Unexpected Promises

Chapter 72

Saad's pov:

I stood there rooted at my place as the scene unfolded in front of me. Too stunned to do anything as my mind numbed. I couldn't believe it, it just seemed too surreal to be true. How could I even believe it? No actually, how could it even be real? What had even happened when I wasn't here? No, that wasn't the question, the actual question would be, what even happened to ammi? Why... Why was she being so... weird? Odd?

First, I couldn't believe that she refused to recognise me. The baby boy who she herself got married to her daughter. And now, she did this? Ya Allah! Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I ran towards Atifa, my blood rushing with full force. This shouldn't have happened! She... she shouldn't have come in front of me! That bullet... it was for me, not for her!

Even before me, ammi had already reached her and was sitting beside her with her head on her lap while covering her shoulder with her hand, trying to cease the bleeding and also trying to keep her awake as tears streamed down her face. Her gun was long forgotten beside her car. Anger rushed through my veins when I saw her. If she was this concerned about her daughter, then she shouldn't have even pulled the trigger knowing that her daughter was in front of her and was trying to stop her! She knew her daughter better than anyone else, right? So didn't she know that she wouldn't have moved away? She wouldn't have let anyone get hurt, she should have known that!

And even I was crazy for letting her go! I should have just pushed her away when she was with me! I shouldn't have even let her go away from me, most importantly, in front of ammi when she had a gun! Ya Allah, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to her. Please let her be okay.

Sitting beside her, I noticed the wound for the first time as I took her hand in mine and started rubbing them. It was on her right shoulder blade, or maybe lower or upper than that, I couldn't exactly know because a large part of her abaya was already stained by blood. Her eyes were drooping, making me panicked. And my breath hitched just at the thought of losing her forever. I- I couldn't lose her too! I couldn't let that happen. I- I knew I was helpless then, but not now, not again. I wasn't going to let that happen again!

"Keep your eyes open Atifa. Please stay awake." I muttered while looking around frantically, trying to look for something to put pressure on the wound. If not because of the wound, she would die because of blood loss!

"Wha- what are you doing here?" Looking up from her daughter, ammi hissed at me angrily, desperately.

"Trying to save your daughter!" Feeling anger bubbling up myself, I snapped while giving her a sharp look. Feeling Atifa trying to squeeze my hand lightly, I looked down, calming down slightly at the thought of her being fine. At least for now.

'She will be alright', I told myself while attempting to give her a small smile. "Hold on for a while more. You will be fine, okay? Just don't close your eyes." I told her softly while leaving her hand and removing her niqab. She needed fresh air to breathe properly.

"What do you even want?! Don't touch her! Just... just get away from here! LEAVE HER ALONE!" Ammi yelled while pushing my hands away from her face, her voice cracking in the end because of crying and shouting.

"Sa- ad..." Before I could reply to her, I heard Atifa whisper quietly, bringing my attention back to her.

"Y- yes Atifa. D- don't speak, you will be fine." Ignoring ammi, I ran my knuckles through her cheeks gently before looking at ammi through glistening orbs. I didn't want to argue with anyone! Someone's life was at stake and I could care less about anything else at that time. "I'm not staying here because of you, but because of your daughter. So-"

"This is all because of you! You shouldn't have come here! You should have left her when I asked you to! You should have left her..." Interrupting me, she was still saying something when her voice started fading away, making me look up at her in confusion. What was wrong with her? Holding her head, she squeezed her eyes shut before trying to open them and balance herself by keeping her hands beside her, on the ground.