𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬

55

Arsalan POV:

The sound of my phone ringing jolts me out of my thoughts. I quickly grab it from my pocket. It's Talbiya.

"Yes?" I answer, my voice tense.

Her breath is heavy, filling the silence for a moment before she speaks. "Where are you?" she asks, her voice shaky.

"Why? What happened?" I ask, ignoring her question.

"Airah..." Her voice breaks, and then she starts sobbing. My body tenses as I reach for my car door.

"What happened?"

"Bhai... Airah appi fainted."

A cold wave washes over me, and I step on the gas, speeding up. "What happened to her?" My heart pounds in my chest as I wait for her answer.

"We don't know," she sniffles. "I went to her room on the ground floor to check if she was hungry, but she wasn't there. So I went upstairs, and..." She pauses to sniff again. "I found her unconscious on the floor."

"Tia, give me the phone," I hear Tariq's voice in the background before he takes the phone from her.

"Call Saad immediately. While he's on his way, check her blood pressure," I bark out orders, taking a sharp turn as I race toward the house.

I park the car hastily and sprint inside, my mind racing. God, what have I done? It's all my fault. If only I hadn't left her. If only...

I reach our bedroom and push my way through the people gathered there. Saad is packing up his medical kit. "She needs proper medical attention right now," he says, looking at me with concern. "I suggest you take her to the hospital."

Ignoring everything around me, I scoop Airah into my arms and carry her downstairs. Yasir rushes over, his voice urgent. "I'll drive," he offers, sliding into the driver's seat as I climb into the back, still holding Airah, her body limp in my arms.

"Airah..." I whisper softly, rubbing her cheek. "Wake up, my love."

Tears blur my vision, but I force them back. I can't lose her. Not now. Not ever.

Yasir quickly pulls up in front of the hospital, and I waste no time, rushing toward the emergency ward with Airah in my arms. The doctors and nurses are on us immediately, and I gently place her on the bed as they begin checking her vitals and blood pressure.

"She lost consciousness," I explain, feeling the weight of guilt press against my chest. "None of us were with her at the time." The words taste bitter, but I push the guilt away. She's what matters now.

"I think it's because of her heart disease," I quickly add, filling them in on her medical history. The nurses nod and call for a cardiologist. After examining her, the cardiologist turns to me, his expression serious.

"Listen, the baby will be in danger if we don't perform surgery," he says, his words heavy. My mind spins, but I try to keep myself steady. "There's still a risk to the baby's life even with surgery," he continues, "but it's our best option."

I feel like I'm on the edge of breaking, but I nod. It has to be done.

Once I give the go-ahead, they whisk her away to the operating room. I slump into a chair outside, burying my head in my hands, blaming myself for everything. I should've known. I should've been there.

The sound of hurried footsteps and quiet sobs pull me out of my thoughts. Looking up, I see Airah's parents, Hiba's father, and my cousins approaching. Their faces are etched with fear.