Anything For You

|The Resignation|

The room was a furnace of destruction, the air thick with the pungent stench of burning wood and melted plastic. Flames danced violently along the walls, devouring everything in their path. Curtains had turned to ash, hanging in jagged, charred remnants, and the equipment lay smoldering, twisted into distorted, blackened shapes. The intense heat pressed against his skin, beads of sweat forming instantly on his brow as the scorching air filled his lungs.

His eyes swept through the chaos, searching desperately, and then they found her.

Mahnoor lay crumpled on the floor, motionless, her soft frame barely visible amidst the haze of smoke and ash. Her skin was flushed from the intense heat, and her face was smeared with dark soot, the black streaks standing out against her pale complexion. Ash clung to her hair, and a few strands were tangled around her—her body lifeless, her skin eerily still.

For a moment, he froze, stunned and unable to comprehend anything. Then, as if snapped back to reality, he sprang into action, rushing toward her.

He dropped to his knees beside her. "Mahnoor!" he called urgently, his voice cracking with fear as he leaned over her. She didn't stir or respond. The flames roared around them, but all he could hear was the terrifying silence from her.

"Mahnoor, get up," he called again, his voice louder, tinged with panic. He scooted closer, gently tapping her cheeks, his hands trembling as he tried to coax her back to consciousness. "Mahnoor!" he called out once more, but she remained limp, unresponsive. Her skin was warm beneath his fingers, too warm for his comfort, and dry lips were parted as she struglled for shallow breaths.

Fariz felt his chest tighten as cold dread gripped him harder. He tapped her cheeks again, more firmly this time. "Mahnoor, please, wake up." But there was still no response. His pulse quickened, his mind racing as he scanned her unconscious form. She was so fragile, her breathing shallow, and her body felt disturbingly limp in his hands.

"Shit!" he muttered under his breath, panic beginning to rise.

Taking in a deep breath to steady himself, he took his coat and gently draped it over her body. He bent down, sliding one arm beneath her knees, the other around her back, and with a careful yet urgent motion, lifted her off the ground.

Her body felt light in his arms, unnervingly so, as if she were made of fragile glass. Her head rolled softly against his chest, her hair cascading over his arm like a dark, silken veil. He tightened his grip, pulling her closer, and moved swiftly towards the exit.

When he emerged from the room, the firefighters were bustling through the corridor. He hurriedly carried Mahnoor into his cabin, Adnan and some staff members trailing behind.

"Open the windows," he commanded, his voice sharp and authoritative as he gently laid Mahnoor on the couch.

He grabbed a cushion, carefully lifting her head to rest it beneath her. His hands shook slightly as he tapped her cheeks again, his voice quieter this time, "Mahnoor... Mahnoor, wake up."

"Why did she go in there, knowing the circuits were faulty?" Adnan's concerned voice cut through the tensed atmosphere.

Fariz paused at the question, his movements halting. He straightened up and took a step back, his eyes lingering on Mahnoor's still figure. Guilt crept over him, slowly but relentlessly, like a wave he couldn't escape.

He stood rooted to the spot, watching as a girl gently splashed water on Mahnoor's face while Adnan used a tissue to wipe the soot from her cheeks.

"What happened, bhai?" Adnan inquired after a moment, walking towards him as he saw his brother lost.