20-07-2025, 08:17 AM
(This post was last modified: 20-07-2025, 08:19 AM by matiba2025213. Edited 1 time in total. Edited 1 time in total.)
Chapter 15: Rahim (Act 6)
The morning sun was barely creeping over the horizon as Lina walked briskly through the quiet streets, her footsteps echoing in the stillness of dawn. Her body still carried the faint ache of the stormy night, a reminder of the choices she’d made. She kept her head down, her thoughts a tangled mess of guilt and longing. She didn’t dare look back at the alley where Babu still slept. That chapter of her life was over now.
When she finally reached her home, the front door creaked open to reveal Rahim pacing the living room, his face etched with worry. He spun around at the sound, relief flooding his features.
“Lina! Where have you been? I’ve been out of my mind!” he exclaimed, rushing toward her. His hands gripped her shoulders, his gaze scanning her face for answers.
She forced a tired smile, her heart pounding in her chest. “There was a storm…just outside of the shop and I got caught in it. My phone died, and I decided to put up at the massage parlor. I’m sorry...Rahim... I worried you.”
Rahim pulled her into a tight embrace, his warmth a stark contrast to the chill that still clung to her skin. “Thank God you’re safe,” he murmured into her hair. “I thought something horrible had happened.”
Lina swallowed hard, guilt twisting in her gut. She stepped back slightly, reaching into her bag and pulling out the crumpled bills she’d earned from Uncle Lim and Alan. She shoved them into Rahim’s hands without meeting his eyes.
“Here,” she said quietly. “This should help. With the shop.”
Rahim stared at the money, his brow furrowed. “Where did you get this?”
Lina shrugged, brushing past him toward the kitchen. Her voice was steady, rehearsed. “Tips from clients. I’ve been saving up for few months.”
Rahim hesitated for a moment before following her. His tone softened as he watched her pour herself a glass of water. “You didn’t have to do that, Lina. You know I appreciate everything you do…”
She turned to face him, forcing another smile. “I have also quit my job,” she blurted out, cutting him off. “Rahim...I want to help you with the shop full-time. We’ll make it work together.”
Rahim’s eyes widened, surprise and gratitude flickering across his face. He stepped closer, his hands gently cupping her cheeks. “Are you sure? You loved that job…”
Lina nodded, though her chest tightened at the lie. “I know....but...It’s time for a change,” she said softly. “We’re partners, aren’t we? I want to be there for you.”
Rahim’s smile was blinding, his relief palpable. He leaned in, pressing a tender kiss to her lips. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
Her heart ached as she kissed him back, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. For a moment, she let herself sink into the familiarity of his touch, the warmth of his body against hers. But the ghost of Babu lingered in her mind, the memory of his rough hands and whispered promises threatening to unravel her.
When Rahim pulled back, his eyes were bright with newfound determination. “Let’s make this work, Lina. Together.”
She nodded, her throat tight. “Yes...together.”
As they moved to sit at the small kitchen table, Rahim began excitedly outlining his plans for the shop, his voice filled with hope. Lina listened, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She tried to focus on his words, on the future they were building, but her mind kept drifting back to the tent, to the storm, to Babu.
She thought of the way he’d touched her, the way he’d made her feel alive in a way she hadn’t felt in years. But she knew it was wrong. She knew it couldn’t last.
“Lina?” Rahim’s voice cut through her thoughts, concern etched into his features. “Are you okay? You seem… distant.”
She forced a smile, shaking her head. “I’m fine. Just tired. It’s been a long night.”
Rahim reached across the table, his hand covering hers. “Get some rest. We’ll figure everything out later.”
Lina nodded, standing slowly. “Okay.”
As she walked toward their bedroom, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something inside her had shifted irreparably. She paused at the doorway, glancing back at Rahim, who was already absorbed in scribbling notes for the shop.
For a fleeting moment, she wondered if he could sense the guilt that clawed at her chest. But he didn’t look up, didn’t notice the way her hands trembled or the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.
She stepped into the bedroom, closing the door softly behind her. The room felt suffocating, the walls closing in around her. She leaned against the door, sliding down until she was sitting on the floor, her knees pulled to her chest.
“What have I done?” she whispered to the empty room, her voice trembling.
Her mind raced, replaying every moment of the night...Babu’s hands on her body, her breathless moans, the way she’d surrendered to him completely. She pressed her palms to her face, trying to block out the memories, but they only grew sharper, more vivid.
She thought of Rahim, of how much he trusted her, how much he loved her. And here she was, hiding this enormous secret from him. She felt sick with guilt, her stomach churning.
But even as the guilt consumed her, a small, treacherous part of her couldn’t help but yearn for those stolen moments with Babu. The way he’d made her feel seen, desired, alive.
She squeezed her eyes shut, tears slipping down her cheeks. “I can’t do this,” she whispered to herself. “I can’t keep pretending.”
But what choice did she have? She couldn’t tell Rahim. She couldn’t destroy everything they’d built together over one reckless night.
She stayed there on the floor for what felt like hours, her mind spinning in endless circles. Eventually, exhaustion overtook her, and she crawled into bed, burying herself under the covers.
As she drifted into an uneasy sleep, she promised herself that this would be the end of it. No more secrets. No more lies. But deep down, she knew it wasn’t that simple. Once you’ve crossed a line, there’s no going back. And Lina had crossed a line she never thought she would.
She just hoped she could live with the consequences.
The morning sun was barely creeping over the horizon as Lina walked briskly through the quiet streets, her footsteps echoing in the stillness of dawn. Her body still carried the faint ache of the stormy night, a reminder of the choices she’d made. She kept her head down, her thoughts a tangled mess of guilt and longing. She didn’t dare look back at the alley where Babu still slept. That chapter of her life was over now.
When she finally reached her home, the front door creaked open to reveal Rahim pacing the living room, his face etched with worry. He spun around at the sound, relief flooding his features.
“Lina! Where have you been? I’ve been out of my mind!” he exclaimed, rushing toward her. His hands gripped her shoulders, his gaze scanning her face for answers.
She forced a tired smile, her heart pounding in her chest. “There was a storm…just outside of the shop and I got caught in it. My phone died, and I decided to put up at the massage parlor. I’m sorry...Rahim... I worried you.”
Rahim pulled her into a tight embrace, his warmth a stark contrast to the chill that still clung to her skin. “Thank God you’re safe,” he murmured into her hair. “I thought something horrible had happened.”
Lina swallowed hard, guilt twisting in her gut. She stepped back slightly, reaching into her bag and pulling out the crumpled bills she’d earned from Uncle Lim and Alan. She shoved them into Rahim’s hands without meeting his eyes.
“Here,” she said quietly. “This should help. With the shop.”
Rahim stared at the money, his brow furrowed. “Where did you get this?”
Lina shrugged, brushing past him toward the kitchen. Her voice was steady, rehearsed. “Tips from clients. I’ve been saving up for few months.”
Rahim hesitated for a moment before following her. His tone softened as he watched her pour herself a glass of water. “You didn’t have to do that, Lina. You know I appreciate everything you do…”
She turned to face him, forcing another smile. “I have also quit my job,” she blurted out, cutting him off. “Rahim...I want to help you with the shop full-time. We’ll make it work together.”
Rahim’s eyes widened, surprise and gratitude flickering across his face. He stepped closer, his hands gently cupping her cheeks. “Are you sure? You loved that job…”
Lina nodded, though her chest tightened at the lie. “I know....but...It’s time for a change,” she said softly. “We’re partners, aren’t we? I want to be there for you.”
Rahim’s smile was blinding, his relief palpable. He leaned in, pressing a tender kiss to her lips. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
Her heart ached as she kissed him back, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. For a moment, she let herself sink into the familiarity of his touch, the warmth of his body against hers. But the ghost of Babu lingered in her mind, the memory of his rough hands and whispered promises threatening to unravel her.
When Rahim pulled back, his eyes were bright with newfound determination. “Let’s make this work, Lina. Together.”
She nodded, her throat tight. “Yes...together.”
As they moved to sit at the small kitchen table, Rahim began excitedly outlining his plans for the shop, his voice filled with hope. Lina listened, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She tried to focus on his words, on the future they were building, but her mind kept drifting back to the tent, to the storm, to Babu.
She thought of the way he’d touched her, the way he’d made her feel alive in a way she hadn’t felt in years. But she knew it was wrong. She knew it couldn’t last.
“Lina?” Rahim’s voice cut through her thoughts, concern etched into his features. “Are you okay? You seem… distant.”
She forced a smile, shaking her head. “I’m fine. Just tired. It’s been a long night.”
Rahim reached across the table, his hand covering hers. “Get some rest. We’ll figure everything out later.”
Lina nodded, standing slowly. “Okay.”
As she walked toward their bedroom, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something inside her had shifted irreparably. She paused at the doorway, glancing back at Rahim, who was already absorbed in scribbling notes for the shop.
For a fleeting moment, she wondered if he could sense the guilt that clawed at her chest. But he didn’t look up, didn’t notice the way her hands trembled or the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.
She stepped into the bedroom, closing the door softly behind her. The room felt suffocating, the walls closing in around her. She leaned against the door, sliding down until she was sitting on the floor, her knees pulled to her chest.
“What have I done?” she whispered to the empty room, her voice trembling.
Her mind raced, replaying every moment of the night...Babu’s hands on her body, her breathless moans, the way she’d surrendered to him completely. She pressed her palms to her face, trying to block out the memories, but they only grew sharper, more vivid.
She thought of Rahim, of how much he trusted her, how much he loved her. And here she was, hiding this enormous secret from him. She felt sick with guilt, her stomach churning.
But even as the guilt consumed her, a small, treacherous part of her couldn’t help but yearn for those stolen moments with Babu. The way he’d made her feel seen, desired, alive.
She squeezed her eyes shut, tears slipping down her cheeks. “I can’t do this,” she whispered to herself. “I can’t keep pretending.”
But what choice did she have? She couldn’t tell Rahim. She couldn’t destroy everything they’d built together over one reckless night.
She stayed there on the floor for what felt like hours, her mind spinning in endless circles. Eventually, exhaustion overtook her, and she crawled into bed, burying herself under the covers.
As she drifted into an uneasy sleep, she promised herself that this would be the end of it. No more secrets. No more lies. But deep down, she knew it wasn’t that simple. Once you’ve crossed a line, there’s no going back. And Lina had crossed a line she never thought she would.
She just hoped she could live with the consequences.
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