The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm golden hue over the small house where Arman sat alone, staring at a photo frame resting on the corner table. The smiling face in the picture belonged to his elder cousin, Saba - a woman who had been more than just a cousin to him. Saba had been his confidante, his mentor, his personal diary. Thirteen years older than him, she was like an elder sister, someone he turned to with every joy, sorrow, or uncertainty.
Arman's parents had raised him and Saba without any distinction, treating them like siblings bound not just by blood but by a bond much deeper. Saba, with her innate wisdom and warm heart, became the anchor of Arman's life. He admired her brilliance - she was a gold medalist, an accomplished professional, and a devoted mother of three. But beyond her achievements, it was her role as his safe haven that mattered most to Arman.
Now, she was gone, and the house seemed quieter, colder. Saba had succumbed to cancer just a few months ago, leaving behind an emptiness that no one could ever fill.
Saba had always been there for Arman, celebrating his victories and comforting him during his struggles. She was the happiest when his marriage was fixed. Despite her illness, she had taken it upon herself to plan the details, picking out clothes for Arman and their younger siblings. Her excitement was infectious, even as her body weakened under the strain of chemotherapy.
But a month before the wedding, Saba's condition worsened. She slipped into a coma, and the once lively and vibrant woman was reduced to a motionless figure on a hospital bed. Arman visited her every day, holding her hand, speaking to her, and praying for a miracle.
On his wedding day, as he sat in the car on his way to the venue, he glanced at the seat beside him. That seat was meant for Saba, who had planned to sit there, beaming with pride and showering him with blessings. Instead, her absence loomed large, and the knowledge that she was lying unconscious in a hospital room tore at his heart. In her place, he asked her son to sit beside him, placing his hand gently on the boy's shoulder. The young boy's presence brought a bittersweet comfort to Arman, as though a part of Saba was still with him.
The wedding proceeded, but Arman's joy was muted. As he and his wife, Sana exchanged vows, his thoughts were with Saba, her laughter echoing in his mind and her absence weighing heavily on his heart.
Ten days after the wedding, Saba passed away. She left behind her three young children and an irreplaceable void in the lives of everyone who loved her. Arman felt like a part of his soul had been ripped away. He had spent his entire life sharing everything with her, leaning on her for guidance and wisdom. Now, she was gone, and he was left grappling with a grief that words could not express.
Months later, when Arman visited Saba's children, the pain of her absence resurfaced with full force. Her youngest daughter clung to him, her innocent eyes searching for answers to questions she couldn't yet articulate. Her son, who had sat beside Arman in the car on the wedding day, reminded him so much of Saba - the way he spoke, the way he smiled. It was as though fragments of her lived on in her children.
Arman sat with the children, sharing stories about their mother, trying to keep her memory alive for them. But every laugh, every smile they shared felt bittersweet, a stark reminder that she was no longer there to witness these moments.
One day, as Arman sat in his study, he looked at Saba's photograph on the wall. Her radiant smile seemed to fill the room with warmth, but it also brought a pang of pain. The chair she had always occupied at family gatherings, the seat she had planned to take in his wedding car, and the role she had played in his life - each was now a haunting reminder of her absence.
Arman often found himself lost in thought, wondering if he had failed her. He was a PhD holder in Human Rights, someone who had dedicated his life to advocating for justice and fairness. Yet, he had been powerless to protect Saba from the cruelty of illness. The irony weighed heavily on him.
"Sana," he confided in his wife one evening, "I feel like I've let her down. I couldn't save her. I couldn't even give her the happiness she deserved in her final days."
Sana placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Arman, you did everything you could. Saba knew how much you loved her. She was proud of you, and she always will be."
Arman nodded, though the ache in his heart remained. He knew that some wounds never truly heal, that some losses stay with you forever.
Over time, Arman found ways to honor Saba's memory. He visited her children often, ensuring they felt loved and supported. But he knew he could never fill the void their mother had left. They were pieces of her, a living legacy of her love and strength.
At family gatherings, Arman would glance at the empty chair where Saba once sat. It was a painful reminder that no one could ever replace her. But it was also a symbol of the love they had shared, a love that would continue to shape his life.
Saba's absence was a constant presence in Arman's heart, but so was her memory. And in those memories, she lived on - not just as a sister, but as the irreplaceable soul who had made his life brighter, even in the darkest times.
The chair remained empty, but her spirit filled every corner of his life, reminding him that love, though lost, never truly fades. It lives on, in the lives of those left behind, in the quiet moments of remembrance, and in the enduring bond between a brother and his sister.
