I can feel Your heartbeat

Chapter 11

In the quiet hours before dawn, Amina watched Imran sleep. The moonlight fell softly on his face, giving him a peaceful look. His presence was comforting—like a quiet anchor in the stormy sea of her life. She felt a deep warmth spreading through her heart as she looked at him, realizing how much she truly loved him.

Her eyes followed the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, each breath a silent lullaby calming her restless thoughts. Even in his sleep, he looked like he was carrying the weight of the world, but now, those lines of worry seemed to smooth away under her watchful care.

Amina felt a surge of love and protection for him. She knew she should let him sleep, preserving this moment of peace. Her heart ached to reach out, to touch his face, to feel his skin under her fingertips, but she held back. Disturbing him now would take away the very peace she cherished seeing in him.

Instead, she memorized everything about this moment: the way the moonlight highlighted his features, the peacefulness surrounding him, the steady beat of his heart that seemed to echo her own. This memory would be a beacon for her, a light to hold onto when times got tough.

With a silent sigh that carried all her love and longing, Amina quietly got out of bed and walked to the washroom. She moved carefully, not wanting to disturb the quiet scene. She took one last look at Imran before she closed the door gently behind her, the soft click sealing her silent confession of love.

In that moment, with just a door between them but connected by something much deeper, Amina felt the true weight of her feelings—love that asked for nothing in return but the happiness of the one she loved.

Few hours later, Imran stirred from his slumber, a sense of emptiness echoing around him. His hand, outstretched across the bed where Amina had been, met only the cool, untouched sheets. His head was resting on the edge of the bed, in the exact spot where her presence had been a comforting certainty just hours ago. He awoke with a start, his heart hammering as he scanned the empty space beside him.

"Amina?" His voice cracked the silence, tentative at first, then growing in urgency. No reply came, and a wave of fear washed over him. Every possible scenario of harm raced through his mind, each more terrifying than the last. He swung his legs off the bed, his movements swift and driven by the rising panic within him.

He called her name again as he rushed out of the bedroom, his voice echoing down the hallway. Still no answer. His feet barely touched the ground as he descended the stairs two at a time, desperate to find her.

Imran burst into the living room, his eyes frantically searching. Then he saw her—Amina was seated serenely on a clean piece of cloth laid out on the floor, her substitute for a prayer mat. She was deep in prayer, her eyes closed, dressed in the salwar kameez from the hospital, embodying a picture of peaceful devotion.

He stood there, unable to move, watching her as she sat in quiet surrender. The morning light filtered through the windows, casting a gentle glow around her, accentuating the peaceful aura that she embodied. In that moment, the world seemed to pause, the only movement being the subtle rise and fall of her chest with each breath.

Amina's face was a canvas of emotions—there was peace, pain, hope, and a deep spirituality that seemed to radiate from her. Imran found himself drawn into this silent communion, his own emotions reflecting the flickers of feelings that danced across her features. With every soft contour of her face illuminated by the morning light, he felt a connection that transcended words, a bond forged in the quiet depths of shared understanding and unspoken words.

As he watched, a single tear escaped from the corner of her closed eyes, tracing a path down her cheek. This silent testament to her inner turmoil struck Imran deeply, scratching at his heart with a pain that was both sharp and achingly beautiful. It was the tear who confirmed once again of the vulnerability she is in.