"Haniya? What happened! Tell me" Shayaan asked shaking me by my shoulders.

"Shayaan take me to the General Hospital. Please" I cried.

"Ok! But say someth....." I cut him off.

"Just take me there" I pleaded as now tears fell down like no tomorrow.

He sighed and nodded and drove towards the hospital. Dark shadows fell upon me making me shiver. Shadows which wanted to snatch away my happiness, my peace, my everything.

Please God Please! Don't do this to me. Not atleast when I'm happy.

"Why are we here? Please don't cry Haniya. Your state is haunting me, please say something" he said looking at me worriedly but I moved away and ran inside the hospital.

"N..Nurse? Where are the patients of the p..plane crash?" I stuttered as I wiped my tears away but new ones popped out as fear engulfed me. Fear of losing them.

"2nd floor is full of all the injured ones, some are in OTs and ICU. As the plane crash caused alot of destruction, some people died at the spot. We don't know their identities go search them ma'am" the lady spoke taking away my breath, stopping my heart.

"Haniya listen to me!" Shayaan yelled at my back but I didn't stop. I rushed upwards by taking stairs, the crowd was huge, there were people crying for the departed souls of their loved ones. People who were praying for those who were fighting between life and death.

I saw Salman and Rameen standing infront of a stretcher placed with many others.

"Haniya!" Salman said with teary eyes looking towards me.

"Haniya Mom left us! Mom is no more!" Rameen came running towards me pulling back from her husband. Her eyes were red and sore as if she has cried alot.

"W..what?" A low painful whimper left my mouth as now Rameen hugged me tightly but I couldn't respond. It was as if my senses went numb.

"No! You are lying. She can't leave us. She can't just leave us like this" I shook my head and let go of Rameen.

"Salman?" I looked at him with hope that he will say that she is fine but he just looked down and sighed pointing towards the stretcher infront of him.

With my heart about to explode I walked towards the stretcher and with my trembling hands I pulled down the cloth.

"Mom!" I screamed in pain as her emotioneless and blood stained face came infront of my eyes.

"Mom look its your girl's birthday. I was waiting for your and Dad's wish. Wish me Mom! Wish me!" I cried shaking her body. But her limbs were cold and lifeless.

"Don't leave me. Mom wake up!" I pleaded taking her emotionless hand in mine.

"Haniya she is no more!" Salman pulled me away from her.

"No! Leave me!" I pushed him away and looked at Rameen.

"Rameen! Th..this can't be true. Its a nightmare, wake me up Rameen and tell me all that didn't happen. Tell me that I will be able to see Mom's smiling face. Tell me she didn't part away from us" I begged.

"They wanted to surprise you but fate decided something else" she said still looking down at her hands, my heart dropped down.

"Haniya?" Shayaan's low whisper pierced through my ears. I looked up at him and he was already looking at Mom's dead body with a gaze I couldn't quite get.

Dead! She is dead.

"Shayaan she...she left me!" I crashed onto him and cried, all the pain came out in the form of those uncounteable tears.

"Calm down!" He sighed trying not to break down, trying to hold back the tears which were threatening to come out of his eyes.

"D..Dad? Where is Dad?" A sudden realization hit me and I pulled back from him.

"He is in the OT" Salman said in a low and grim voice.

Atleast you don't go away from me Dad! I want you to be there when I will make my dreams come true. I want you to be there to see my happiness.

...

Shayaan's POV:-

God! Why always she? She already went through so much and now this?

She stood there leaning against the OT's door. Her eyes had a little fragile hope for her father. Her mother's death already took her soul away and now only he was there who could make her come back to her senses.

"Please nurse. Tell the doctor I want to go inside! Please let me go!" She pleaded the nurse as she was about to enter.

"The operation is over and he is out of the effect of anesthesia. Let me ask the doctor" She assured and went inside.

"He will be fine, stay hopeful" I walked upto her and wiped her tears which were pinching my heart harshly.

"Only if they didn't plan to come here for me Mom must be alive, Dad must be healthy and cheerful. They both must be there with me!" She turned her face towards the door again and cried harder. I was helplessly staring at her, I couldn't do anything.

Why I don't have the power to take away your pain?

"Two people at a time!" The nurse came out and said in an urgent voice, there was panic hidden in her voice. My heart was restless and eyes itching to shed tears but I had to stay strong for her.

Haniya looked at me and grabbed my hand, dragging me inside.

"Dad!" A painful sob escaped her mouth as she looked at her father who was looking so weak as if something was flowing away from his body. His clothes were drentched in blood, his heart beat heavy and gaze on Haniya. The man who once had the most cheerful smile was not at the verge of collapsing any minute.

"What is happening? Why God is testing me Dad? You used to say He loves us then why He is giving me pain?" She fell on her knees near the bed as she now held her father's hand in hers while I just stood there near her.

"D..dear he test those who H..he love the m..most! I.. love you H..Haniya. T..tell Rameen that my wish of playing with her children was n...not fulfilled b..but I'll be looking at you all from u..up there" Uncle spoke with uneven breath.

"No uncle you will stay with us. You will see your children's happiness, you will play with your grand children" I said not looking at him because I knew I was just giving false hope to myself. His condition was hurting me so badly.

"If death is w...written in my fate then I c....an't fight with it!" He replied shutting his eyes tightly trying to stay there for a little longer, trying not to let the angel of death take away his breath.

"Now who will look at me with pride when I will become a successful engineer? Mom left me, only you can save me. If you will leave what will be there for me to live? Please don't go Dad, please!! Stay with me" Haniya cried kissing his hand.

"Who will tease me when I will marry your princess and make her my queen?" I spoke as now a stubborn tear left my eye. Haniya looked at me with her red and puffed up eyes, I gulped the sore lump down my throat. My throat burned as I did so.

"Please don't leave uncle!" I placed my hand on top of their's. A soft smile appeared on his lips and a tear rolled down his eye and dropped in the pillow.

"Sh..shayaan promise m...me you will t..take c..care of her!" He spoke and before I could utter a word the machine started beeping as he took heavy breaths.

"I promise!" I uttered lowly shutting my eyes.

What will I do? How will I comfort her on this great loss . I can't even imagine seeing her hurting everyday and me just being helpless.

"Doctor do something!" Haniya yelled.

"There is no hope. His body can't bear the pain anymore!" He sighed and just then the machine went blank showing a straight line on the screen. A sudden darkness engulfed the room as his hand slipped aways from ours.

"No!!!! Dad!!" Haniya yelled in extreme misery.

Her sobs and whimpers turned into hurtful cries and screams. I knelt down and pulled her shivering body close to my chest. Few tears now escaped my eyes. She cried and cried without taking a breath, breaking my once happy heart into thousand pieces. Her tears were like poison for me which was spreading grimness in every nerve, every inch of my body.

Why is fate so cruel?

Rameen and Salman came in the room. Rameen also started crying as she hugged her husband. He tried to comfort her but their loss was so huge that no words could calm their heart.

"I don't want to live anymore!" Haniya cried fisting my shirt tightly. Her tears were constantly falling down.

"You have to! You are way too strong than you think. It was all written. We all have to die someday!" I said stroking her back and made her stand. We then headed to my apartment. Their dead bodies were about to come in an hour for the funeral.

I wish you both would have never left us. I wish you both could witness our happiness, our dreams which we were seeing together. I wish Haniya wouldn't be this broken and I wouldn't be this helpless.

I wish!!!!!

Reaching there I took Haniya to my room. She sat on the bed and pulled her legs close to herself, hugging them as she started weeping silently, burrying her face in her wrapped arms.

"Haniya if you need me......" I started but she cut me off.

"Just Leave me alone" She whispered and I stared at her for a while. Wiping the tear away which I didn't notice fell down I walked outside. The sun was about to rise but she was still lost in the dark haunting night.

"I informed Mom and Dad and they are coming in a while!" Salman said as he stood by my side.

"Bro. I don't know how will I handle her. She don't want to talk, she is not letting me to be around her and I'm really very scared" I let out a huff of breath.

"Shayaan give her some time. Rameen also couldn't bear this news but she is sensible and mature to handle it. Death is a reality and we have to face it!. Haniya is just 19 and she was so close to them, its surely gonna hurt but she will be fine" he said placing his hand on my shoulder and I nodded in response.

After 1 hour my parents arrived and soon the dead bodies of the two most dear people of Haniya's life whose souls were now long gone arrived too. All this while she was locked in the room.

"Rameen dear bring Haniya so that she can look at their faces for the last time!" Mom said with a grim expression.

"I'll bring her!" Rameen replied wiping the tear stains from her cheek.

I was standing with Salman while Mom and Dad sat on the sofa. The dead bodies were placed in their coffins in the garden outside.

As my eyes fell upon her vulnerable state I felt a knot in my heart. Her hair all messed up, eyes holding nothing but river of tears, her body weak and shattered as if she couldn't hold herself. Rameen was holding her arm as they descended downstairs.

"Don't cry my dear! Your tears can't bring them back. Pray for them as they need them the most!" Mom said patting her head lovingly.

She wrapped her arms around Mom's neck and sobbed.

"Aunty how will I live without them?" Haniya said in a whisper. Her voice came out like a whimper, mixed with soureness.

"We are with you. Take us as your own parents. Rameen is there with you, Salman and even your best friend Shayaan too" Mom patted her back and she just sighed and pulled back. Without saying a word, without sparing a glance at my broken self she crossed the living room and sat near their coffins.

Few moments passed by, she was still sitting there and I was still staring at her lost soul, feeling lost myself.

"Its time to hand them to their graves!" Dad said and along with Salman and few other people who came for the funeral took the coffins up in their hands.

"No! Don't take them away from me. Mom, Dad come back. I need you!" She yelled and ran towards the crowd who were now leaving the main gate.

"Haniya! They can't come back. Try to absorb it, try to suppress the pain. Please!" I held her arms and pleaded as now a tear traced down my waterline.

She didn't say anything and just clung to my chest crying, sobbing, breaking apart internally as she fisted my shirt. I gulped and held her close with my trembling hands. Her each tear was falling straigh on my heart causing deep agony and distress.

We were so happy. She said she feels like she is living a fairytale. Who knew a moment later it will turn into her worst nightmare?

"Rameen take her inside! I need to go for the funeral" I pulled back and Rameen came to hold her sister.

I joined the crowd and prayed for their souls to rest in peace. I watched with emotionless expressions as their bodies now rested in their graves. Slowly everyone started leaving and by now only me and Dad were standing there.

I sat there near their graves and hung my head low not knowing what to feel, what to think about. It felt as if my own dear ones left.

I made a promise. I made a promise to a departing soul who was worried about his daughter. Should I feel lucky that he chose me to take care of her or should I feel bad that I am the only person left in her life who could handle her, comfort her and make her move on.

"Shayaan! Lets go son!" Dad nudged me and I got up wiping away the stubborn tears which were coming out every now and then. Only by thinking about how hurt Haniya is would make my heart cringe inside my chest.

..

Haniya'sPOV:-

The hardest part of losing someone isn't not being able to stop them, its rather to live without their love and affection, always trying to fill the void emptiness they left behind.

"Haniya open the door!" A worried and cracked voice came from outside.

It was Shayaan.

I was leaning against the door, holding the photo frame which had our family picture. Even though I couldn't see it because it was night by now and everywhere around me was pitch darkness but still I held it close.

"Bookworm! You haven't eaten anything the whole day. Eat something" he said once again trying to make me open the door but no matter how much I wanted to do so but my body was not taking my commands. I was only left with a stream of tears and an emptiness around me.

"I know you are crying. I know it hurts. I can feel it because when your heart aches, mine aches even more" His voice came from outside the door. His voice had so much of worry that I couldn't resist letting him in.

I got up and placed the frame on the bed and opened the door. Lights from outside fell upon my sore eyes making me feel like someone has pricked needles in them.

Shayaan was standing there holding a tray in his hands. He came inside and turned on the lights. I shut my eyes tightly and opened them again trying to get a better vision.

"I don't want to eat anything!" I looked away and sat down on the floor leaning against the bed and wrapped my arms around my legs as I sighed deeply.

"Please bookworm. Just a little? Just for me?" He sat infront of me placing the tray in his lap.

I shook my head as a "No" because my voice was not coming out straight. He pulled my hand towards him and I sat crossed legged too.

"Look! Those we love don't go away. They walk beside us everytime unseen, unheard but always near, still missed, still very dear. I've learned this from Sir Jacob that those who die, live right here" he said as he now placed my own hand on my heart.

"In our heart! Close to us!" He continued and I looked at him awestruck. His words were soothing my aching heart already.

He took a morsel of bread in his hand and brought it close to my mouth. I took it unwillingly. He started feeding me with his own hands.

"I can't eat more!" I pushed the tray away from me and he nodded in clear understanding.

My vision was still blur and I shut my eyes as they were hurting because of all the salty tears I've shed in just a day. He held my hands in his making me look at him but I couldn't.

I know my pain is your pain too. But I don't know what to do.

"If you will cry, they will not be able to rest in peace. You are hurting their souls Haniya. You are hurting yourself, you are hurting..........me" he looked down as his hands slipped away.

"Hmmm" I nodded but as the image of Mom's emotionless face and Dad's last words came in my mind those dark shadows which fadded away by Shayaan's words, came back again.

All the memories, since my childhood uptil now were still fresh and alive in my mind making it more difficult for me to absorb the fact that now I was an orphan. The two people who raised me, who fulfilled my every wish, who sacrificed for our sake were not there to pray for me anymore.

"I'm an orphan!" I whimpered and by placing my hand on my mouth I cried once again.

"I'm there Haniya! I promised your father to take care of you. If I will not be able to fulfill my promise I will consider myself a big loser. I will never be able to forgive myself. You are now my responsibility and I can do anything for you because I love you!" Shayaan said looking deep in my teary eyes. I wrapped my arms around his neck and sighed deeply suppresing the hurt.

"I know I'm a crazy and careless guy but your love has changed me and it changed me for good" he kissed in my hair and then pulled back.

"Come with me!" He got up and made me walk towards the window. The stars were shining brightly in the sky.

"Whenever you look at the stars think what your Dad said. He said they will be looking at you from up there" he wrapped his one arm around me as I rested my head on his chest near his heart.

"Shayaan can speak wise too!" He let out a soft chuckle and finally a small smile appeared on my face.

"Idiot!" I whispered.

"Yours!" He whispered back.

...
......

Ok! How was the chapter guys? :")
Favourite scenes? Gosh! I'm a cry baby :"D

See you soon ♡

This chapter is dedicated to sparklesNcharm because she was too eager for this update ❤ Thank you so much for your constant support for my book since the begining and for your sweet comments :)

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