Azlan's mind was a whirlwind of confusion and fear. He couldn't comprehend what had just happened or what was about to unfold. He watched in horror as Shahana stood frozen in the path of the oncoming car.In a split second, he mustered every ounce of his strength and lunged towards her, pulling her into his arms just as the car screeched to a halt inches away.The deafening screech of tires pierced the silence, and everything seemed to freeze in time. Azlan's heart pounded like a drum in his chest as he held Shahana close, his breath coming in ragged gasps.A young man emerged from the car, his face contorted in anger. "What the hell was that? If I hadn't stopped in time, you two would have been dead! And for what? If you're suicidal, do it some other way. Don't drag innocent people into your mess!" he shouted."Sorry," Azlan managed to gasp, his voice trembling. "She's not herself. She's sick.""Well, keep her locked up at home then," the man retorted rudely, before climbing back into his car and speeding away.Left alone on the deserted street, Azlan and Shahana stood in silence, the rain pelting down around them.Shahana slowly lifted her head and looked at Azlan, her eyes wide with fear. "Azlan," she whispered, her voice barely a breath, "where are we? And how did I get here? Did you bring me here?"She pressed her hand to her forehead, trying to recall the events that led them to this desolate spot, but her mind was a blank slate. A sense of dread washed over her as she realized that this had been happening for a while now – sudden lapses in memory, finding herself in unfamiliar places with no recollection of how she got there."Azlan," she called, her voice trembling, "what's happening to me? Why can't I remember anything? I remember being at home, and then... and then I was here. But I don't remember how I got here. What's wrong with me?"The rain blurred their vision, but Azlan could still see the fear mirrored in Shahana's eyes. "It's okay, Shahana," he reassured her, trying to mask his own growing concern. "Everything's fine. Don't worry."But Shahana was far from reassured. "No, Azlan," she insisted, her voice rising in panic. "It's not fine. I hear the cries of babies. They cry a lot. And I see Amira, your sister. She's come to take revenge on me, to punish me for killing her. I know it's not Amira, Azlan. It's some kind of djinn, trying to scare me. How can Amira be here? She's dead, buried. No one can come back from the grave. But this djinn, it follows me, it taunts me, it tries to terrify me. But I won't let it win. I won't let it break me."Azlan watched helplessly as Shahana's mental state deteriorated, her fear spiraling into a vortex of paranoia and terror. He knew he had to get her help, but he was at a loss as to where to turn.The rain continued to fall, relentless and unforgiving, mirroring the turmoil within Azlan's heart."Shhh...calm down, Shahana. Everything will be alright," Azlan whispered, holding her close.Shahana looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. She reached out and cupped his face in her hands."Why did you do this to me? Why did you betray me?" she sobbed, her voice filled with childlike innocence. "If you wanted to marry Maria. You could have, you know. I would never have stopped you. But why did you leave me without a word? Am I that bad?"Her words pierced Azlan's heart, but he couldn't make sense of them. "Shahana, let's go home. We can talk about this there," he suggested gently."No, we're going to talk about it right here," she insisted, her voice rising in desperation. "Tell me, why did you abandon me? Am I so horrible that no one wants me? Everyone hates me. You hate me too, don't you? Everyone hates me!""I don't hate you," Azlan tried to reassure her, but his words fell on deaf ears.Shahana let out a bitter laugh, her tears streaming down her face. "You don't hate me? Oh, you don't just hate me, you despise me. Don't you?" she cried hysterically, before breaking into sobs again."Shahana, let's go home. You're not in your right mind," Azlan pleaded, his voice laced with concern."I know I'm bad," she confessed, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm a terrible person. But you still shouldn't have left me. You left me alone, and now I'm all alone. So alone. I called you many times, and sent you so many messages, but you never replied."And that day, I called you. I wanted you to protect me. But, you didn't hear my calls. You didn't come to save me. Those people beat me so badly. They hurt me so much. I told them I didn't kill Amira. I didn't do anything. I didn't hurt anyone. But no one believed me. I begged them to stop, to think about my child, but they didn't listen."Azlan's heart pounded in his chest as Shahana's words echoed in his mind. "Which child?" he asked, gripping her arms tightly, but she was lost in a world of her own, trapped in a moment frozen in time."But they wouldn't listen," she continued, her eyes filled with a mixture of terror, despair, grief, and anguish. "They kicked me in the stomach. They kicked my child, Azlan. They kicked our children."Azlan stood rooted to the spot, his heart shattering into a million pieces."And then, my stomach ached so much. I screamed in pain. My baby was dying. But they didn't stop. They kept beating me. And then, our baby died, Azlan. He died. He died before he even came into this world."She fell silent, her voice replaced by a deafening stillness. No sobs, no tears, just an eerie silence that sent shivers down Azlan's spine.Then, looking into his eyes, she said, "Do you know why he died, Azlan? He died because he was my child."Her words pierced his soul like a thousand daggers, the weight of her pain crushing him."Because I'm cursed. I'm doomed. Allah has ordained that my life be filled with nothing but suffering. And I will eventually die, consumed by this unending sorrow. Either I'll die, or I'll go mad."She grabbed his hands and asked, "Azlan, look at me. Am I going mad? Have I lost my mind?"Azlan couldn't hold back the tears anymore. His eyes welled up with tears, mingling with the raindrops that streamed down his face. He pulled her into his arms and wept like a child. He had so much to cry for. So much pain, so much loss. If he had suffered, Shahana Parvin had endured a thousand times more.He felt a surge of guilt and despair. Was it his fault she was in this state? Yes... The answer to his question came within himHe had failed to protect Shahana, to shield her from the darkness that consumed her. The truth was slowly dawning on him. But it was too late.On the deserted road, Shahana continued to murmur incoherent words, while Azlan sobbed uncontrollably."Forgive me," Azlan pleaded, his voice choked with emotion. "I searched for you, but I couldn't find you anywhere. I looked everywhere, but you were gone. Everyone said you had abandoned me. They all said it. But I didn't believe them. I waited for you. And when you told me you wanted a divorce, I finally accepted it. I... I should have searched harder."He sobbed uncontrollably, his body wracked with guilt and despair.But Shahana remained silent, her gaze fixed on some distant point in the room."Say something, Shahana," he begged. "Please, say something."But she remained silent.Azlan looked up to see her, her eyes closed, her breathing soft and even, drifting off to unconsciousness in his arms.-----------Dr. Ahmed stepped out of the examination room, her face etched with concern. She found Azlan sitting in the waiting area, his head bowed, his shoulders slumped."Are you the patient's husband?" she asked gently.Azlan looked up at her, his eyes red-rimmed from crying. "Yes," he replied, his voice barely a whisper."Your wife's condition is quite serious," Dr. Ahmed explained. "She's suffering from malnutrition and severe weakness. It appears she's been under a lot of mental stress for quite some time. If this continues, it could have serious consequences for both her and the baby."Azlan's eyes widened in shock. "The baby?" he repeated, his voice trembling."Yes," Dr. Ahmed confirmed. "Your wife is six weeks pregnant."Azlan's heart leaped with joy. "Alhamdulillah," he murmured, thanking God for this unexpected blessing. But a wave of sadness washed over him instantly as he realized the irony of the situation. He was about to become a father, but the love of his life was slipping away from him.He looked at Shahana, her face serene in sleep, and a fierce determination welled within him. He would not give up on her. He would find a way to bring her back to him, back to their unborn child.The road ahead was long and arduous, but Azlan Samiul Amin was determined to make this journey. He would face every challenge with patience, perseverance, and unwavering faith in God. The path ahead, though filled with obstacles, led to a beautiful destination – a life where they would be complete, a family united, free from distance and bitterness.----------