𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐯𝐚𝐬.

𝟑𝟔. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡.

The moon cast its light across the world, enveloping the harsh realities of the universe. Within the confines of four walls, a tormented soul, her eyes filled with tears and her heart clutching onto hope, raised her hands to the sky in desperate prayer. Her eyes beseeched the Almighty, the one who had promised never to forsake His faithful.

❝O Merciful One, have mercy upon us. You know the depths of our hearts and are aware of my suffering. Please alleviate this anguish that has overtaken my soul. O Almighty of Heaven and Earth, I take responsibility for his condition. Deliver us from this and grant him life, O Ilahi!❞ Her pleas reverberated within the room, her sobs reaching the heavens. As she sat on the prayer mat, she poured her heart out to her Creator.

The clock ticked away the time, and though the delicate soul was utterly broken, she clung to hope in her Creator, which had led her here. After Musa was rushed to one of the hospitals he owned, she found solace in this prayer room within the hospital.

She couldn't fathom that the most merciless mafia, the man who had once vowed to destroy her, was now on a bed, fighting for his life. Her heart yearned for his survival.

❝I have already lost my son; I cannot bear to lose my grandson now,❞ Dadi's familiar voice reached Fayra. The crack in Dadi's voice revealed the depth of her anguish, causing a single tear of vulnerability to fall from Fayra's gray eyes. With a heart heavy with sorrow, Fayra stood from the prayer mat and turned to meet Dadi's tear-filled gaze.

Fayra's heart was gripped with intense pain as her eyes overflowed with countless emotions, none of which could be fully captured. Seeing the tears shimmering in Dadi's eyes, Fayra began to sob uncontrollably. Dadi opened her arms, and Fayra rushed into her embrace, finding some measure of comfort as Dadi stroked her back, trying to soothe her.

❝I can't—I can't lose him!❞ Fayra's defeated voice echoed within the room, her words laden with despair. Dadi wiped Fayra's tears and kissed her forehead, her eyes conveying a silent reassurance to trust in the Creator's plan, believing that everything happens according to His will.

❝He lost his father at the age of nine,❞ Dadi said, wiping away a solitary tear that had escaped down her cheek. She adjusted her hijab, and Fayra looked at her in stunned silence, unable to grasp the weight of her words. Dadi's eyes were filled with profound sorrow as she exhaled deeply.

Dadi then sat on a nearby bench, followed by Fayra, who took Dadi's trembling hand and kissed it, prompting Dadi to gently caress Fayra's head.

❝And his mother at the same time,❞ Dadi continued, causing Fayra to look at her in bewilderment. The silence that followed was heavy, and Fayra struggled to process what she had heard, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

Flashback:

❝Please save my father!❞ The cries of a boy reverberated through the hospital. His white shirt was soaked in blood as he wept and screamed in anguish, terrified of losing his father.

❝Musa, hold on!❞ The elderly woman rushed to her grandson, but the boy was beyond consolation. He desperately wanted his father to be okay, his hands trembling as he struck himself in frustration and remorse for not being able to save him.

❝Mrs. Zaid Khan, I'm sorry, but we lost him,❞ a doctor said with a sorrowful expression, turning away. The words struck like a blow, causing the elderly woman to falter as her sobs filled the air.

The boy collapsed to the floor, losing consciousness as the weight of the moment overwhelmed them. It felt as though their souls were on the verge of departing their bodies. This was a part of Musa's grim past, one that he blamed others for in his nightmares.

Flashback ends.

A tear fell from Dadi's eyes as she looked at Fayra, who was struggling to breathe after hearing the devastating news. Fayra tried to swallow her emotions as she wiped her own tears with a trembling hand.

Her mind replayed images of her husband, the man she now called her own. Despite everything, she realized she couldn't bear to lose him.

❝Mrs. Khan?❞ An unfamiliar male voice interrupted their trance. They both stood and moved towards the door to see a man with brown eyes. He wore a gray shirt, dark jeans, and a white lab coat, indicating he was a doctor.

Fayra nodded at him as he gave her a somber smile. His next words turned their world upside down, causing Fayra to lose her balance and collapse to the floor from sheer exhaustion.

❝Mrs. Khan, we're sorry. We did everything we could.❞

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