Maria fell in love with her new classmate at first sight. His name was Rustam. Such guys are usually called “majors” — they drive expensive cars, wear branded clothes, and the case on their phone costs more than the average monthly salary.
But it was him, not his status, that attracted Maria. She loved everything about him: his smile, his brown eyes… He exuded a special magnetism that made her head spin.
Maria grew up in an ordinary family. Her parents worked as doctors, and she dreamed of following in their footsteps by diligently studying medicine. The girl was her parents’ pride: quiet, gentle, intelligent… an example for all daughters.
But after meeting Rustam, Masha’s life changed dramatically. She secretly longed for him until he finally paid attention to the quiet overachiever. And as it often happens in such cases, the saying “still waters run deep” came to mind.
At first, Maria couldn’t believe her good fortune, but as soon as he took her hand, she lost her head for love. They skipped lectures together, played truant from classes, and kissed in the back row…
Deciding that this was a love for life, Maria introduced Rustam to her family. The family dinner went quite well. Rustam showed his true colors, and Maria glowed with happiness by his side. Only her mother became seriously concerned after meeting the fiancé.
“Honey, maybe you and Rustam should slow down a bit?”
“What do you mean, Mom?!” Masha snapped.
“Don’t get me wrong, but I think you should finish the academy first and only then plan serious relationships.”
“First studies, then practice, residency, post-graduate training, and then… retirement! Do you think Rustam will wait until I’ve redone everything?!”
“If he loves you, he’ll wait. Not until retirement, of course, but at least until you graduate. Look at your father and me…”
“You and Dad got married twenty years ago! Times are different now! No one lives the way they used to!”
“Alright. But keep in mind, Rustam isn’t an ordinary guy. Be cautious and don’t make mistakes you’ll regret for a lifetime…”
“You’re just saying that on purpose!” Masha ran away in tears. It seemed to her that her parents did not wish happiness for her.
Masha called Rustam, and he comforted her all night, and she gave him the most precious thing a young, innocent girl possessed. After that, he was expected to marry her, or at least introduce Maria to his family. But Rustam wasn’t in any hurry.
“My father respects traditions. He’d be surprised if I brought you along.”
Those words struck Masha so hard that she had no reply. She stood silently, swallowing tears of hurt. And Rustam simply shrugged and drove her home.
But despite that, their relationship did not end. Maria loved Rustam, and he reciprocated her feelings in every way except in the familial sense. Nevertheless, Masha never gave up hope, thinking that sooner or later he would change his mind.
Then one day, several months into their “secret” relationship, an encounter finally happened. Perhaps by chance, or perhaps not. But it was not at all as Masha had hoped.
Rustam and Maria were strolling along the embankment, and their path passed by a pompous, expensive restaurant where Maria had never been before. She hoped that Rustam would invite her in, but something incredible happened: as they passed the restaurant’s terrace, Rustam suddenly stopped and his expression changed.
“Is something wrong?” Maria asked, frightened.
“Stay here. Wait for me.”
Instead of entering the restaurant with his girlfriend, he left her on the street and headed to one of the tables. Maria saw that an elderly man was sitting there, staring at her intently. The man was alone, perhaps waiting for someone. Masha couldn’t hear what they discussed, but from Rustam’s face it was clear that the conversation was unpleasant.
She waited for him a long time. And when Rustam emerged, he was no longer the same. Maria tried to find out the reason for his change in mood, but he remained silent. His behavior wounded her. She wanted to be hurt, but she couldn’t. Her feelings were too strong.
However, Rustam was completely unaffected by emotions. From that evening on, their meetings ceased without any explanation from him. Masha tried to distract herself with studies, but her mind was consumed by one thought — how to win back Rustam’s favor. Eventually, she called him herself.
“Where did you disappear to?! What’s going on?”
“I’m getting married,” he said.
“To whom?!”
“My family has chosen a bride for me.”
“And what, do you love her?!” Masha laughed hysterically. She thought it was a joke.
“No, but I’ll have to love her. Recently, the will was announced — my grandfather left a large inheritance, but it will only come into effect when I get married and continue our lineage, on the condition that the firstborn is a boy.”
“Are you serious? In the 21st century, does that still happen?!”
“I won’t discuss it, Maria. And I advise you not to either if you want our relationship to remain cordial.”
“Cordially? What does that mean?”
“I’ll handle my affairs and, maybe, if you’re good and obedient, we might continue to see each other. But, of course, strictly confidentially.”
“Why don’t you just go to hell, Rustam?!” Masha shouted and hung up. She couldn’t believe that this wasn’t a dream.
But the worst happened a few weeks later. Masha discovered that she was pregnant. And her first thought was joy. She hoped that this would win Rustam back.
She called him again.
“I asked you not to call.”
“I’m pregnant, Rustam. We’re going to have a child.”
“Are you trying to divorce me? You know, Masha… I thought you were an honest girl, but it turns out you’re just like everyone else.”
“If you don’t believe me, you can take a test.”
“I have nothing to do with your problem. Get rid of this disgrace and don’t call me again.”
After learning about Maria’s pregnancy, the father of the child, Rustam, disappeared from her life. He took the documents from the medical academy where they had studied together and transferred to another university.
Maria was devastated. She couldn’t concentrate on anything and nearly failed her session due to stress and worry.
Apart from her parents, she had no one to support her. She feared their anger, but her growing belly could not be hidden, and she had to confess. Her parents, guided by their moral principles and medical background, forbade Maria from having an abortion.
“Give birth. Otherwise, there will be problems later,” her mother said.
“The child will grow up without a father…” Masha wept.
“You should have thought this through earlier. Now, there’s nothing to be done.”
Summoning her courage and “tightening her belt,” Maria’s family managed to prepare for the baby’s arrival. And Masha was able to arrange for an academic leave so that she wouldn’t be expelled.
She gave birth on time. Ironically, a boy was born.
Masha looked into her son’s brown eyes and couldn’t stop admiring him. Despite Rustam’s actions, in the child she saw his reflection, and the feelings she had diligently hidden flared up once again.
Masha couldn’t help herself. She desperately wanted to show Rustam what he had lost by refusing the child. She took a bold step and sent a photo of the newborn to the child’s father, not considering that someone else in his family might see it. And that’s exactly what happened. After a while, she received a call.
“Maria? This is Rustam’s uncle. Listen to me, I won’t repeat myself…” followed by a brief monologue after which Maria realized she had made a huge mistake,
“You’re right. My son has no father. Goodbye,” Masha said in a trembling voice. She decided that Rustam’s family should have nothing to do with her child.
“So, what do we write in the ‘father’ field?” asked the registry office worker.
“Nothing.”
“Your child must have a patronymic; please indicate a name. You can choose any if you do not wish to mention the father’s name. Such are the rules.”
“I want it to be like this,” Maria declared, and despite being dissuaded and told that it couldn’t be done, she went her own way, choosing a suitable equivalent from the list of male names.
“Timur Maryevich?” everyone repeated.
“Yes.”
“And what kind of name is that for a father? ‘Marij’?” those who heard the patronymic were astonished.
“And the father is not involved here. My son has only a mother, Maria. He has no father. So Timur Maryevich, derived from my name.”
“You’re strange… abnormal,” some even condemned Maria’s choice. But she responded in the same manner:
“It’s up to me, not you. My son has a patronymic. Everything according to fairness.”
Three years later, while Maria was walking in the park with her son, a man approached them. He removed his glasses, and Maria shuddered. Standing before her was Rustam.
“Well, hello there, little one…” he said, trying to make contact.
“You’ve mistaken us for someone else,” Maria said, grabbing her child’s hand and quickly taking him away. Later, she learned that Rustam had never managed to produce an heir. His wife turned out to be infertile… and he remembered his son, whom he had rejected. But Maria was determined to fight for her child’s rights and to deprive her ex of any chance to see his son.