Tere Bin

Chapter 11

Anwar's POV

I stood frozen in the sterile chill of the hospital room, gazing at the fragile form of my daughter. Meerab lay motionless on the bed, her delicate wrists wrapped in white bandages-a painful reminder of her desperate cry for help. My heart clenched as the weight of guilt consumed me, a relentless tide dragging me deeper into despair.

Why hadn't I protected her?

The memories of her birth flooded my mind, taunting me with their clarity. I remembered the moment she entered this world-my beautiful daughter, who had inherited her mother's striking features. But instead of embracing her, I had pushed her away, deeming her unworthy of love. I could still hear Nazia's soft, pleading voice echoing in my mind. She had wanted to hold our child, to cherish her. But I had turned my back on Meerab, blinded by grief and anger for the loss of my beloved wife. I had cursed the child who had cost me so dearly.

Now, as I stood by her side, I could feel that pain morphing into something far worse-regret. I recalled the years that followed, when I compounded my mistakes. I had forced Meerab to marry Murtasim, ignoring her pleas. I had shut my eyes to the truth, prioritizing family honor over her happiness, sacrificing her dreams for the shackles of tradition.

As the memories surged, I thought of Maa Begum and her insidious manipulation. I had let her poison our family, standing silent while she crushed my child's spirit. How could I have allowed her cruelty to continue unchecked? The realization hit me like a physical blow. I had failed her not just as a father, but as a protector.

My gaze fell once more on her pale face, her sunken eyes reflecting a sorrow deeper than I could fathom. With trembling hands, I approached her. My voice wavered, barely rising above a whisper, "Meerab...beta...I'm so sorry. I failed you. I was blind to your pain."

She didn't stir, her gaze fixed unyieldingly on the ceiling, as if trying to escape the reality that surrounded her. The silence stretched painfully between us, a chasm filled with unspoken words and lost moments.

"Meerab, please forgive me," I pleaded, desperation lacing my tone. "I realize now that I was wrong-to reject you, to force you into this marriage. I should have stood by you against Maa Begum. I was a coward."

Her silence was a heavy weight, the kind that spoke volumes of her pain-and the resentment simmering beneath the surface. "I know I can never undo the harm I've caused," I continued, my heart breaking with each word. "But I promise to make it right. I'll make sure Murtasim pays for what he's done. You deserve justice, and from this moment on, I'll be your rock, your protector."

Finally, she turned her head, and when our eyes met, I felt as if she were piercing through the layers of my soul. There was no softness, no hint of the daughter I once knew; only a furious storm of anger and hurt. "Get out, Anwar sahab. Leave me alone. Your presence only reminds me of my misery."

Her words struck me like a blow, and I felt the heat of helplessness rise through my chest. I nodded, defeated, and pushed myself away from her bedside, tears streaming down my face. My heart shattered into fragments as I realized the depth of the divide between us.

I was about to turn away when Meerab's whispered words reached me, slicing through my anguish like glass. "I'll never forgive you, Anwar sahab. Never."

Her declaration echoed in my mind, reverberating against the walls of my conscience. It was a truth I had to accept-a truth that would haunt me for the rest of my life.

I staggered out of the room, feeling smaller with each step, my heart heavy with the unbearable weight of my failures. I thought of the life I had taken from her and the love I had denied her, and for the first time, I truly understood the magnitude of my mistakes.

As the door closed behind me, I felt the cold, stark reality of my daughter's pain wrap around me like a shroud. My apologies lingered in the air, unacknowledged and unsaid, leaving behind a father's profound remorse, a reminder that the bond between us had been irreparably fractured.

Meerab is not going to go easy on the Khans.... everyone will be held accountable for their actions....Stay tuned for the next part.