Beyond the game

Jamal sat in his car, parked on the side of the street, his fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly. His phone still felt warm from the call with Rahma. He had hung up quickly, unable to stomach the reality of what he had just learned. Azra was in a relationship with Yuzarsif. The realization hit him harder than he expected.

His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, and his heart felt like it was being squeezed. All this time, he'd kept his feelings buried, convinced that there would always be another chance to confess. But now, it was too late. Azra was with someone else.

He leaned his head back against the headrest, staring at the ceiling of the car, trying to breathe through the tightness in his chest. The regret gnawed at him like a constant ache. How had he let her slip through his fingers? He had known her for years, had always been there for her, and yet, he had never once told her how he truly felt. And now, she was with Yuzarsif—someone else.

His mind kept replaying the moments they had shared, the quiet smiles, the long conversations. They had always been close, so why hadn't he done something sooner? Why hadn't he opened his heart to her? It felt like a cruel twist of fate—he had waited too long and now the door was closed.

He slammed his fist against the steering wheel, frustrated with himself. It was a stupid mistake, and now he had to live with the consequences. A part of him wanted to pick up the phone and call her, confess his feelings, but the rational side of him knew it was too late. She was already with someone else. The space he had let grow between them, the hesitation, the fear of rejection, it had all led to this moment of painful realization.

"Stupid," Jamal muttered under his breath. "I should have told her."

---

Meanwhile, across town, Azra was sitting comfortably on the couch at Yuzarsif's place. The atmosphere was calm, the soft glow of the living room lights casting a warm hue across the space. They had spent the evening talking, laughing, and reminiscing about old memories. Yuzarsif had a way of making her feel at ease, making her forget about the weight of the world for a while.

As she sipped her coffee, Yuzarsif leaned in, his gaze intense but filled with affection. His fingers gently brushed against her hand, sending a warm shiver down her spine. She met his eyes, and for a moment, everything around them seemed to fade. There was no business, no family drama, no expectations—just the two of them.

Azra felt a sudden surge of warmth in her chest. Yuzarsif wasn't like anyone else. He understood her, and she found herself drawn to him in a way that she had never experienced before. He wasn't just a business partner or someone she had grown up with—he was becoming something more, something that was starting to fill the void she hadn't known existed in her heart.

"You know," Yuzarsif said softly, his voice low and enticing, "there's something about you that makes me want to stay here forever."

Azra smiled, a soft blush creeping onto her cheeks. "I'm not that special," she teased, though the warmth in her voice betrayed the humor.

Yuzarsif's expression softened, and he moved closer, his lips barely inches from hers. "You are. To me, you are."

The words lingered in the air, and before Azra could respond, his lips were on hers. It was a slow kiss at first, tentative, as if both of them were savoring the moment. Azra's heart fluttered in her chest, the softness of his lips against hers sending a rush of warmth through her veins.

She didn't pull away. Instead, she deepened the kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck as he pulled her closer. The world around them seemed to vanish, leaving only the two of them in this intimate space. Time seemed to stretch, the kiss becoming more urgent, more passionate, as the emotions between them exploded into something neither of them had anticipated.

When they finally broke apart, both were breathless, their faces flushed. Azra's fingers lightly traced Yuzarsif's jawline, her mind momentarily clouded with the intensity of what had just happened.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper, unsure if she was asking about the kiss or about them.

Yuzarsif's hand gently cupped her face, his thumb brushing over her cheek in a tender gesture. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life," he replied softly.

Azra's heart raced, the emotions swirling inside her. She had never felt this way about anyone before, not with Jamal, not with anyone. Yuzarsif was different—he made her feel things she had never imagined. She had always been so cautious with her heart, so guarded, but with him, it felt like she could be herself, without pretenses or expectations.

The silence stretched between them, comfortable yet charged with the weight of what had just transpired. Azra wasn't sure where this would lead, but in that moment, she didn't care. For the first time in a long time, she felt alive, truly alive, with someone who saw her for who she was.

But as she leaned in for another kiss, her thoughts wandered briefly—an echo in the back of her mind. A fleeting thought of someone else, someone she had known for so long.

Jamal.

She pushed the thought away, focusing on Yuzarsif, on the warmth of his presence. But the thought lingered, like a shadow in her mind.

Jamal, with his quiet intensity, his gentle smile, his loyalty. The person who had always been there, even when she didn't realize how much she needed him.

But that was in the past, wasn't it? She was here with Yuzarsif now. And maybe, just maybe, this was where her heart belonged.

---

Jamal sat in his car, still parked outside the café where he had met Selina. The weight of the phone call with Rahma still hung heavy on him. His heart ached with the realization that Azra, the woman he had always quietly admired, had moved on—just like he had feared.

He didn't know what to do with the pain. What could he do? He had been too late, too uncertain, too afraid of what his feelings might cost him.

The sound of his phone buzzing interrupted his thoughts. He looked at the screen and saw Rahma's name. With a heavy sigh, he answered.

"You're right," Rahma said before Jamal could even speak. "She's with Yuzarsif now, and you can't change that. You need to let her go."

Jamal closed his eyes, biting back the words he wanted to say. Letting go felt impossible. But maybe Rahma was right. Maybe it was time to stop holding onto a love that wasn't meant to be.

"Yeah," he muttered, his voice barely audible. "I know."