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Her vision was hazy when she saw two paramedics asking her questions. The pain in her body and head was so brutal that she nodded only once.

She felt somebody with ragged hands bandaging her forehead and arms. Feeling like somebody had placed heavy bricks on her eyes and no matter how hard she tried, her eyes refused to open.

Despite the cold temperature, her body was warm and calm. No other sound reached her ears except for the beeping of the heart monitor.

It took her back to that time when she held her father's warm hand, the heart monitor showed his decreasing whiffs.

Smiling, he looked at her for the last time and whispered to her sobbing daughter, "most prized possessions are kept in the heart, we are just separating by soul if you keep us in your heart then we will never get segregated, don't forget to pray for us it's the only thing we want from you."

The little droplet of tear left from her closed eyes, she tried again to open her heavy eyes but still to no avail. Her father's last sentence prowled in her head again and again. Her father's faded voice encouraged her to try again to open her gazes but after many attempts, she again fell into an unconscious.

The atmosphere was still warm and cozy when Adhan's voice hit her ears. Muttering a little prayer in her heart she again tried to open her eyes.

The sharp glare of the light bulb watered her eyes, blinking rapidly she tried again but this time it was a slow attempt.

The hospital room was illuminated by dim lights indicating that it's the end of the day.

To her left was a brown leather sofa and a person was sleeping soundly in it.

Squinting her eyes to clear her vision, she saw that the person was none other than her Bari Ammi.

Her tongue and throat were parched and after trouble, she called out Fariya in her raspy voice.

In a flash, Fariya opened her eyes and stood beside her, helping her sit upright with a soft pillow that supported her back. Zara gulped the chilled water hastily which was handed her by her Bari Ammi, it felt like her throat was dehydrated for many years and there was no access to water that could soothe her aching throat.

Coughing slightly, she wiped her damp lips with the back of her mouth.

"For how many hours I was unconscious?" Talking felt much better after drinking the water.

Pushing her silky hair behind her ear, Fariya looked at her lovingly with mist-gathered eyes.

"You were unconscious for five hours."

Heaving a large tired breath, Fariya bend down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

She blinked, her gaze then fell on her banged arm, it didn't look terrible, maybe some cuts and scratches adorned her arm now.

The left arm was attached by an IV drip which was working its task properly.

She got flashbacks of the accident, the tiny little scenes, the car getting out of control, them hitting the massive tree, the shattering of the windshield, the large piece of glass cutting her arm, and one body covering her.

Affan.

Affan was with her.

Her gaze clashed with Affan's mother.

She dreaded to ask that question and with a lot of courage, she finally did.

"Where's Affan? he was with me." A lump stopped her from talking more, the fresh tears fell on her flushed cheeks without her permission.

"Calm down, He's here, he's fine, he gained consciousness before you and came to check on you, nothing serious happened to you both, Alhumdulliah."

A sigh of relief released from her body. Closing her eyes, she leaned against the pillow and muttered words of gratitude to her Lord for not getting wounded badly.

A flashback again crossed from the eyes-the bitter conversation that happened between her and Affan.

She curled her fingers in a fist, remembering how easily he called her the biggest mistake of his life like she had no value in his life.

It was all for sympathy.

He did it out of sympathy.

Her mind made up every worst case of scenarios for Affan. A voice in her head nagged over and over again.

Leave him before it's too, leaves him before he tells in front of everyone that I'm of no use.

Determination settled in her heart and mind and she decided what she wanted to do, she wanted to free both of them from this forced relationship.

In the morning, her family gathered around her. Giving their sincerest prayers for her to get well soon.

She was numb to everything around her, no tear left from her eyes, she didn't smile, didn't answer any one of her family's answers enthusiastically like she used to.

Later when only her Taya Abba and her Bari Ammi remained, they both look painfully at the young girl who was sitting like a statue.

"Taya Aba if I ask you one thing will you give it to me?"

Her uncle got up and was on her side, brows furrowed, she stared at him.

"Of course, anything you want, you will get it instantly."

Nodding, she looked at Fariya. "Please, call Affan, I want to talk to him."

Her aunt peeked at her husband skeptically.

Hesitantly, she left the room to call Affan.

"But tell me, Zara, what's the thing that you want?"

"Just accept my decision."

She rubbed her dry red eyes and lowered her gaze.

A whisper left her mouth.

"Marrying us was a very hasty decision done by you, I could have lived there like I used to, marriage is not always the solution Taya Aba."

Her uncle was stunned for a second, his gaze was soft and delicate. Just as he opened his mouth, the knock on the door was heard.

Affan entered the room, just like hers a bandage wrapped around her arm, his forehead displayed a yellow and blue bruised gash. His eyes had bags under them, it indicated that he hadn't slept a wink.

His parents left the room, giving them both privacy.

Gulping, Affan come forward to her bed. Lowering his gaze he pushed the messy strands away from his forehead.

"Zara I-"

"There are still things for you to say? I guess you made your point clear when you call me the biggest mistake of your life."

He couldn't lift his head, closing his eyes tightly he whispered in a broken voice. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, your confession saved our possible miserable years."

Head still lowered, he shook it slightly in shame.

"I didn't mean anything."

"Marriage is not for us Affan, we were better while being friends. Both of our lives are affected by this drastic change between us."

His head didn't lift. Remorse and embarrassment were eating him from the inside.

"I'm going to pursue the scholarship which was offered to me before Nikkah."

Wetting his dry lips, he mumbled. "It was from Canda if you want us to go there, I'm-"

"Not you Affan, just me, I don't want anything from you, just do me one last favor and give me a divorce."

It was like a jolt of electricity passed through his body. He lifted his head, still trying to process her statement.

"Come again?"

"I said I want a divorce, do you want me to shout as you did in the car?"

Narrowed eyes, disbelief was written on his face he took a step forward. "You're just angry Zara, I know I made a huge mistake but please think rationally."

"I'm thinking rationally like you did when you called me your biggest mistake of life." Another jab, he pleaded through his eyes but she refused to look at him.

"Zara please try to understand."

"There is nothing left to understand, it's better for both of us."

The walls of the hospital room began to suffocate him, the sheer sweat on his forehead in the cold weather indicated that he was terrified with the decision his wife made.

Silence fell on both of them. He tried to utter something but couldn't form the right words to say. His gaze didn't move from her, he peered at her with a little irritation.

"Do you think divorce is simple? do you think that you will ask me and I'll give in?"

Rage flared in her eyes, she looked at him with bitterness, her lips were thinned in a straight line.

"When there is no love then divorce becomes easy."

A bitter chuckle left his mouth.

"Do you think marriage is all about loving the other? What about thousands of people who are tied in an arranged marriage without having zero knowledge about their partner. What do they do huh? It's about trust and belief in one another, love comes after it and I know Zara you and I trust each other, we can make this work, please give me one chance."

For the first time that day, a lone tear slipped from her eyes, "I don't want to, you hurt me."

He took a step forward but she stopped him with her hand. "If you can't divorce me then you have to let me go, I want space from you, from this relationship."

Another crack then the shattered heart. His heart was in intense pain that it felt like it could burst from his chest.

She wanted something that was the most difficult thing for him to give.

Letting her go meant not seeing her every day, letting her go meant not seeing her laughs and smile, letting her go meant losing his only best friend however, letting her go come with a benefit; it won't break them legally.

He had two choices, one was dreadful and the other was horrendous.

He chose to let her go because he would die before giving her a divorce.

A week later, she left Pakistan leaving a broken husband behind who had to bear the mistake of his involuntary actions done in anger.

The car went away taking his wife, his friend with it.

His brother's sentence roamed in his mind, Zarar advised him when he was devastated after Inhal's rejection.

When you love someone purely, and they they don't want you, then you have to master the art of letting go.

Only know you love her when you let her go.