Gereksiz İntikam

34

Shoaib's POV

Returning to the bench in front of her room, where she is lying unconscious, I take a deep breath. I don’t know what I’m feeling right now. Am I going to be a father? Why does it feel so emotional yet meaningless at the same time? 

Somewhere deep in my heart, I know how Taniya will react when she finds out the truth. 

She will never allow my baby to grow in her womb because I know her morals. 

But wait… who will tell her that our child is not the fruit of a halal relationship? 

No one—because she is unaware of the fake nikah. 

Still, I don’t feel good about this pregnancy because I know that the fetus growing inside her is a result of betrayal and sin. If she ever finds out, I don’t know how she will react. She is deeply religious and spiritual; she will never give birth to a child conceived through zina. And I don’t know why, but the mere thought of her rejecting our child—of her rejecting me after knowing the truth—is making me uneasy. An unbearable ache settles in my heart. 

Shit, why am I thinking so much? Who will tell her about it? Exactly no one. Once our child comes into this world, she will be bound to me forever. 

I take a breath of relief at this thought when the buzzing of my phone interrupts me. 

Taking it out of my pocket, I frown at the caller ID. Dishaan bhai? He never calls me this late. 

Is everything okay? I answer the call. 

"Assalam o Alaikum, Bhai," I say. He is like a father figure to me. 

"Walaikum Assalam," he replies. 

"Kaise ho, mere bhai?" I ask, leaning back in my chair. My eyes remain fixed on the glass door. 

"Allah ka shukar hai," he replies, but I sense something in his voice—a mix of pain and happiness. 

"Shoaib… Danish ke yahan bete ki wiladat hui hai," he says with a tense tone. 

A son was born? 

That means I became a chachu, but then why does he sound so tense? 

"Bhai, ye toh khushi ki baat hai. Isme pareshan hone ki kya baat hai?"I ask, unable to understand his response. 

"Baby ko machine me rakha gaya hai, aur Danial…" He takes a harsh breath. 

"Danial what, bhai? Is she alright?" I ask impatiently. 

"She is in critical condition. Just pray for her well-being, and please don’t tell Gudiya about this," he says, making me confused. 

"Why, bhai? She’ll be happy knowing this," I say. 

"Mere bachche, Gudiya suffered a miscarriage. She is going through an emotional breakdown, and if we tell her about this—when both the baby and the mother are not even in good condition to allow us to celebrate—she’ll be devastated,"he explains. 

I nod, then hum in response, remembering he can’t see me. 

"Okay, take care of yourself and Taniya too. I’ll update you later." With that, he bids goodbye. 

"Allah, please make my champ and Danial healthy soon."

I know how many difficulties they faced trying to have a child—countless medical checkups, many failed IVFs, and whatnot. We all knew how happy they were when they finally had a successful IVF. Danish bhai didn’t even let her set foot on the floor during the early stages of the first trimester.