Unexpected Promises

Chapter 56 ✓

Saad's pov:

I stood rooted at my place as the scene unfolded in front of me. Too stunned to do anything as my mind numbed. I couldn't believe it, it seemed too surreal to be true. How could I believe it? No actually, how could it even be real? What had happened when I wasn't here? No, that wasn't the question, the actual question was, what even happened to ammi? Why… Why was she being so… odd? Aggressive?

I couldn't believe that she refused to recognise me. The baby boy who she got married to her daughter. And now, she did this? God! Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I ran towards Atifa, my blood rushing with full force. This shouldn't have happened! She… she shouldn't have come in front of me! That bullet… it was for me, not for her!

Ammi was sitting with her head on her lap while covering her shoulder with her hand, trying to cease the bleeding and keep her awake as tears streamed down her face. Her gun was long forgotten beside her car.

Anger rushed through my veins when I saw her. If she was this concerned about her daughter, then she shouldn't have pulled the trigger knowing that her daughter was in front of her, trying to stop her! She knew her daughter better than anyone else, right? So didn't she know that she wouldn't have moved away? She wouldn't have let anyone get hurt, she should have known that!

I was also crazy for letting her go! I should have just pushed her away when she was with me! I shouldn't have let her get away from me, most importantly when ammi had a gun! God, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to her. Please let her be okay.

Sitting beside her, I noticed the wound for the first time as I took her hand in mine and started rubbing them. It was on her right shoulder, a large part of her abaya was already stained by blood. Her eyes were drooping, panicking me. And my breath hitched just at the thought of losing her forever. I- I couldn't lose her! I couldn't let that happen! 

"Keep your eyes open Atifa. Please stay awake." Looking around frantically, I tried to look for something to put pressure on the wound. If not because of the wound, she would die because of blood loss!

"Wha- what are you doing here?" Looking up from her daughter, ammi hissed at me angrily, desperately.

"Trying to save your daughter!" I snapped at her sharply as anger bubbled in me. Feeling Atifa trying to squeeze my hand, I looked down, my anger simmering slightly at the thought of her being fine. At least for now.

'She will be alright', I told myself while attempting to give her a small smile. "Hold on for a while more. You will be fine, okay? Just don't close your eyes." Leaving her hand, I removed her niqab. She needed fresh air to breathe properly.

"What do you even want?! Don't touch her! Just… just get away from her! LEAVE HER ALONE!" Ammi pushed my hands away from her face, her voice cracking in the end.

"Sa- ad…" Before I could reply to her, I heard Atifa whisper quietly, bringing my attention back to her.

"Y- yes Atifa. D- don't speak, you will be fine." Ignoring ammi, I ran my knuckles through her cheeks gently before looking at ammi through glistening orbs. I didn't want to argue with anyone! Someone's life was at stake and I could care less about anything else. "I'm not staying here because of you, but because of your daughter. So-"

"This is all because of you! You shouldn't have come here! You should have left her when I asked you to! You should have left her…" Her voice started fading away, making me look up at her in confusion. Holding her head, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to balance herself by keeping her hands on the ground.

"Ammi?" Moving closer to her, I held her shoulder, trying to keep her from losing her balance.

"L- leave me alone…" She tried to remove my hand from her shoulder, making me look at her in frustration. Both the mother and daughter were the same, refusing to accept any help even when they were sick or hurt.