Zayan had no other choice.That was the truth he had learned far too early in life. Choices were a luxury — one he never had. Everything he did was for survival. For Lia. For Aryan. For his grandmother. For a future that seemed to keep slipping further away every time he tried to reach it.When the professor asked him why he didn't study, why he was working at such a young age, Zayan paused.The café noise faded. The clinking cups, the murmuring voices — all of it blurred into nothing. His chest tightened as memories rushed back. He thought of Lia's smile, Aryan's laughter, and his grandmother's trembling hands as she held him close for the last time."I have to live," Zayan finally said, his voice low."I have to live… for them."For Lia.For Aryan.For his grandmother.For the future he was afraid he might never reach.The professor didn't interrupt him. He didn't ask more questions. He only listened — and that alone felt strange. No one had ever truly listened to Zayan before.After a long silence, the professor spoke."I see potential in you," he said quietly. "The kind that shouldn't be wasted."Zayan looked down, unsure whether to believe him.The professor continued, his voice calm but firm. He told Zayan that he would give him a place to live. Food to eat. Safety. He told him that he wouldn't need to work at the café anymore, that his daily needs would be taken care of.Zayan's heart raced.Kindness scared him more than cruelty ever did."I'll take care of you," the professor said. "But on one condition — you stay with me, and you study."Zayan didn't answer immediately. His mind screamed with doubt. Nothing in his life had ever come without pain. Every helping hand had eventually let go.Then the professor told him his name.Professor Farooq.A biology professor at the university nearby. A man who had given his entire life to education and work. A man who had never married. Never had children. A man who lived alone, surrounded by books and silence."I don't have a family," Professor Farooq admitted. "And I don't want to live the rest of my life alone."Then came the words that shattered something inside Zayan."I want you to be my son."The world tilted.Zayan felt something twist painfully in his chest. A father. The word felt foreign, dangerous. He had one once — or at least, someone who was supposed to be one. And that man had abandoned him without looking back.Professor Farooq looked at him gently."I want you to call me 'dad.'"Zayan's hands trembled.He had no other choice — but that didn't mean he was ready. His heart was a battlefield of fear and longing. He wanted to believe this was real. He wanted to believe this wasn't another lie."I… I need time," Zayan whispered.Professor Farooq nodded. He didn't push. He didn't demand an answer."I'll give you one day," he said. "Choose."And then he left.Zayan stood there long after the professor walked out, feeling like his life had just split into two paths — one leading back to the darkness he knew too well, and the other leading somewhere terrifyingly unknown.From behind the counter, the café owner stepped forward."Accept it," the boss said quietly. "Men like him don't come twice. That man sees something in you. Don't throw it away."Zayan didn't respond.Because deep down, he wasn't afraid of leaving the café.He was afraid of hoping again.
