SS: Need You Now #3 - Page 17 [NOTE-23] - Page 12

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Happy Reading, peoples!

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#3

Maryam's legs wobbled as she made her way out of the restroom of the hospital. She had stayed there from the time they had all entered the hospital with Phupi and Zoya Baaji, all bloodied with their own blood.

Her breathing was heavy, as she walked in the corridor, trying to find the familiar faces of Asad Bhaijaan and Najma Baaji. A few tears escaped her eyes, as she relived the moments of Phupi being shot and Zoya's body lying limp on the stretcher. Sobbing, she wiped her cheeks with the heel of her hand.

She just didn't know how long she had stayed there. Two hours? Three? Maybe four? No matter how long she stayed there, she just couldn't bring herself to face Asad Bhaijaan and Najma Baaji. She was the reason why it all happened. She was the reason for this shootout, and two innocent people were now in here fighting for their lives.

She had tried to muffle her wails, by biting herself on her forearm. Her tears wouldn't stop, and neither did her wails. She had not cried so much even when her dear mother had died when she was only 6. She knew she wasn't the reason for her mother's death, but she loved her very much. But here.. Her Phupi and Baaji were shot, only because they had cared to help her out of this mess that her father had created.

Father.

A growl erupted from her throat, but it only came out as a whimper. She loved her father too, but after what he did to her, she just couldn't get herself to forgive the man, who was incidentally her father. Why does Fate play such games with me?, she thought as she sat herself on a cold steel chair that was attached to one of the many walls lining the white corridors.

Her clothes were smeared with blood. But she didn't care. She remembered how Zoya had tried to help her out of her own wedding by acting as the bride. She had went down for the Nikaah, while she had fled from the place, unseen.

Oh how she wished she didn't do that! She buried her face in her hands, as she rested her back on the backrest of the steel chair. How she wished to turn back time, and just run away from this place, straight to... Nowhere. Yes. Nowhere. So nobody could find her. Not even her Wretched Father.

He does this, and calls himself a Human! He does this and calls himself a Respectable man! How despicable!, she thought, as she huffed in disgust at the mental image of her father, and shook her head once in disappointment.

Both Ayaan and Najma stared at Asad as his words sunk in their heads. After he was finished, both of them exchanged looks, before breaking into sad smiles of their own, and engulfing their elder brother in their arms.

"Bhaijaan, Badi Ammi has been taken to a private room, where she will stay for the week," Ayaan said, as he pulled away from Asad.

"Yes, Bhaijaan. I wanted to wait for you before going to meet Ammi. She won't take much time to gain consciousness, one of the nurses said. So we might as well be ready to meet her when she opens her eyes," Najma smiled softly, before squeezing Asad's hand that lay on her shoulder.

Asad breathed a sigh of relief, and nodded in acknowledgement at Najma and Ayaan for giving him this information. He was itching to go meet Ammi, but he held himself back.

"Where is Maryam?," Asad cleared his throat, as he realised that he had just croaked out his question. Of course he had seen her. As they had all made their way to the hospital his eyes hadn't mistaken in recognizing her.

Najma shook her head in negative, and said, "I haven't seen her since we came here. I am worried. If Mamujaan finds her then... I just don't know what to do, Bhaijaan.."

Asad's brows furrowed, as he assessed what Najma had just said. "You know?"

Najma nodded in affirmative, before saying "Maryam told us everything. She also told us how bravely Zoya helped her out of this mess. I didn't know so much had happened back there in Mangalpur. Even Ammi was shocked."

"Why didn't you tell us Bhaijaan?," Najma jut out her chin in askance.

Asad closed his eyes briefly.

"Is it because you don't trust her?," Najma softly asked.

Asad's eyes flew open and peered into his sister's in confusion. "What?"

Sighing, Najma said, "Zoya told us that you wouldn't believe what she was saying, and she knew that you would do just that. That is why she didn't tell you about Maryam's presence in our house."

Asad's eyes widened as he remembered Zoya acting very weird for the past few days. Her frequent visits to the store room, and her sudden presence in front of his room, and her creeping into the living room at odd hours, like she were some burglar or something. He also remembered how rudely he had told her to shut her mouth and stop talking nonsense about his relatives. He groaned, as his hands covered his face, before he dragged them down, to meet Najma's eyes in guilt. And regret?

Oh Khuda! Why didn't I just believe her then?, he silently cursed himself, kicking himself mentally numerous times for his jackass attitude.

"I just didn't know how to say it. I didn't want to risk yours and Ammi's lives. Already, Mamu had threatened Zoya.. He is true to his words. And we got to see that too, when he made his goons bury Zoya--"

He stopped as soon as he had said it, and pressed his brows hard to make the image of Zoya lying lifeless in front of him to go away. "Shit!," he softly cursed.

"He did what?," Najma gasped, reeling in shock. "He buried her?! Alive?! Is he ins--," she stopped herself before she could say anything about her Uncle, to avoid making the matters worse.

Asad laughed bitterly, as his hands rested on his hips, and he nodded in affirmative. "He is definitely what you wanted to say, Najma. He is definitely a Wretched Bas****!," ending with a venomous whisper for the man whom he had respected from the time he had opened his eyes to this world. He didn't deserve it. Any of it!

Ayaan who had been a silent spectator here, could only hang onto whatever these two were saying. He knew who Maryam was. She was Bhaijaan and Najma's cousin, from Mangalpur. But that was just that. And Zoya was just as unknown to him as any stranger.

But he had a conscience too, and right now, he just despised the man and those who had helped commit a heinous crime such this. Burying someone Alive? Are you ******* kidding me?, he thought, as his nostrils flared in anger. Douches! All of 'em! He grunted as he jerked his arm downward, as if to punch them mentally.

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"Can I sit here, by Phupi?," Mariyam asked as she looked at the nurse who was in charge. Seeing her hesitance, she said, "Please?," in a soft voice, that failed to cover her whimper.

The nurse's face broke into a soft smile, before she blinked in consent and went back to work.