She'd probably seen far worse scenarios than this. She'd seen countless bloody bodies that came in their hospital and also back in the States. She'd seen tubes attached to a person's body to the point where that body was not even visible. She'd seen the ugliest of bruises. But none had her wanting to puke her guts out.

On the other hand, seeing her baby brother lifelessly lying on the hospital bed, bandages covering almost every inch of his body, she felt nauseous.

She had no clue what she would say to her mother. Though the woman was as strong as a rock but a mother's heart is always as soft as a marshmallow. How would the poor woman endure it, she did not know. She herself had trouble accepting it.

When will this nightmare end, Ya Rabb? Two days and i've had enough. My patience, my strength, my endurance - everything's fading away.  Please! Please have mercy on me, Ya Allah!

She held Arsalan's hand which was bandaged down to the fingers. Resting her forehead on his hand lightly so she doesn't hurt her, she let few tears fall.

The door to the private room was opened and Sanem entered with his reports in her hand. She placed a hand on her shoulder and she straightened wiping her tears with her fingers.

"He'll be alright in no time, Layeba. You'll see."

Nodding, she replied, "InshaAllah."

Leaving his hand, she stood up and faced Sanem.

"H-how bad is it?", she asked when Sanem forwarded the report file. Taking it with trembling hands, she opened it.

"Left arm and leg broken, both fractured at several points. Thankfully ribs are not broken, but they are bruised pretty badly. Slight internal bleeding in the abdomen. Scratched and cuts mark almost every inch of his body", Sanem told her what had written in the reports when she saw that Layeba's watering eyes were not letting her read anything.

"And-" Sanem paused. This was the most difficult part of the report for her to read.

"And?" She held her breath, anticipating the bad news.

"He's had a very severe concussion."

She, of all people, knew the most what that meant and the risks it entails.

"H-how bad are we talking about here?"

"Bad enough. Doctor Saad said we don't exactly know what his mental state is. He can wake up all normal and healthy. He can wake up mentally disable or he can't wake up at all", it was hard to say this for Sanem as well because he was her little brother as well but Layeba was in awe of how professionally she described everything.

Her world spinned, the file falling from her hand.

Sanem hugged her, preventing her fall. "Shhh....don't worry. These are just the results drawn from some machines. Have faith in Allah. Arsalan will surely jump up to his feet healthy as a horse."

"Main Ammi ko kya bataoon gi, Sanem? Sab meri ghalti hai. I shouldn't have insisted on going to Hunza alone. None of this wouldn't have happened."

(What will i tell Mother? Everything's my fault.)

"Sshhh... None of this is your fault, understand? You're not saying that ever again. Everything happens for a reason and by the will of Allah. Don't you dare put yourself down ever again, okay?", Sanem gently scolded her.

Sanem was never the one to hate anyone but right in that moment, she hated Yazaan so much because he made her friend question herself. The always confident woman was now questioning everything that she held close to herself. And Sanem abhorred him for that.

"Let's go to the cafeteria. C'mon."

She agreed and both went to cafeteria.

Sanem placed a plastic cup filled with coffee in front of her and sat. Layeba filled her in with the events of the night. Sanem also didn't know what to say to her. This was a situation unimagined by either of  them.

They were sitting quietly, sipping their coffees when their collegue, a cardiologist and Layeba's cousin, Hassaan Sheikh joined them.

"Layeba, where's phopho?"

She shook her head and replied,

"She doesn't know yet. I'll tell her when i go home. I don't want to inform her on the phone. God knows how badly she'll take it." The other two nodded in understanding.

"Anyways, i had made her take sleeping pills 'cause she couldn't sleep due to some stress, so she won't hear the phone ringing anyway."

"Everything fine with you guys?" She didn't realize that she had mentioned her mother having stress until Hassaan asked her.

"Uh...yeah. Just some regular stuff", knowing he won't buy that, she made up a lie. "She's just worried about me not being married at twenty nine and all."

Which wasn't entirely a lie. Which mother wouldn't be worried about her aging unmarried daughter. But right now, her mother was troubled about her daughter being married.

She didn't want anyone in her family to know about Yazaan. For the reasons you all might understand as well. Heaven knows what hell her phopho or dadi will create if they were to know.

•~•

"What is he doing here!?"

They were returning to Arsalan's room when Sanem exclaimed. Layeba looked up and surely, Yazaan Ibraheem Khan was standing just outside their destination.

Fury erupted in her like a volcano. Approaching him with fast steps, she hissed careful not to be loud;

"How did you get out of the jail?"

He raised his eyebrows, surprised at her audacity.

"Lahore's law is not as good as it seems to you, biwi. There will always be a price at which those petty officers can be bribed. And you know what? I have that price."

"Yahan kya lene aye ho ab? Skoon nai mila abhi bhi? Mjhe bhi us hospital bed per pohancha kar hi skoon mile ga kya?"

(What have you come here for? Haven't you found peace? Now do you want to send me to that hospital bed too?)

"I.didn't.do.anything.your.brother", he gritted out.

"Ofcourse. I have unfortunate connections with many bastards like you who want to kill me and my family, right? Or that eighteen year old has many enemies who will send him to death bed!"

It seemed as if she had tested his patience today. He gripped the back of her neck and brought his face closer to hers. A hiss escaped her mouth and her face contorted in pain. Sanem hurried towards them, obviously trying to help her but his shadow - Ozhan - appeared out of thin air and blocked her way.

"Enough woman! I told you i didn't do it nor did i have someone do it. And i never lie."

Struggling with her hands to free her neck from his grasp, she spat out,

"Enough with your words and all. You've broken your promise before even making it. Just shut up with your fake chivalry now. My brother is lying lifeless inside and  its . all . fucking . because . of . you!"

Although both their voices were low but firstly their close proximity and Secondly, Yazaan's manhandling her was attracting too much attention. He left her immediately. Why? He didn't quite know himself.

Realizing the glances people were giving them, she sneered at him.

"Because of you, my medical and surgical skills have already been questioned once. Don't make them question my professionalism as well. Dafa ho jao yahan se. Tamasha mat banao mera. . . Ho sake to ab apni shakal mat dikhana mujhe."

(Get out of here. Don't make a spectacle out of me. Don't show me your face from now on if it's possible)

With narrowed eyes, he gave her an answet which she was already pretty much expecting;

"We both know that's not going to happen, biwi. You and i are bound to be together."

But he did leave from there, leaving her cursing his whole existence to hell behind him.

•~•

"Why did you send Bi Jaan back? She might've been able to further your case with bhabhi. "

Taking a drag of his cigarette, he shook his head slightly and replied to Ozhan, "The anger and hatred she holds for me right now, she would've misbehaved with Bi Jaan too. And you know i would've done something terrible."

Ozhan raised an eyebrow.

"She'd beg to differ and say you'd already reached the extremities", he said lazily.

A smirk kissed his lips. "And everyone around me would say that i've lost my touch. That i've been too....lenient towards her."

"Lala, Shahbaz and his men arrived. They were the one who had beaten Arsalan yesterday", a man announced.

Both looked at each other and extinguished their cigarettes. "Let the show begin then."

Six men were standing in the lounge, all giving an aura of cheap thugs. Why Ozhan ever chose them for their work was beyond him. The men around him gave high class italian mafia sort of vibes - they were all polished and immaculate that they could easily pass off as some military men.

Seeing him arrive, all of them went stiff with attention. They hadn't a clue why they were called here but being dragged off like a dog and especially to a dangerous man was never a good sign.

"Boys. Welcome to my humble place." It would've been humble had it not been for the condescending tone he used.

"Ozhan?"

Ozhan hummed in question.

"Will you please be kind enough to let these men know why they are here?"

Ozhan cracked his knuckles and said, "Gladly."

And he began to work. Yazaan basked in the screams and cried and yells and pleas of his "guests". After a long time, he could actually enjoy torturing someone. Last time he had the chance, his hands were bound by his sister's promise.

After a while, he signalled Ozhan to stop who stopped the process of removing nails from the foot of the leader. He wiped his bloodied hands on a wet towel which was offered to him by a guard and simply remove his dirty shirt.

"Now," he slowly brought his hands together. "The boy you beat up this morning, why did you do it?"

"Janab, he stole a packet of cocaine from our delivery", the man who was the most decent looking of all six on whom he had made Ozhan go light. That is the only reason his speech was comprehensible.

His eyebrows raised. So, Saale sahab are into drugs. How very hypocritical of you, biwi.

The thing which he was going to do was him going against his own morals. He always appreciated the ones who punished the ones stealing from him. Now however, the case was different.

"The person you shot, unluckily for you, was my wife's brother", every set of eyes widened. Though they were personally meeting him for the first time, everyone knew what was the punishment of messing up with the family of a man this powerful.

"Khuda ki qasam bhai! Humain nai pata tha. Khudara humain maaf kar dein. Ainda aisi ghalti nai ho gi", the men began to plead.

(By God, brother! We didn't know. Please forgive us. This won't happen again.)

He pulled on an apologetic face. "Sorry, boys. My wife is really angry with me because she thinks i did it".

A snicker reached his ears which happened to be Ozhan. The lazy smirk on Ozhan's face told him, you think bhabhi is only angry because you.

He shook his head, as usual, the lazy smirk on his face. "Now you all know. A happy wife, a happy life. I can't have my wife all angry on me, now can i?" His drawling tone was making them more nervous.

As the saying goes, anticipation is worse than actual thing, or however the shit went. He didn't really care. And neither did he keep them waiting.

In the next moment, five bodies were lying on the floor, blood seeping through the bullet holes in the forehead. He did leave the almost decent looking man alive. He had to have someone to take care of his business here in Lahore.

Ah biwi...the things i do for you. No thanks to these assholes, my handmade Afghan carpet is now ruined!!

•~•

Assalam o alaikum lovelies!

I know its a reallly short chapter but please don't kill me🙈🙈

Please leave your reviews in the comments.

Thank you all who voted on my every single chapter n left their precious comments. They make my day. ❤❤❤❤

Do let me know what you think of this chapter. What do you think will happen next? What will Layeba do? What will Yazaan do? N most importantly, what do u think will happen to Arsalan, who is not so innocent?

That's all.
Stay safe.
Stay blessed.
Yours truly,
Javeria Naeem