Dawn had not yet broken, holding the world in a deep, expectant blue. In the sterile, fluorescent-lit corridor outside the labour room, Hasan's mother paced. Each step echoed a silent prayer for Asifa's safety. Time seemed to have congealed, every second stretching into an eternity of worry. š«©
Meanwhile, Yugh's car screeched to a halt outside Anisa's apartment building. He abandoned it on the main road, sprinting down the side street until he reached her door. He knocked, a calm, insistent rhythm in the tense quiet of the pre-dawn.
"Who is it?" came Anisa's voice, thin with fear from behind the door. š„
"It's me, Yugh. Open the door." The familiar voice was a lifeline.
Anisa unlocked the door, and he stepped into the dim warmth of her living room. The clock glowed 4:00 AM. š
"I'm sorry," she began, breaking the heavy silence. "I woke you up."
"Don't worry about that," Yugh said, his voice gentle but firm. "Hasan has been in prison for four months now. He couldn't pay your compensation, so he's serving the extra four years. Why are you still letting him scare you?" š¤Ø
"I don't think about him, Yugh. I swear. It's just... the dream felt so real. It terrified me," she whispered, her voice fracturing.
"Alright, let's forget it then. Come on, I'm taking you somewhere. Somewhere beautiful to clear your head," he said, his tone shifting to one of quiet determination. š„³
"A beautiful place? Where?" Curiosity cut through her distress.
"That's the surprise. Go put on something warm. We're going somewhere the wind has a bite to it." š¤«
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In the hospital corridor, the labour room door swung open. A doctor emerged, her face a mask of professional calm that did little to hide a deeper gravity. Hasan's mother rushed to her. š¦
"Doctor, how is she? How is the baby?"
The doctor sighed softly. "There is good news and there is bad news. Which would you like first?" š©āāļø