Azlaan's POV,
I had to take the support of the stairs' railing so as to not fall of shock after I overheard what the doctor told Mazhar bhai.

Meher was dying....and it was all my fault. At that moment, every terrible thing I did to her, everything I put her through came flashing through my eyes and this unbearable feeling of self loathing I felt at that moment made me wanting to fall in her feet and beg for forgiveness.

What have I done! How could I do all that to her? How could I had tortured her to such an extent so as to drag her to suicide?! What if she dies.... because of me?!

I love you Azlaan...

She loved me even after I made her go through hell. Why did I even do that? What did she ever do wrong to me? She was always trying her best... even after knowing about me and Kashish, she was trying to stop me from sinning while I just....hurted her instead.
She was protecting me while I murdered her!

She was never at fault. It was just my pointless hatred towards her that caused all this. I'm responsible and.... I need to face the consequences of it. I need to be punished and for that..... I need to come clean.

So taking a deep breath, I walked towards Mazhar bhai and seeing all the blood on his clothes and hands made me shiver.

It was her blood!

####

"It's....my fault... Meher's condition... it's because of me. I'm responsible...." I finally said swallowing the huge lump in my throat.

He looked at me as if I grew two heads.
"What?!"

"It's true." My eyes were on the floor as I was even too ashamed to look up at him and suddenly my collar was in his grip and his face right in front of mine as he grunted in an animalistic tone.

"What...did...you...say?! YOU did that to my Meher?!"

I couldn't say anything else as he was dragging me in an empty corridor like a sack of rice and slammed me on the wall harshly making me wince.

"Start talking!" He demanded.

The murderous instinct projected in his eyes was probably, something similar to the look I must've shown to his delicate sister at some point.

"It's because of me that...she tried to kill herself."

Slap!

I took the support of the wall at the harsh impact.

"What do you mean? What did you do to my sister?!" He gripped my chin making me face him. Again something I had done to his sister before.

"Exactly...what you're doing to me right now. I hurted her physically, mentally, even emotionally. I did horrible things to her that broke her completely."

He stepped back in disbelief with that look of horror on his face.

"Y... you... Azlaan?"

His face was getting blurry in my vision as I remembered the horror on her face and her screams when I....

".... I raped her."

A sharp punch on my jaw almost made me meet the floor but my collar choked me again and I was lifted up like a sack and one after the other sharp punches showered on my face till the point I could taste blood in my mouth.

"Because of you....my sister is in that state ... she's.... fighting her will ...to live ... she's cold and alone .....she was in pain.... she has....lost all hope..... I can't see her smiling..... I cannot hug her.... I cannot talk ....to my baby sister.... All.... because....of YOU... AZLAAN KHAN!"

He was yelling between the punches until I fell on the floor coughing and spitting blood as the end as he kicked me in my guts. I didn't had the strength to get up nor the will to retaliate because whatever he was doing to me.... I deserved it all.

He screamed pulling at his hair.
"WHAT DID SHE EVER DO TO YOU!"

His voice cracked as again he broke down crying pushing my head.
"My baby sister....what did she ever do to deserve everyone's hatred towards her? She's always been quitely bearing with everything, she became shy and distant.... everyone took advantage of her innocence.... everyone hurted her...why? What's soo terrible about her? She's soo precious and kind, so delicate and fragile hearted that everyone kept trampling all over my baccha, yet, she took it all with a smile.
Then you came back.... her soo called husband and crushed her completely! A husband is supposed to be a protector, a maintainer and lover of his wife! To cherish her and make her life beautiful and meaningful. How could you be the monster to drive her to the point to losing all meaning to her life?!"

He kicked me again and again as my body was spasming on the cold floor.

He was right about everything. I didn't just fail her as her husband... I even failed as a human being. He kept kicking and kicking while my body was losing strength until, I heard a pair of heavy footsteps running towards us.

"Mazhar! Stop it Mazhar you'll kill him!"

"No Arsh! Leave me, I'll really kill him today. He's the one who did that to my sister. He need to pay! Leave me!!!"
I struggled through the pain to look up and saw the blurry image of a guy around bhai's age trying to hold him back while Mazhar bhai was struggling like a wounded animal to tear apart his prey.

"Mazhar snap out of it. We're in a hospital and there are police here. We can all get in trouble!"

"Police? That's right, call them and tell them to arrest this bastard for driving my sister to suicide. Send him behind bars or else I'll send him to his grave."
He was still grunting advancing towards me in his blinding rage but the other guy kept holding him back with much difficulty.

However, I couldn't pay attention to them as my whole body was in pain as I wriggled on the floor. Even that Arsh guy wasn't ready to even look at me either.

"Stop it Mazhar! That's enough!"

I recognised that voice. It was Meher's mother.

Your own mother hates you for such a stupid reason....
She never wanted you....

I even said such things to her. Why?

"Why Mumma? He's the one who did that to your daughter!" He raged.

"No.... she did that to herself!"

We all watched her in disbelief.

"Mumma.... your daughter...our Meher is swinging between life and death. Anytime the doctor might come and say the most dreaded thing and you....you still want to protect him? Why? Are you happy that Meher is...."

"Enough!" She looked down at me.
"You've punished him enough. Now stop this. No one will say anything to the police and no one will make this into a bigger issue."

Hearing her words, Mazhar bhai was laughing without any humour. He covered his eyes but I could see the tears falling from his eyes.
"No one cares for my sister...NO ONE! Fine then...have it your way. You all can go to hell. Neither of you wants my Meher in their lives huh? Fine then...have it your way. I'll be the only one for her then....her brother."
He passed a deadly glare through all of us present.
"I won't let anyone be even around my sister anymore and we don't need anyone else!" He announced and stormed away leaving us all in shock.

But ... I have to see her.... I need to apologise! Meher! I need to go to her.

I tried to get up but the pain that shot throughout my body pulled me back on the floor as I grunted.

Imraan's POV,
I jumped off my bike and ran in without thinking as I reached the hospital Zoya told me about. As soon as I crossed the threshold I found Zoya anxiously running in front of me towards the reception.

"Zoya!" I called out to her making her turn back. The fear I was feeling was making me dizzy and I didn't realise what the hell I was doing as I grabbed both her shoulders yelling at her face
"Where is she? Where's Meher?!"

"I... I don't know. I..." She was crying already and I cursed myself for scaring her like that as I immediately stepped back.

"Sorry. Let's inquire at the reception."

She agreed.

"Excuse me. Where's the patient named Meher Qadri who was brought here today?" I asked the nurse at the reception.

"Oh, that suicide case?"

I gulped, nodding. I still couldn't accept it that Meher....she tried to do such a thing. How could I not notice that she was in such pain. She always kept smiling and I could see the sadness she was camoflaging with that beautiful smile but.....how could I miss this?!"

"She's in the ICU on the second floor."

We both ran through the stairs and reached the second floor frantically searching for the ICU until I saw the board and rushed towards it with a racing heart only to be stopped by Meher's older brother.

"Mazhar bhai!" Zoya whimpered.
"H....how is Meher? Oh Allah...why would she...."

He scoffed.
"Why are you here? To laugh at her?"

She looked at him confused.

"Mazhar bhai.... please we need to see her. How is she?" I almost pleaded but he looked at both of us indifferently.

"Oh...so now you care? How touching! Two of my Meher's friends are here to watch her die when they didn't give shit while she was alive." His voice laced with heavy sarcasm and disgust.

"Th... that's not true. Please don't say that... I didn't.... I didn't know what she was going through... none of us did. We were all so busy in our lives that...." 

"Busy in your own lives?" He snapped.
"So what, my sister didn't have a life? Oh right! she didn't. Because no one ever let her have one!" He yelled making Zoya flinch as she looked at him with a painful expression.

"M... Mazhar.... please..." she was crying like a child.

I don't know what to do or how to console her, neither did I knew how to handle a brother's rage at his sister's condition. That too after actually noticing his blood covered clothes.

It was Meher's right? My Meher....she....hurted herself soo much. She must've been in soo much pain.

My heart clenched again as I looked at the ICU door behind him. She was right behind that door right. So I walked towards the door....to my Meher, only to be dragged back by a strong grip on my arm but I shoved it away.

I had to see her.... I had to tell her....she couldn't leave me like that ..

"Meher... I...."

I coughed feeling a strong hit on my chest making me stumble out of my daze. He sure was strong or maybe it was his will to protect his sister. However, my will to see her was stronger....to go to my Meher... I had to....

But again I was dragged back and unconsciously I found myself gripping at his shirt.
"LET ME SEE HER!"

Seconds later, my back slammed on a wall making me realise what the heck I was doing and I let go of him startled by my own self.

"What the heck!" He grunted.
"Who do you think you are demanding to see My sister huh? What is she to you? Are that concerned about her? Where was this concern when she was suffering silently everyday, when she was hurting herself, crying all alone?"

My head dropped as I was too ashamed of myself.

Why couldn't I see all that?
Why couldn't I help her?
Why couldn't I save her Damn it!!!!

"Go away ...both of you and never come back!" He ordered getting back.
"Neither of you deserve to be called her friends."

Zoya was just sobbing in a corner while I felt numb all over.

"Please....just once, I...want to see her ... please..." My voice was a desperate prayer. A whisper unheard by her brother who had turned cold hearted.

"Get out of here! NOW!"

Zoya jumped crying harder while I looked at him with desperation yet he pushed away both of us.

"I don't even want to see you anywhere around my sister ever again."

"Mazhar bhai.... please don't say that..." Zoya sobbed but he ignored her and pushed us away turning to his heels and disappeared inside the ICU.

I let out a shaky breath trying to control my own tears.

Meher.... please come back. Please....

####
Mazhar's POV,
My legs were wobbly as I walked seeing my baby girl laying soo still on the bed in that lousy hospital gown and bandages wrapped around both her wrists. She looked soo fragile as if she would break like a porcelain doll any second now being connected to all those machine's. The oxygen pipe in her nose letting her breath.

I hiccuped on my silent tears as I dragged my feet beside her sitting in the stool. My hands were shaking as I reached out to her small hand.

"Baccha...."

I gasped at the coldness of her skin.

"Meher...." I called out moving my trembling palm over her forehead.
"Enough sleeping now... please wake up...you ...you know, I bought you that big Teddy you always wanted. It has a light blue colour and...and it's as tall as you. You can cuddle with it ...a....all you want...hm..." My voice was trembling and my tears fell over her hands.
"Aa shona....how long are you going to keep sleeping? I'm here now na... comeon now, tell me who all hurted my baccha? I'll.... punish them good for you.... should we go for ic.... icecream later? Chocolate or strawberry? Open your eyes and tell me na .... I promise...no one can hurt you anymore. Let's get away from here. What to come with me to Pune? It's really nice there. We can live together.... there's even... pizza hut near our appartment there. You like Pizza don't you? Huh? Meher?"

She wasn't responding at all. I kissed her forehead.
"Meher.... baccha.... please...." I broke down beside her again.

Please....just once, I...want to see her ... please...

That boy ...there was such pain in his eyes and such agony reflecting in his voice for Meher. Can it be, that he.....

####
Azlaan's POV,
As long as Mazhar bhai stood there as guard, there was no way I could get inside. However, I somehow got my chance to sneak inside while he went somewhere for a minute. His friend sat their in his place but maybe, talking pity on my, he said nothing as I tried to walk in.

"You have two minutes!" He warned.

I nodded gratefully and walked in.

I froze completely seeing her condition. She looked soo pale like a ghost and soo fragile like glass doll. Tears found their way out again as I dragged my feet towards her. Every step was agonising as I remembered everything again and again. All my words that must've hurt her worst than daggers. The pain the inflicted on her with my own hands. The meaningless hatred I had for her.

Why did I even do that?!

I tried to say her name but my voice wouldn't come out. I didn't even deserve to stain her beautiful name with my filthy mouth....a mouth that was on another woman.
I hated my own wife and treated her like trash because of someone else?

What kind of trashy human being am I?!

My hands trembled as my fingers touched her cold pale cheeks.

"M.....Meh...." I still couldn't say it and my tears fell over her face.

"For...give....me.... please.... please....wake up. I lied.... everyone loves you.... everyone's.... everyone's waiting.... please....come back ..... please....."

Her lips were soo pale and dry and at one point I wanted to wet them with mine but I knew I didn't deserve it.

And then I turned away as my body trembled with those uncontrollable sobs.

Mazhar's POV,
I came back after finally washing off the blood and changing my clothes as Arsh waited in my place. I didn't know how could I ever repay his help.  

"Thankyou soo much yaar.... you're not my friend, you're my brother! I'll forever be in your debt for this." I hugged him as he stood up seeing me.

He patted my back.
"If you call me your brother that means I'm Meher's brother too, right? Just consider it as me helping my own sister."

"Yes... thankyou."

"Enough with that stupid word."

Just then the nurse came running outside calling for the doctor and fear settled inside me.

I couldn't move and my heart was in my throat seeing her tensed expression. The doctor too came running soon enough as we both there anxiously praying in our hearts.

"Doctor....the patient has regained consciousness."

________________________________

From now on I'll update whenever I get time. There won't be any fix schedule. It can be in 2 days, 3 days, a week.

I hope you understand.

Pardon the grammatical mistakes
😅