Unedited.

Nafisa stood on the same spot with her lips slightly apart. What has she done! How would she be able to explain to Maryam? She needed to think of a valid lie to tell and fast. She took a look at Manal's unconscious body lying by the foot of the stairs and an idea came to her. "Manal! Manaaaaaalllll!!!" She screamed on the top of her lungs. "Please help!!! Manal what happened to you? Oh Allah!"

Maryam was lying in bed when she heard the ruckus downstairs. She immediately sprung up hearing her daughter's name. Without wasting a second more, she ran out of the room. Her breath hitched in her throat and her breathing became cumbersome at the sight of her daughter lying on the floor unconscious and bloody. She got instantly enclosed by a nauseating feeling. "Manaaaal." She cried out, running towards her and gathering her in her arms. "Manal? Manal? Baby, please wake up! Manal?" She called, numerously, shaking and slapping her gently.

Nafisa's breathing uneven as she watched them. She quickly rushed down towards them and began to cry. She was feigning hurt by Manal's situation so badly that one would think it was genuine.

Maryam couldn't stop crying and shaking her daughter. She had momentarily lost her mind. No mother would be able to remain sane after seeing her daughter in that condition. "What... What happened to my daughter? What happened to her, Nafisa?" She managed to ask in between sobs.

Nafisa's heartbeat quickened. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed them back, because she couldn't utter a word. Her mind was blank and her lips, sealed.

"She pushed her down! I caught her doing it." Khadijah said, rushing down from the stairs.

Nafisa could swear she stopped breathing for a moment. She had finally been exposed! What was she going to do next? How was she going to escape from the house before they call the police? — different kinds of thoughts on how to escape evaded her mind. "I'm s—" before she could apologize, Maryam spoke, cutting her off.

Nafisa shut her eyes, dreading what Maryam was about to say. She was doomed!

Maryam averted her gaze from Manal to Khadijah and yelled. "Stop it Khadijah. Tell me exactly what happened to Manal!"

Nafisa was greatly surprised by Maryam's reply. She slowly opened her eyes and that was what gave her the courage to lie further; "I was just going back to my room when I saw Manal and Khadijah running about. I asked them to stop, but they ignored me and  the next thing I saw was Khadijah pushing Manal off the stairs." Nafisa finished and burst into tears. "Please wake up, baby."

"You're such a bad liar! Why don't you tell—"

"Enough, Khadijah! Enough!" Maryam yelled, cutting Khadijah off. She didn't want to hear a word from her. She totally believed what Nafisa had said because she believed she had absolutely no reason to put the blame on the little girl and Khadijah thought she could turn the blame of Nafisa. She glared at them both and swooped Manal in her arms. "We're going to the hospital." She said and rushed out of the house with her daughter still lying unconscious in her arms.

Once she got to her car, she opened the backdoor and lay Manal on the car seat. She rushed to the other side of the car and got in. Throughout her drive to the hospital, her mind was preoccupied with despairing thoughts. She could only pray for her child's safety for she was badly hurt and still lying unconscious.

She arrived at the hospital in no time due to how she over sped and rushed Manal to the emergency ward.

• • •

Saeed had just finished his job at the office for the day and was about to leave when his phone started ringing. He smiled at the caller ID before receiving. "Assalam'alaikum, habibty. I'm already on—" he was cut off abruptly by Maryam's sobs. "SubhanAllah! What's wrong, habibi?"

"Saeed... Saeed, it's Manal..." She sobbed harder.

Saeed paused for a while to allow his breathing even. Given how Maryam's words and how badly she was crying, he knew something bad had definitely happened to his little girl. He couldn't even think of  anything else anymore. All he wanted to know was how his daughter was, what happened to her and where they were. "What happened to her?" He asked, his voice laced with great worry.

"She...fell down the stairs." Maryam cried.

"SubhanAllah! Where are you right now?"

"The hospital I work—"

"I'm on my way." Saeed ended the call and rushed out of the office like a mad man. All he could think of on his way to the hospital was his daughter. His only child. He  continuously prayed to Allah to spare his baby's life.

Arriving at the hospital, Saeed rushed towards the emergency ward, totally forgetting to even lock his car. He just wanted to know the condition his daughter was in, nothing else.

Immediately Maryam saw Saeed, she ran towards him and hugged him, crying heavily on his shoulder. "Saeed... Our daughter."

Saeed swallowed the huge lump in his throat and asked. "What happened to her?"

"Khadijah... pushed her down... the stairs unintentionally." She finished, hiccupping.

"What! What were you doing?" He asked, running a hand around his head. "Forget it! How... How is she? How badly is she hurt?"

"Very badly, habibi... I cant—"

"Nothing is going to happen to our daughter, just keep praying for her." Saeed said and pulled her into his embrace. "She will be fine, in sha Allah." He reassured not only his wife but himself as well.

"Why'd she do that?" Saeed suddenly asked.

"What?" Maryam asked, sniffing.

"Why'd Khadijah push Manal down the stairs for no reason?" Saeed asked, thinking very deeply. If he wasn't mistaken, he knew how much the kids were fond of each other and she couldn't have possibly done that to his daughter even if they had a misunderstanding. Manal wasn't violent at all. He was sure Khadijah wasn't also. He was so confused and couldn't even think straight anymore. He spurned the thought from his head and pulled Maryam back. "Are you sure that's what really happened? I mean, did you witness it with your own eyes?"

"No I didn't, but Nafisa saw her." Maryam said, placing a hand on her forehead. She was having a migraine and feeling dizzy at the same time.

"Nafisa? Why—" before he could complete his sentence, he noticed Maryam's demeanor and quickly moved closer to her. "Are you okay?"

"I am perfectly... Fine. I'm just—" she paused for a split second and held her head as her vision blurred and head felt light.

Saeed wrapped his arms around her body, worry written all over his face."hey! Are you alright?"

Maryam opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, she lost consciousness for some seconds and Saeed caught her in his arms before she could fall.

"What's wrong with you, habibty? you need to see a doctor!" Saeed said, seriously.

Maryam's eyes instantly grew wide at what Saeed just said. What she had been hiding with him would be out and this was not how she wanted him to find out. He would be furious and disappointed in her. She sighed and made up her mind to let him know about her pregnancy after they succeeded in passing their current ordeal. "No, I don't-"

"Nonsense! You're sick and you need to see a doctor." Saeed cut her off abruptly.

"No Saeed! I don't need to see any doctor. I'm perfectly fine." She disagreed.

"I'm not taking no for an answer!" He said, sternly.

Maryam knew Saeed would not take no for an answer so she decided to take advantage of the present situation. "What are you even saying, Saeed? I said I'm okay, I was just tired! Our daughter is IN there fighting for her life and here we are arguing over irrelevant things. Please, Saeed, my daughter is much more important to me than my own life, so — " Maryam sighted doctor Abdullahi coming out of the emergency room. "The doctor is here!" She said and rushed towards him with Saeed following suite.

"How's my daughter, doctor?" Maryam asked, hastily.

Saeed's breath quickened as he anticipated the doctor's reply.

"Calm down, nurse Saeed, your daughter will be okay in no time." The doctor said, smiling reassuringly at Maryam.

Maryam took a deep breath. "Alright. I'm calm now. Please tell me how she's doing?"

"She is badly wounded. Her left arm is fractured and the right side of head is swollen due to the fall. Apart from these, the rests are minor injuries, but we have given her some pain relievers to numb the pain. She will be alright." He smiled.

Just hearing the words that erupted from the doctor's mouth, Saeed felt very bad for his daughter and  tears gathered in his eyes. He felt it was his fault this happened to their daughter. He felt she didn't get enough care that she deserved. If he had been at home, he would done everything in his power to protect his daughter. He was deeply saddened by the thought. "Thank you so much, doc. Can we see her right now?"

"You can, but she's sleeping. We gave her an injection." Doctor Abdullahi informed.

"Thank you so much, doctor." Maryam wiped tears away from her eyes and rushed into the room. She burst into more tears seeing how bad Manal looked. She moved closer to her and was about to embrace her.

"What are you doing? You might hurt her. Please refrain from holding her for the time being." Saeed said, pulling her back.

"I'm so sorry, Saeed, I should have taken better care of our daughter. This is all my fault!"