The Truth

Mr Bakshi, the commissioner of police was the one who notifies them about Asmaira being in the lockup on charges of prostitution, though the accusation was false but it involves Hashmi's reputation.

While Jamshed and Salar were talking to the commissioner, Amaan walked towards where Asmaira was held. When he entered the room, he saw she was still in the same dress, unconscious. Her clothes were torn and she had hand print marks on her face. The lady constable who was there with her was shivering when she came to know about Asmaira's identity as what she did would put her in a bad situation.

"Sir! I didn't know she belonged to a strong family, we caught her in the red light area and thought she was acting", the lady constable begged while shivering.

"She was just an accused and not guilty, why did you slap her? Bakshi asked sternly. He didn't want to offend someone big like Hashmi for the stupidity of his subordinate.

"She...she was telling to call her husband repeatedly, the other cell mates were arguing for her too. I lost....lost my cool and slapped her". She defended.

"You put her in a cell and you dare to slap her too", Amaan roared while kicking the chair.

"Amaan", Jamshed cools him.

Once out of the station, Salar appreciated Bakshi for his efficiency and for covering the entire incident.

Throughout the way, Amaan was looking at Asmaira. He never felt so much ashamed of himself than he was feeling at that time. He always misjudged her. He always thought she wanted to be like Raina, but it was him who always looked for Raina in her.

Fariya's indifferent behavior added to his misery. She refuses to talk or look at her son. When she saw Asmaira's condition she was glaring at Amaan as if killing him with her looks.

In the Rainbow Children's hospital, Amaan was lying with his half body on the bed while he was in a sitting position.

Beep, beep. Sound of the medical apparatus was resonating in the silent room. Raina was sleeping with an oxygen mask for her troubled breathing.

Due to his uncomfortable sleeping posture Amaan stirred in his sleep with a frown. This movement broke Raina's uneasy sleep and she opened her eyes. She saw Amaan sleeping beside her, holding her hand gently, fearing even a slightest pressure will break her hand. What she saw broke her heart. His disheveled hair, uneven stubble and he had bags under his eyes. From his swollen eyes Raina could guess he cried before sleeping. She tried to remove her hand from his grip ,however, this caused Amaan to immediately jolt.

"Amaan", she said in her hoarse voice; she winced due to a dry throat.

"Raina, how are you feeling now?", Amaan said with panic while holding her hand in his palms.

"Amaan, can you promise me something", Raina said in her weak voice.

"Anything, anything", he said, sounding desperate to make his wife happy.

"Promise me, you will do one thing Ma will ask you to do".

"Yes baby! I promised I will listen to her", he was kissing her hand while his eyes welled up. He had a notion that this conversation would be his last with his wife yet he didn't want to believe.

"It's time. Please call Asmaira", Raina said while she coughed a bit due to her breathing problem.

Amaan reluctantly dialled Asmaira's number, however, even after multiple attempts, she didn't answer he panicked.

Answer the Goddamn phone Asmaira, he thought while he was not breaking his stare on his dying wife.

However, when he heard a timid voice on the other end of the call he immediately put the phone on speaker for Raina.

"Aashi", Raina said while gulping hard to make her hoarse voice natural.

On hearing no response from her sister Raina again said, "Aashi baby, how are you?".

With each word, it was becoming difficult for Raina to breathe, but she knew she didn't have time.

"Aashi, please talk to me, I need you", Raina cried out.

Amaan could hear the other person on call and he clenched his fist when he heard her say, "What? You need me? I am sorry, you are calling the wrong person".

Raina's eyes welled up on hearing Asmaira, "Please I am really sorry, sorry my baby sister".

"I am sorry, but my sister died 5 years ago and even if she was alive, I wish she would die in pain. I wish she would never be at peace", and the call got disconnected. Before Amaan could do anything, he saw Raina breathing got heavy and he called the emergency button.

Beep.

A flat line was all he saw on the heart rate monitor and the next second doctor declared her dead.

In Fariya's room,

"Why has nobody told me anything? Why was I kept in the dark? How can Raina not share her last wish with me?", Amaan was kneeling in front of Fariya who refused to look at him.

"If she had told you, would you agree to marry Asmaira?", Fariya questioned.

Amaan was silent.

"She knew you would never agree and she didn't have time. I couldn't let her die without peace".

"Ma, I loved her and I will always love her", Amaan said while crying. This was the first time when he was sharing his grief with anyone and this confession made Fariya's heart melts for her son.

"She did wrong by hiding her pregnancy complications. If I had known before I would never let her continue her pregnancy. It's not fair Ma, she never loved me and left me alone", Amaan's head was on his mother's lap and his shuddering shoulders couldn't hide his despair.

"She chose to leave me alone when she knew how much I love her, she knew I can't live without her, she still left me", this time he couldn't stop from sobbing and cried hysterically clutching Fariya's legs.

"Amaan, she loved you and always thought about you. That was her only chance of having a baby and she went ahead knowing her complications only for you. She knew how much you wanted to have a baby". Fariya couldn't see her son crying and tried to console him.

Their emotional interaction was interrupted by an urgent knock on the door by Maya.

"Madam, Asmaira mam woke but she is not well, she...she is screaming and we can't control her", Maya said hastily.

When Amaan reached the room, he saw Ishaal and Hania along with the maids trying to get near Asmaira who crawled to the corner and was screaming, "Don't touch me!" with closed eyes.

Seeing her desperation Amaan ran and crouched in front of her.

"Asmaira, open your eyes, see it's me, You are safe". Amaan was cooing her.

"Don't touch me, Please don't come near me", Asmaira was still not listening and was hitting him.

"What happened here Hania", Fariya asked.

"Ma, when she woke up, she was scared and we just wanted to comfort her, but I don't know she started screaming at us". Hania herself was stunned with Asmaira's response.

"Enough!", Amaan roared while holding Asmaira's arms. To which Asmaira flinched and opened her eyes.

That moment froze for Amaan and Asmaira. Emerald eyes were locked with brown as if telling her she was safe with him, to which she responded by her silence.

Amaan sat beside Asmaira without breaking the stare and pulled her in his arms, holding her firmly and said while caressing her hair, "It's Ok. They will not touch you. I AM HERE with you".

Seeing her son's gentle side, Fariya gestures for everyone to leave the room.

"Amaan, he...he was a bad guy, I...I told him I don't want to go with him, he forced me, he tried to......", before she could continue Amaan stopped her, "shh! It's ok. He wouldn't be able to do anything now. I am there with you. Ok?"

Suddenly Asmaira asked, "Kabir, Kabir...".

"He is sleeping, don't worry, he is safe", Amaan was astonished. Even in her despair, she was thinking about Kabir.

Asmaira abruptly puts her arms around his neck, for the fear that he would leave her. Knowing the reason for her action, Amaan pulled her closer to him and hugged her firmly as if comforting her.

"He tried to touch me Amaan, that dirty man and his friends. I was begging them, but they were laughing at me. If...If police had not come, they would have...... How would I have faced anyone after that?", she cried hysterically while fisting his shirt.

"I am sorry Asmaira, it was my fault. But I promise I will protect you. I won't let anybody hurt you, even me", Amaan confessed while a tear fell from his eyes.

They stayed like that for a very long time, while Asmaira was crying and telling what all happened with her, Amaan silently listened, letting her vent out her desperation and didn't pull her away. When he noticed she stopped crying, he carried her in his arms and lay on the bed. Asmaira was still fisting his shirt tightly and no matter what Amaan did, her grip didn't loosen.

He sighed and slept beside her again embracing her. It was as though he never slept for a long time that he felt relaxed and immediately went into deep sleep. The next day his sleep was interrupted when someone moved closer to him and he felt a hot breath near his neck. When he opened his eyes, he saw Asmaira sleeping still holding his shirt which made him smile.