"What's going on ?" The voice made Hooriya and Safa freeze. They looked at Arham who had a catatonic face. The brewing whirlpool inside of him showed no traces in his external appearance.

"Ammi ? Why are you here, why is Hooriya here and why are you attached to these tubes." He asked in a breath. "Ammi answer me ! And when did you two become civilised, huh ? Fight ! Scream at her Ammi, you hate her don't you, SO SCREAM AT HER." He yelled making Safa flinch.

"Arham stop." Yusuf said stepping in front trying to pull Arham back who was towering his cowering mother.

"Stay away." Arham said shoving Yusuf. "You, you." He said looking at Hooriya who looked at him with glassy eyes.

"What are you doing here ? Where you suppose to be in Lahore or California or somewhere, didn't you want to live your life and enjoy and separate from me ? Then why are you here huh ?"

"Arha-."

"Shhh. Stop." He whispered raising his hand to hush her. "Don't. Don't take my name. This all will seem too real if you do, so don't."

"Arham beta you need to sit down." Safa said worried looking at her sons behaviour.

"Are you doing this to hurt me more ?" Arham asked waking towards Hooriya. "Do you want me to scream in pain, writhe in agony, if you want to hurt me then hit me, punch me, stab me, wound me Hooriya but.. but don't do this, please Ho.Hooriya don't do this please." He said sitting on the stool next to her bed, he whimpered in pain, his voice cracked as he spoke.

"Please, please please please Allah!" Arham howled in pain burring his head in Hooriya's lap, the pain laced in his voice would a wailing mother to shame. Watching Arham break made Safa sob harder, Yusuf too couldn't control his tears.

"Ar..Arham." Hooriya croaked. This was the day she had done everything in her power to avoid. She had made the man she loved hate him, she had spoilt not one, not two, not three but four lives to avoid this very moment.

"No, no no. Please Hoor please, I'll do everything you ask me too, I'll do.. do everything.. don't go, don't go don't go, I'll die, I'll die Hoor don't go, don't leave me I'll die." He sobbed making Hooriya and Safa cry harder.

It was too much for Yusuf to take in, he couldn't see his best friend breaking, he wasn't strong enough.

Yusuf turned around to walk out of the door. He walked towards the door, his eyes for a fleeting moment found Meher who stood inches away from the door.

Meher had her gaze fixed ahead watching Hooriya and Arham, she watched them without blinking her eyes, she stood still like the atmosphere of the room had no effect on her, she stood there, void of any emotion.

Yusuf averted his gaze from her and walked out of the room, out of the confines of the room which reeked of death and depression.

Yusuf leaned against the wall of the corridor and slid down against it, sitting on the floor with his head in his hand, he could still hear Arham's voice screaming on the other side.

Arham's cry of hopelessness and helplessness was driving him crazy. Yusuf placed the palm of his hand on his ears covering them to block out all external voices.

"1..2..3..4..." Yusuf counted to calm himself down. He could feel his heart slow down and his breathing even.
He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, the sound of air gushing into his chest and out, he connected himself with his mind and body.

The familiar screeching sound of the door made him open his eyes again.
"Doctor ! Anyone, he can't breath, he can't breath." Safa yelled rushing out of the room.

Yusuf immediately got on his feet, his primal instincts as a doctor kicked in as he rushed towards the room.

"What happened ?" He asked rushing towards Arham who was choking on his own breath.

"He can't breathe, do something Yusuf." Hooriya cried.

Yusuf rummaged through the cart and pulled out a preloaded shot of bronchodilator and injected it into his blood stream. Immediate they saw Arham relax and breath properly again.

"It was a panic attack, I think we should sedate him." He said supporting Arham's weight and bringing him towards the spare bed in the room.

"Lie down." He said to Arham who had no strength to fight anymore. He fetched sedatives from the cabin and injected Arham with a mild dose enough to knock him out for a few hours.

"You should head home aunty, it's late, uncle must be worried. I'll be here." Yusuf said giving Safa a small smile.

"No yusuf how can I leave him lik-."

"I'm here." Yusuf said taking Safa's hands in his giving them a small reassuring squeeze. "He's going to be sleeping for a few hours, Hooriya too, don't worry."

Safa nodded wiping off her tears. She turned around and for the first time since Arham had come noticed Meher standing in the corner of the room looking at her feet.

"Meher." Safa called out. "Beta let's go home, you must be tired too."

"I have no home." Meher replied.

"Meher I..I'm so sorry beta I .." Safa stuttered. What was she to say to the poor soul whose life had turned upside down in a day, whose life all of them present in the room had had a hand in to spoil.

Meher looked up to meet Safa's gaze, she could see guilt and pity in Safa's  eyes.

"Your sorry, all your collective sorries I hope they make my life better." Meher said.

Yusuf looked at Meher before turning towards Safa, "You should head home aunty, I'll see you tomorrow. Allah hafiz."

"Allah Hafiz." Safa said before turning around and walking out of the door.

Yusuf walked towards the sofa placed against the wall near Hooriya's bed and sat down, he looked at Meher who stood in the same spot since the last hour looking at the walls now.

"Nur, come here please." He said softly. "Please."

"Don't call me that, I've said it once I don't want to repeat myself again and again." Meher replied.

"Alright I won't, just come here please."

Meher was tired of fighting all day, with Arham, Yusuf, with herself, her fate. Meher took small steps towards the couch and sat on the other end maintaining enough distance between the two.

"I know you feel betrayed and I know we have hurt you Nu..Meher and there is nothing we can say to justify what we have done but you have to belive me when I say that we didn't want to hurt you, we all love you Meher, you hav-."

"Love is the most beautiful feeling Yusuf." Meher said interrupting him, she turned her head to look at him. "Be it loving your mother or father, brother or sister, husband or friend anyone, love is selfless, it's not conditional, it does not work as a plaster to repair broken relationships or people. You, all of you don't know what love is, so don't tell me you loved me."

"It's not true Meher."

"It is." She replied definitively.

"So why are you here ? For your love your husband or his wife or for me ?"

"For myself, for this truth to seep into every cell of mine, to let every part of me know what betrayal tastes like, for this burning feeling to always be a reminder to never trust anyone every again and to take my freedom when he wakes up."

"What do you mean ?" Yusuf asked scrunching his eyebrows.

"Talak caheyh mujhe, aap sabse dur jaana chahti hu, meri zindagi bhar ke liye itna dard kaafi hai jitna aap sabne diya hai, agar ab aap sabke saath rahi toh meri rooh bhi mere jism se alag ho jayegi."

(I want a divorce, I want to leave, get away from all of you, all this pain all of you have bestowed me with it's enough for this life time. I stay with any of you any more, my soul too shall leave my body.)

AN: comparatively shorter but if you want daily updates I can give you chapters this size for now as I'm busy with university prep.

The last chapter was the worst I've ever written, it felt too rushed, I'll have to go back and correct that too someday.

What do you think will happen next ! Will Meher successfully get a divorce or not.

350 for next, vote aaram se people.

Stay safe
lots of love
xoxo