ᴘᴇʀꜰᴇᴄᴛ ꜱᴄᴀʀꜱ

⑨ ❀𝙼𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚊'𝚜 𝚂𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜❀

After the bleeding stopped, Maira washed her face. When she came out, she was stumbling on her steps, and her vision was blurring.

"After What I did with Hatim today, I am worthy of it. I just want him to hate me so much that he feels no pain after I'm gone," she sobbed. She fell to her knees, gripping her hair in her fists and cried her heart out.

After a few minutes, the headache intensified, and she lay on the floor, passing out.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

On the other side, Hatim returned to where everyone was seated. His heart raced, his body trembled with pain, sorrow, anger, and confusion due to Maira's words.

"Hatim, what happened? Is everything alright? Where's Maira?" Sara asked, noticing Hatim's expression. He took a deep breath, sat down beside them, and held his head between his hands, "Maira has changed, she's not our Maira anymore."

"What do you mean, Beta? What happened?" Zernish asked, growing concerned.

"I just want to tell all of you that after today, there won't be any talk of marriage between Maira and me in this house," Hatim said, shocking everyone.

"Hatim, do you even realize what you're saying?" Shams asked with a frown. Hatim chuckled sadly, "Yes, and what else can I say? She doesn't love me; she considers this relationship a forced one."

"Has she said all of this?" Jamshed asked. Hatim nodded, stood up, and started pacing around.

"I just want that for now, none of you will talk to Maira about this matter. Stay with her as you are, she needs love," Hatim said. Sara stood up and confronted her brother, "And what kind of love does she want when she's rejecting your boundless love?"

"I know she loves me deeply, but there's something causing her to do all this. I'll soon find out the reason," Hatim said, aware that she's lying.

"She's been through a lot of pain; she's still in pain..." Zernish said, tears welling up in her eyes. "Then she should trust us, shouldn't she, Maa," Sara said, frustrated because she witnessed her brother's pain and his love for Maira and she can't see him broken once again.

"Maybe she doesn't want to see us in pain because of her," Jamshed said. Hatim sighed.

"I'm going to bed, please don't disturb me," he said, turning to leave, but Zernish stopped him. "But Beta, have dinner, let's call Maira too. She hasn't eaten properly," she said, hoping he'd agree. "Maa, I'm not hungry," he replied, leaving before anyone could say anything.

"Why happiness always seems to slip away just as it approaches our door," Zernish said, tears flowing. Jamshed hugged her to console her. "Allah will make everything better."

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Hatim entered his room and began pacing, pondering what had happened earlier.

"Her eyes were speaking the truth, but her words were lies. What is it that she's not telling us? Maira, why have you become such a mystery to me?"

Feeling the need to calm himself, he walked into the bathroom, splashed water on his face, and dried it with a towel. As he stared at himself in the mirror, Maira's words continued to haunt his thoughts.

"You don't want to marry me, that's fine. I won't force you, but whatever you're hiding from me, I will definitely find out, Maira," he resolved.