<p>MANSOOR!*</p><p>Mansoor was restless last night after leaving the house and heading to his camp, thinking he would find peace there. But no! The tranquility he sought eluded him. He felt regret, with part of him admitting that what he did to Mimi was unfair. Deep down, he felt the sting of the harsh words he had thrown at her and the sound of her sobs echoed in his ears. Why had he acted that way? What had Mimi done to deserve such treatment? If he were to be fair, they were equals at that moment.</p><p>But another part of him justified his actions, blaming her father for everything. He believed Mimi wouldn’t leave him because she loved him, and he had never imagined she would walk away. If he had known, he wouldn’t have left without apologizing to her. At one point, he considered returning home to apologize, but his pride held him back. He convinced himself that she should be the one to apologize to him, as he believed she had wronged him more.</p><p>Unable to shake off the guilt, his sleep was restless. He felt like a man burdened with guilt, haunted by his conscience. He remembered the disapproving look Inna gave him the previous day and knew he had no defense. Regret began to creep in, yet his pride overpowered him. He told himself he had done the right thing. However, each time he closed his eyes, Mimi's tears haunted him.</p><p>By dawn, he turned off his phone to resist the urge to call her. A part of him wanted to check on her, while another part stubbornly insisted he had done no wrong. To avoid being tempted to reach out, he shut himself off entirely.</p><p>The morning training session was his responsibility, but he delegated it to Zinder, claiming he wasn’t feeling well. Back in his small camp room, he lay on his bed, wrestling with thoughts of Mimi. Should he return home to check on her? Should he call her? Each time he resolved to act, his pride reminded him that he was justified in his actions.</p><p>“No, I didn’t lie to her. I only told her the truth,” he argued with himself, though he knew deep down that he had lied. He told Mimi he didn’t love her when, in truth, she was the most important person in his life after his mother and siblings. It was jealousy and insecurity that had driven him to such extremes.</p><p>Despite his efforts to forget, the incident replayed in his mind. He hoped time would ease her pain and trusted Inna and others in the house to comfort her. Yet, a part of him worried about her well-being and wanted to talk to someone he trusted. He thought of his brother, Mu’azzam, but pride stopped him from confiding in him. Even though Mu’azzam was younger, he still saw him as someone beneath him.</p><p>One by one, he dismissed the idea of reaching out to anyone, not even Ahmad. His circle of friends was small, limited to colleagues at work. He thought of Makama but realized he didn’t know where he lived. Nasir’s house came to mind, and though he hadn’t visited in ages, he decided to go there. Nasir was his only option.</p><p>Mansoor grabbed his jacket, phone, and keys, put on a cap, and left. On his way out, he briefly addressed the team members at the studio, asking them to inform the coach he had stepped out but would return shortly.</p><p>To his surprise, he easily found Nasir’s house. Parking outside, he switched on his phone and dialed Nasir’s number, uncertain of the last time he had called him. Nasir, who was having breakfast with his wife Nafisa and their kids, saw the call. When Nafisa handed him the phone, she said, “It’s AJI.”</p><p>Startled, Nasir repeated, “AJI?” He quickly answered the call, barely finishing his bite.</p><p>“Nasir, are you home?” Mansoor asked.</p><p>“Yes, I am,” Nasir replied, his mouth full.</p><p>“Good. I’m outside your house.”</p><p>Nasir froze, wide-eyed. “You? Which house? Are you lost?”</p><p>“Stop wasting my time, Nasir. I’m waiting outside.”</p><p>Before Nasir could respond, Mansoor ended the call. Confused and surprised, Nasir didn’t bother answering his wife’s questions as he quickly put on his shoes and rushed out. Standing outside, he saw Mansoor’s car and was overwhelmed with shock. Why was Mansoor at his doorstep today of all days?</p>
