The Woman Who Was Almost Me

The pace of life had picked up so quickly that I often found myself swept away by the whirlwind of events, barely taking a moment to pause and reflect. New people entered my life, each leaving their mark, but one person stood out: Marya.

She was a friend of Aamz's, someone he trusted enough to ask for her help in staying connected with me regarding Dina's situation. He had lost trust in us, given the complications of our past actions, but Marya bridged that gap with her kindness.

She seemed gentle-hearted and warm, and before long, she became more than just an intermediary. She became a true friend. In the last days of Dina's life, talking to Marya was a calming presence amidst the chaos. Her words offered a sense of peace, a reminder that not all people in life were part of the storm.

And after Dina's passing, Marya didn't disappear. She remained a steady anchor for Aamz, helping him through the aftermath, guiding him to heal in ways he hadn't known he needed. In many ways, she became a silent savior, offering support without asking for anything in return.

Once, I talked about Marya to Dina in her final days. Dina asked, "Do you feel anything between her and Aamz?"

I quickly replied, "No, nothing. Don't think about it that way."

Dina nodded in agreement but then asked me to show her a photo of Marya. After looking at it for a moment, she said, "Unbelievable! She is Mahkia."

I was confused. "What do you mean?"

Dina's expression softened. "I always dreamed of my daughter looking like that. I have a good feeling about her."

A few moments later, Dina said to me, "Look, Dorsa, if she asks you anything about Aamz, try to make her think in the same way we once pretended to our father."

It was clear to me that Dina was worried. If, after everything was over, something did develop between Marya and Aamz, she wanted to use the same tactic of pretending we had used with our father to keep control of the situation.

I agreed, but in some inexplicable way, I found myself adding more to the pretenses, deepening the illusion.

Aamz was thinking through her can get more true thing from us. When he realized I was using the same pretense, he allowed it, maybe because he saw it as a way to gather information without revealing too much.

Months passed, perhaps even a year after Dina's passing, when I finally realized that something had indeed started between Aamz and Marya. To be honest, I didn't like it. But in my mind, it wasn't my business.

Then Aamz asked me to speak with Marya and clarify a few things that were wrong in her mind. He also had added some details of his own to the story.

I responded, "This is none of my business, do it yourself. And besides, I think you've tasted it and liked it, so don't come to me for advice now. You have to fix it yourself."

I knew it was something I couldn't control, and part of me felt conflicted.

Aamz said nothing at first, but a few days later, he made the same request again. "I want to take big steps. I want her to know the truth."

I finally relented and agreed.

I started talking to her, unsure of how to begin. I told her about the time I had feelings for him.

Marya's tone shifted suddenly, and she quickly ended the conversation.

The next day, Kaveh asked me about my past crush on Aamz.

Soon after, Aamz angrily confronted me: "What did you say? Why did you say that? You were supposed to only tell her the things we got wrong, nothing more! Just do that, and never talk to her again."

I replied, "Not now. Never again will I talk to her. Solve it yourself. By the way, you don't know everything I said, and it's probably harder for you to know than me. Good luck."

I was exhausted from always being a yes-woman for both him and Dina. And now, I felt anger towards Marya too. With just one sentence, she had made me the target of both Kaveh's and Aamz's frustration.

Late at night, Kaveh asked again, "Unbelievable! You really had a crush on him?"

I sighed and replied, "Yes, but that was a long time ago."

He paused, then said, "But you weren't supposed to tell Marya."

He gently added, "And honestly, I have no bad feelings about things from the past."

His words were kind, and I appreciated his understanding. Then, with a playful smile, he said, "Now let me reveal something else."

He laughed softly, clearly hinting at something he was about to share.

I raised an eyebrow and said, "What?"

Kaveh grinned and said, "It's funny, but did you know another member of our group had a crush on Dina?"

I paused, then asked, "Don't tell me that was you?"

He shook his head, laughing, "No, no! It was Moeen!"

I chuckled, "Oh, now I get it! No wonder Aamz removed him from the project so quickly. And why he ended up terminating the whole thing."

Kaveh shrugged, "Well, the termination of the whole work was really because Aamz was more interested in theoretical concepts than actual progress."

He said that, but I had my doubts.

Wasn't it better to help Aamz make things clear? Regardless, I decided not to be a tool anymore.

I had my own life to focus on now. I didn't want to get tangled in the mess of everyone else's drama. If they needed to sort things out, it was on them. I had my own path to walk.