Their Last Season

The car was moving along a road to a familiar place, but little did they know that they were embarking on a journey they had never imagined.

The moment they learned about Hashir's accident, they set out for the haveli.

Hamza was deeply distressed about his brother's well-being.

Whatever doubts he had harbored took a backseat the moment he heard the news.

They reached the haveli.

The atmosphere felt gloomy.

The moment Amma saw Hamza, she broke down.

Hamza hugged her tightly, gently caressing her back.

He whispered soothing words to his Amma.

But when a child is in pain, nothing can provide solace to a mother's heart.

Sumaiya caressed the heads of Amin and Aariz.

They were Hashir and Sabiha's twins.

Sumaiya gazed at them.

"No child deserves to see their parents in pain," she thought.

It carves something into their hearts with permanent ink—something that cannot be expressed in words.

After consoling his mother, Hamza headed to the hospital.

Before leaving, he glanced at Amina Aunty, silently asking her to take care of the family.

He then looked at Sumaiya.

An unspoken understanding passed between them.

He saw Hashir being shifted from the emergency ward to a normal ward.

A relieved breath escaped his lips.

He looked at his brother.

Hashir looked pale.

Hamza's eyes welled up.

Tubes were attached to his body.

The sight made Hamza's chest tighten.

Nobody likes to see their loved one lying on a hospital bed, attached to multiple life-supporting machines.

He wished it were all a nightmare.

"Ya Allah, please grant him aafiyat," he prayed.

Sumaiya placed a hand on his shoulder, offering silent support.

After seeing Hashir, Hamza went to Abba and hugged him, gently patting his back.

"Bhai will be fine, Bhabhi," he assured Sabiha.

She nodded with teary eyes.

She hoped so too.

Sumaiya embraced her.

.....

It had been four days since they arrived.

Hashir was stable now.

Sumaiya found Hamza sitting quietly in the study, gazing out of the window.

He was present physically, but mentally, he was elsewhere.

She placed a cup of coffee in front of him.

It broke his chain of thoughts.

He looked at her and smiled.

No matter how distressed he was, a glimpse of his woman brought a wave of peace through his body.

Indeed, Allah created spouses as a source of peace for one another.

He took her hand in his.

She sat across from him.

"Say it, Hamza," she whispered softly.

She knew that a lot was weighing on his mind.

"When I looked at Bhabhi and the kids in so much pain after Bhai's accident, I feared what the future might hold for them if something happened to him."

He paused.

"I am afraid, Sumi. Afraid of seeing my brother's beautiful family fall apart."

He exhaled heavily.

"I wish Bhai hadn't done anything he shouldn't have."

Sumaiya tightened her grip on his hand.

"Hamza, the future is something we can't control, so why worry about it? Leave everything in Allah's hands and pray."

She smiled.

"Once Bhai is fine, he'll have to answer my questions," he muttered.

She nodded.

"Whatever it may be, we are together in this," she assured him.

He looked at her with adoration.

Her cheeks turned pink.

Life is beautiful when your companion is your peace.

*****

.....

The next day, Sumaiya was talking to Rahila on the phone.

She misjudged a step and fell down the last four stairs.

A scream escaped her throat.

Amma was the first to notice.

"Hamza! Hamza! Come quickly, beta! Choti Bahu has fallen down!" she shouted.

Hearing her, everyone rushed over.

"Sumi!" he exclaimed.

"Does it hurt a lot?" Hamza asked, inspecting the ankle she was clutching.

She nodded.

Without another word, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to their room.

"Hamza, I have informed Dr. Nusrat. She'll be here soon," Bhabhi informed him.

He nodded.

His face reflected his distress.

The doctor arrived shortly afterward.

"It looks like a severe sprain. She'll need complete bed rest for a week," the doctor said while writing the prescription.

"If the medicines don't help, we'll go for an X-ray," she added.

Hamza nodded.

He made Sumaiya take her medicines and encouraged her to sleep.

"Sleep well, meri jaan," he whispered.

She was already drifting into sleep.

Hamza had to visit the hospital to check on Hashir.

Before leaving, he requested Amina Aunty to stay with her.

It was afternoon when Sumaiya woke up feeling thirsty.

She stirred and saw Amina Aunty sitting on a chair beside the bed.

"Slowly," Aunty said while filling a glass of water.

She had noticed Sumaiya reaching for it.

Sumaiya took the glass and drank.

"Hamza?" she asked.

"Beta, he has gone to the hospital with Badi Begum and Badi Bahu," Amina Aunty replied.

She nodded.

"He told me to stay with you until he returns," Aunty added.

Warmth filled Sumaiya's chest at his concern.

"Choti Bahu, I'll be back in a moment," Amina Aunty said before stepping out.

Sumaiya nodded.

A notification tone sounded repeatedly.

She knew it wasn't from her phone.

Her gaze shifted toward the table where Aunty's phone lay.

The screen lit up with an incoming message.

What caught her attention was its content.

"Amma, please forgive me, for Shanaya's sake."

She read the words.

The message was clearly from Aunty's son.

A wave of confusion washed over her.

Why was he asking for forgiveness?

And more importantly, why had he written, "for Shanaya's sake"?

She knew Aunty had two children, Shanaya and her brother.

Sumaiya was certain that Shanaya's suicide was suspicious.

Something was terribly wrong, but she couldn't pinpoint what.

Her mind wandered to the events that had unfolded over the past few months.

She remembered the HR manager whose eyes always seemed to be searching for something in her.

His eyes reminded her of someone.

But she couldn't remember who.

Whenever she saw him, she was reminded of Silah.

She didn't know why.

Perhaps the same grief echoed in their eyes.

She remembered that the man smiled, yet the smile never reached his eyes.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Aunty's approaching footsteps.

She watched as Aunty picked up her phone.

The way her body stiffened and the subtle clench of her jaw deepened Sumaiya's suspicions.

Little did she know that it was only the beginning.

She was stepping onto a path she had never imagined, even in her wildest dreams.

*****

"If I have to injure myself again to keep the truth veiled, I will do it again," a man said to his assistant.

"But sir, isn't it dangerous?" the assistant asked.

He nodded.

"But not as d

angerous as the storm that will come once the veil is lifted," he whispered.

Their conversation was interrupted by the creak of the door.

It was Sabiha who entered with Amma and Hamza.

Hashir quickly schooled his expression and offered them a pained smile.