His Best Friend's Daughter
Home
The airport doors slid open.
After four years of medical school abroad, Naira Rahman was finally home.
(Naira) FL
Five minutes ago.
Arham (ML)
Good. I'm outside.
A smile appeared on her face instantly.
(Naira) FL
You came yourself?
(Naira) FL
You could've sent a driver.
Arham (ML)
And miss the chance to see how much trouble you've become?
(Naira) FL
I missed you too.
The moment she stepped out, she spotted him. Black suit. Folded sleeves. The same calm expression. The same man she'd been thinking about for four years.
Arham (ML)
Why are you staring?
(Naira) FL
Just checking if you've gotten old.
(Naira) FL
Unfortunately, no.
Arham (ML)
Get in the car, doctor.
(Naira) FL
Not a doctor yet.
He took her suitcase before she could protest. Like he always did. Like he always would.
(Naira) FL
You didn't have to carry that.
Something about that answer made her heart skip.
(Naira) FL
You still treat me like a child.
Arham (ML)
That's because you are one.
The smile disappeared from her face. For a second.
(Naira) FL
I'm twenty-two, Arman.
The name slipped out naturally.
For the first time all evening, he looked at her differently.
Arham (ML)
...What did you just call me?
Naira met his eyes and smiled.
Neither of them spoke for the next few seconds.
Everything felt different.
The Silence
The car pulled away from the airport. Outside, the city lights blurred past the windows. Inside, an uncomfortable silence settled between them. Naira kept her eyes on Arman, while Arman kept his eyes on the road.
(Naira) FL
You still haven't answered my question.
(Naira) FL
Why did you look at me like that?
(Naira) FL
Like you'd never seen me before.
His grip tightened slightly on the steering wheel. It lasted less than a second, but Naira noticed. She always noticed everything about him.
Arham (ML)
You're imagining things.
(Naira) FL
Am I? Because it sounded like you were shocked when I called you Arman.
Arham (ML)
You've called me Uncle Arman for fourteen years. Suddenly hearing something else is... unexpected.
(Naira) FL
Maybe I got tired of sounding like a child.
Arman glanced at her briefly. Just one look. Long enough to realize that the little girl he remembered was gone. Long enough to make him immediately look away again.
Arham (ML)
You'll always be that annoying kid who followed me everywhere.
(Naira) FL
That's rude. I was adorable.
Arham (ML)
You stole my phone and texted my clients random emojis.
Arham (ML)
You locked me out of my own house.
Naira laughed. The sound filled the car, easing some of the tension. But not all of it. Because neither of them had forgotten the moment at the airport.
Arham (ML)
Of course I did.
Arham (ML)
Enough to drive two hours through traffic to pick you up myself.
Her heart skipped. Such a simple answer. Yet it meant more to her than it should have.
(Naira) FL
Good. Because I missed you too. More than anyone else.
The words hung between them. Arman didn't reply immediately. For the first time that night, he seemed unsure of what to say.
Arman: Your father would've been proud of you, Naira.
The smile slowly faded from her face. Every time he mentioned her father, it reminded her of the reason Arman had always kept a careful distance.
(Naira) FL
Maybe. But he's not here.
Silence returned. This time, neither of them tried to break it.
Twenty minutes later, Arman turned into the driveway of his mansion. Naira stared at the familiar house she'd grown up in.
Then she noticed something.
A woman's heels sitting beside the front door.
And suddenly...
The Heels
Naira's eyes remained fixed on the pair of women's heels by the front door. They weren't old or forgotten. They had been left there recently. Very recently.
(Naira) FL
We're expecting guests?
That answer only made her more curious. Arman opened the door and stepped inside, completely unaware of the storm already building inside her head.
(Naira) FL
Then whose shoes are those?
Naira hated vague answers. Especially from him. She dragged her suitcase inside and immediately looked around the living room.
(Female Voice) Arman, is that her?
Naira froze. A beautiful woman in her early thirties walked out from the kitchen carrying two coffee mugs. She looked comfortable. Too comfortable.
Arham (ML)
Naira, this is Sara. Sara, this is Naira.
sara
Finally. I've heard so much about you. Welcome home.
Naira forced a smile. The kind of smile people used when they wanted to appear polite while secretly planning a murder.
(Naira) FL
Really? Funny. I haven't heard anything about you.
The room became awkwardly quiet. Even Arman noticed it.
sara
Well... I suppose that's fair.
One word. A warning. The same tone he used whenever she was about to cross a line.
(Naira) FL
What? I'm just being honest.
Sara glanced between them before setting the mugs down. The woman clearly sensed the tension but was too polite to mention it.
sara
I'll leave you two to catch up. We can meet properly another time.
After Sara disappeared upstairs, Naira slowly turned toward Arman.
(Naira) FL
She's staying here?
Arham (ML)
For a few days.
Arham (ML)
Because she needed a place to stay.
The answer sounded reasonable. Naira still hated it.
(Naira) FL
And you just happened to have an empty room available?
Arham (ML)
Naira, what's your problem?
For a moment, she almost told him the truth. That she didn't like seeing another woman in this house. That she didn't like seeing another woman near him. But she swallowed the words.
(Naira) FL
Nothing. Forget it.
Arman studied her face carefully. He knew her too well. He knew she was upset. He just didn't know why.
Arham (ML)
Go unpack. We'll have dinner later.
Naira nodded and picked up her suitcase. But as she walked upstairs, she heard Sara laughing from one of the guest rooms.
And for the first time since coming home...
Naira realized she wasn't the only woman in Arman's life anymore.
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