BROKEN

Chapter 28

Layla was finally one step closer to recovery. The surgery was a success and the doctor also informed that she was responding positively to treatment and so the last stage of treatment was going to start and he was sure of a positive outcome and  that was really a thing to be happy about.

    It had only been a day after the surgery, Usman had come visiting with gifts like he always did. Mother had also just returned from home where she had gone to rest. We were all inside te hospital room talking and cheering Layla up when Ahmed suddenly showed up by the door.

      "Hey" he said and we all turned in the direction to see who it was and it was Ahmed.

    "Uncle Ahmed" Layla called out from where she was and Ahmed was about going towards her when Usman got in front of him.

    "I think you should leave" he said but I knew Ahmed wasn't going to back down so easily.

   "I didn't come here to cause any trouble. I just wanted to talk to Layla and Zee" Ahmed said

   "I am not sure anyone wants to see you here" Usman said and then I cut him off.

     "Usman please" I said moving to where they both were.

    "I think I and Ahmed need to talk" I said and I could see how surprised Ahmed looked and how curious Usman and Mother looked too.

    "Are you sure" mother whispered to me as I moved to were she was.

    "I guess it's time for that talk mother" I said looking at Ahmed who was still in awe.

    "We should talk outside" I said as I walked outside and Ahmed followed closely behind. We got to a spot outside with chairs then we sat down.

   We sat down and at first it was awkward probably because none of us even knew what or what not to say until Ahmed finally decided to break the silence.

    "Thanks for accepting to finally speak to me" he said and I just remained silent

   "First of all, before I begin anything I will like you to know that I care about you a whole lot even when we weren't even in the same place those feelings never changed and if I am not going to lie to myself, I still have strong feelings for you even after all this years but first I will like to clarify some things" he explained but there was only just one question in my head that I badly wanted an answer to.

    "Why did you leave" I asked. The question that had messed up with my whole life for the past six years.

     "Because I saw you with him, I was pissed I didn't know what to do,I was confused and I was heartbroken,I couldn't think straight all I wanted to do was to run away from everything" he explained and I turned to look at him in the face and all I saw was guilt.

    "But he was the one who" I was about to explain what actually happened that day when Ahmed cut me off.

    "I know everything that happened now, I recently also found out that it was all planned between my mom, rianat and Rashid. Mum made sure marrying rianat was a criteria for me to travel, I had no other option" he explained and then everything started to make more sense, from when he came to pick me up to when we got to the resort. Everything seemed clearer now.

    "You could have waited, you could have spoken to me. I felt you trusted me the way I trusted you. You could have heard my own side of the story" I said as thoughts of how everyday I  had hoped he would call, text or send a mail. I waited everyday hoping he would show up at my doorstep but days passed, weeks passed and even years passed and nothing happened.

    "Yeah, I know, I am at fault. I should have waited, I should have heard from you and listened to you. I messed up big time and I know.  If I could turn back the hands of time. I would do everything differently" he said, feeling sorry and for the first I felt at peace about everything that happened and it felt like I had an heavy weight lifted off my shoulder.

    "I needed you the most during that time, I was going to tell you I was pregnant when I couldn't get through to you. It felt like my whole world had ended. I wanted you to be there, I needed you to comfort me, I had no one but my mother, I was developing, angry, furious, mad. It felt like I had gone crazy. Like I had no one to turn to. I hated my own baby because I was consuming by too much hate that I had no love left to give" I said as tears trickled down my  face and I could see how bad Ahmed was feeling, he was looking helpless.

    "Evwn time couldn't heal the pain I felt" i added and we both stayed silent for sometime before Ahmed spoke up.

    "I am so angry at myself for making you feel the way you felt. I wished things turned out differently. I never stopped thinking about you, not even for a day. I had mails I wrote but couldn't send. I feel terrible for having caused you so much pain and I probably have no excuse for that. I just hope you believe me when I said "i never stopped thinking about you" cause no one can take your place in my heart" he said and then it felt like the Ahmed I had known years ago was back again, the one I fell in love with but it was different this time. But it was different from what I felt for Usman, one was stronger.

    "I don't know what to say but I am so glad we talked. Because I feel so much better now. I guess that's how our story was meant to be"