Taabindagi (Sequel Of Sharar)

Twenty-Three

Kulsoom and Sharfa were in the same room, but exhaustion had taken its toll on them. The two young girls lay curled up on the same bed, fast asleep, seeking refuge in slumber.

They were still too young to endure such emotional and physical strain.

For now, sleep was the best escape for them.

And somehow, that night passed too.

•••

Shahzain and Khushnuma had came next morning. Despite the exhausting long flight, they hadn’t gone to the haveli; instead, they had come straight to the hospital.

Shahzain stayed back with Azlan, needing to hear firsthand about Shahnan’s progress. But Khushnuma’s first instinct was to go to her son.

Hanan sat on a chair outside the ICU, his elbows resting on his knees, fingers clasped together so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. His usually composed face was drawn, his grey eyes clouded with a turmoil too deep to express. He barely noticed Khushnuma’s approach until she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Hanan..." she called softly.

Slowly, he lifted his head, his gaze meeting hers. There was sorrow in Khushnuma’s eyes. But in Hanan’s eyes, there was devastation, helplessness, and an unbearable weight of fear.

"Mummy, mera beta..." His voice trembled, barely more than a whisper.

(Mummy, my son...)

Without hesitation, Khushnuma pulled him into her arms. And just like that, Hanan, always strong, broke. He clung to his mother like a lost child, his body shaking as he wept against her.

It was only now that Hanan finally broke down. Only now did he feel like there was someone to comfort him, someone he could lean on. He could cry, he could voice his fears. He didn’t have to hold it all in anymore.

Shahzain had just arrived when he stopped in his tracks, his breath hitching at the sight before him. It was the second time in his life that he had seen Hanan in this state. The last time, Hanan had been on the brink of losing the most precious thing in his life. And today, history was repeating, his most treasured possession lay between life and death.

Wordlessly, he walked over to Hanan and sat beside him, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. Hanan, still buried in his mother’s embrace, lifted his head to look at his father. The moment his eyes met Shahzain’s, he quickly wiped away his tears. Even now, after all these years, he could break down in front of his mother, but never in front of his father.

“Hosla rakho, sab theek hoga.” Shahzain said, his hand still resting reassuringly on Hanan’s shoulder. A father was a blessing, a shadow that shielded his children from the harshest of storms. And when a father said everything would be fine, the child believes it.

(Stay strong, everything will be fine.)

•••

After two agonizing days, Shahnan finally regained consciousness—he had come back from the brink of death. Though he was out of danger, his recovery would take time. Everyone had been there to see him, even Ishmal had visited the hospital. Everyone except Eifa.

Ehan had tried to convince her to come, telling her to at least see Shahnan once, but she always found an excuse. The truth was, she didn’t have the courage to see him like that. Shahnan was meant to be his usual stubborn, headstrong self—that’s how she had always known him. Seeing him weak, bedridden, and vulnerable wasn’t something she could bring herself to face.

At the hospital, he was surrounded by constant care and affection. Ayat, Khushnuma, and Rubab hadn’t left his side for even a second. Their unwavering attention and love were helping him heal quickly.

Now that Shahnan’s condition was stable, Shahzain decided it was time to bring up the issue that had been nagging at him. The street’s CCTV footage had shown that the car had been deliberately swerved. While most assumed it had been an accident, Shahzain wasn’t convinced. Shahnan had been driving since he was sixteen; he wasn’t someone who lost control easily. He had always been a composed person, unless something clouded his judgment.

And this time, what had shaken his focus?

The last time Shahnan had ended up in a hospital bed, he had been ten years old—his extreme reaction had been caused by losing Buddy. What had terrified him now?

"Eifa," Hanan murmured, his head bowed as he revealed the answer.

Shahzain didn’t need further explanation—everything clicked instantly. He placed a reassuring hand on Hanan’s shoulder.

“Jao,” he said quietly. “Abhi tumhara Shahnan ke sath rehna zyada zaroori hai.”

(Go,)

(You should be with Shahnan right now.)

•••

I can’t write emotional scenes, comedy chahe jitni karwa lo, but emotional stuff? Nope 🥲

Halaki mujhse toh kafi log ne kaha tha (actually kafi nahi, bas 3 4 log hi.) But unhone kaha tha ki main rom com mein bohot comfortable hoon, I should write some serious kinda book. Yaha ek chapter toh likha nahi jata, book puri kaha se likhu?🙂

Khair, how's the chapter? Do vote and comment ❤️

-Ufaq

P.S, I think I should write short chapters? 🤔