Unexpected Promises

Chapter 58 ✓

Atifa's pov:

Numb; it's all that I felt. Darkness surrounded me from all sides. I couldn't feel any of my limbs, just a beeping sound, which irritated me. Was everything alright? Why couldn't I open my eyes?

As I forced myself to open my eyes, bright lights blinded me, forcing me to squeeze them shut again. A searing pain pierced through my head before spreading out to my body, making me groan.

When I tried to lift my right hand, another searing pain shot through my shoulder, making me wince.

With my left hand, I rubbed my forehead, feeling numb, pain and thirst, all at once. What happened? Where was I? Why was my body aching? And how did I land here? It didn't look like my room at all.

Squinting my eyes, I looked around, trying to recognise this place and find water. White and grey walls stared back at me with a few machines here and there, confusing me. Trying to sit up, I winced, a groan leaving my lips as I noticed my right shoulder. It was barely covered with a blue hospital gown, a white bandage peeking through it, stained by blood.

Staring at it in confusion, I tried to recall how I managed to get hurt, and that too my shoulder.

"You are up!" I looked up at the familiar voice. Saad stood by the door, a relieved look on his face. When… When did he come? And why couldn't I remember- Oh!...

Th- that gun… The bullet… Ammi…

A shudder ran through my body just thinking about what would have happened if I hadn't come in between them.

Closing my eyes, I looked away from him. Thank God that he was alright. Alhamdulillah! I- I didn't know what I would have done if something happened to him. But he was standing here, in front of me, so he was okay. Alhamdulillah.

And oh God, where was ammi? Was- was she- She was alright, right? Why wasn't she here? I- The- No one took her anywhere, right? Then where was she? And Amira? She was fine too, right? Then where were they?!

"W- where is ammi?" Looking back at him, I croaked out, my throat parched as tears obscured my vision.

"She's here. Don't worry about her. How are you feeling now?" He rushed to my side while I tried to cover my barely covered shoulder with the blanket.

"Water."

"Y- yeah, here you go." Grabbing a glass of water from the bedside table hastily, he handed it to me. I sipped it slowly, finding the coolness of water soothing.

Looking at him through my lashes, I saw him focused on the glass as he held my head from the back with the other hand.

"Jazak Allahu Khairan." Feeling embarrassed, I left the glass while trying to change the topic. "Where is Mira?"

"She's sleeping." Sitting on the chair by the bed, he pointed behind him with his thumb. Following his trail, I noticed her sleeping figure curled up on the sofa with a frown etched on her face. "She was waiting for you to wake up but I asked her to sleep. She wouldn't even eat anything so I had no other option." Shrugging his shoulders, he explained.

"Oh." Turning my attention back at him, I tried to sit up. It didn't feel right that I was laying down when he was sitting. I wasn't used to it. "And am-"

A groan left my lips when I felt pressure on my right shoulder cutting my sentence short.

"What are you doing?!" He was up in a flash, standing beside me with his hand on my shoulder, making me wince. Removing the slight pressure from my shoulder instantly, he looked at me apologetically.