Around the lunch table, everyone had settled in. Shabnam fretted over Azlan's meager portions, heaping his plate with a motherly insistence. Each protest from Azlan was met with a gentle, "Nonsense, you need your strength!" Muiz, perched beside them, couldn't contain his giggles, delighting in his uncle's predicament. Unlike Azlan, Muiz readily accepted every offering, happily receiving morsels straight from Shabana's hand. Azlan, resigned, knew a double workout session loomed in his future to combat the impending calorie surge. As they ate, Shabnam regaled him with stories of Shabana's mischievous childhood, her voice warm with affection.Suddenly, Muiz, who had barely scratched the surface of his plate, declared himself full. Shabana, however, wasn't having it. "At least half, Muiz," she insisted. But Muiz, a whirlwind of energy, was already out of his seat, a mischievous glint in his eyes.With a playful shout, he darted across the courtyard. Shabana, unfazed, rose with a determined smile, plate in hand. A chase ensued, laughter echoing through the air. Shabana, surprisingly agile for her age, weaved through the courtyard, weaving fantastical tales as she tried to coax bites of food into Muiz's mouth. Azlan and Shabnam watched. Shabnam smiled whereas, a bittersweet ache settling in his chest. The scene unfolded like a story woven with love and laughter, a picture of a mother and son utterly in sync.A pang of longing twisted within him. There had been a time when he'd dreamt of this – a complete family. Where he imagined himself as father, Shahana as a mother and their beautiful children running around them , lighting up their world. But here, bathed in the golden light, the image felt like a cruel mirage. The truth was stark – the picture was perfect, yet incomplete. It was a happiness forever out of his reach, a belonging he could never truly possess.-----------Fate had once again brought Azlan and Shahana together, confining them to the same bedroom. Shahana, however, was far from pleased with this arrangement, her heart yearning for distance. Azlan, oblivious to her turmoil, had reluctantly agreed to stay.As Azlan found himself alone in Shahana's bedroom, a room he had never visited before, he couldn't help but notice the meticulous care with which it was maintained. The décor exuded a sense of feminine grace .Leaning against the bed, his mind drifted back to Shabnam's words. Could Shahana truly be pregnant? And if so, when had the miscarriage occurred? Why had she kept this from him?A wave of confusion and anguish washed over him, his head throbbing with an intensity that mirrored the turmoil within. In a desperate attempt to seek clarity, he reached for his phone, typing a message to his secretary and sending it off with a sigh.Just then, Shahana stepped into the room. Their eyes met for a fleeting moment before she swiftly averted her gaze, her expression unreadable. She retrieved the item she had come for and turned to leave."Could I get a cup of tea?" Azlan's voice broke the silence, his request laced with a hint of vulnerability. Shahana turned, her cheeks flushing a delicate shade of pink. She noticed the lines of worry etched on his forehead, a sure sign of his discomfort.Her heart ached for him, the truth undeniable. She knew Azlan was prone to fevers after being caught in the rain, and the fever always began with a pounding headache."I'll get it," she muttered, her voice barely a whisper, and hurried out of the room.Moments later, a young boy, no older than twelve or thirteen, entered the room carrying a tray. A steaming cup of tea, accompanied by pain relievers and a glass of water, sat neatly arranged upon it.Azlan felt a surge of anger, an irrational resentment towards Shahana's absence. "Couldn't she have brought it herself?" he grumbled inwardly. His anger prevented him from enjoying the tea or the medication, and by nightfall, the fever had taken a firm grip, his entire body burning with its intensity.That evening, when the same boy arrived to summon him for snacks, Azlan refused to leave his room. Shabnam, assuming he needed rest, respected his decision.Even when during dinner Azlan remained confined to his room, Shabnam decided to check on him personally. She had noticed the growing tension between Azlan and Shahana, attributing it to a minor marital spat.The sight of Azlan's feverish form sent a wave of panic through Shabnam's heart. He lay unconscious on the bed, his entire body burning with the relentless heat of the fever.Recalling the previous day's downpour, Shabnam realized the cause of his illness. Azlan's constitution was delicate, and the exposure to rain had triggered this bout of fever.Without wasting a moment, she instructed Shahana to dampen a cloth and place it over Azlan's forehead to reduce the fever. Shahana, her heart heavy with concern, complied with her mother's orders.Shabnam's voice echoed with reprimand as she chided Shahana for her lack of awareness about Azlan's deteriorating condition. Shahana silently endured the scolding, her own heart aching for Azlan.She couldn't understand. She had given him the prescribed medication, yet his fever persisted. Shabnam's departure left her alone with Azlan, the relentless rain drumming against the window, a stark reminder of their isolation.Determined to alleviate Azlan's discomfort, Shahana set about preparing a nourishing soup. She brought it to his bedside, gently spooning the warm liquid into his mouth.Azlan remained unresponsive, lost in the depths of his feverish delirium. Shahana's heart sank as she witnessed his worsening condition. His face was flushed, his breathing labored. Shahana's heart clenched with concern.Despite their strained relationship, she couldn't ignore his suffering. She gently placed a cool compress on his forehead, her touch a soothing balm against his burning skin.Anxiety gnawed at her. Despite the medication, the fever refused to relent. She tried everything she could think of – placing cool compresses on his forehead, administering water to quench his thirst – but nothing seemed to bring him relief. Shahana's despair deepened. She felt helpless, alone in the face of Azlan's illness, the storm outside mirroring the turmoil within her.The fever showed no signs of abating. Shahana's heart pounded with worry, and she silently turned to prayer, seeking solace in divine intervention.She performed Ruqyah, a traditional Islamic practice believed to offer protection from harm and evil. Muiz slept in Shabnam's room. Finally, as dawn approached, Azlan's fever began to recede. Shahana breathed a sigh of relief, her heart overflowing with gratitude towards Allah for His mercy.Azlan's body was drenched in sweat, his breathing shallow and labored. Shahana gently changed his clothes, wiping his damp skin with a cool cloth. His consciousness remained elusive, perhaps due to the lingering effects of the medication.After freshening up, Shahana performed the Isha prayer, her heart heavy with a mixture of emotions. As she gazed at Azlan's sleeping form, a torrent of tears streamed down her cheeks.Her heart ached for the betrayal she had endured, the pain of his infidelity. Her mind questioned her own sanity, wondering how she could still love this cruel man, this heartless deceiver. Yet, the truth was undeniable – love had a way of clouding judgment, of making one blind to the flaws of another.In a state of emotional turmoil, Shahana found herself drifting off to sleep beside Azlan, her heart heavy with unspoken sorrow.-------In the hushed stillness of the night, Azlan's eyes fluttered open. A dim light cast a soft glow over the room, the relentless drumming of rain providing a soothing backdrop.A sense of warmth enveloped him as he realized he was not alone. Shahana lay nestled beside him, her face illuminated by the ethereal light. He drew closer, their bodies now separated by mere inches.Time seemed to stand still as he gazed upon her, her beauty as radiant as ever. He could feel the gentle rise and fall of her breath, her warmth seeping into his very being.An irresistible urge to touch her consumed him. His fingers delicately traced her cheek, her skin soft and warm beneath his fingertips.A flicker of surprise crossed Shahana's face as she felt his touch, her eyes fluttering open to meet his gaze. Their eyes locked, a silent conversation unfolding between them.The enchanting symphony of the rain, the hushed intimacy of the night, and the presence of his beloved, all combined to create a moment of pure bliss. Azlan's mind drifted back to the cherished memories he shared with his life partner, a bittersweet ache tugging at his heart.Shahana, captivated by his touch and the intensity of his gaze, felt her heart pounding in her chest, the rhythm echoing in the stillness of the room.Suddenly, the lights flickered and died, plunging the room into darkness. Shahana instinctively tried to move away, but Azlan's strong arms held her captive.Their bodies pressed together, a silent surrender to the magnetic pull that drew them together. Resistance melted away, replaced by an overwhelming desire to connect, to lose themselves in the moment.Outside, the rain hammered a relentless rhythm, a melancholic symphony echoing the storm that raged within them. It was a tempest of love, a torrent of raw desire that swept over them, momentarily drowning out the bitter memories of the past. Everything else faded away. The only thing they remembered was they were husband and wife, bound by an undeniable connection, a love that burned bright despite the shadows. Lost completely in each other, they surrendered to the present, oblivious to the uncertain consequences that loomed on the horizon.