone whom I deeply care for. You know I don't believe in love, yet for you, I am willing to be a shoulder. I just can't see you keep on hurting like this." she explained, making me sniff.

"I know, Pinky," I now sat down on the ground and curled up into a ball. "I know you mean well, but you becoming the shoulder won't help me. The wounds Iyaz has left will leave scars, whether you help me or not. How can I just forget him? He has messed me up. He had betrayed me, yet I still care. How can one change that?" I cried, making Pinky follow suit and sit down beside me.

"I know you just can't forget the ones you love," she agreed, turning her gaze to stare at the lake in front of us. The air around us had turned quiet and cold. It was creepy how well I could feel the cold vibes of the wind playing with cords of my heart.

I was so lost and alone. My feeble arms had been too cold to enact as my personal warmth. The shield I had lost would leave me cold forever. It hurt to convince myself that my emotions for Iyaz weren't meant to be. It hurt to have to let go. Albeit my heart had accepted that Iyaz never cared for me, because you don't destroy the ones you love, but I still need to deal with the absence, with the pain of not being good enough.

Now wiping my nose with the sleeves of my shirt, I got up and smiled.

"Ready to race me back," I joked in a feeble attempt to change the topic.

"You bet ya!" Pinky smirked back, probably catching on to my weak try.

Soon, we were racing back to the house, with me being grateful to the sudden adrenaline for making me feel better

This was a whole new start for me. I just had to accept that.