Maya sat in her dim office, the buzzing lights above her making the silence feel heavier. The walls felt like they were closing in, reminding her of Ayaz’s laughter, which now echoed in her mind like a haunting memory. She had liked him for so long but never found the courage to tell him. Instead, she hid her feelings behind the mask of friendship.

Outside her door, Soham, their colleague, lingered. His eyes were glued to Maya, filled with a mix of obsession and anger. He was married with two kids, but that didn’t stop him from wanting her. Every time he approached her, Maya said “No.” Those two simple letters were her way of saying she wasn’t interested, but they only seemed to make his obsession worse.

One evening, after another rejection, Soham cornered her in the empty hallway, his face twisted with frustration. “Dont you see how perfect we could be together?” he shouted, his voice shaking with rage.

“No Soham, I don’t see it. Because, I don’t have the same feelings as you do. Plus, you have a family. So, please stop this.”, although she snapped but her heart was pounding as fear washed over her. She tried to walk past him, but he blocked her way, desperation written all over his face.

In that moment, something snapped in Soham. The friendly mask he wore fell away, revealing a dark side she had never seen before. He lunged at her, letting his rage take control as he lost all sense of reason.

When the news of Maya’s death spread, Ayaz was shattered. Guilt overwhelmed him; he had never told her how he felt. If only he had been brave enough to express his feelings, maybe he could have saved her from Soham’s fury. Every thought of her was a dagger in his heart.

Days later, Soham was arrested. In a chilling moment, he confessed to the crime, his face twisted with anger as he screamed seeing Ayaz, “She said NO. What did she think of herself? You don’t know what she meant to me!” His eyes were wild as the police dragged him away, leaving Ayaz in shock.

Alone in his home, Ayaz felt the weight of regret crushing him. The world felt dark and empty without Maya’s laughter. Shadows filled the room, and memories of her flooded his mind. He wished he could turn back time to tell her how much she mattered to him.

No…

 

Was that such a life-changing word?

Maya’s NO was her way of protecting herself, a strong statement of her independence.

For Soham, her NO turned into an obsession, driving him to madness.

Ayaz wondered how such a small word turned his whole life upside down. He missed Maya