A Pretty Lie ✔️

Chapter 22 | Upset

"Mamma!!" Inaya yells as she struggles to stay above the water, and my heart literally faints and leaps out of my chest when I see her drowning. It gets even worse since I know she has a phobia of deep water.

I throw the towel I was using a few seconds ago carelessly onto the floor before rushing toward the girl—whose hands are the only thing in view.

- Inaya's pov -

I struggle to breathe as panic crashes over me, suffocating me faster than the water itself. My arms thrash wildly, desperate to find something—anything—to hold on to, but there's nothing but emptiness. My legs kick beneath me, but the water drags me down, swallowing me whole.

I don't want to die! Not like this. Not now!

My chest burns as my lungs scream for air, but all I inhale is water. My throat clenches, choking on the filthy taste, my body convulsing as I try to cough, but no air comes—only more water. My vision blurs, my ears ring, and my limbs feel like they no longer belong to me. The weight in my chest grows heavier, pressing, crushing—I'm sinking.

"Mamma!" I try to scream, but the water fills my mouth before I can even form the word.

I slap my hands against the surface, desperate to stay up, but I can feel myself slipping, my strength fading. I can't see anything—everything is dark, my body light as if I'm floating away from reality.

No! I don't want to die!

I close my eyes, repeating verses in my mind, begging Allah to save me, to let me live, to let me breathe again.

Then—strong hands.

They wrap around my waist, pulling me up so fast my body jerks, and suddenly, I'm coughing, gasping, my chest convulsing as I suck in the air like it's my first breath in this world.

"Ya Allah!" My arms snap around the person holding me, my body trembling, still stuck in the fear of drowning. I don't care who it is—I cling to them, pressing myself as close as possible, terrified that if I let go, I'll fall back in.

"Calm down, sweetheart. I've got you. You're safe."

That voice—I know that voice.

"Zaarib!" I sob against his neck, my fingers digging into his wet shirt. My breaths come in quick, uneven gasps, my heart hammering against my ribs so hard it hurts. "Zaarib, we're going to die!" I cry, gripping him tighter.

"We're not dying, Inaya. I've got you," he assures me, his voice calm, his hand rubbing slow circles on my back. But I don't feel safe. My body still feels weightless like I could slip away at any moment.

"I'm taking you to the edge, okay? Just hold on to me," he says, his voice steady, and I nod quickly, pressing my forehead against his shoulder.

But when he starts moving, I panic again. The water shifts around me, rising up my back, my feet still dangling in the depths.

"Zaarib!!" I shriek, clamping my legs around his waist, crushing him without meaning to. "The water—it's pulling us! We're going to drown!"

He lets out a breath, his grip tightening around me. "You're okay, I've got you. Just breathe."

I can't. My body won't listen. The fear is too strong, choking me even though I'm no longer underwater.