Crossed Paths✅

|26|

KANO, NIGERIA.
NINE MONTHS LATER.

"You will be alright babe! i know you can do it." Aryan said on the verge of tears and wiped the beads of sweat on Aira's forehead.

"Try a little harder and concentrate." The Nurse said.

"You can do it babe." Aryan whispered.

"Shut the heck up and allow me to concentrate man!" Aira yelled when a pain shot through her abdomen.

After forty minutes of screaming and pushing but to no avail, the doctors decided to perform a cesarean section on Aira.

The papers were given to Aryan to sign and he hastily signed the papers and returned them to the nurse and Aira was wheeled out of the labour room to the theatre.

"I....i love...you Aryan... please forgive...me if i've ever wronged you...." Aira cried in pain.

"Shush... you've never done anything wrong to me, please stop saying this, you will be alright In Sha Allah." Aryan said as tears spurred down his cheeks.

"I love you..please move on when i'm no more Aryan.. i love you...." With that she was wheeled into the theatre room.

Sultana and Aira's mother came to console Aryan.

"Calm down Aryan, Aira and the baby would be perfectly fine In Sha Allah." Aira's mother patted his back, she also needs the consolation.

"Doctor look! The baby is coming out." A nurse alarmed and they hastily moved her into the theatre room. Aryan heard her piercing scream and followed them.

"Her case is very complicated"

"You can do it babe! you will be alright In Sha Allah." He cried holding her hands. At that moment, he couldn't stay strong.

One last piercing scream, and the loud cry of a baby was heard followed by another one, they were two!
But what they didn't noticed was Aira's eyes slowly dropping.

"Babe!!" Aryan called out.

"Please leave the room." The Nurse said to Aryan.

"No! I'm not moving an inch here.." He yelled at her.

But what he didn't know was that Aira was already no more..

The doctor checked her to confirm and when he confirmed he looked at the Nurse.
"Time of death; 10:24 am."

"Cause of death Prolonged labour."

Aryan looked at them like they've all lost it.
"What do you mean Doctor??? what are you trying to say?"

"Babe! Babe! Please wake up and prove them wrong! Please wake up!"

"No you can't leave me! You can't leave me! Noooooo!" Aryan let out a heart wrenching sob and got down on his knees.

The Nurse covered her face and they all left the room, the babies were taken to the care unit. Sultana and Aira's mom were informed by the nurse and they all rushed into the theatre.

"Innanilahi wa'ina ilaihi raji'un, My baby please wake up." Hajiya Hana'a cried hugging Aira's body.

"Innanilahi wa'ina ilaihi raji'un; from Allah we are and to him we shall return." Sultana whispered.

After an hour the nurse returned with the babies and handed them to Sultana.
"They're twins my queen, a boy and a girl, May her soul rest in Jannah and may Allah bless the babies." With that she left the room.

****
All the two families were present; which includes the royal immediate family and late Aira's parents and siblings. The younger ones were loudly weeping while the elders were silently weeping.

Aryan looked still with no emotions whatsoever on his face. They looked at him with pity in their eyes wondering the turmoil that must be going on in his heart.

Sultan prayed for her. And after seeing the corpse for the final time, Aira's brother and some of Aryan's cousins stood to take the corpse when another set of cries started in the room.

Aryan prayed for her and kissed her forehead that was all wrapped up in a white cloth.
"I love you and will forever love you. Your place in my heart can never ever be replaced. Till we meet in Jannah In Sha Allah."

Since it was a Friday, they waited till after Salatil Jummuah before she was taken to her final home. More than thousands of people attended the Janaazah.

"We shouldn't cry for our dear Aira, she passed away while trying to bring two souls into the world and also on a blessed day like Jummuah, so we should be happy. Alhamdulilah." Aira's father said when they came back from the Janaazah and were all seated in the grand parlor.

"Indeed! may her soul rest in Jannatul Firdaus." Sultan prayed and they all answered with an 'Ameen'.

Aryan afterwards stood up and left the parlor. They all followed him with pitied eyes. He hasn't even seen nor took the babies,more tears came back to their eyes when the babies started crying while Queen Hajarah and Queen Hauwa mentally scoffed.

"I don't know what to give them i fed them the milk formula earlier but they took just a little portion." Sultana slowly wiped her tears patting one of the baby in her arms while late Aira's mother held the other one.

"At this stage the babies needs only their mother." Grandmother said.

"Um... Mom why don't i feed them since i'm a nursing mother?" Layla suggested

"No Layla! i strongly object with you." Sultan said.

"But why Dad?" She asked.

"When making decisions like these one need not to only consider the present but also the future, we won't want a situation where the kids in the future would like to marry each other but can't because of a single mistake." Sultan said and all the elders shook their heads in agreement.

"The prophet (PBUH) says; Children who have been regularly breastfed (three to five or more times) by the same woman are considered "milk-siblings" and are prohibited from marrying each other. "

"Let's keep trying the milk formula, they would gradually adjust to it." Hajiya Hana'ah said,her voice hoarse from crying.

"Um... Adda, we would be leaving to our house later where are the babies staying ?" Hajiya Hana'ah said to Sultana when they were alone in the room.

"Toh what do you say Hana'ah?"

"By Allah whatever decision you make Adda is okay with me,but in my own opinion they should stay here since you have more helping hands than at our place and Aryan needs them also." Hajiya Hana'ah said wiping the tears that keep gushing out of her eyes non-stop.

"Okay since you say so, our Aira is in Jannah In Sha Allah." Sultana wiped her tears and hugged her sister. They cried until they couldn't anymore.

***
She was such a nice soul🥺. May your soul rest in Jannah Aira, we will miss you😥

Ruu!♥️.