In a Muslim neighborhood of the UK, lived a boy named Ahmad,
Who had shifted with his mother to the UK ten years ago,
When he was just ten years old, now he had turned twenty.
They had to leave their motherland because of a toxic father.
Ahmad was a student, his mother a teacher,
She ran the entire household alone,
Paying Ahmad’s fees, managing expenses,
She bore the weight of everything herself.
Ahmad loved his mother dearly,
But alongside, he also loved Maryam.
Who was Maryam?
Maryam lived in the neighborhood with her family,
Since childhood, Ahmad’s heart silently cherished her,
While Maryam remained unaware,
Just living her life, studying medicine,
While Ahmad was about to start mechanical engineering.
Then one day, calamity struck Ahmad’s world.
At three in the night, his mother suffered a heart attack
And she passed away.
Ahmad could not believe it, he was shattered.
He had no one now, utterly alone in this vast world,
Far from his homeland, broken beyond repair.
His neighbors were few who performed the funeral rites,
Burying her near the cemetery.
Now poor Ahmad, what could he do alone?
His courage had fled.
His mother’s earnings had kept them alive,
But now nothing remained, only a lonely house
Where Ahmad must dwell in solitude.
Meanwhile, Maryam learned of Ahmad’s mother’s death
And how he was now alone.
She felt deep sorrow, for she was a girl of a kind heart.
Ahmad had no idea about Maryam’s feelings.
One day, as he passed through the street, Maryam also walked by.
When she saw Ahmad crying, broken and weary,
Her heart shattered fiercely, overwhelmed by compassion.
She had never witnessed such a sight.
A young man walking with tears streaming down,
Sympathy filled her heart,
She went to his door and knocked.
Ahmad opened, face worn and shattered,
Seeing Maryam so close stunned him,
For he had only ever watched her from afar.
Maryam said:
“I’m deeply sorry to hear of your mother’s passing.
My heart is heavy for you.
May Allah grant you patience,
And if you ever need anything, please tell me.”
Ahmad, stunned, didn’t know what to say,
Finally whispered, “Thank you.”
Maryam asked, “Who cooks for you now?”
Ahmad replied, “I cook myself.”
Maryam promised, “I will send my maid to bring you food daily.
Please eat and never feel alone.
We, the whole neighborhood, stand with you.”
Ahmad said, “Thanks, it means a lot.”
That day, Ahmad was deeply happy,
For the first time, he felt someone shared his pain,
Someone stood by him in his darkest hours.
Yet Maryam’s heart held only sympathy,
She was simply pitying a broken soul.
Time passed; a month after Ahmad’s mother’s death,
His savings depleted.
With no food and no job, he set out to seek work.
Morning till evening he searched, but no opportunity found.
After weeks of despair, he landed a job at a petrol pump.
Though the pay was meager, it was enough for survival.
Meanwhile, Maryam’s sympathy slowly faded.
She forgot that Ahmad waited somewhere.
Ahmad was healing slowly,
Moving on faintly from memories of his mother,
But Maryam’s coldness gnawed at him.
One day, as Maryam walked in the park nearby,
Ahmad approached her, wanting to walk together.
Maryam said, “Please leave me alone.”
Disappointed, Ahmad stopped and went home to cry.
Maryam hadn’t meant to be harsh.
She had come home angry.
Those burdened by grief can be hurt by the smallest things.
Ahmad grew deeply disappointed with Maryam
And called his friend Amir in London,
“I’m coming, I’m depressed. I need a break.”
Amir was a good man, Ahmad’s school friend before he moved to London.
Broken-hearted, Ahmad went to Amir.
Meanwhile, Maryam’s aunt passed away.
Seeing her cousin cry, Maryam remembered Ahmad.
How arrogantly she had spoken to him in the park,
Though her own mother had recently died too.
She realized her mistake.
Ahmad arrived in London.
Rented out his house to cover expenses.
Amir was starting a medical store and gave Ahmad a job.
For a few days, Ahmad stayed with Amir,
With no worries, rent paid, and a place to rest.
Maryam went to Ahmad’s house to apologize.
Knocked the door; a British man answered.
“Who are you? Did a guy live here?” she asked.
“He sold me the house,” the man replied.
Ahmad had told the man to say the house was sold,
Not rented out.
Maryam felt hurt. Perhaps Ahmad had gone far away for this reason.
That evening, casually, Maryam asked her father about Ahmad.
He spoke kindly of Ahmad, knowing him for ten years.
He told her Ahmad now worked at a petrol pump.
The next day, a fire broke out at the petrol pump.
Many staff died in the blaze.
News reported over 30 deaths, including 9 staff.
Maryam’s world collapsed.
When the news showed staff pictures, Ahmad’s photo appeared.
Though Ahmad was safe in London, the media confused the information.
Maryam’s family wept, Maryam cried.
Ahmad saw the news and planned a healthy revenge.
He knew Maryam and her family had seen the news and his picture.
He cut off all contact, wanting to see if Maryam would reach him.
He disappeared silently.
Maryam’s guilt from the park incident haunted her.
She couldn’t meet her own eyes.
Feeling she had broken a heart and lost her chance to apologize.
She sank into deep depression, wishing Ahmad would appear so she could speak,
But Ahmad sought only to heal his own wounds in silence.
Ahmad worked at Amir’s store, rented a room, earned a salary, and was content,
But memories of his mother and Maryam still haunted him at night.
Maryam became unwell. Her parents took her to doctors.
They diagnosed deep depression.
One day, Ahmad told Amir the whole story,
Asked him to visit Maryam and learn about her condition.
Amir went, stayed in their society, and discovered Maryam’s deep suffering,
How she was crushed by guilt for hurting Ahmad,
And how she lost her chance to say sorry.
Amir returned and told Ahmad.
Ahmad was deeply pained.
He decided to stop hurting Maryam.
If meeting her could heal her depression, he would do so.
He left his society, wearing a mask upon his face.
At 7 PM, Maryam left home, sat in the park,
Ahmad watched her from afar, gathered courage,
Approached and sat beside her.
Maryam was lost in thought, zoned out.
Ahmad called her, removed his mask.
Maryam saw him and said,
“Please don’t appear before me again.
How many times have I apologized?
Please forgive me now.
When you come near, I drown in guilt.”
Ahmad was stunned,
Realizing the depth of her broken spirit.
Maryam stood and left. Ahmad began to cry, cursing himself for her pain.
She sat far on another bench.
Ahmad followed, knelt on the ground,
Took her hand gently and said:
“Maryam, I’m not a hallucination.
I am real.
Nothing happened to me. I was in London.”
Maryam, shocked, touched his face and arms,
Confirmed he was real,
Wept loudly and embraced him tightly,
Crying without end, begging forgiveness.
“Please forgive me.
I cannot live with this burden.”
Ahmad said,
“I am here. I have forgiven you.
I am alive.
Let all that pain go.”
Maryam held him tight, kissed his forehead,
“Thank you for forgiving me.
I won’t make this mistake again.”
Ahmad said,
“Come, I’ll take you home.”
Ahmad took her home, her family was surprised and happy to see him.
He explained everything.
How he knew her arrogance had hurt her deeply,
How she fell into depression when she thought he was gone.
He had returned to help her heal.
Her family thanked Ahmad warmly and blessed him.
Ahmad said,
“Alright, Allah Hafiz.
I’m going to my mother’s grave now,
From there, I’ll leave for London.”
He arrived at the cemetery, sat by his mother’s grave,
Spoke softly to her, lay down, and fell asleep.
Maryam followed quietly, saw the sight, and cried deeply,
Seeing how Ahmad longed for his mother’s love,
How a small boy had been broken so much.
She sat beside him and watched him,
Then helped him up, saying,
“You are brave. I feel so sorry for you.”
Ahmad half asleep said, “It’s nothing.”
Then stood, “I must go to London.
I’ll visit mother’s grave once a month.
You must come out of your depression.
I have forgiven you, and surely Allah has too.
Build your life, value your parents.
Look at me, I have none, and see how broken I am.”
Maryam begged,
“Please don’t go.
My heart doesn’t want you to leave.
I still feel it’s fiction.
I was in deep depression.
Only you could heal me.”
Ahmad asked,
“But where will I stay?”
Maryam said,
“I’ve arranged it at home.
You can stay in the guest room until I’m better.”
Ahmad agreed,
Said he would visit his mother’s grave daily.
Maryam said,
“May Allah forgive your mother. Come home now.”
Maryam brought Ahmad home, welcomed him warmly,
Set him up in the guest room, served good food.
Evening came, rain poured,
Ahmad sat by the window watching the rain.
Suddenly Maryam entered and sat beside him.
Ahmad asked,
“Don’t you feel lonely without me?”
Maryam hesitated, “I don’t know.”
Ahmad said,
“But I do…”
Maryam asked,
“What do you mean?”
Ahmad changed the subject,
“Look how lovely the rain is.”
Maryam’s eyes lingered on Ahmad’s face.
Ahmad asked,
“What are you looking at?”
Maryam suddenly looked away,
“Nothing.”
Ahmad took her hand,
Said, “Look, from my window,
I watched you study every day from 8 to 9.
Since childhood, I’ve been your secret lover.
I never told you, not even today,
But I wanted to tell you before leaving,
So I wouldn’t sink into depression.” (laughs through tears)
Maryam said,
“I have nothing to say.”
Ahmad asked,
“Do you have ears to listen?”
Maryam answered,
“Yes.”
Ahmad continued,
“On June 9th, your birthday,
While your family cut cake,
I made cake at home with my mother and cut it.”
Maryam’s eyes filled with tears,
“Really?”
Ahmad said,
“Yes. Remember once your birthday cake was all gone.
You couldn’t have any.
But when you opened the fridge the next morning,
There was cake — I had kept it for you.”
Maryam couldn’t hold back tears.
Ahmad said,
“Once you fell off your bicycle, hurt your knees.
Next day your bike was missing.
Guess why?”
Maryam asked,
“Why?”
Ahmad laughed,
“Don’t kill me. I stole the bike that night
And cut it into pieces.
That was my revenge.”
Maryam cried, feeling so loved.
Ahmad said,
“Remember last Eid, your cousin wore a dress just like yours.
And someone threw mud on it from a bike?
That was me.”
Maryam sobbed,
“Why do you love me so much?”
Ahmad said,
“I don’t know, I just do.
I wish you loved me too.
I would never let a single sorrow touch you.”
Maryam said,
“I’m just 22. There’s a long life ahead.
I need someone to keep all sorrow away.”
Ahmad said,
“You’ll find that someone.
I’m not here anymore, else I would have cared for you.”
Maryam said,
“Then take me now.”
Ahmad asked,
“What?”
Maryam stood up, loudly called everyone inside.
Ahmad was scared.
Maryam gathered everyone, played a recording on a Bluetooth speaker,
Of all their talks recorded secretly.
Ahmad tried to stop the speaker.
But Maryam’s father scolded him.
Everyone listened — Maryam’s mother, father, siblings, elder brother.
Ahmad bowed, worried about Maryam’s act.
When the recording ended, Maryam’s father stood,
Walked to Ahmad, who was scared and apologized profusely.
But her father hugged Ahmad and said,
“You love my daughter. That’s no crime.
You loved truly, without plans, just pure love.”
Maryam said,
“Father, please marry me to Ahmad.
I like him so much. He will take care of me.”
Her father smiled,
“Of course, my child.”
And so, Ahmad married Maryam.
They stayed together forever.
Ahmad’s love for Maryam grew each day.
Maryam gave him love like a mother and wife combined.
Together they lived in happiness.
And thus, a beautiful tale of love ends here.
