CROSSED PATHS

Chapter fourty-two

I can't believe cross paths is slowing coming to an end ya subhanallah it feels so surreal.

I felt like I was being ripped apart from the inside out. The pain was suffocating, a heavy weight crushing my chest. Every breath was a struggle, every thought a jumbled mess. I couldn't focus, couldn't think straight. All I knew was the agony, the overwhelming sense of desperation.

It was like my body was betraying me, turning against me. I felt helpless, trapped in a never-ending cycle of suffering. I couldn't escape, couldn't find a way out.

Time lost all meaning. Minutes felt like hours, hours felt like days. I was trapped in a never-ending nightmare, with no escape.

And then, suddenly, I was standing. Moving. Walking. I didn't know where I was going, just that I had to keep moving. The pain followed me, a constant companion.

It wasn't until I saw the hospital signs, the familiar logo on the wall, that I realized where I was. And then, like a punch to the gut, it hit me. This wasn't about me. This was about...

Her.

My sister.

Lying in that hospital bed, her face contorted in a mixture of fear and pain.

The doctor's words came flooding back - 'complications,' 'emergency cesarean,' 'fetal distress.' I felt like I'd been punched in the gut all over again."

All the family members are present, Ammie went to the hospital's mosque to pray and include Allah to ease Aisha's pain. Kausar and Fahad sitting on the waiting chairs. Her husband was in the ward room with her,only he was allowed to see her. His mother,her mother in law and his sister were also present. Anam is in school and Alhamdulillah cause we wouldn't want her to see her mother in such condition.

The doors to the waiting room burst open and Ahlam rushed in, her scrubs a stark contrast to the worry etched on her face. Her eyes scanned the room, locking onto mine with a mix of fear and concern. She hurried towards me, her movements swift and purposeful.

'Aina, what are you doing here?' I asked, standing up to meet her.

'I was in the middle of a shift when I heard,' she replied, her voice tight with worry. 'I had to come. How is she?'

I shook my head, feeling a sense of helplessness wash over me. 'It's not good. The doctor says...'

Ahlam's eyes filled with tears as I recounted the words I'd heard earlier. She listened intently, her face pale, her lips pressed together.

Without a word, she wrapped her arms around me, holding me tightly. I felt a sense of comfort in her embrace, a sense of solidarity. We stood there for a moment, holding each other, trying to draw strength from one another.

Then, she pulled back, her eyes red-rimmed but determined. 'Let's go see her,' she said, her voice firm. 'We need to be strong for her, for the baby.'"

"We can't go in the doctor has restricted it" I said to her and she let out a huff breath. She sat beside Kausar when Fahad stood up. Kausar leaned her head on her shoulders, "will she be okay" she asked Ahlee who hugged her comfortingly.

"InshAllah" she smiled.

The doctor came out saying he needs to see her family members.

Aisha's husband Usman, said me and Ahlam should hear the doctor out. We went straight to the office.

Dr. Smith's words hung in the air like a challenge, each one a stark reminder of the gravity of the situation. Ahlam's eyes never left his face, her expression a mask of calm professionalism. But I saw the flicker of worry in her eyes, the slight tightening of her jaw.