In The Grip of Trust

Chapter 14: A Fragile Moment

Ayesha’s head swirled as the room seemed to spin around her. The suffocating encounter at the university had drained her of any remaining strength, and her emotions weighed her down like a boulder. She barely managed to reach the bathroom when the exhaustion caught up to her.

Her legs gave way as she slumped to the cold tiled floor, gasping for breath. The last thing she remembered was her vision going dark, the world fading away as her mind and body shut down.

---

Downstairs, Amna Aunty moved around the kitchen, tidying up after the children’s meal. She noticed the unusual quiet from Ayesha’s side since she came back and thought to check on her. After calling her name a few times and receiving no response, a sharp pang of worry hit her.

“Ayesha? Ayesha Beta?” Amna knocked on the door of the bathroom but heard nothing. A sinking feeling started to rise in her chest. She knocked again, more firmly this time, but still, there was no answer. Amna’s heart raced. Something wasn’t right.

Amna Aunty quickly pulled out her phone and dialed Amir’s number.

“Amir Beta, something’s wrong,” she said, her voice trembling. “Ayesha isn’t answering, and I’m worried. I think something’s happened.”

Amir’s heart skipped a beat on the other end of the line. “I’m coming right now. Stay near her,” he replied before hanging up and rushing out of his office.

---

Amir arrived home faster than he thought possible. Panic surged through his veins as he stormed through the door. Amna Aunty met him at the stairs, her face pale with worry.

“She’s in the bathroom. She hasn’t answered at all,” Amna Aunty said, her voice shaking.

Without wasting another second, Amir ran up the stairs and reached the bathroom door. He banged on it with his fists, calling her name loudly, but there was still no response.

His heart pounded in his chest, and without thinking, he took a few steps back and charged at the door with his shoulder. The wood creaked under the impact, but it didn’t give way. He tried again, slamming his shoulder into the door with all his strength until it finally splintered open.

Inside, Ayesha lay on the bathroom floor, unconscious.

“Ayesha!” Amir yelled, kneeling beside her. His hands shook as he checked for her pulse, relief washing over him when he found it. She was still breathing, but she looked so fragile—her face pale and her body limp.

Amna Aunty hurried in and gasped at the sight. She rushed to get towels and helped Amir lift Ayesha carefully from the cold floor.

“We need to change her clothes,” Amna said, her voice steady but full of concern. “She can’t stay like this.”

Amir nodded and, with trembling hands, helped Amna as much as he could before stepping out of the room to give her privacy. His heart ached, but his thoughts were spinning too wildly for him to settle on one emotion. Fear, guilt, worry—they all swirled in his mind, consuming him.

---

Downstairs, the twins, Bilal and Amina, were starting to grow restless. They sensed the tension in the air and began to cry, asking for their “Ayesha Mamma.” Zain, too, was upset, not fully understanding what was happening but knowing something was wrong.

Amir, after making sure Ayesha was being taken care of, rushed downstairs to comfort the children. He knelt by Zain, pulling him into a hug. “It’s okay, Zain. Ayesha Mamma is just a little sick. She’ll be okay soon,” Amir said softly, though his heart felt heavy.

Bilal and Amina, still too young to fully understand, cried for their mother, their tiny hands reaching for Amir, wanting comfort.

He gathered them in his arms, kissing the tops of their heads. “Shh, shh... it’s okay, my little ones. Ayesha Mamma will be fine, I promise.”

Amna Aunty soon joined them downstairs, having settled Ayesha into bed. “We need to call a doctor,” she said urgently. Amir nodded and immediately grabbed his phone, dialing the number of their family physician.

---

The doctor arrived within half an hour and examined Ayesha carefully, asking questions about her recent behavior, her health, and the events that had led up to this. Amir explained everything he knew, though he left out the encounter at the university—he hadn’t had the chance to ask Ayesha about it yet.

“She’s physically exhausted and emotionally drained,” the doctor concluded after his examination. “She needs rest—both physically and mentally. Right now, it’s crucial that she doesn’t push herself. Whatever is troubling her, it’s taking a toll on her body.”

Amir’s chest tightened at the doctor’s words. He knew Ayesha was dealing with something deep, but he hadn’t realized just how much it was affecting her.

“She’ll recover, but you need to keep an eye on her. Make sure she gets plenty of rest and stays hydrated. And if she doesn’t improve, we may need to look deeper into her emotional state,” the doctor advised before leaving.

---

As the house grew quiet again, Amir stood by the door of their room, watching Ayesha sleep. His mind raced as he tried to piece everything together—the fainting, the exhaustion, the sadness she had been carrying since the day they met.

He knew she didn’t want this marriage, but the depth of her unhappiness was becoming more evident with every passing day. And now, seeing her so vulnerable and broken, Amir felt a wave of helplessness wash over him.

“I promised to take care of her,” he whispered to himself, running a hand through his hair. “But how can I help her if she doesn’t let me in?”

---

Amir turned away from the bed and walked toward the corner of the room where he had left his prayer mat. With a heavy heart, he made his intention for tahajjud prayer, lowering himself into sujood, praying for her well-being, for her health, and for her return to faith. He prayed for her healing, not just physically but emotionally and spiritually.

As he finished his tahajjud, Amir sat down with the Holy Qur'an, reciting verses into the stillness of the night. Each word carried with it a prayer for Ayesha, for her peace, for the healing of her heart. He recited until his heart felt lighter, his mind clearer.

When the time for Fajr arrived, Amir once again asked Allah to grant Ayesha ease, to lift her burden, and to guide her back to the faith she had lost.

By the time Fajr prayer ended, Amir was exhausted, but his soul felt a little more at peace. He gazed at Ayesha’s still figure, lying in bed. Though he was tired, he knew he wouldn’t rest until he saw her come back to life in every sense but exhaustion took over and he slept on his side of the bed sitting.