Two Brothers, One Heart

Part 2: Chapter 90

Islam wrestled with her wardrobe choices that fateful Wednesday evening, a clandestine mission to check on Ali burning in her heart, despite Zaynab's vigilant watch. The family's whispers revealed Ali's plight, a victim of Khadija's conniving husband, Salman.

Draped in uncertainty, Islam sifted through a multitude of outfits before settling on the microfloral dress, its puffed sleeves a delicate armor against the night's chill, paired with a modest hijab. Sleep eluded her, the specter of the poisoning haunting her every toss and turn, Ali's face a ghost in her thoughts.

Silently, she slipped through the door, tiptoeing down the stairs, mindful of every creak that could betray her presence. The clock's hands mocked her, past nine, an hour unsuitable for her clandestine journey.

Abandoning her car, she hailed a taxi, its silent engine whisking her to the hospital's shadows. Unfamiliar corridors guided her to the ICU, her steps guided by intuition and desperation.

There he lay, suspended between life and death, a fragile thread tethering him to this world. Unbidden, she knelt by his side, his form motionless in the sterile light. Unruly stubble framed his face, his lips sealed in silent defiance.

"Ali, if you can hear my whispers in the silence, know this: you must defy the darkness that threatens to consume you. You are a warrior of resilience, a soul destined to overcome.

"To be honest, you're a mentor in my life and you taught me a lot of things, Ali. You taught me to learn to believe in myself no matter what happens.

I'm in love now. I'm in love with you. Isn't it ironic how I'm getting married to your brother. Please wake up and don't break my heart. I love you, Ali," she vented out as she began to cry.

It was pointless because he wasn't even moving a finger or blinking but just resting for the past days.

She rose to her feet and looked at him one more time to study his features. The fierce eyes, steady Roman nose, and those thin lips which seldom smiled.

She backed away and turned out of the room as tears kept falling from her eyes.

She now knew it - her secret was that she was in love with Ali all this while but refused to believe herself because Usman was on the line. He was her beloved but she didn't know why Ali couldn't get out of the way after all the business projects they worked together.

He would always remain her secret lover. There was something unique about the way he knew how to read minds unlike Usman who doesn't care about his surroundings.

She quickly went back home relieved from seeing his face and walked into her room which she turned off the lights to deceive Zaynab.

She also piled up pillows making it look like the figure of a human under the comforter to avoid raising any fight that night.

She quickly laid on the bed while looking at the ceiling with well-carved POP. It was Ali's face.

**

Zaynab sat gracefully at her desk, her legs elegantly crossed as she diligently worked on her computer, engrossed in the manifesto she meticulously crafted upon assuming her ministerial role.

A sharp pain pierced her head, causing her forehead to crease in discomfort. Hastily, she opened the top drawer of her chest of drawers, retrieving the medication she had overlooked earlier, seeking relief from the persistent ache.

"Salamualaikum," greeted Firdausi warmly as she entered the office, her concern masked by a gentle smile.

"Wa alaikumusalam. Please, take a seat," Zaynab offered, gesturing towards the visitor's chair.