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"I can't believe you did this, Imaan," Noor said, sitting beside Emad and gently caressing his hand. Her face was a mask of worry, a look only her daughter could decipher. As she continued to caress Emad's hand, her eyes were filled with pity.
Imaan stood nearby, her mind racing. The doctor's words echoed in her head: there was poison in the food. She didn't know how it had happened. Everything had happened so fast. She had been standing in front of Emad for the past two hours, unable to say a word, paralyzed by the shock.
"Now tell us, Imaan, what did you do to our Emad?" Hina demanded, striding towards Emad with tears streaming down her face. "I almost had a heart attack, Mom, when I heard Imaan mixed poison in the food," she added, her voice trembling.
Imaan gulped, nervously wringing her hands. "But it was—" she started, her voice barely a whisper, but Noor cut her off, knowing what Imaan was about to say and wanting to shield Emad from the truth.
"Shut up, Imaan! I thought you loved Emad, but all you do is betray people," Noor snapped, wiping away her crocodile tears with a flourish. Emad sat on the hospital bed, his eyes glued to his lap, looking utterly defeated. Noor gently ran her fingers through his hair, a show of motherly affection that seemed out of place.
"Look at him. My son has become so weak because of you," Noor continued, her voice dripping with false concern as she stroked Emad's hair.
"But I did nothing. It was your plan, Aunt Noor," Imaan finally said, her voice trembling. She felt as if the ground beneath her was crumbling. Emad glanced up at her, his eyes clouded with confusion and hurt.
"How shameless can you be, Imaan? Now you're blaming my mom? How could you?" Hina retorted, stepping closer to Imaan with a glare that could cut glass. The room felt like it was closing in on Imaan, the weight of the accusations pressing down on her.
Noor immediately began to cry harder, her wails echoing through the sterile hospital room. "What do you mean? I tried to kill my own son like Emad?" she sobbed theatrically. The eyes of everyone in the room turned to her, but Emad remained silent, staring at the floor with a haunted look. The air was thick with tension and the beeping of hospital monitors was the only sound that filled the silence.
"Stop, Mumma, don't cry. You're not wrong. We know," Hina said, her voice firm as she walked over to her mother, gently caressing her back. "If you don't want Emad, just divorce him and leave, but don't try to harm him." The word "divorce" hung heavily in the air, sending a shockwave through the room.
Imaan's eyes filled with tears. "But I did nothing," she said, her voice breaking as she looked desperately at Hina.
Hina's anger boiled over. Her face twisted with rage as she stormed toward Imaan, hand raised to strike her. Just as she was about to make contact, a voice cut through the tension like a knife. "Hina, stop," Emad said, his voice cold and firm.
"But—" Hina began, her hand trembling in mid-air.
"I said stop," Emad repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument. Noor looked at him, her crocodile tears still flowing, but a hint of calculation flickered in her eyes. "I know she's your relative, my son, but you should divorce her. Look at how she tried to harm you today. I can't bear to see you in pain," Noor said, her voice dripping with false concern.
For the first time, Emad glared at Noor, his eyes blazing with a mix of anger and determination. "Enough,. Imaan did nothing wrong," he said, his voice steady. The room fell silent, everyone stunned by Emad's sudden assertiveness.
Noor gulped, trying to maintain her composure. "Woh meri biwi hai. Agar poison bhi de dein toh khaa lunga. Koi usse kuch nahi kahega," Emad declared. Noor and Hina exchanged bewildered glances.
"But isn't it wrong?" Hina asked, her voice trembling with suppressed anger as she looked at Emad.
"She is my wife, and there's nothing wrong if she wants to do anything to me," Emad said quietly, staring off into the distance. Imaan's heart raced at his words, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Even if she wants to kill you?" Noor pressed, her voice tinged with disbelief.
"Yeah, even if she wants to kill me, I'll be there," Emad replied firmly. Imaan's heart raced faster than ever, his words leaving her stunned.
"You're being obsessed, Emad. Unbelievable," Hina muttered, shaking her head as she moved toward the door, jealousy and frustration evident in her every step. She couldn't bear to stay in the room any longer.
Emad ignored Hina’s outburst while Noor left the room, looking back at Emad. It was the first time he had ever disagreed with her decision. Imaan took a deep breath, wiping away her tears.
"Come here," he said softly, looking at her. She felt so weak from everything that had happened, but she walked over to him and sat beside him on the hospital bed.
"Kyu Aapne mujhe pr yaqeen kiya jab mere Koi evidence nhi thee ke main sahi hun?" she asked, her voice trembling as she wiped her tears.
"Agr saari duniya Tumhare khilaaf Ho toh main Ek Taraf or duniya Ek Taraf honge begum," Emad said. His words broke through her defenses, and tears streamed down her face as she cried into her hands. She had never seen this kind of unwavering support before; not even her father treated her mother this way.
"Aree Aap tou rone lagi sweetheart," he said gently, moving closer to her.
"I did nothing wrong. I didn't mean to. Trust me," she said through her hiccups, her tears falling freely.
"Who said you did? Did I say that? I said nothing. I'm your world, sweetheart. If your world isn't saying anything, why do you feel like you did something?" Emad said, gently caressing her hair. His softness was almost overwhelming for her.
Imaan's hiccups gradually stopped, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She wanted to tell Emad the truth about who made the food, but she didn't want to become the villain or speak ill of Noor. Sitting up straight, she looked into his eyes, finding a soft, inviting world where she felt she could live without fear. She gulped and smiled slightly, but the memory of what he did to her in their teenage years lingered. Her heart was urging her to fall for him completely.
Emad held her hand, gently caressing her palm. She was captivated by his eyes, unable to look away.
"How are you feeling now?" he asked, still caressing her hand, sending more butterflies into her stomach.
"When my world is this beautiful, there's no way to express how I feel," she replied. Emad froze, his soft expression shifting as he absorbed her words.
"What did you just say?" he asked, turning his eyes to her with a deeper intensity.
She immediately shook her head. "Maybe I should go now," she said, starting to stand up. But he held her hand and gently pulled her back, her eyes widening in surprise.
"W-what are you doing?" she stammered, trying to stand, but he held her waist, settling her onto his lap.
"How does it feel to be loved by your world?" he asked, his voice low and tender.
Imaan gulped, still feeling a mix of fear and longing. "Nothing. Leave me," she whispered, her voice unsteady.
He continued to caress her hand. "I want to sleep. Help me, I'm a patient," he said, looking at her with a pleading expression.
She rolled her eyes, trying to maintain her composure. "Leave me," she insisted, though her resistance was weakening.
Emad smiled softly. "Just stay with me for a while," he murmured, his eyes never leaving hers. He gently adjusted her position, making her more comfortable on his lap. Imaan could feel her heart pounding, a mix of fear, confusion, and a growing sense of security. But the fear is still in her heart.
.................
