Shattering his ego

Hadi had secured a prestigious job at a prominent software company even before completing his graduation. His career was flourishing, and he faced no concerns in that aspect. Around this time, he had also come to realize that he was genuinely becoming attracted to Masooma. Her dressing, mannerisms, and speech all seemed to align with his ideal. Despite wearing traditional attire like a salwar suit, she appeared remarkably beautiful and appealing. What struck him even more was her impeccable character. He was the only man who had ever entered her life, and he had willingly embraced this commitment. His mother had never allowed any other man to cast even a glance her way. He, too, had never been involved in any kind of relationship. Although his handsome looks attracted many girls, they often ended up disappointed. He believed that all of this would hinder his career, and thanks to Rumaisa's upbringing, he was cautious around girls. He firmly believed that premarital relationships were wrong and disapproved of casual interactions with girls.

One evening, he decided to take Masooma for an outing. He went to her room, and without knocking on the door, he entered directly.

The walls were painted with soft lavender, and the bed was dressed in a luxurious white duvet and pillows. Soft pink big plush in front of the bed. The windows were closed and covered with long curtains. A dressing table with a large mirror sits in one corner of the room. On it, all sorts of makeup accessories were organized neatly. In front of it was an off-white buckle dressing table chair. An entire wall is filled with bookshelves, mostly filled with novels. Rumaisa loved to read novels, and she made sure that Masooma loved reading novels.

Masooma, who was studying, got shocked to see him suddenly enter. She thought Rumaisa had come. However, a frown appeared on her forehead.

'Nice room.' Hadi commented after looking around her room. Then he fixed his eyes on her. Her long hair was braided. She was wearing loose long kameez with loose pajamas.

Her scarf was lying on the bed. Masooma at first grabbed her scarf and wrapped it around herself.

She looked at Hadi. Her eyes were laced with surprise and indignation.

'What are you doing in my room?' she demanded.

Hadi, caught off guard by her outburst,was at a loss for words at first, but he quickly maintained his composure. He said confidently, casually shoving his hands inside his pants,My mistake. I was just looking for you.'

'Well, you could have knocked.' Masooma snapped. She'd crossed her hands tightly on her chest, and her eyes narrowed. 'Don't you know it's rude to just barge into someone's room without permission? Don't you have any manners?

Hadi was stunned to see the Masooma standing before him, radiating an aura of self-assurance that he had never witnessed before. He couldn't believe how much she had transformed over the years. The timid girl who would barely utter a word in his presence had blossomed into a woman who didn't hesitate to assert herself. He was happy to see such changes in her. Once again, he was proud of his choice. He was glad that, even this time, he chose what was better.

'I'm sorry.' he said, flashing his charming smile. Masooma, unfazed by his apology, bluntly asked,What do you want?'

Hadi, undeterred by her curt tone, plopped down on the edge of the bed and said, ' Let's go for an outing.'His tone was more commanding than inviting.

Masooma looked at him with confused eyes. 'An outing?' she echoed. Her brows furrowed. 'Why?'

Hadi shrugged as if it were an obvious suggestion, completely oblivious to Masooma's apprehension.

'Why not? It's a nice day, and we could use a break from routine.'

Masooma remained silent.

'What happened? What are you waiting for? Hurry up. Get ready.'

Masooma's face hardened. 'Look, I don't want to go anywhere with you. You can go now.' Masooma answered. Her voice was firm and unwavering. She got back to what she was doing before.

Masooma's abrupt refusal and dismissive tone stung Hadi's pride, igniting a spark of anger within him. He strode towards her, his movements fueled by his frustration. Without a word of warning, he seized her arms, pulling her to her feet. Hadi's sudden change in demeanor caught Masooma off guard. His harsh tone and imposing presence sent a jolt of fear through her veins. Her eyes widened in alarm as he grabbed her arm, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest. 'Who do you think you're talking to? 'he inquired. His eyes narrowed.

Masooma's breath caught in her throat. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over. Hadi could see the terror in her eyes. He didn't mean to scare her, but his ego was hurt by her reckless behavior. Noticing her distress, he loosened his grip, but his voice remained cold and commanding. "There's nothing to cry for," he snapped, not wanting to admit his mistake. 'Why are you crying?'Masooma remained silent, tears streaming down her face. No one had ever talked to her like this. No one. But he dared to do so. Hadi's impatience grew. 'Come on,' he ordered, his voice laced with authority. 'Get ready now.' He didn't want to ruin his mood. To his surprise, Masooma didn't reply to him. Rather, she bolted out of her room.

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Hadi found himself sitting in front of his parents, facing their stern gazes and simmering anger. His mother, Rumaisa, spoke first, her voice laced with disappointment."Why are you acting like you haven't done anything wrong, Hadi Yusuf?" she asked, her eyes flashing with disapproval. "You caused your wife pain, and you have no excuse for your behavior."

Hadi's father, Rafiquzzman, nodded in agreement, his expression grim. "Your actions were unacceptable, Hadi," he said, his voice heavy with disappointment. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

Hadi felt a surge of defensiveness rise within him. "I didn't mean to hurt her," he protested, yet his demeanor was calm. "It was an impulsive reaction on my part. But you should have seen how she treated me." Rumaisa raised an eyebrow, her skepticism evident. "How did she treat you, Hadi Yusuf?" she challenged. "Explain yourself."

Hadi hesitated for a moment, trying to frame his words carefully. "I simply asked her to get ready for an outing," he explained. "But she dismissed my request in such a disrespectful manner that it provoked me."

Rumaisa's eyes narrowed, her anger intensifying. "First of all, who gave you the right to take her out?" she demanded. Hadi looked at his mother, his pride wounded. "She's my wife," he retorted, his voice laced with defiance. "I don't need anyone's permission to take my wife out." He was extremely irritated at Masooma's irrational behavior.

Rumaisa's face contorted in disbelief.

"Wife?" she echoed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "What are you talking about, Hadi Yusuf? You made it very clear before you left that you had no intention of staying married to Masooma. You even said you would divorce her."

"That was then," he replied."Things have changed."

Rumaisa shook her head in exasperation. "Hadi," she began, her voice softening slightly, "you can't just change your mind like that. You've already made up your mind, and you've hurt Masooma deeply. She's not going to just forget all that and welcome you back into her life."

"What do you mean?" He retorted, his voice laced with a mixture of frustration and defiance. "I'm everything a girl could want in a husband."

Rumaisa sighed, her gaze unwavering as she met her son's defiant eyes. "Hadi," she began, her voice calm yet firm, "I'm not saying you're not a good man. But you are not the man Masooma wants."

"Why? Does she like someone else?"Hadi asked; the thought of her having a relationship with someone else despite being in marriage boiled him in anger.'Shut up, Hadi. What do you think of Masooma? "

"Then what's her problem?" He was relaxed after hearing his assumptions were wrong.

"Hadi, when you told me that you wanted to divorce her, I didn't let her weave any more dreams of you. I told her what the truth was. I told her that she shouldn't think of you as her husband anymore. She was heartbroken. I have seen how much it destroyed her. At that time, I regretted my choice greatly in getting you two married. She had fallen into severe depression. We even took her to a psychiatrist, but nothing helped. However,with our love and affection, slowly she came back to life. Now, her feelings have changed for you."

"Okay. I'll apologize to her." Hadi said. "I am sure once I apologize, she will forgive me."

Rumaisa sighed in resignation, realizing that her son's arrogance and ego were deeply ingrained. "'Well, son,' she said, her voice laced with disappointment, "you may be willing to accept Masooma back, but she's not willing to accept you. She's already made up her mind to divorce you, and Rafiq and I support her decision."

Hadi's eyes widened in shock, his jaw dropping in disbelief. "What?" he asked as if he heard something wrong. Rumaisa stood up, her gaze unwavering. "We've already made up our minds, Hadi," she said firmly. "The divorce will proceed, and you will accept it."Hadi said nothing. His shoulders slumped. He had never imagined that his parents would take Masooma's side over his. But he had trust in himself that sooner or later Masooma would accept him. After all, how long would she run away from him?

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As Masooma exited college alongside Hania, a Pakistani girl, and Ima, a Bangladeshi, her gaze was drawn towards Hadi, who leaned casually against his car, adorned with sunglasses that day. She couldn't help but notice the magnetic pull he exerted, captivating the attention of numerous girls, including Ima and Hania.

A wave of unease washed over Masooma as she observed the crowd of girls casting admiring glances towards Hadi. She couldn't fathom the reason behind the sudden surge of anger she felt towards him. Amidst the ongoing chatter, Ima and Hania exchanged surprised glances as Masooma abruptly made her way towards Hadi.

Hadi, leaning against his car, removed his sunglasses and turned towards Masooma, whose figure was draped in an abaya, with only her eyes visible through the niqab. A hint of curiosity flickered in his gaze as he awaited her approach.'Mom couldn't come today to pick you up. So, she sent me to pick you up.'

Ima nudged Hania with her elbow, prompting her to look at Hadi. Hania shifted her gaze towards the enigmatic figure beside Masooma and inquired, "Masooma, who is this gentleman? Is he your brother?" Curiosity piqued their interest, as this was their first encounter with Hadi.

'Brother? I'm her husband. Get inside, wifey. We're getting late,' Hadi declared with a smirk, stepping into the car.

'Husband?' Ima echoed, and Hania exclaimed, 'Misi, you're married. Why didn't you tell us before?'

Masooma, caught off guard and growing angry, bid her friends goodbye without offering an explanation and joined Hadi in the car.

As Hadi started driving, Masooma couldn't contain her frustration. 'What was that?' she demanded.

Hadi, playing innocent, replied, 'What?'

'Why did you tell them that I'm your wife?'

'Aren't you my wife?' Hadi retorted, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

Masooma remained silent.

'Not for too long,' she replied.

'And what made you think so?'

'You.'

'Haven't you heard I change my mind?'

'May I know why?'

'You want to hear your praises from my mouth?'Hadi smiled.

'No, I want to know what made you change your mind?' Masooma remained unfazed.

'Look, you have transformed well. You possess all the qualities to be my wife.'

'Hadi Yusuf, have you wondered if you possess all the qualities to be my husband? You are irresponsible, arrogant, egotistic, ill-mannered, and somewhat narcissistic,' Masooma said.

Hadi, growing angry, abruptly stopped the car on the side and glared at her. 'Get out,' he barked. They were quite near their home, and he wanted to avoid doing something he might regret if he continued the conversation. Masooma immediately got out of the car. No matter how brave she was, she still felt scared whenever Hadi became angry.

Once again, she hurt his ego. He found himself driving aimlessly, the road a reflection of the confusion in his mind. 'Okay, if she doesn't want to stay with me, it's fine. It's not like she's the last girl on earth,' he reassured himself, but the words felt hollow. Despite the attempt at self-assurance, a nagging feeling persisted, something he couldn't quite comprehend. This wasn't like him; he was grappling with unfamiliar emotions.

Nevertheless, he steered his way back home, determined to convince himself that if she chose not to be a part of this marriage, he, too, was not desperate to cling onto it. His wounded pride drove him to this decision. He couldn't allow anyone to hurt him any further. Somewhere in the echoes of his hurt ego, he pledged to find someone better, as if that would heal the turmoil within.

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