Daniel's tenure as the head of Jahan security detail spanned ten years of service. The past decade was enough for him to deduce that his employers were powerful yet peace-loving people. Apart from occasional Jahangir and Jatoi heated exchanges that never came to physical blows, they stayed out of trouble, and that made Daniel's job a lot easier.

Sans, when the youngest Jahangir son was concerned. He wasn't a troublemaker brat. Daniel wouldn't categorize him as such. But shit was almost always going down there and being the person responsible for preventing that, Daniel had to be vigilant.

Tonight was one such occasion. Another scandal hit the tabloids and portals. Faseeh and Faran Jahangir, along with Jahan's media team were trying their best to do the damage control. Daniel knew what he would be tasked with. They wouldn't even have to voice it. Without waiting for further directives, he was on his way to keep Aahil Jahangir away from harm's way.

The job wasn't easy, Daniel concluded. The young man had no sense of self-preservation. He was supposed to be confined to his apartment along with his wife but he was doing everything to stay away. On Faran Jahangir's order, they were looking for him everywhere he could be found. Faran was entangled in another kind of mess. Erasing the traces of a smear campaign was a herculean task and in such circumstances, he had entrusted Daniel with the most important task: keep an eye on Aahil. As he looked around for the person in question, Daniel had left a group of guards stationed at his apartment building to notify him if Aahil made it to his place.

He did. As Daniel's guards informed him and as Sila did to her in-laws.

Daniel heaved a sigh of relief. He hoped that the shenanigans would end for the night. Aahil would stay put where he was as his father and brother cleared his mess. But he had said it too soon. It was after a while that an agitated Aahil Jahangir made his way out of his building once again. Daniel tried to stop him but he was quick. Getting inside his car, he drove away.

But Daniel wasn't perturbed. If anything, he knew Aahil's whereabouts now. It was easy to tail him, making sure he wouldn't land up in another sticky situation. Two personnel were still around his house, as per the orders to keep his wife safe as well. But as the circumstances demanded, Daniel's priority was Aahil.

Aahil hadn't gone far, this time around. Aimlessly driving on Seaview Road, he stopped by the Jahan-owned beach house. His body language was indecipherable for Daniel. He was not holding up fine, that much was glaringly obvious. Daniel felt for the young man. Aahil's emotional distress demanded that he go straight home, to his sanctuary, close to his wife. But Aahil Jahangir wasn't big on doing right by himself that night, as it seemed. He had cut himself out from the world. If he hadn't, his brother wouldn't be in constant touch with Daniel to know about his well-being.

Someone from his family needed to get here. Daniel said as such to Faran. Aahil was again on the move. Determined. Subdued. Still torn. He was probably going back home to his wife. Good call.

But Daniel's relief was short-lived. So was Aahil's stop at his place. Only this time around, his urgency was palpable. He was frantic, on the verge of losing it. Daniel moved quickly but Aahil was spurred on by something drastic.

It was Daniel's intuition to call Faran and tell him to get here as soon as possible. Faran was already on his way, much to Daniel's relief.

But it couldn't linger. Aahil's breakneck speed blared all the alarms in Daniel's mind. It was difficult to keep up with him. But Daniel tried.

But right there, Daniel had to push hard on the brake. The scene before him had his heart in his throat.

Aahil's car tumbled on itself. It all happened in nanoseconds. As a movie unraveling itself. Only that it was real life and Aahil Jahangir was a very real human.

"Jesus Christ!" Daniel whispered seeing the wreckage before him.

Everything that could go wrong had gone wrong tonight but this...this shouldn't have happened.

Daniel, with his steely nerves, couldn't help the sinking feeling in his heart.

How could something go wrong with such devastation in the manner of seconds?

He had no time to ponder, as he leaped out of his car. His phone was already by his ear as he ran to Aahil's upturned car.

Hoping against hope that all wasn't lost.

𝄞

Controlled chaos and hospitals go hand in hand. The cacophony is something the staff is used to as their breathing. So well-versed are they in the patterns that anything going out of the line immediately makes its mark.

That particular day, in the wee hours of the morning, when the dawn was just around the horizon, the ground staff of KUH was on high alert. Being the top-notch hospital in the city, the administration and the staff weren't alien to high-profile cases but that day, the security measures had them all a bit perturbed. They went about their work but in hushed whispers and questioning gestures, they did wonder what was going on.

Only a handful of them were privy to the situation at hand. And they were to keep it their top priority to not let a word out.

Dr. Yaseen Noordin led his team, ready to take on the task. He went through the details quickly, and his years of expertise came in handy to handle the situation. They didn't have the time to waste.

He didn't have even a moment to waste, more precisely.

Dr. Yaseen was aware of the precariousness of events. The case was a high priority and complicated. But it was nothing he and his team hadn't done before.

As he rounded the corner to get to the operating room, he found two distraught people standing in the corridor.

Professional decorum intact, he was ready to reiterate the well-practiced words of affirmation to the anxious men. The importance of this certain case, the influence of the family involved, and the media scrutiny, were all things that were sufficient to put the emotional aspect of what had happened to the background.

But seeing Faran and Faseeh ashen faces, Dr. Yaseen couldn't help but squeeze the latter's shoulder reassuringly. It was to convey the obvious: things might be bleak right now, but they will turn around shortly.

It was his belief as a doctor. It was what he was supposed to never lose faith in.

But the other people weren't blessed with such iron-clad determination.

They were on the verge of collapsing.

The doors to the operating room closed behind Dr. Yaseen Noordin. The deserted hallway fell into complete silence with the distant voices fading into nothingness.

The world was moving on the same trajectory. Fading into oblivion. Or it felt the same way to Faran.

Hours. It took just hours for their lives to fall apart. Hours, that slip through your fingers. Hours, at the end of which a moment in life awaits, to shake your very core and leave you on your knees, battered, broken, and devastated.

It was right after Daniel's call when the first awakening that this night was far from over came to him. That the destruction of the Jahangir family was yet to take its ugliest form. Faran went through the motions discarding his innate placidity. Those who knew him had never seen him all over the place this way. The circumstances were out of his control and so were his emotions.

Aahil...

A shudder went through him and he immediately sought his father out. At that moment he wasn't a 39-year-old successful businessman, happily married, and a father of two.

He was just a child who wanted the assurance from his father that things would get better. That they'd come out of this unscathed. That they wouldn't lose a part of themselves. That the person on the other side of the door would be the fighter he should've always been but never could be.

His father's eyes bored into him. He hadn't fared better than Faran. In some ways, worse than him. Lost. Silent. His imposing personality was hunched, bent to morph into a failed parent. His countenance was of a man who had lost his everything. Faseen massaged his temples as he ran his bloodshot eyes on the closed door of the operating room.

How?

That one word was the champion tonight. How did things take such an ugly turn? How did it all culminate in...this?

Aahil...

Faran bunched his fists as the all-too-familiar pain gnawed at him. The face of his brother swirled before his eyes. Just in the morning, he embraced Aahil in a hug, telling him once again that he was there for him.

Couldn't they go back in time and stop it then and there? Why couldn't he shield his baby brother from every evil? From this?

He slumped down beside Faseeh, seeking solace in his father's shadow.

But then his eyes fell on the man's shaking fingers and a quivering breath left his mouth. Sometimes, the strongest people you know, also need the comfort of leaning on you. That is about the pain of this magnitude. It toughens up the weakest or it reduces the strongest to smithereens.

Faran held Faseeh's hand and the broken sigh his father heaved, shattered something within him.

His Baba was seeking assurance in him just as he had done a few moments back.

Faran tried to be strong. He could only do that, try.

"Baba," He uttered the dreaded words. "We...we need to make a call home."

His voice was barely above a whisper. As if on cue, his phone flashed with Adan's name. They knew about the accident. But the enormity of the situation was known to only Faseeh and Faran.

Faseeh looked at it and shook his head. "I can't...Sabah...she will..."

He ran a hand on his face. The worry lines there had never been this visible before. Neither was the uncertainty.

"...I can't, Faran."

Faran nodded and got up. Resignation gave way to determination. That was about him. He always knew what was expected of him and right then, his family deserved his unflinching bravery, not his shaking fears. A good son.

Just as he rounded the corner, he looked back at the closed door and hoped against hope to get another chance at being an even better brother.

Just this once.

𝄞

With a worried scowl on her face, Sabah dabbed the cotton at the gash, hissing slightly when the material made contact with the jarred skin. But all it did was elicit a chuckle out of him, making her glare his way.

"What?" He asked, grinning at her.

"Glad to know my worry is amusing to you." She put the gauze on the cut and began to bandage him up. The summer football camp was proving to be brutal. But he didn't look even a bit fazed.

"Come on, Mama. Your misery can never be my source of entertainment, God forbid."

He widened his eyes dramatically. Sabah stifled her laugh. Such a character, this one.

"But I'm not going to lie,"

Here he went. Sabah was ready to be bombarded with an unsolicited unhinged thought. He had lots of those. Unrestrained in his assessment. Adan said he had no filter. Sabah secretly agreed.

"Whenever I get even mildly hurt, your care and attention make me feel special. These trivial injuries are worth it. Adan is right. You've got a favorite child."

"Tone down the buttering, Aahil. Spare some for a better occasion." She countered and then added as an afterthought. "Summer football camp was a bad idea. I think you should've stuck to Miss Rose's music classes only."

He shrugged. "Your husband insisted. Do you now agree that he isn't the brightest fella out there?"

Sabah canted her eyes at him. "I don't know. Ask him yourself when you go to his study to get permission for that Naran trip."

That shut him up for good. Making a face, he threw his arm around her and hugged her sideways. "He isn't going to make it easy, hun?"

"Uh-huh. But you can always use your buttering skills?"

He scrunched his nose. "They're reserved just for you."

Sabah ruffled his hair. "Because they work just on me?"

"Precisely." He mumbled, closing his eyes.

"Does it still hurt?" She combed his hair with her fingers. He flashed her a grin.

"It never does when you patch me up. I'm going to sleep. Don't go anywhere. I love you."

His easy declarations always made her heart soar. He was her miracle. Her precious boy. Her sunshine.

Sabah kissed his head as he slept peacefully, surrounded by her fragrance, comforted by her presence.

Her darling boy.

𝄞

Tonight, everything felt like a summons from hell to her. Details that were hidden from her but their impact was loud and clear. Her husband and son were working overtime, without once uttering what had happened.

But she didn't need explicit words to know something was wrong, gravelly ruined. Beyond repair.

She knew it when Adan came over, with her all-well facade right in place. She knew it when Faseeh and Faran were supposedly stuck in the office for a late-night meeting. She knew it when Faran told Adan that something had happened to Aahil. She was certain when Adan couldn't meet her eye. And she had no doubts when Faran's next call made Adan stumble on her feet.

And that was enough for Sabah to dash to the door. Adan's attempts at stopping her didn't work. Nawar's pleas also didn't. Mrs. Irshad's subdued expressions were ignored by her. She just needed to get to her boy. Her baby. She could hear him calling out to her. She could feel the excruciating pain he must be in. She knew he was slipping away. He was hurt and he needed her. She had to make sure she was there for him. One way or the other. Without caring for any decorum, anything.

Misam was the one who took it upon himself to take her to the hospital. The security around did unsettle her but she was so overcome with the distress that she ignored it. There was just one person on her mind. Just one name around her.

Aahil.

Her precious boy. He was in pain. No other thought was allowed.

Accident. That's what Adan had told them. He must've been hurt. There must be blood. His blood. Sabah's heart sank with every possibility. She clutched at her heart, praying incessantly for her son's safety.

When the car stopped behind the hospital, she didn't for once wonder why that was. She wasted no time in rushing through the doors. The guards stationed there didn't raise her hackles. The abnormality of the situation didn't register with her.

She only stopped short when her husband's face came into her view.

Faseeh refused to meet her eye. Sabah's heart thrummed madly, as a caged bird. With slow and uncertain steps, she reached his side. The succession of frenzied thoughts throughout her journey here hadn't perturbed her as much as her husband's silence did.

And when he met her eye, Sabah knew it.

Sabah knew her worst nightmare was upon her as her gruesome reality.

And she collapsed to the floor.

𝄞

The shuffling grated on Adan's nerves as she saw the doctor packing his stuff. Her eyes darted between him and Mrs. Irshad's profile. She was lying on her bed. Her pale face waned with worry.

"She's still not fully stable, Mrs. Misam. This isn't good for the health of her heart."

The doctor informed her once he found her questioning gaze on him. Adan nodded with resignation, knowing too well that she could do nothing about it. No one could. Dado's stress was manifesting itself in the worsening of her physical health. The reason why Adan had to stay home instead of being at the hospital with her family.

As they all tackled the crisis in their lives. The crisis was one way to put this storm, an understatement. It was something they found themselves truly ill-equipped to fight. Something they knew they had to battle one day, but were never prepared to do so.

After a while, the Doctor took his leave. Adan settled the duvet over Mrs. Irshad. Even in her medicine-induced sleep, she was jittery and disturbed. Adan was not surprised. After the kind of night they had had, the repercussions should've been far worse.

"How's she?"

Nawar appeared in the doorway. Adan shook her head as a sob slipped through her lips. Navar moved quickly to embrace her in a hug. Her own tears fell on her cheeks profusely. She had been with the kids who were as shaken by the situation as the elders. They weren't fully aware of the hell that befell their family, but the implications were not hard to miss, even for their innocent minds. Despite Nawar and Adan's attempts, they had the idea that it was about their Chachu and for Hannah, her Mamu. That his life and safety were in question and that was enough for them to go into panic mode. Only Nawar knew how she had placated them with the help of Jamil.

"Misam Bhai just called. Mama is there with Baba and Faran. She didn't take it well. But Baba and Faran will take care of her."

Taking care of each other, that's what they could do the best right now. When the turn of events still felt like a nightmare they'd just wake up from.

Adan hadn't, even in her wildest dreams, thought that this day would end on such a note. She was in her office, winding up the work for the day when Faran called. What he told her shook the ground beneath her feet. She rushed to her father and brother's side, all the while praying and hoping against hope that Aahil wouldn't take it to the heart, which he knew he would. This was his biggest fear. This was what he never wanted to happen.

But Aahil was nowhere to be found. That's when the alarm went off for her and Faran. Finding him was their top priority. He wasn't good at crisis management, especially when it came to his past.

The second task to be immediately get done was removing the malicious content from social media and other portals. Jahan's team was neck-deep in work but it seemed like they weren't up against amateurs in smear business.

Zarrar had paid a hefty sum for this stunt, it seemed.

As their security team, helmed by Daniel, looked for Aahil, the rest of them fought hard to clear his and Maya's reputation. Faseeh's contacts came in handy. Still it was a long fight and a long night indeed.

They knew things were bleak but none of them had seen this coming.

Adan took a shuddering breath.

Accident. Critical condition. Head injury. Uncertain.

The words all jumbled up together when Faran uttered those to her. But their impact stayed. Making her heart stop for a beat and her world tilted on its axis.

She wanted to forget everything and rush to his side. Life hadn't been kind to her brother and he had been even more merciless to himself all these years.

He didn't deserve this. It should've never been him.

But she had responsibilities to take care of. Enough was enough. Aahil's life would never be up for gossipmongers to dissect ever again. That's what they had collectively decided. He didn't deserve to be pasted on the mobile screens when he was fighting for his life.

When he was hanging between the chasm of life and death.

Adan willed the negative thoughts to stay at bay but they had a way of creeping in.

She blinked back tears and for the hundredth time did what she desperately needed to do.

Calling Sila.

According to the guards stationed outside Aahil's building, Sila was still at their place. Adan's heart went out to her. Did she know what had happened? Did she know Aahil was right now in the operation room and the doctors weren't very forthcoming about the outcome of his surgery?

Adan wanted to tell her everything but for that she needed to pick up her phone.

And she didn't do that. Once again.

Adan's scowl deepened. Surely, they were in the middle of a life altering situation. Certainly, they had to be as cautious as they could with so many curious eyes set on them to slip-up.

But that didn't mean Sila would stay there alone and oblivious.

"Adan?"

The feeble voice of Mrs. Irshad reached Adan and Nawar. They immediately reached her side.

"Dado, do you feel any better?"

Nawar asked the question, aware of the futility of it. How could anyone feel better in these circumstances? But they all had to be strong. For Aahil's sake.

Mrs. Irshad patted her head dejectedly and looked between her and Adan.

"Where is Sila? Ask Faseeh to bring her here. She must be going mad with worry, my poor child. Does she even know what has happened to Aahil?"

The question was loaded. Or it felt that way to Adan. She looked between her phone and Mrs. Irshad. Her resolve strengthened some more.

Security protocol be damned. She'd have to go and get Sila.

𝄞

Instances of them traveling together were few and far between. Osama was not fond of Mahad's commentary and driving in general and Mahad hated his music taste.

But none of that was a problem today. It didn't even cross their mind as Osama drove through the early morning traffic with an agitated Mahad in the passenger seat.

The setting couldn't be more jarring.

But this day was.

The news they had woken up to was enough to shake them to their core.

They had to stop at the junction and even that was unacceptable to Mahad whose loud cursing made Osama flinch. But his eyes on him weren't flashing with anger. They were sad and glassy.

Mahad looked away and settled his gaze out of the window. But the stinging in his eyes increased with each passing second.

The backseat was devoid of its usual occupant. His unsolicited opinions and brat declarations were a distant echo. So was his deep laugh when he couldn't help having fun through their misery.

The car ride had never been this quiet.

And Mahad and Osama had never felt this incomplete and scared.

They hoped against hope that they wouldn't have to get used to it.

𝄞

It was another night ending on a high note of success. Tina and her team were on to a great start to their campaign. It was sheer hard work that left them bone-tired at the end of the day but equally riveted.

Alina had set her alarm for the next day and went to bed. Another event had to be prepared keeping all the details in mind. It was tiresome but she couldn't say she didn't love it.

She was deep in the valley of sleep. Last night, even through the haze of fatigue, she had waited for his call. It was their nightly routine. She couldn't imagine ending her day without talking to him and the same was true for him as well. Long distance, even with its vices, had suited them.

The incessant ringing of her phone pulled her out of the dreamland. She squinted at the caller ID. Osama's name wasn't surprising but the timing surely was. Last night, he wasn't available, which made her mood worsen a bit, but she understood that he must be busy.

If he wanted to make up for that, his timing couldn't have been more wrong. He knew she had a tiring day and always insisted on cutting their conversation short so she could get the needed sleep.

Then why?

Something didn't feel right with this call. A worried scowl settled on Alina's face when she picked it up.

And when Osama spoke on the other side, she knew how right her intuition was.

𝄞

Knowing the importance of the entourage in mind, the hospital staff had given them a secluded room as the waiting area. But the peculiarity of this treatment didn't register with the people inside. Their eyes were trained on the door right across the hall and their heart and hands both were raised in prayer.

Sabah was in the prayer room on the same floor. That left Faseeh, Faran, Mahad, and Osama.

They averted their gaze from each other. No one had even a word to utter.

Mahad mustered all his strength and turned to face Faran.

"Faran Bhai, I know there are security concerns but Sila should be here. If you don't mind, I can go and get her. Her safety will be my responsibility."

Faran smiled dejectedly and patted his shoulder. "I've already taken care of that. Daniel will be here with her and Adan shortly."

Mahad nodded, resorting back to looking at nothing in particular.

Osama had informed Alina as well. They had thought of keeping it from her but seeing the enormity of the situation, they felt that she deserved to know.

The silence was broken by the ringing of Faran's phone. He checked the caller ID. His expression turned graver than before. He excused himself and went outside.

It was after ten minutes that he came back and went straight to his father.

"Baba, as you said Mr. Arif and Touseef have dealt with the police and other authorities. Shamyl and his team are about done with the removal of the content from the social media sites and portals. And no one knows about..."

He left his sentence hanging between them. Faseeh nodded stiffly. "No one should know, Faran. We'll have to make sure of it."

"Shamyl..." Faran began but couldn't get the words out. Mahad swore under his breath.

"Did he imply that we should let the media know about this?"

Mahad gestured around. Faseeh's eyes blazed.

"Never. This will never come to be."

Faran held him by his shoulder. "It won't, Baba. I have already told him as such."

Faseeh's shoulders slumped. Suddenly, he looked aged far beyond his years. "Enough of this. My son's life isn't the fodder for anyone's entertainment. Not when he is there fighting for his life. Only those I trust enough will get to know what happened last night. If I have to use all my resources and privileges, I'll gladly do it. But this is where I put the full stop to it all. My son's life is closed to anyone's speculation. Not a word would get out."

The finality in his tone left no room for further discussion. Not that they had anything to say. Faseeh's reasoning made absolute sense. Enough was enough. Aahil needed to be far away from the prying eyes. He had his fair share of underserved speculation about all aspects of his life.

Sabah entered the room and by her anguished expression, she had heard everything. Mahad reached her side and wasted no time in hugging her sideways. Osama was also close by. Their support was appreciated by her. With every passing second, she was sinking deep into the pool of her dread and fear. The doctors hadn't said a word about Aahil's health. The operation was still going on.

Aahil's life was still very much uncertain.

The ripple this conversation had caused slowly passed and the sea of worry was back to its stillness.

Only to be broken by the arrival of a visibly shaken Adan followed by Misam. She stopped short in front of her father.

"Baba."

Her whisper held the magnitude of her worry. She looked behind him at the closed door of the operating room and that seemed to pain her some more.

"There has been a misunderstanding. A huge one at that."

Faseeh and Faran both moved toward her at the same time. Their stance was full of protectiveness. Adan tried reeling her panic in. "Sila's car is in the parking lot of the building. The guards thought she must also be inside the apartment but..."

Her pause filled up all the empty spaces.

"Sila's nowhere to be found. She's gone."

Her words punctuated what her fear had already conveyed.

And at the same time, the lights of the operating room went off.

Aahil's verdict had come.

Just as his punishment.

𝄞

Author's Note

It has another part in progress but since it's been long, I thought of posting this one as it was ready.

To be continued.