Realisation

The evening was peaceful, with the soft glow of the chandelier illuminating the spacious living room. Maira sat beside Zahid's grandmother, her hands holding the elder woman's as they chatted. The atmosphere was light, warm filled with laughter.

Maira had been spending more and more time with grandmother lately, and she genuinely enjoyed it. It reminded her of home, of the days when she would sit beside her own grandmother and listen to her stories whenever she visited.

"I used to visit the countryside often when your grandfather was healthy. My family home is very intact and my brother's family are welcoming enough", grandmother said, her eyes twinkling with nostalgia.
"Oh, how I miss the fresh air, the open fields. The city is too fast, too suffocating sometimes",

Maira smiled, squeezing her hand lightly. "Yeah, it can be",

"Then we should go one day, Grandma. A short trip, just to enjoy the air and have some peace away from the city with family", she suggested.

The old woman's face lit up with excitement. "Wouldn't that be lovely? Oh, you could arrange it for sure, right?",

Maira opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, a deep, tired voice interrupted the moment.

"You promised her what?",

She turned her head sharply, startled. Zahid stood at the entrance of the living room, his broad frame tense, his suit jacket slung over his arm. His tie was slightly loosened, and his dark hair was tousled from running his hand through it which was an undeniable sign of exhaustion.

But more than the fatigue, his gaze held irritation.

Maira felt a sudden unease settle in her stomach. She hadn't done anything wrong, had she?

She stood up from her seat and turned to face him properly.
"I-I just said it would be nice to take Grandma to the countryside someday", she explained carefully. "She was telling me how much she misses it",

Zahid stepped further inside, his presence commanding. His tired eyes darkened further as he shot her a pointed look.
"And you thought it was a good idea to make promises without discussing it with me first?",

Maira blinked. "It wasn't a promise, just a suggestion-",
"Suggestions turn into expectations, Maira", he snapped, his voice sharper than intended.

The grandmother frowned, her previous excitement now overshadowed by the sudden shift in the atmosphere.
"Zahid, dear, she was just trying to-",

But Zahid wasn't finished.
"Do you even think before you say things? Do you know how much work goes into arranging something like that? Or do you assume you can say whatever you want without considering the consequences?",

His words stung more than she expected. Maira's grip on her dress tightened, the lump in her throat growing. She wasn't used to this, to being scolded, especially when her intentions had been nothing but pure.

"I only wanted to make Grandma happy", she said quietly, looking away from his intense gaze.

Maira noticed the way Zahid let out a sharp breath, rubbing his temple as if trying to ease the stress pressing down on him. His shoulders were tense, exhaustion evident in the slight droop of his posture. It wasn't just irritation, he looked truly drained, as though the long hours of work had left him with no patience to spare.

For a moment, she almost felt guilty for adding to his burden. Almost.

But then his next words came, sharp and dismissive, and any sympathy she felt crumbled beneath the sting of his tone.