Hey!!!

I have been busy. Way too busy.

Don't forget to leave me loads of comments because ...
        a)       it took me forever to write this chapter😫 man, work is harder than Uni 😭

        b)      it's the 2nd last update. So come on yaar! 😭

Happy Reading!! ........ or not?🤔😏

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Red thick fluid oozed out of her delicate skin, forming a puddle next to her head. The white frills soaked up every drop they possibly could, until they were completely drenched. Drenched in salty, warm tears. Drenched in blood.

Her lips trembled in pain that I could feel deep inside my heart. Her big innocent eyes lazily blinked at me before slowly rolling back. My breath hitched in my throat, seeing her lying motionlessly.

"Roop!" I heard my name being called from a distance and I closed my eyes, letting the tears roll down my cheeks. Everything fell quiet; no screaming, no tears, no blood. It was a nightmare wasn't it? Someone is going to wake me up now and everything will be normal again!

"Roop!" Someone shook me harshly and my eyes sprung open, throwing the reality back in my face. I gasped for air, seeing all the faces hovering above me. The chaos was back. I could hear the cries. I could feel the pain.

Duaa?

"Roop?" A warm hand covered mine and I jolted out of my thought. Out of everyone, The first person I recognised was Waqas.

I gripped his collar in my sweaty palms, jerking it, "D-Duaa? Where's Duaa? M-m-meri... Meri D-Duaa. My daughter—"

"Roop calm down," he kept his hands on mine as he spoke and I gulped the dry lump down my throat.

There were blood stains on his clothes. That was a nightmare, right? Then why is there blood?

"What do you mean calm down?" I yanked his collar harshly; screaming, demanding an answer, "Kahan hai Duaa?"

How could he be so calm about it? Kaunsa baap—

"Duaa theek ho jayegi," he nodded at me, "you need fill the form first. Yeah? Just relax."

"Theek ho jayegi matlab?" I frowned at him and gulped again, "woh theek nahi hai?"

Waqas glanced at someone behind me and then sighed. "Pehle yeh form bhar lein? I'll answer all your questions."

Someone, from behind me, brought a white form forward and I instantly grabbed it. The first word that caught my eye was 'patient.' Is this a hos-hospital?

"Usse kuch ho G-gaya h-hai na?" I forced the words out of my mouth, not really wanting an answer. Waqas sighed again and pulled the form out of my hands, "let me fill it for you."

"Why don't you tell me? Duaa Kahan hai?" I questioned him again but he ignored me and continued reading the form.

"Patient's name.. Duaa.. aage?" He asked as he scribbled details down on the paper, "what's her last name?"

"Waqas."

"Yeah, I am listening," he ensured me, resting his hand on top of mine. A chuckle escaped my lips. Never thought I'll have to tell him this truth in such circumstances.

"It's Duaa Waqas... her name," I repeated her name and looked up at him. His hand that was ready to write, halted instantly as the pen slipped out of his fingers.

"What?" He knitted his eyebrows at me. I felt him shifting closer to me; his eyes expressing his emotions as he eagerly waited for my reply.

WAQAS' POV

"Her name is Duaa .... Duaa Wa-Waqas."

My palms were sweating by now as I desperately looked around for any signs that would tell if I am dreaming or not. Duaa Waqas?

Does that supposed to mean she is my daughter? I am her father?

How? What even?

"I... uhh.. m-my..." not knowing what to say, I released a frustrated sigh and gave up. Running a hand through my sweaty hair, I got up from the chair and walked toward the emergency room's doors. I felt restless. I couldn't see her. I wanted to see her.

Duaa Waqas! I whispered inside my head, inhaling sharp-shallow breaths, as my insides crumbled into a tiny ball.

Does she even look like me? I cursed myself, releasing that I never paid attention to that. All I ever saw was Roop's smile when I looked at her.

Is she really my—

"Waqas?" I heard Asmaara's voice behind me and quickly turned to face her.

"Did you hear that?" I asked her and looked back at the doors, "Duaa—"

"I did," she whispered before I could finish, "Roop told me this earlier today."

"You found out before me?" I frowned at her, disappointed, but then it suddenly struck me. This doesn't matter right now. The form does. I had to fill it.

Because I am her father!

It's my responsibility, right?

Rushing back to the seat, I quickly picked up the wooden clip board that had the form attached to it and found the pen from under the chair. Waqas Riaz I wrote proudly under the section where it asked for parents' details and then filled in the rest.

"I'll go submit it," Shehry offered as soon as I signed the form and I pulled it away from him. "I will do it!" It's my responsibility!

He rolled his eyes at me and kept his hand on my shoulder, "form main submit kar doonga. Tu yahan Beth."

I glanced at Roop, who was silently staring at the wall, before nodding at Shehry and he looked at Asmaara. He signalled her to follow him and they both left us alone. I looked at Roop, who was lost in her own thoughts and sighed. Not knowing what to say, I sat back in the seat and rested my head against the wall.

Moments passed in silence until I felt some weight on my shoulder. Roop rested her head on it, silently weeping. I could feel her tears seeping through the fabric of my shirt but I didn't know what to say. I couldn't even bring myself together to rest my hand on her's anymore.

"She is all I have, Waqas," Roop whispered between sobs, "usse kuch ho Gaya toh? Main marr jaungi."

"Shh," I whispered as I reluctantly slipped my arm behind her back and hugged her, "kuch nahi hoga usse. Main hoon na! I won't let anything happen to her."

She nodded silently before breaking down into tears again. "She hates me Waqas. She hates me!"

"No she—"

"Usse kaho, I'll let her stay with you. Main kaheen door chali jaungi. I'll never trouble you guys par usse bolo na theek ho jaye. Please!" She helplessly joined her hands in front of me and my heart clenched seeing her crying, like this. Cupping her face between my palms, I rubbed my fingers across her tear stained cheeks, wiping them away.

"Hum saath bhi toh reh sakte hein na?" I asked her as my eyes roamed around her face, looking for an answer. I wanted her to come back with me; I was willing to do anything to fix things between us.

"Malvika?" I forced myself to not roll my eyes at her question.

"Har baar usse beech main—"

"Waqas?" I heard a familiar voice behind me and Roop looked away from me, sliding away from my touch.

I looked up and found Malvika and Preet standing beside me. While Preet walked past me to talk to Roop, Malvika stood beside me and I sighed.

"I am sorry. Ghar par akele bohot darr lag raha tha," she spoke and then paused to take a deep breath, "woh kaisi hai?"

Woh kaisi hai? I didn't know. And that was the scariest part.

"P-pata nahi," I shook my head.

"Aur Roop?"

I looked behind me and frowned, not seeing Roop there. Spotting her in the far corner of the corridor, I sighed.

"Maine aaj tak kitna kuch galat kiya hai... Roop ko itni takleef di hai maine. Kitna kuch ulta seedha bola Duaa ke bare main," I told her, "she is my daughter, Malvika."

"Your what?" She widened her eyes at me, looking as shocked as I was and I chuckled.

"When I brought her here, there was this pain in my heart because it reminded me of Manik's accident. But now there is this... this," I gulped out of discomfort and frustration, "this weight that I can't describe. It's not letting me b-breath. You know what I mean?"

Without waiting for her answer, I walked over to the emergency room, and rested my palm on its door. It didn't have a window and that was annoyed me. "Woh saamne Thi mere. Koi baap aise kaise kar sakta hai? Apni beti ko nahi pehchaan paya main?"

I felt her hand on my shoulder as she squeezed it gently, choosing to stay quiet. My chest pained as I struggled to breath properly; Like someone had just stacked two sacks of wheat bags on my chest.

"Kuch samajh nahi aa raha Mujhe," I gulped, threading my fingers through my hair, "kitna kuch kaha maine Roop se D-Duaa ke baare main. Ussi k-ki sazaa h-ai yeh. Par woh kyu suffer kare? M-ujhe waha hona chahiye na?"

"No Waqas," Malvika spoke as I turned to look at Roop; she glanced at me for a brief second and then looked away, "I am sure you didn't mean to say anything wrong to her—to anyone. Just trust me, Duaa will be fine in no time and soon everything will be back to normal, yeah?"

I shifted my gaze from Roop to Malvika and shook my head, disapprovingly, "kuch theek nahi hoga. Ab tak theek se usse mila bhi nahi hoon main. And I don't even deserve to."

ROOP's POV

"I can't believe this," Preet shook her head again, saying the same thing for the third time now.

I chuckled, realising she too must have thought Duaa is Adnaan's and my daughter. I can't believe this; while Duaa was dying to meet her father, he kept thinking she is someone else's daughter. And not just him, the whole family assumed it.

"Roop I am so sorry. We kept thinking you moved on," Preet sighed, "did you tell Waqas yet?"

Hearing her words, I glanced at Waqas who was busy talking to Malvika. After everything he just found out, I expected him to stay beside me; at least ask me about Duaa. But no, she is more important.

Suddenly Waqas turned his head towards me and I instantly looked away. "I did but I doubt he cares."

"Roop it's not like that," Preet held my shivering hands in her's and I gulped, "he cares, okay? He loves you... he cares for you and I am sure he is going to love Duaa—"

"I can see that," I looked to my side again, only to find Waqas and Malvika gone. Frustrated I pulled my hands out of Preet's hands and walked back to the benches in front of the emergency room.

My daughter is in there; she should be all I care about. Inhaling a deep breath, I rubbed my hands across my hands, scared of what the future might hold.

Suddenly someone touched my knee, making me flinch away from the warmth.

"Waqas?" I frowned upon seeing him beside me. He rolled his lips between his teeth and sighed, "sorry.... I didn't mean to—"

"It's.. okay," I nodded at him and looked ahead of me again.

"Water?" He asked, grabbing my attention again, and I shook my head, pushing the bottle away that he had just bought.

"I just talked to a nurse, she said nothing major happened," he spoke, sounding relieved, as more tears well up in my eyes and I bit the insides of my cheeks to stop myself from crying again. 

"Whatever happened was major," I told him, "I always saved her from getting a scratch even and today... I could s—"

Out of nowhere, he held my hand, making me pause; his grip was soft and loose. I looked up at him but he wasn't looking at me. I inhaled a tired sigh and rested my head again the wall, feeling slightly less worked up.

"I gave her everything she could have ever wanted. Bas ek hi cheez nahi de payi," I gulped.

"Me?" He asked instantly and I nodded at him. "When she started going to school, she realised all the other kids had something she didn't. I couldn't give her her father."

There was a short pause from his side. He did open his mouth a few times to speak but took his time with it. "You hated me so much that you didn't even tell me about her?"

"Hated you?" I frowned at his question, "if I hated you, I would have divorced you instead of leaving! How was I supposed to tell you about her? You think I would have risked coming back so you could divorce me? I would have killed myself—"

"I was not going to divorce you!" He snapped, cutting me off.

"You said you will!" I reminded him.

He punched the bench out of frustration. "I say a lot things to a lot people. Do I mean every damn word? You said you won't come back, but you did! Even you didn't stick to your words!"

I chuckled out of utter disbelief.

"Oh so you have a problem with that?" I asked him, "I shouldn't have come back, right?"

He looked up at me and I looked away. "You have no idea how relieved I was to see you again!"

"Yeah whatever," I rolled my eyes at him, "you are the reason why I left!"

"You could have just waited for me to calm down!"

"There was no calming down! You were going to divorce me!" I reminded him, "You made it clear you wanted me out of your life! So I left!

"That's not true!" He yelled, taking me by surprise, "I was going to propose to you on you birthday! I loved you, Roop!"

"You left me alone in that room. If you loved me, you would have never suggested a divorce. I begged you to stay but you walked out!" I pointed out, reminding him, "why would you do that to me if you loved me?"

"Because You said I ruined your life by marrying you! Kiss haq se rokta tumhein. I didn't want to ruin your life!" He blinked his eyes a few time before a small drop of tear finally escaped from the corner of the the left one.

"Maybe if you would have told me you loved me, I would have stayed!" I managed to utter.

"Really? Wasn't that you who said you can read what's in my heart through my eyes? What happened that day then?" He countered back.

"I gave up!" I whispered as memories crowded my mind of how I had gone to Canada and lived all by myself until one day I ran into Adnaan.

"Happy? I gave up on you, on myself! On my life! I would have been dead if it wasn't for Duaa!" I yelled out and all of a sudden everything fell quiet. He stopped screaming, I stopped yelling. We were both just staring into each others' eyes until I chose to look away.

He brought his hand forward to touch my shoulder but I yanked it away from me. From the corner of my eyes, I spotted Asmaara staring at us and I quickly turned away. Standing up, I heaved a deep sigh, "whatever it is, it's over between—Ahh!"

I gasped out of shock when two arms wrapped around my waist, making me lose my balance. Waqas pulled me closer towards him, digging his face in the fabric of my dress. His body shook lightly, maybe because he was crying?

"Waqas?" I called his name while I wondered if I should run my fingers through his hair or push him away. It was strange seeing him like this.

"Waqas," I was about to touch his head when something inside me made me hold his shoulders and push him away from me.

"Just... just leave me," I managed to say to him but he stubbornly shook his head. I sighed, not knowing what to do. I didn't want him near me but I didn't want to be rude either.

Suddenly the doors of the emergency ward opened and one ward boy pushed a hospital bed out while a nurse walked beside him. My eyes followed their movements until I finally realised it was Duaa on the bed. There was a bandage on her forehead and her right arm was in a cast.

"Nurse?" I called out as another nurse came out of the room. Once Waqas left me, I ran after the nurse as a doctor joined her, "nurse... doctor.. m-my daughter. How is she? Is she okay?"

They looked at each other and I groaned upon not receiving a reply from them. Restless, I ran back to Duaa's bed and followed the ward boy to where he was going to take her.

"You know how is she?" I asked the nurse who was beside Duaa's bed.

Everyone was moving around me in a haze; all the other nurses who had come out of the ward were walking away from me. Even the doctors. I needed someone to tell me about Duaa and they were all too busy.

Even Waqas wasn't helping!

"Ms. Roop?" Finally Someone called me and I Instantly turned around, feeling relieved as a nurse approached me.

"My daughter.. why isn't anyone telling me anything? She is fine, yeah?" I asked her nervously and thankfully she smiled.

"We can talk on our way," she suggest and started walking beside me, "she has 4 stitches on her forehead, her right arm and ankle are fractured. She lost a lot of blood but she is out of danger. It will take her about 6 weeks to recover completely."

She finished talking by the time we reached Duaa's room and then she walked away from me. I slowly walked over to Duaa's bed and sighed helplessly. Her tiny body laid still on the white mattress and the frown on her forehead told me how much pain she was in right now. There were two tubes attached to her arm; one for the blood and one for medicines. I didn't even know if I should be happy that nothing life threatening happened to her or if I should be crying for all the pain she was going through.

"How could I let her go through all this? I am not a—" I looked up at my side, only to find no one in the room.

Where did Waqas go? I asked myself, wondering if should go look for him. Duaa was sleeping right now and he will be the first person she would want to see.

Moving closer to Duaa, I kissed her swollen cheek and closed my eyes upon hearing the sound of her soft breaths. My lips trembled as a tear rolled down my cheeks again.

"You want papa, right? I'll let you stay with him but please get better. Mumma loves you, Duaa, and I hate seeing you like this," with that said, I left the room.

WAQAS' POV

I called her illegitimate. I called my own daughter that. I don't even deserve to meet her. She is here because of me.

Rubbing my one hand across my face, I tightly gripped the railing with the other one, cursing myself. Night sky brought chills with it; those chills ran down my spine every time I thought of her.

I have a daughter who always wanted to meet me and I had no idea she existed. My wife stayed away from me, thinking I'll divorce her and then there was me who was dying to meet her again. She thinks I wanted her gone when she was the one who said I ruined her life.

"Waqas?" Someone called my name from a distance. I frowned as no one knew I was on the terrace.

Turning around, I spotted Roop. She frowned, coming closer, and I turned away again.

"I have been looking for you everywhere, what are you doing here?" She asked me before I felt her hand on my shoulder, "Duaa is going to wake up, let's go."

"I am not going anywhere," I told her bluntly and felt her hand slipping away.

"What do you mean? I left her alone in that room to come and get you. You know you will be the first person she would want to see, right?"

"I don't care, I am going home," I said, stepping away from her.

"Going home?" I could feel her frowning at my back, "oh of course, Malvika must have asked you to come back, no?"

I turned to look at her again, surprised by her question. "Malvika? After everything that happened, you are taking this conversation back to her?"

"Then where am I supposed to take it?" She questioned, looking deep into my eyes, "why else would you not want to see h—"

"Maybe because I am embarrassed?" I stated, cutting her off, and stepped forward, "Maybe because I don't know how to face her? Maybe because I don't deserve to meet her?"

"Then you can let her decide that!"

"But I want you to decide! Do you want me to stay?"

"My decision doesn't matter. You will have to stay!" She ordered me, "Duaa wants you to stay. She needs you."

"But do you want me to stay?" I questioned, taking another step towards her, "do you need me?"

Her frowned deepened as her eyes found mine again and she tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. A gush of cold air passed through the Tiny gap between us, calming the heat my body was emitting right now.

"W-what do you.... what do you m-mean?" She stuttered as I took another desperate step towards her and she stumbled back.

"Why should I stay?"

"Because her heart would break if you didn't," her lips trembled as she spoke.

"And yours?"

"What do you mean?" She narrowed her eyes at me, pretending not to care, "I don't care if you stay or not! Your existence doesn't aff—"

I silenced her lies by placing my lips on hers' and wrapped my arm behind her back. She gasped against my lips, halfheartedly trying to push me away and I tightened my arms around her, refusing to let go. Titling my head back, I looked into her eyes that were left wide open.

"Say that again?" I asked her and smirked, seeing her red cheeks. She blinked at me out of utter shock.

"Bolo na? Tell me you don't care. Tell me My existence doesn't affect you!" I demanded in a whisper before quickly pecking her lips, "tell me this doesn't affect you. Tell me you don't want me to stay."

Her breathing had become very shallow and rapid as I traced my thumb along her plum lips. Just when I thought she would cry, she tried pushing me again, "Just let me go Waqas."

"No," I refused to let go, "I did that once because I thought you wanted to leave. But now I am not going to repeat the same mistake."

She tried pushing me away again but I snuggled my head in the crook of her neck. She shivered as I gently kissed her collarbone and pulled away.

"Waqa—"

"Shhh," I silenced her again and she pressed her lips together. Her big eyes shimmered under the nigh sky as I leaned in again and pecked her forehead. "This time I am going to make up to you for all those year we lost. Just stay."

"I hate you," she managed to whisper, making me chuckle. "I hate myself too for hurting you so much."

"You should!" She nodded, agreeing with me and I chuckled again as she punched my chest multiple times, "you didn't even say sorry!"

"Because you said I never mean it," I reminded her.

"So? that doesn't.. mean... you won't... apologise!" She seethed through her gritted teeth between punches.

"Fine, I am sorry?" I shrugged, "now will you come back?"

"Ehsaan kar rahe ho?" She gasped in Disbelief and I closed my eyes when another punch landed on my shoulder. I waited until she had poured all her frustration out on me before pulling her into a tighter hug this time.

"Please come home with me Roop. Please let me make this work."

"No," she shook her head against my chest and pushed me away. Her reply made my hands fall to my sides as she stepped back. She was not ready to forgive me.

"I can't come back and let you hurt me again," running a hand through her hair, she looked away from me, "It took me years to put together all the broken pieces, I can't let myself fall apart again."

"Roop please. I know I don't deserve a chance but for Duaa at least. Please, just—"

"Duaa might have woken up by now. Please come with me?" She asked, cutting me off, and I dropped the topic, feeling an undefined, heavy weight on my chest. Wiping my moist eyes, I nodded at her and we silently walked back downstairs.

"Where were you two? She is crying inside!" Roop panicked as Shehry came running towards us and we ran past him to Duaa's room. I could hear Asmaara trying to calm down Duaa as I approached the room.

Stopping in front of the door, I inhaled a deep breath, trying to calm my nervous heart, before I finally stepped inside the room. It felt like an exam hall.

Duaa stopped crying the moment she saw us and pouted in my direction; Her face was drenched with tears. Roop squeezed my arm softly, signalling me to go forward.

"H-hey," I chocked out as my worst attempt of being friendly. Asmaara patted my shoulder and left the room as Roop came around to the other side of the bed.

Taking my hand closer to Duaa's face, I tried touching her swollen cheek but my fingers trembled just when I was about to touch her and I pulled my hand back. Instead, I traced my fingers along her arm that was in a cast; only the tips of her small fingers were visible and even those were swollen. I managed to brush my fingers along them only to realise how warm they were.

"Dard ho raha hai?" I asked, looking down at all the bandages and Duaa nodded at me, "how? I mean they must have given you pain killers. These people are so irresponsible! Let me go get that stupid doctor—"

"Papa!" I turned to leave when Duaa called me in her shaky voice, making me halt. I glanced at Roop first, trying to get a hint if I had heard it right, and then at Duaa again.

She instantly looked at Roop, "mumma, can I call him Papa?"

Roop glanced at me for a brief second before nodding at Duaa, who grinned at her like it was the best thing that had happened to her. But then she looked at me and her grin turned into a pout again. I walked toward the bed again and sat on the chair next to it, not being able to take my eyes off this little angel in front of me.

"You know I missed you so much!" Duaa told me weakly, "and I am so angry too! You always talked to mumma on the phone and not me!"

I found myself frowning at Roop. When did I talk to her? Roop gave me a slight nod and I sighed. I raised my hand again and this time they didn't shake when I touched Duaa's cheek. They felt so soft!

"P-papa ko pata nahi tha na Duaa itni gussa h-ho jayegi, nahi toh ph-one kya, Papa aapse bohot pehle milne aa jaate," I managed to say the lump in my throat grew larger with every word I said. Suddenly my emotions were ready to roll out of my eyes and I looked away to quickly wipe them away.

"Now you know!" Duaa smiled at me. "Ab toh aap mere birthday Pe mere ghar aaoge na? We will win all the games!"

"Aapke ghar? Kyun, aap papa ke saath humaare ghar nahi chaloge?" I asked her and she frowned at me. "Par mumma ne mana kiya toh?"

"Mumma can I go with him?" Duaa asked Roop, to which she silently nodded, but that made Duaa frown at me again, "but I can't stay without mumma. Can she come too?"

"I don't know," I shrugged at Duaa and looked  at Roop, "Mumma saath chalegi?"

When Roop didn't answer, I kept my Hand on top of hers' and she snapped out of her thoughts.

"Mummy bhi ghar chalegi na?" I asked her again and nodded at her, encouraging her to speak up. She looked away from me, breaking down into loud sobs and hid her face in Duaa's blanket as fresh tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"Oh ho!" Duaa huffed, shaking her head, "you know she cries all the time."

"Acha? How do you know?" I asked Duaa.

"Because I can always hear her cry from my room at night," Duaa's innocent reply squeezed my heart. The worse part was that I was the reason behind all the pain.

Keeping my hand on Roop's head, I threaded my fingers through her hair before smiling at Duaa. "Papa aa gaye hein na, ab woh mumma ko rone nahi denge."

"Sachi? Promise me!" I chuckled seeing that grin back on her face again and I leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

"Promise!"

~~~~~
Probably the hardest chapter I ever wrote because I just couldn't get into their shoes 🤔😕😕

There is one more update before I take a break from this book, plan out the bonus chapter (hopefully finish the one for HN lol) and start updating them :)

Let me know what you think of this chapter. The next one will be out soon; maybe by Friday or Saturday:)

Oh and, I really didn't expect 360+ comments on this  last update 😳😳 thanks! ❤️

Love Always!!