Bound By Heart #1intheheartseries

TwEnTy

Tisha's POV

A groan escaped my mouth as the blinding lights of the hospital seared through my eyes.
I almost jumped at the sight thay greeted me.
Aqsa as well as another lady whose voice surprisingly sounded familiar were backed against me, bending over a cot and cooing.
I was confused for a moment before my memories started picking up.

Blood.
Pain.
Ambulance.
Frantically my hands hovered on my stomach, trying to ensure my baby was safe.

Its flat state made me shoot up the bed.

I gasped as the resulting pain from the sudden movement hit me hard.
They must have heard me as they turned to face me.

Aqsa looked like she wanted to scoot me up into one big warm hug. However the other lady looked like she was dreaming.
And why did she have a scarf over her face??
That was definitely a scarf, not a veil.

"Seriously Aq?? You're just gonna stand there and  keep grinning like an idiot??"

That did the magic alright.
She squealed real loud and jogged over to the bed.

"Ohemgee Tee!!! You've given me the greatest honour in my entire weird life!!!",she cried out.

I was totally confused.
I was wondering about the state of my baby and here she was, squeezing the life out of my hands.

"What honour...? Forget that, what about my baby?? Is she safe... and for God's sake please stop grinning like an idiot!"

She squealed once again before bouncing off the bed and going to the baby cot.

While she seemed to be struggling with whatever she was doing at the cot, I studied the lady.

More like we both studied ourselves quizzically.

She was of average height like me, had a fair skin like I did, and her eyes....they seemed to tell a thousand stories at the same time.

Who was she?
I pitied her poor hands as she kept on wringing them like she was nervous.

I was a mess.
I know.
My hair stuck out in all directions.

Now if I thought I had seen my best friend at her most careful and cautious version during physics practicals back in school, I was wrong.

Aqsa was literally counting her steps as she walked over back...and was that two bundles in her arms???!

She made it to the bed and lowered her arms for me to see.
I gasped for the second time as my eyes connected with two set of eyes peering up at me.

A boy and a girl.
I felt a serious connection the moment Aqsa handed them over.

Tears welled up in my eyes.
"Are these...?", I couldn't finish it as my voice clogged up.

Aqsa face changed as she nodded solemnly, "These little cute bundles of joy here are your babies Tish. Not just your babies, but Mus'ab's babies too. I don't know how he did it but there's no doubt he was responsible for the pregnancy all along. Just look at their facial features! They look just like him."

My already frailed mind started to spin.

But how???
Just how????
The dissapointment in his eyes on the day he found out about the pregnancy still haunted my dreams.

He couldn't possibly be the father.
But then the evidence laid in my arms.
Not just one.
But two.

A sound from my baby girl snapped me out of my thoughts as I found her gazing at me.

Innocence laid in those eyes.
So much innocence.

I felt something shift in me.
I was going to protect that innocence with everything I've got.

I smiled for the first time since my life turned upside down.
Then I laughed with my whole heart.
I laughed till tears started to fall.

My babies seemed to connect with the moment as their mouth quirked up into tiny cute little smiles.

I stared at them for a long time.
My children.
I was a mother.
My days of sadness were over.
I would love them with everything I had.

My heart, body, mind, and soul.

I resolved I was going to keep them away from Mus'ab.
He didn't deserve to know the kids were his.
Not after everything he put me through.

I shook my head to get rid of those thoughts.

"Their father's identity doesn't matter now. My babies are hale and hearty. That's the only the that matters", I said lowly.

Aqsa looked like she wanted to say something but she kept shut at the last minute before giving a nod in solidarity.

I gazed at my babies once more before whispering,"Anees and Aneesah."

Aqsa's face lit up once again,"MaShaAllah Ummu Anees wa Aneesah!"

"Alhamdulillahirobbil a'lameen",I muttered.

I could stare at them forever but their eyes started drooping so I handed them over to Aqsa's outstretched hands.

She took them back to their cot.

I caught a movement from the corner of my eyes as I looked up to realize the mystery lady was still in the room.

Aqsa stilled.

"Tisha...", she trailed off.

"Who is this Aq?"

She walked over to the lady before holding her hand and turning back to me.

"Promise you would NOT freak out."

I rolled my eyes,"If she doesn't have a side of her face implanted with wires and metal, then no. I wouldn't freak out."

She smiled sadly as she signaled to the lady who loosened the scarf she had over her face and let it drop.

If there was something called serial gasping...I was that gasper.

"Duriyyah...?",the lady called out carefully.

"Excuse me?"

She walked over to the bed slowly.

Aqsa and I were right about me having a doppleganger all along.

Atleast that was what I thought until the lady reached under her hijab to pull out a locket necklace.

Aqsa watched from a distance.
Ready to bolt the room.
Coward.

The lady opened the locket and stretched her hand with it on her palm.

I took it from her cautiously.

The moment my eyes fell on the picture in the locket, the room started to spin.

I dropped the locket and clutched my head.