Eternity

Chapter 35

As-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu

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As he rushed through the house, carrying Ayzal’s limp body in his arms, he found his parents sitting in the hallway. Their faces etched with concern, their eyes widening in alarm as they took in the sight of their daughter-in-law, pale and unconscious. His mother, her usual calm demeanor shattered, stepped forward, her hand trembling as she reached out to touch Ayzal’s face.

“What happened to her, Zayan?” his mother asked, her voice quivering with fear. “She looks so pale… Is she alright?”

His father, standing beside her, furrowed his brows in worry. “Zayan, what is going on?”

Zayan’s jaw tightened, his expression remaining as cold and unreadable as ever. He didn’t want to deal with their questions, their concern. Not now. Not when he was barely holding himself together.

“She will be fine,” Zayan replied curtly, his voice hard and unyielding. “But I need to get her to the hospital. You both should stay here.”

His mother’s eyes filled with tears, her hand still hovering near Ayzal’s face. “But Zayan, she might need us. We should be there with her. Let us come—”

“No,” Zayan cut her off, his tone brooking no argument. “I will take care of it. There is no need for you to come. Just stay here. I will call you when I know more.”

His mother looked at him, her eyes searching his, for any sign of softness, any indication that he might let them help. But all she saw was the same coldness that had characterized him for so long. She opened her mouth to protest, but his father placed a hand on her shoulder, gently pulling her back.

“Let him go, dear,” his father said quietly, though his eyes remained on Zayan, filled with concern and a hint of disapproval. “He will handle it. We will just be in the way.”

Zayan’s mother hesitated, her gaze lingering on Ayzal’s lifeless form. Finally, she nodded, though the tears continued to pool in her eyes. “Alright, Zayan. But please, let us know as soon as you hear anything. We will be waiting.”

Zayan didn’t respond, his attention already shifting back to the task at hand. Without another word, he turned and headed out the door, his parents’ worried gazes following him as he disappeared into the night.

As he walked towards the car, he could hear his mother’s voice, faint and trembling, as she whispered to his father, “I am so worried about her… and about him. I don’t understand why he is being like this…”

Zayan’s jaw clenched, his heart hardening against the emotions threatening to surface. He didn’t have time for their concern, their questions. All that mattered now was getting Ayzal to the hospital, making sure she was okay. Everything else—their worries, his guilt, the complicated mess of emotions he didn’t want to deal with—could wait.

He carefully placed Ayzal in the backseat, laying her down as gently as he could before shutting the door and sliding into the driver’s seat. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as he started the car, the engine roaring to life with a low rumble. Zayan’s jaw clenched as he drove through the empty streets, his mind racing with thoughts he didn’t want to entertain. He had always prided himself on his ability to remain detached, to keep his emotions in check no matter the situation. But now, with Ayzal unconscious in the backseat, he felt a crack in his armor, a crack that threatened to widen with every passing second.

He glanced in the rearview mirror, his eyes narrowing as he saw her lying there, so still and vulnerable. It was a sight that twisted something deep inside him, something he didn’t want to acknowledge. He had told himself from the beginning that he would never allow himself to care for her, that he would never let her into his heart. But now, with her life hanging in the balance, he felt an unfamiliar pang of fear—fear that he had driven her to this, that his hatred and coldness had finally taken their toll.

Zayan’s hands tightened on the wheel as he pushed the car faster, the speedometer climbing as he raced towards the hospital. The streets blurred past him, a mix of shadows and streetlights, but he didn’t care. All that mattered was getting her help, making sure she was okay. The rest—his anger, his hatred, the guilt that gnawed at him—would have to wait.

When he finally arrived at the hospital, Zayan barely took the time to park the car before he was out of the driver’s seat and pulling Ayzal from the back. His movements were hurried but careful as he carried her inside, the cold fluorescent lights of the emergency room casting harsh shadows on the pale walls. He approached the reception desk, his voice cold and demanding as he barked out orders to the startled nurse behind the counter.

“Get a doctor,” he snapped, his eyes flashing with a mix of fear and frustration. “She is unconscious.”

The nurse quickly called for assistance, and within moments, a team of doctors and nurses was surrounding Ayzal, taking her from his arms and rushing her into an examination room. Zayan stood frozen, his eyes fixed on the swinging doors that had just closed behind them. His mind was a blur of conflicting emotions, each one more unwelcome than the last.

He had hated her from the beginning, had blamed her for Murad’s death and had made her life a living hell because of it. But now, seeing her like this, he couldn’t deny the gnawing sense of guilt that twisted in his gut. Had he been wrong? Had his hatred blinded him to the truth?

As he stood there, alone in the sterile hospital hallway, Zayan felt the weight of his actions pressing down on him like never before. The anger that had fueled him for so long seemed to drain away, leaving behind guilt and concern.