The Final Chapter
"At her father's funeral, Aliya meets Rashid—her father's best friend's son—for the first time since childhood. Their shared grief becomes something neither expected: a new beginning."
The Final Chapter
"I'm sorry about Uncle Yusuf."
Aliya looked at the man offering condolences. It took her a moment—then memory clicked.
"Rashid? Little Rashid?"
"Not so little anymore." He smiled sadly. "Your father was like a second father to me. I had to come."
He stayed through the funeral, the mourners, the endless chai and sympathy.
"How do you survive this?" Aliya asked when everyone else had left.
"You don't. Not really." His hand found hers. "You just... continue. With the people who understand."
"Do you understand?"
"I lost my mother last year. So yes." His eyes held hers. "I understand completely."
They started meeting—grief support disguised as coffee.
But somewhere between shared tears and quiet conversations, something shifted.
"I shouldn't feel this," Aliya admitted. "Not now. Not while I'm—"
"Feeling isn't wrong. Even in grief." Rashid cupped her face. "Especially in grief. Your father would want you to live."
"How do you know?"
"Because he spent years telling mine to get me married." He laughed wetly. "He'd approve."
They made love quietly, tenderly—two people finding life in the shadow of death.
"Meri jaan," Rashid whispered. "You're not betraying anything by being happy."
"It feels too soon."
"It feels right." He kissed her tears. "Let it feel right."
"Our families will talk," Aliya said afterward.
"Our families will be relieved." He held her close. "We're continuing their story. The next generation."
"That's very poetic for a grieving man."
"Grief makes you appreciate what matters." He looked at her. "You matter, Aliya. Say yes."
They married on what would have been her father's birthday—his blessing felt but not seen.
The grandchildren that followed were named for those who'd gone before.
Best chapter either of them ever started.