The next morning, Anaya woke up and reflexively looked towards the couch. It was empty. She removed the duvet and looked around for Maaz.

'Maaz.' She called standing up from the bed and wearing her slippers. There was no response and so she called again. Cautiously, she knocked at the door to the bathroom but there was no response. She cleared her throat and opened the door. Her heart fluttered as she peeped inside. The bathroom was empty. Confused, she looked around. She opened the curtains and closed her eyes shut upon feeling the bright sunlight.

After a moment, she blinked several times and looked down. She was surprised to see Maaz in the garden area. She smiled and walked into the balcony. She shuddered with the sudden gush of the cold breeze. Anaya pulled the sleeves of her hoodie and wrapped her arms around herself as she walked towards the railing of the balcony. She looked at Maaz and smiled.

He was dressed in a full-sleeved red knitted turtleneck sweater and black track pants. Anaya was amused to see him jog in the cold. They had been married for quite a long time, but she hadn't spared any time to know him. Now, she did, and she was liking it. As she watched him her smile faded upon seeing Hannah walking towards him. Maaz stopped in front of her. She folded her arms and said something that irritated Maaz. But a minute later she coaxed him, and he nodded. They exchanged smiles.

Anaya clenched the railing tightly before walked inside, slamming the French window behind her.

Maaz entered the room and walked up to the bed. Swiftly, he removed the sweater over his head and dropped it on the bed. He wiped sweat with a towel and placed it on the chair opposite the dressing table. He looked at his reflection, smiled and watched as he flexed his muscles.

'Oh!' A gasp caught his attention. Startled, he looked up in the mirror and saw Anaya looking at him. She gulped and quickly looked away. He smiled to himself and turned to face her.

'Good morning.' He greeted her.

'Good morning.' She replied and this time she looked at him, without flinching. Maaz was surprised at her boldness. He opened his mouth to tease her but shut his mouth when she approached him.

'Very nice—morning.' She spoke eyeing him from top to bottom. Suddenly, Maaz felt conscious. She came dangerously close, passed him a glance and walked towards the dressing table. Maaz stared front in disbelieve seeing Anaya's new changed behavior. She has been behaving funnily since she has come from the date. He turned around. Anaya was standing at the mirror and applying perfume on her neck. Their gaze met in the mirror and she smiled at him. Reflexively, he smiled too but quickly fixed his expressions. She lowered her gaze and got busy with her mobile.

Maaz cleared his throat, - 'Good that you are ready. You wait downstairs, I will get ready.'

'Ready?' Anaya frowned, - 'Today is Sunday.' She pointed out. Suddenly, Maaz looked serious.

'We —' he paused, 'have a meeting with the Qazi.' He avoided her gaze and began walking towards the bathroom.

'We can't get divorced. Not yet.' Anaya interrupted him. Maaz stopped in his tracks. A light of hope flickered in his heart. But he dared not look at her. Anaya took a moment, took a deep breath and lowered her gaze.

'I am pregnant.' She said in one breath.

Maaz turned sharply and looked at her with his mouth half open and eyes widened. Anaya clenched her fingers tightly and kept wandering her gaze all over the floor. Maaz's heart rate began to race. He walked cautiously towards her. Hesitantly, he held her arm. His voice shaky as he spoke,

- 'What?' The word came out in a whisper. After a moment of silence, he spoke again, - 'Look at me and tell it again, Anaya.' He looked at her with pleading eyes. He held his breath and waited for her to talk.

Slowly, she looked up at him. Her lips trembled as she spoke, - 'Yes, Maaz. I am pregnant.' With a lot of courage, she looked into his eyes. Maaz's hand dropped but his face expressionless. He wanted to cheer and shout with joy but he dared not until he was firmly sure.

'But that night you said you fainted because of stress.' He tried to reason. Anaya gulped nodding her head, she looked away briefly before looking back at him.

'I lied.'

'Why?'

'Because I didn't want to make you feel guilty. I thought it will pass and when the time comes, I will tell you. But.'

'But?'

Anaya hesitated, - 'When I realized you are serious about the divorce, I had to tell you, because you can't divorce your pregnant wife.' She said.

Maaz took a moment before engulfing her in a tight hug, - 'Oh my God! Anaya. This is just a shock. A brilliant shock.' – He separated their frames and smiled at her. Reluctantly, Anaya smiled back. His smile faded and he took a step back, letting go of her shoulders.

'I know what you are thinking. This child—' he glanced at her belly, - 'would pain you. Remind you of the atrocity that happened to you.' He lowered his head. Anaya shook her head, took a step closer and held his wrist.

'No!'- she paused, held his chin and tried to make him look at her, - 'No, Maaz. By the time, I found out that I was pregnant I didn't hate you. And I am genuinely very happy with this news.' She tried to coax him. Slowly, Maaz looked at her and she nodded. She held his gaze with full confidence.

'But—won't the kid remind you of—' He stopped speaking when Anaya placed her finger on his lips.

'It won't.' She assured him. Then, she held his arm and shook him, - 'Now, smile Mr. Maaz Nawab Ali. You are going to be a father.' She smiled widely. Maaz took a moment before gushing with happiness and hugged her. Anaya pushed all the negative thoughts behind her and hugged him tightly.

'I am so happy.' Maaz kissed her shoulder, - 'I am so excited for the baby.' – They parted but Anaya kept on holding his waist, - 'Thank you.' He gushed and kissed her forehead. Anaya's smile faded.

After thinking for the whole night, she could come up with this excuse but what would happen when the truth comes out. She shuddered at the thought.

▪⎯⎯⎯∞⎯⎯⎯▪

Hannah sat with her mother in the garden area. Rashda Appa read a newspaper while enjoying her tea. Her daughter, Hannah, was busy on her mobile. She shivered in cold and pulled down the sleeves of her magenta knitted sweater. November was ending and the cold was increasing. She exhaled deeply and felt the vapors escape her mouth.

'Hannah!' Rashda looked at her from top of her glasses that rested on her pointing long nose.

'Yes, Mom.' Hannah answered looking up from her mobile.

'Mehnaz has left. When are our tickets?' She asked. Hannah's expressions changed as realization dawned upon her. She straightened in her seat, resting her forearms on the plastic chair. She was to talk when Maaz called out her name.

She turned and found him running towards them. Quickly, she stood up and Rashda also shifted in her seat. Maaz huffed placing his palm over his heaving chest.

'Maaz, what happened?' Hannah asked concerned. Rashda also looked on with concern and added,

- 'Is everything alright, beta?'

Maaz nodded and held Hannah's arm, - 'I want to tell you something.' He grinned, still taking deep breaths. She was totally confused but she let him take her.

Zainab decided to confront Anaya and warn her to leave her son. She opened the door in anger but before she could speak, she stopped upon hearing Anaya talking on the phone. She had her back towards the door and talked in an annoyed tone.

'Enough, Ma.' – Anaya raised her voice, - 'stop, stop emotionally blackmailing me. I told you, I am not going to divorce Maaz and that is final.' – she sighed, - 'Sheeraz, Sheeraz. Let him go to hell for all I care...Ma, there must be another way to this. I am—will talk to Papa. I will find a way, just please don't ask me to leave Maaz. I—love him.' She paused. Zainab clenched her fists tightly.

'Ma, I have--because of you guys, I have already done such a horrible thing to the man I love. You know how guilty I am every time—every time I think about that night—You can't imagine how traumatized Maaz was, blaming himself for something he hasn't done. It is no joke, Ma. It isn't some petty theft but rape. You realize how serious it is. I made him feel guilty of raping me when he hasn't even touched me. He was so drunk that he couldn't even remember what happened and I—took advantage of that. I can't face myself, Ma....'

Zainab covered her half-open mouth. The rest of Anaya's words faded away. She took a step back and held the door hinge tightly. This woman she knew she was a cunning woman who wanted to ruin her son and she did. Zainab turned and hurriedly left.

Anaya heard someone and swiftly turned around. She noticed the door open and wondered if she had left it open. She kept the phone to her ear and walked towards the door whilst listening to her mother from the other side.

'Really?' Hannah sounded surprised. Her posture relaxed. Maaz nodded excitedly.

'But you said that you guys. That night she went on date with—so?' She shifted from one foot to the other.

Maaz licked lips and nodded with his head lowered. He took a moment and then took a deep breath.

'You remember one day; we were sitting at the park and I was feeling horrible. You remember the night before that.' – he paused, saying the next thing was very hard for him. His heart sunk low as he recollected disheveled Anaya. She had said the baby doesn't affect her, but it does affect him. It will be a reminder to him about his crime. He did feel strange that Anaya wasn't bothered about the fact that the baby was conceived not out of love but a crime, rape.

Hannah held his arm bringing Maaz back to the present.

'That night you were not in your senses, you were very angry. So?' She asked shrugging her shoulder. Maaz lowered his head again. He felt ashamed to say further.

'That night, I—' he closed his eyes tightly, - 'Please don't hate me, Hannah. Please.' He pleaded to her.

Hannah was shocked to see tears glistening in his eyes. She held the sleeves of his sweater tightly, - 'I can never hate you, Maaz.' – She held his chin and made him look at her, - 'Never.'

Maaz hesitated and then spoke cautiously, - 'I was so intoxicated that night and very angry. I know it is not an excuse, it can never be. But I wasn't thinking straight. I just wanted to teach her a lesson and—I ra—ped her.' He said looking away immediately. Hannah gasped loudly and let go of his hand. Maaz wiped his tears and avoided looking at his friend.

Hannah took a moment to let everything sink in. She can never believe her friend, whom she had known since they were toddlers, can do something as heinous as rape. No. She couldn't digest this. There was an uncomfortable silence between them.

'How did Anaya take all this?' She finally spoke, her voice hoarse. Maaz looked at her and found her eyes were moist as well.

'She was devasted. She hated me. But she is a strong woman. She came out of it and joined work to divert her mind and—and she has a very big heart. She forgave me, also she has no problem with the baby. She had asked for a divorce but now she doesn't want it.' He said getting a little happy towards the end. His smile faded upon seeing Hannah being thoughtful.

'I remember that day, you had taken a long time to come out of the room. You were gloomy and clearly disturbed. But she was fine, I mean looked fine.'

'That is why I said she is a strong woman. She didn't let anyone know what happened to her. Hannah, it was a horrible sight. When I woke up.' – he shuddered, - 'there was so much blood on the bed next to me. All dried up, too much blood, like a pool of blood.' He confessed. Hannah frowned.

'And on her?'

Maaz squinted his eyes, - 'Huh!'

'Was there blood on her and—on you?'

Maaz looked at the distance while thinking hard, - 'I remember.' – he spoke cautiously and thoroughly, - 'she was clenching her stomach and dragging her feet. There was a bruise on her lips but blood—I don't remember. There were some marks on me, my chest and top part but no, no blood.' – He paused, - 'why are you asking this?'

Hannah just gave a thoughtful nod, - 'How is it possible that there was blood only on the bed and not on her. Okay, let us assume you didn't notice it on her pajama or anywhere else but like you said, there was a pool of blood like too much. Then how was it possible for her to walk straight and also go for work and, and be there like nothing happened. No weakness, no pain? Also, when a girl loses her virginity, it's not like they bleed pools of blood.' – she held Maaz's arms tightly, - 'something is fishy, Maaz.' She said seriously.

Maaz's heart skipped a beat. He didn't know how to react and so he kept gaping at his friend. A moment later, he shook his head in a daze, - 'No. No, there is nothing fishy. I trust Anaya.' He looked away, - 'Anaya can never hurt anyone. What I did was wrong? Anaya can never—' His words trailed off. Though what Hannah said did make sense, his heart and mind couldn't believe that a simple, sweet and timid girl could make such an elaborate plan.

Hannah bit her lip and chose her words carefully as she tried reasoning with him, - 'Maaz, which girl would not be traumatized if she was raped? Tell me, who can so easily forgive and forget what happened? Rape is no joke, Maaz and the effects of it on the victim's psychology is immense. How is it that she doesn't blink an eye before accepting the baby, the very baby that would remind her of the crime. How was such a huge atrocity does not affect her what so ever?'

Maaz took a moment and turned to her, - 'what do you want her to do, huh? Hang a board around her neck about how crushed her heart is? Or you want her to mop all day and night?' He spat angrily. Hannah was taken aback with Maaz getting so defensive.

'I told you, Anaya is a strong woman. I don't want to hear anything against her. Bas!' He took a step to walk away but stop mid-way and looked at her, - 'I told you everything because I thought you were my friend, but I didn't know you can be so insensitive.' He pressed his lips tightly and walked away. Hannah had a desperate look as she watched him go. That woman was making a fool of him and she was his friend but could not do anything. She let out a helpless sigh.

Maaz fumed as he marched towards his room. He was outraged with Hannah and her reasoning. But apart in his head knew that he was mad because her reasoning made sense. As he climbed the stairs, he dashed into his mother who was climbing down in a hurry.

'Woah, Mom. Are you okay?' He asked and got concerned looking at his mother's sweaty face and fast-paced breathing.

'My son.' She hugged him. Maaz held her shoulders and separated their frames.

'Mom, what happened?' He enquired. She gulped and he held her hand.

'Get water for her.' He yelled at passing by maid. She nodded nervously and rushed towards the kitchen.

Maaz held his mother's hand and put an arm around her shoulder guiding her towards the living room. He made her sit on the couch and kneeled next to her.

'Mom?'

'Beta,' – she ran her palm loving over his face, - 'You won't believe what I heard.' She cried. Maaz held her hand tighter assuring her that he was there to listen to her.

'I told you—and Rashid that, that woman isn't good for you.' She said.

Maaz frowned, - 'Who, Anaya?' – she nodded, - 'what has she done, Mom? I am sure there is some misunderstanding.'

'No, I heard her myself. She was speaking on the phone with her mother.'

'What, mom?' Maaz could feel his heart racing. Suddenly, all of Hannah's words were being repeated in his head. Surely, it wasn't true. It couldn't be. But as his mother narrated everything, he felt as though his heart was being stabbed several times with a cold dagger. The woman he trusted the most, the woman he admired and the woman he loved have given him the shock and misery of his life.