When Our Worlds Collide

Chapter 8 Blood Ties and Unspoken Truths

The first time Dua woke up for Fajr, she felt a sense of relief wash over her as she completed her prayer. Yet, exhaustion soon took over, and she drifted back to sleep without a second thought. The next time she woke up, it was with a jolt—realizing she had to rush to the hospital. Ahad was still in critical condition, and anxiety clung to her the entire ride there. The city buzzed around her, but all Dua could focus on was her cousin's face, pale and weak, from the night before.

As she stepped into the hospital, the sterile smell of antiseptic filled her senses. Her heart raced, but relief flooded her body when she saw that Ahad had been moved to a private ward. Though still weak, his lips curled into a teasing smirk the moment he spotted her entering the room.

"Ah, there she is," Ahad rasped, his voice hoarse but unmistakably mischievous. "My favorite cousin."

Dua rolled her eyes, smiling despite herself. "Your favorite? Sure. Maybe I'm just the only one who tolerates your nonsense."

He chuckled, weakly but audibly. "You know you love it." His hand reached out for hers, squeezing gently. "But seriously, I'm better now. Don't worry."

All of their cousins gathered around, visibly more at ease with Ahad's improvement. But, despite Ahad's weak condition, he couldn't resist slipping in some flirtation with Dua whenever he got the chance. "You're looking especially beautiful today, Dua. I'm starting to think my recovery is because of you."

Their cousins snickered and shared knowing glances, but Dua, as always, remained oblivious to his hints. "Maybe you're just imagining things," she replied, with a mock frown. "It's probably the medicine."

"You really don't see it, do you?" Ahad grinned, his exhaustion barely masking his amusement. Their cousins exchanged looks again, whispering, but Dua stayed clueless. They all joked around until suddenly, the laughter and banter were interrupted by raised voices from the hallway.

The hospital, usually calm and orderly, was suddenly filled with chaotic noises. Dua's heart skipped a beat as a group of nurses and doctors rushed past, their faces grave with concern. The air felt heavier, almost suffocating, and Dua found herself standing at the door of Ahad's room, peeking into the bustling corridor.

"What's going on?" Ahad asked, sitting up slightly.

"I don't know..." Dua whispered, her voice tense.

Then, a nurse sprinted down the hall, shouting, "We need a blood donor, now! Anyone with A+ blood, please come forward!"

Dua's breath caught in her throat. Her palms started to sweat. She froze for a second, hearing the desperation in the nurse's voice. Someone was fighting for their life, and they needed blood—her blood type. She didn't know why, but her feet began to move toward the nurse.

Fear gripped her chest—needles, the thing she feared most in the world. It always paralyzed her, left her shaky and nauseous. But now, in this moment, none of that seemed to matter. A person was caught between life and death. She couldn't let her own fear get in the way.

"I can donate," Dua said, her voice trembling as she reached the nurse. "I have A+ blood."

The nurse gave her a relieved nod and quickly ushered her into the donation room. Dua's stomach churned as she saw the needle, her heart pounding in her chest. But she forced herself to sit down, her breath coming in short gasps.

"You can do this, Dua," she muttered under her breath. "It's just a needle. He needs you."

As the needle pierced her skin, a sharp pain shot through her arm, but she clenched her fists and kept her eyes tightly shut. She couldn't afford to give in to her fear. Time stretched on, every second feeling like an eternity, until finally, it was over. The nurse removed the needle, and Dua exhaled in relief.

"You did great," the nurse smiled softly at her. "Your donation will save his life."

"Who... who is he?" Dua asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Zain Ashraf Aly," the nurse replied, scribbling on her chart.

Dua's heart stopped. *Zain Aly?* The Zain Ashraf Aly who had been a thorn in her side? She couldn't believe it.

She didn't even have time to process the shock before they wheeled Zain out of the emergency room, unconscious, pale, and hooked up to multiple machines. Dua stood there frozen, her mind racing. *Of all the people... him?* She watched as they moved him into a private ward, still in disbelief.

When she returned to Ahad's room, her cousins bombarded her with questions. She barely had the energy to explain what had just happened. Later, when they all left, Mehreen arrived at the hospital. She was the only one who saw the exhaustion and turmoil in Dua's face.

Once she was finally home, Dua called Haya and spilled everything—from bumping into Zain at the supermarket to Mahabaleshwar to the blood donation.

"You... you donated blood to Zain? *Zain*? The same Zain you can't stand?" Haya's voice was filled with disbelief.

"I know, I know, it's crazy! But I couldn't just let him die."

Haya paused, her tone softening. "That's why I love you, Dua. You're always thinking about others, even the ones you hate."

Later that day, Dua received a call from Bilal Murtaza Khan, the renowned lawyer. His voice was lively as he told her he was coming to Kalyan and wanted to meet to discuss their case. They arranged a meeting at 5 p.m., after Dua's next visit to the hospital.

When Dua arrived at the hospital, she was surprised to see Bilal standing by the entrance. She walked up to him with a bright smile. "Bilal! You're early."

He returned her smile. "I figured I'd get here ahead of time, but I also wanted to check on a friend."

Dua blinked in confusion as she watched Bilal stride toward Zain's private room. "Wait... you know Zain?" she asked, astonished.

Bilal chuckled. "Know him? We're best friends. How do you know Zain?"

The shock on Dua's face must have been obvious because Bilal laughed harder. "Let me guess... you're the girl he's been talking about."

Her eyes widened. "What do you mean by that?"

Bilal grinned. "Oh, he hasn't said anything nice, don't worry. But from what I'm seeing, you're the complete opposite of what he described."

Dua stood speechless for a moment, still processing the fact that Bilal and Zain were friends. She excused herself and headed to Ahad's room, but her mind raced with thoughts of Zain and what Bilal had said.

During their meeting later, Bilal's confident and quirky demeanor put her at ease. "I've got a plan for the case, don't worry. The hearing's tomorrow, and I know exactly how to win."

Dua smiled, though her mind was still spinning with emotions. "Thank you, Bilal. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'll be fine," he winked. "I'm the best for a reason."

As Dua left the meeting, she couldn't shake the strange mix of feelings bubbling inside her—questions about Zain, fear about the case, and an overwhelming sense of curiosity about what would happen next.