𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞

Chapter 39

Zaidan's POV

I walked aimlessly through the streets, unable to sleep. The house only reminded me of my wife.

My wife.

A bittersweet smile crossed my lips as I reminisced about every moment spent with her. I wondered if she missed me as much as I missed her. Her eyes, once filled with hope when she looked at me, now held tears, disgust, and sadness.

I noticed a group of intoxicated guys on a street corner and approached them. They glanced at me, their drunkenness evident in the air. "What do you want?" one of them slurred.

"Nothing," I replied, lightly punching one of them.

"What the hell, man!" the guy shouted and punched me back.

"Is that all you've got?" I rolled my eyes, pretending to throw another punch. Suddenly, one of them grabbed me from behind while the others mercilessly beat me. Deep down, I knew I deserved this.

A punch landed on my face. This is for your tears, meri jaan.

Another punch struck my stomach. This is for the pain I caused you, meri jaan.

A blow to my left cheek. This is for failing as a husband, meri jaan.

They continued to pummel me until I collapsed onto the ground. Cursing and spitting, they left me there. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I wondered if this was the extent of my wife's sorrow.

I stumbled towards my house gate, and Titan rushed over to me. "Boss," he started, but I gestured for him to be quiet and entered my home. With heavy steps, I made my way to my room, performed my ablution, and sank to my knees before my Lord. As my forehead touched the prayer mat, tears welled up in my eyes, flowing like a river.

"Ya Allah, please," I choked out, unsure how to complete my plea. "You know what's in my heart. I never meant to hurt her." An ugly cry escaped my lips, but I didn't care even if someone saw me in this vulnerable state. "She's the best thing that ever happened to me, so how could I harm her? I lied to her about sleeping around just to push her away, but you know it's a falsehood." I rose from my position, raising my hands to the sky.

"I've never even thought of another woman in my entire life, so how could I betray her?" I tried to calm my ragged breaths, but it seemed impossible at this moment. "Ya Allah, please guide me. I haven't been a devout Muslim, but ya Allah, I beg you, I'll do anything for her to return." My cries grew louder with each passing second as my eyes grew heavy. Resting my head on the prayer mat, I tried to control my sobs as sleep slowly overcame me.
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Zehra's POV

"Mama, I don't wanna drink milk," I whined as she plopped a glass in front of me, insisting I finish it.

But one sharp look from her and I chugged down the whole thing. Glancing around, I noticed my brother staring right at me. I flashed him a smile and waved, silently mouthing, "I'm okay."

He didn't seem convinced, so I let out a sigh and made my way over to where he stood by the stairs. We retreated to my room and settled on the bed. "I'm meeting your husband today, and I'll make sure he regrets hurting you," he declared.