And There I was The Other Woman... Unknowingly...!!!

You are beautiful, educated, bear good family backgroud, you cook delicious food, “You are a dream of every guy”. Back in the days I used to hear a lot in the time I was doing my post graduate from a prestigious university in Lahore, and knowingly that I was all of the above I was never the one who pursue attention from the guys. After all it is the norm, the girl seldom has to work for who she wants.

The above came true, but with miserable consequences, 8 year later, today, I still cannot believe how oblivious I could be.

I met Faisal in 2011 when we were in University. It was love at second sight (I wonder if there is someting). I saw him first at a local super store, but I fell in love only when I saw him for the second time in our university. Faisal was a year senior to me. It was the eid gala where he approached me, I was just mesmerized with is jaw line so perfect, I could smell his manly smoky perfume. “Hi” and I was under a spell, I still couldn’t believe, “Hello”, I said back and I could feel something trapped in my throat. “didn’t I see you at our local super store” I said “I am not sure” though I was completely sure that we had seen each other before. Would you like to drink something, I raised my hand with the fizzy drink in it. He said “Faisal”, “sorry what” was my immediate reaction “My name is Faisal”. I replied back, “Maira”, by this time I hadn’t realized my friends had left and I was standing all by myself with him. He was confident and it took him no time to ask me “would you like to go somewhere for a dinner, I know this great place.” And It took me no time to answer “yes, but I have to be home by 10” and he agreed. He took me to a fancy restaurant where we were enjoying our dinner while his eyes were giving a completely different message. His eyes displayed complete sincerity and voiced his inner affection that he’d never felt the attraction he’d felt towards me. He promised me that he wasn’t looking for an easy hookup, and he would prove it to me, however long it took. I cant lie, I liked the attention; I craved the affection. I tried to find the ingenuity in voice, but when I looked at him his eyes screamed nothing but honesty. Looking back the whole thing reeked of bullshit. But I was in love, so I figured, I’d give him a chance. Whats the worst that could happen?

I was wary but each moment I spent with him, I let my guard down more and more, Driving me home from work, turned into getting dinner. And a “how are you doing??” text transformed into all night conversations. And suddenly we seemed more eager to skip to the physical intimacy part and with this eight years had passed. He had introduced me to his family, her mother was a simple woman and for her we were just friends. It was a dream come true and I did feel like I am her dream girl. But one day this dream became a nightmare.

I was on a shopping spree with my family where I met one of Faisals friend, he approached me without a hesitation asked me “Bhabi, hows the wedding arrangements going” I was confused and asked what wedding arrangements. He was a little embarrassed, your and Faisal’s wedding. I gave a smirk and said No, not yet. His expressions got more confused, “not yet!! Faisals family has started and you are saying not yet!!” he wished me best of luck and left me in a state of shock. In my mind there were bombardment of questions, I couldn’t wait to reach home and call him, the shopping spree had become a war of irritable choices and unwanted items.

As soon as I reached home, I called him “Faisal, where are you?” he replied back, “Maira I am home, what happened” he acted as if it’s a regular phone call, I asked “what wedding arrangements are you upto?” and there was a moment of silence. “Say something Faisal, I need an answer!!!”, “Maira, listen to me carefully, as this is the last time we are going to talk”, my whole world was about to crumble “what do you mean Faisal… last time!!!”, “Yes Maira, I am getting married, my mom has agreed and I will be getting married on 8th of November 2019”. “ How could this be all of a sudden, Faisal, and we were supposed to get married”, “No Maira, you thought of us getting married, I never committed to anything”, “But Faisal , we love each other, how can you marry another woman”, “Sorry Maira, I don’t love you, I love her and we are getting married, don’t ever call me again, we are not getting together ever”. And that was it, the last words I had heard of him.

I was broken and could not in my slightest senses had thought that this could happen to me. My love of life could bring another woman on me. The relationship was a dream come true. It was a dream but never came true. I called her mother, told her everything, how we have been together for eight years now and were supposed to get married, however she could only answer, “Its too late beta, how could I ruin life of the girl he is getting married to?”. I was speechless and couldn’t imagine this coming from another woman.

8th of November came and he got married, I was stalking him on facebook, disgustingly thinking of her wife as the other woman who ruined my relationship and his profile led me to his wife’s profile and what I saw changed my whole take, I saw a closed standing picture of his wife with her elbow on his shoulder and he swirling his eyes towards her, where she was wearing a beautiful pearl white lehnga and him in a black suite. The picture had a post attached to it which said

“Finally hooked up with the heartthrob of my life, together for 9 years and now promised bound for eternity.”

9 years, how could this be, he was with me for 8 years, how could he be with her for 9 years, I immediately checked her facebook profile and it was filled with pictures of the two of them. They were in a relationship and these weren’t old photos she was posting. They were from recent events and he was even wearing the same outfit he had worn with me the previous week. The photos went back to University times. They had been in relationship for 9 years and he met me while he was in relationship with her.

The truth was there. He had been lying for who knows how long. I had to face the fact I had been turned into something I never thought I would become. Without my knowledge or consent, I was "the other woman." I was the side chick. I was the one doing something wrong and ruining their relationship. I felt disgusted, but in my heart I believed that this was not the position I chose nor was it a position I was aware I was playing. I was naive even though I must have seen several signs. Should I have told her that I was the other woman, share your feedback in comments below...