Everything Happens For A Reason

Adra and Mini had only met a few months back. They were both in their mid-thirties and only a year or two apart. They had shared similar life goals until now. Which was to have a successful job, be happily married to a wealthy man, and have an amazing social life by the age of thirty. Until recently, they were happy with what they had, till they met and realized what they didn’t have.

Despite having a loving husband Ahmed, who backed her every career move, starting a family had become difficult for high-achiever Adra. She had come to New York as an architect for the construction of the world's largest studio in Hollywood. Ahmed ran a construction company in Riyadh and came to visit her for a day or two. She yearned for a son to inherit her empire, though she knew she didn't have time to raise children. Her career took a lot of her time, more so after she was elevated to the position of CEO. To make matters worse, she was having visions from a 5000-year-old war, and she had to keep herself constantly occupied to avoid them.

Mini was the proud mother of two lovely children. A highly qualified lady who had taken a break from her medical profession to raise them. When the kids were grown up to start school, she had occupied herself with her patients once again. Ishaan, Mini's billionaire husband, was now engrossed in the production of a film besides his other ventures. 

For the previous several months, Ishaan's nights were becoming occupied with hosting rave parties for Hollywood's who's who, leaving Mini to herself. Adra was the one that came to see her in the evenings, and they both found comfort in one other's company. They occupied themselves with their own tasks in the mornings and afternoons.

It was one of those mornings when Mini was searching through the laundry after a hot cup of tea; she normally got the whites washed separately, and there were these three white shirts protruding from the laundry basket. She picked them up, noticing the orange lipstick mark on one of their collars as she handed them over to the servant. 

Not again, she said to herself as she felt mixed emotions well up in her heart - she felt cheated, angry, heartbroken, and miserable. 

She snatched the shirt from the servant's grasp and scrutinized it once again. She hesitatingly lifted the garment close to her nose. And alas, her fears came true. For the third time in a month, she had found lipstick stains and this unique fragrance. Should she ignore Ishaan once again or confront him this time? She felt driven to go farther since she suspected he was having an illicit affair. She walked up to the breakfast table, clutching his shirt even tighter, where he sat waiting for her.

***

“So what’s going on between you and Adra?” Mini demands, pointing to the shirt. "Lipstick marks on the collar and the smell of Tea Rose perfume".

Ishaan slammed his coffee cup on the table. “Damn it, Mini, what are you saying?” Looking briefly at the shirt, he yells, “I'm not messing with Adra!”

“Why do you lie to me? I get your laundry done and have seen the lipstick on your collars and smelled the same perfume three times this month. Adra is the only lady I know who wears this unusual orange color and this perfume. As I don't use them, it has to be from another lady, right?” With tears running down her cheeks and a lump forming in her throat, she could talk no further. 

He ran a hand through his hair. “Why won’t you listen? There is nothing between me and Adra. Nothing!” he shouts back again. Instantly lowering his voice, he adds, “you are the only lady I love.” And then, a bit frustrated, he asks softly, “Have you mentioned this to anyone else?”

“Well, just her husband Ahmed. He was here for work and I met him at the market yesterday. I told him what's going on. I knew he would question Adra and bring all this to a stop since I could not bring myself to discuss it with you.” She replied with her head down and still sobbing.

“Seriously, Adra, are you crazy? You go telling the husband of your best friend without knowing the truth. You could have questioned me or even Adra and have known the truth. Why would you go tell Ahmed? Now I will have to speak with him.” Saying this, Ishaan stomped out of the kitchen.

***

He was soon standing outside Ahmed's office. 

Ishaan banged on his door, still enraged by the lipstick smudges and the perfume that had set Mini off. Despite his best efforts, those things had tipped her off. Pounding on the door like a crazy man, he screamed in rage, “Damn it, Mini, I'm not messing around with Adra!”.

Ahmed was surprised to find Ishaan in his pajamas, looking disheveled, as the door violently wrenched open, so he urged him inside right away. Before Ahmed could take a seat in his large conference room across from Ishaan, he overheard Ishan add, "Divorce isn't in my plans." Mini provides me with the respectability and stability I need. Nothing I said to Mini that morning, however, could reassure her of my innocence. "

"She was acting strangely, like a wounded tigress," and then added, "because all I did at the time was arguing with her. Why won’t she listen?” In despair, he shook his head. “There is nothing between me and Adra. Nothing!” he whispered.

Ahmed grabbed his hands in his palms and firmly squeezed them, as if to reassure him he was correct. He then said, "If it isn't Adra, who is she?"

Ishaan shrugged and looked at Ahmed, but did not reply.

Ahmed didn't have time to get into the finer details. He was in a rush since he needed to depart for Riyadh in a few minutes. Though he could make out that there had been a domestic misunderstanding between his good friend Ishaan and his wife Mini, he couldn't sit with him even if he wanted to. He, therefore, told his friend Ishaan that he believed him and asked him to take care of his wife Adra while he was away in Riyadh. As he said this, he gestured for Ishaan to follow him through the door.

***

A startled Adra could only stare as Mini wept back at Adra's house. They had only known each other recently. Despite this, they had grown to be great friends. To each other, they were twin sisters. Mini couldn't think of such a thing, could she? The accusation felt like a knife in her back. 

“Mini, that’s insane. Listen to yourself!”

Mini brushed her tears away with the back of her hand. “Just be honest with me.” That is all I am requesting. 

“I am telling the truth. How could I ever —?”

“Do not trick me!” Mini let out a scream. “I saw his collar was smeared with lipstick! I caught a whiff of your fragrance on his shirt!”

The words were as scorching as a burning log of wood. Adra smacked Mini in the face, trembling. “What the heck is wrong with you? I don't steal the husbands of other women, definitely not yours!”

“But I saw —“

“I don't give a damn what you saw! It wasn't me!” She nearly shook Mini by the shoulders, but her friend's knees collapsed and both ladies lost their balance and sank to the floor. And Adra saw tears in Mini's eyes. That's when Adra realized what had happened. It wasn't a figment of 

Mini's mind that must have led her to make this claim. Ishaan must have been unfaithful to her. “Oh, Mini, I'm so sorry. Oh God, Mini, I’m sorry.” She wiped away Mini’s tears. “Please accept my apologies. It wasn't me, I swear. That is something I would never do to you. But I'm going to figure out who it was. I promise I'll track her down and make her regret it.”

With this, she assisted Mini outside.

***

Mini and Ishaan slept in the same bed that night but said nothing. It was one of those gloomy evenings when they didn't feel compelled to hold hands or seek warmth in one other's bodies.

***

Mini could not sleep for the entire night. She was consumed with figuring out who Ishaan was having an affair with.

***

Ishaan drifted to sleep, intending to inform Mini the next morning about the woman with whom he was filming a few kissing moments. Because of a Storyline twist, such extra sequences were necessary to fill in the gaps to develop the actress's vamp persona. He'd been filling in since he was a producer, and he didn't want to waste another day searching for the right guy.

***

After a long call from her husband Ahmed, who was full of admiration for Ishaan, Adra fell asleep. Ishaan and he had been friends for a long time, and he had filled her in on all the facts;

...not knowing that inevitably, a relationship would form between Adra and Ishaan. She was his wife in a previous life.

***

Everything happens for a reason. Adra-Mini, Mini-Ishaan, Ishaan-Adra, the wheel of time will once away revolve to make for better things to come together.

***