Eternity

Chapter 62

As-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu

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The faint beeping of the hospital machines was the first sound that registered in Ayzal’s mind as she slowly began to regain consciousness. Everything felt hazy, her body weighed down by exhaustion, but there was something warm and familiar in the way her hand was being held. She blinked, her eyes fluttering open to the dim light of the room, and as the fog began to clear, her gaze settled on Zayan.

He was slumped over the edge of her bed, his hand still wrapped around hers, his head resting on the mattress. His face was turned toward her, his expression soft, almost peaceful in his sleep, though the remnants of dried tears streaked his cheeks. Her heart clenched at the sight of him like that—so vulnerable, so unlike the Zayan she was used to.

For a moment, she simply lay there, watching him, trying to piece together what had happened. The last thing she remembered was the overwhelming pain, the frantic voices of doctors, and Zayan’s terrified face as they wheeled her into surgery. The memory sent a chill through her, but now, here in this quiet room with him by her side, some of that fear began to ebb away.

She squeezed his hand, her thumb brushing softly over his skin. His eyelids fluttered at the touch, and slowly, he stirred, his eyes opening with a start. For a second, he seemed disoriented, but then his gaze met hers, and everything stilled.

“Ayzal,” he whispered, his voice raspy from sleep and heavy with emotion. His eyes filled with relief so palpable it nearly broke her heart all over again. He sat up quickly, pulling her hand closer to his chest as though he needed to feel the proof that she was still there, still with him.

Tears welled in her eyes as she took in his face, the dark circles under his eyes, the way his lips trembled as he tried to speak. "Zayan..." Her voice was weak, barely more than a whisper, but it was enough.

In an instant, he was leaning over her, brushing the hair gently from her face, his thumb caressing her cheek. “You are awake,” he murmured, his breath shaky with relief. “I—I thought… I didn’t know if you…” His voice cracked, and for a moment, he couldn’t finish the sentence.

“I am here,” she whispered, offering him a weak smile, trying to comfort him even though she still felt the weight of everything that had happened. Her body ached, but the sight of him, the feel of his hand in hers, was enough to dull the pain.

Zayan’s face crumpled, and before she knew it, he was pressing his forehead to hers, his tears mingling with her own. “I was so scared,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “I thought I lost you, Ayzal. I have never been more terrified in my life.” He pulled back just enough to look into her eyes, his expression raw and open in a way she had never seen before.

“I am here,” she repeated, her hand reaching up to cup his cheek, her thumb brushing away a tear that had slipped down his face. “And… our baby?”

His breath hitched, and a soft, almost disbelieving smile broke through the tears. “He is okay,” Zayan said, his voice a mixture of awe and relief. “Our son is in the NICU, but the doctors say he is strong. He is going to make it.”

Ayzal’s heart swelled at his words—our son. The tears she had been holding back spilled over, and she let out a small, shaky laugh. “A boy,” she whispered, her voice filled with wonder. “We have a son.”

Zayan nodded, his eyes glistening as he watched her, his hand never leaving hers. “Yes, a son,” he repeated, his voice filled with so much emotion it was almost too much to bear. He leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. “You both scared me to death,” he murmured against her skin, his lips lingering there for a moment as though he was trying to reassure himself that this was real, that she was real.

Ayzal smiled, though it was weak, and she reached up to thread her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer. “I am sorry,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Zayan let out a soft, broken laugh, pulling back just enough to look into her eyes. “Don’t apologize,” he said, his thumb tracing the outline of her lips. “I just... I am so grateful you are okay. I don’t care about anything else.”

For a long moment, they simply stared at each other, the weight of everything they had been through hanging between them, but there was something else too—something lighter, something warmer. It was as though the walls Zayan had spent so long building around himself had finally crumbled, leaving him open and vulnerable in a way he had never allowed himself to be before.

“I love you, Ayzal,” he whispered, his voice breaking the silence. “I love you so much.”

Her breath caught in her throat at his words, her heart skipping a beat. It was the first time he had said those words to her, and hearing them now, after everything, made them all the more powerful. She blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over again and gave him a soft smile.

“I love you too, Zayan,” she whispered back, the words coming easily, naturally. She had held onto that love for so long, even when he had been distant, even when things had been hard. And now, hearing him say it back… it felt like the final piece of a puzzle falling into place.

Zayan let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, his eyes softening as he leaned down to kiss her gently, his lips brushing against hers in the softest, most tender way. It wasn’t a kiss filled with passion or desperation; it was a kiss that spoke of love, of relief, of a promise for the future.

When he pulled back, his forehead rested against hers, and for a moment, they just breathed together, the weight of their love settling around them like a warm blanket.

“I am never going to take you for granted again,” Zayan murmured, his voice low and serious. “I promise you, I’ll spend every day showing you how much you mean to me. You and our baby… you re everything to me.”

Ayzal’s heart swelled at his words, her eyes filling with tears once more. “You don’t have to promise me anything,” she whispered, her fingers tracing the lines of his face. “Just be here. That is all I need.”

Zayan nodded, his hand coming up to cup her face, his thumb brushing away the tear that slipped down her cheek. “I will always be here,” he said softly. “For you, for our son. Always.”

They sat like that for a while, just holding each other, letting the weight of everything that had happened settle around them. The future was uncertain, and they knew there would be challenges ahead, but in that moment, none of that mattered. All that mattered was that they were together, that they had each other, and that their son was waiting for them.

Eventually, a nurse came in to check on them, and Zayan reluctantly pulled away, though his hand never left hers. “I will go check on the baby,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I will bring you back good news.”

Ayzal nodded, watching him as he left the room, her heart full in a way it hadn’t been in a long time. She smiled to herself, closing her eyes and letting the exhaustion finally take over, knowing that when she woke up, everything would be okay. They were going to be okay.