Shahana lay unconscious, deep in the throes of sleep, the effects of the sedative still lingering in her system. Arsalan sat by her bedside, his fingers gently tracing the outline of her hand, his mind replaying the doctor's words."You should also consult a good psychiatrist," the doctor had advised. "She seems to be under a lot of stress. She's been through some deep trauma. In this condition, you need to take extra care of her. Otherwise, both her and the baby's lives could be at risk."Arsalan was lost in these thoughts when he felt a subtle movement in Shahana's hand. He looked down to see her eyes fluttering, her gaze unfocused as she stared at the ceiling, still transitioning back to consciousness.A surge of relief washed over Arsalan as he watched her regain her senses. "Shahana!" he called out softly, his voice filled with concern and affection.Startled by his voice, Shahana turned towards him, her eyes meeting his. She then looked down at their intertwined hands, a frown creasing her forehead. "Where am I, Azlan?" she asked, her voice laced with confusion and anxiety.Arsalan gently explained their situation. "You're in the hospital. You suddenly fell ill, so I brought you here."Shahana nodded absently, her mind struggling to piece together the events that led her to the hospital bed. The last thing she remembered was being in her room.She tried to sit up, but Arsalan gently pressed her back down. "Don't get up," he said. "Just rest.""I'm fine," she insisted, her voice firm. "I need to go home."A wave of unease washed over Shahana as she felt Azlan's presence. His gentle gaze, his eyes filled with love and concern, stirred up a strange sensation within her. She didn't want to fall under his spell again. She wanted to be free from Azlan Samiul Amin."Of course, we'll go home," Arsalan assured her. "But first, you need to have some tests. Then, we'll head back.""No, I need to go home now," she repeated, her voice rising in urgency. She tried to get out of bed, but Arsalan held her back."Please, Shahana," he pleaded, his voice laced with worry. "You need to stay in the hospital for two more days. You're not fully recovered yet, and I can't risk your health."Shahana's forehead furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.Arsalan took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "Shahana," he began, his voice soft but firm, "you're pregnant."Shahana's eyes widened in shock, her mind struggling to comprehend the news. She stared at Azlan, her face pale and drawn, her heart pounding in her chest."Pregnant?" she whispered, her voice barely a breath.Arsalan nodded, his eyes filled with a mix of emotions – joy, concern, and a hint of fear. "Yes," he confirmed. "You're carrying our child."Shahana's mind reeled, her thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and disbelief. She couldn't believe it. She was pregnant with Azlan's child. The man she had loved and lost, the man who had shattered her heart, was now the father of her child.A wave of nausea swept over her, and she fought back the urge to vomit. She closed her eyes, her mind shutting down, unable to process the overwhelming reality."You're going to be a mother, and I'm going to be a father. Our child is coming into this world, Shahana. You can't imagine how happy I am today," Azlan declared, his voice brimming with joy. He cupped her hands in his and pressed them to his lips, his eyes sparkling with excitement.Shahana stared at him, her expression a mix of confusion and disbelief. She seemed to be struggling to comprehend his words.Then, in a sudden surge of fear, she snatched her hands away from his grasp. "You're lying, aren't you?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "This isn't true."Panic gripped her eyes as she spoke."Shahana, relax. I'm here for you this time. You don't have to be afraid. I won't let anything happen to our child," Azlan reassured her, his voice gentle and soothing."Shut up...just shut up! You're lying! This isn't happening! I can't be a mother, and I don't want to be! Keep your nonsense to yourself," Shahana retorted, her voice laced with desperation."Shahana, my love...""I told you to shut up! You're lying! This isn't happening!" Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling over and streaming down her cheeks. She burst into a fit of sobs, her body shaking uncontrollably.Azlan watched her weep, his heart aching for her. He knew this news was overwhelming, especially for a woman who had endured so much emotional turmoil.He gently reached out and pulled her into his embrace, his arms wrapping around her trembling form. He stroked her hair, offering silent comfort, his presence a soothing balm against the storm raging within her."How could you do this?" she cried, her voice muffled against his chest. Her tears soaked into his shirt, leaving damp patches behind."Shahana, please listen to me. I'm sorry. I'm truly, truly sorry. I'll fix everything," Azlan tried to calm her, his voice laced with remorse.She pushed him away, her eyes burning with anger. "You...despicable man...you did this deliberately, didn't you?" she spat out, her voice filled with venom."Shahana..." Azlan tried to speak, but she was on a rampage."Why did you do it? Huh? Why did you do it?" she demanded, poking his chest with her finger. Her eyes were ablaze with fury, her face contorted in rage. She seemed to be losing all control over her emotions."After destroying my life once, you couldn't find peace unless you ruined it again? Why did you come back? Huh?" she screamed, her voice echoing through the room."Please, Shahana, calm down. This is not the time..." Azlan tried to reason with her, but she was beyond listening."Don't you care about my state? I can see through your charade! You planned all this, didn't you? Now that Maria has left you, you've come crawling back to me. If you think I'll forget everything and forgive you, you're wrong. I won't forget, and I'll never have any relationship with you again. I'm...I'm ending this today. I'm done with this whole mess!"She paused for a moment, her breath catching in her throat, her eyes wide with determination.Azlan watched her in shock, his mind struggling to process her words. She was behaving like a deranged woman, her emotions spiraling out of control.His heart pounded in his chest as he realized the gravity of the situation."Shahana..." he started to say, but before he could finish, she grabbed a knife from the fruit basket on the bedside table."I will kill myself today, I will end everything at once" she declared, her voice filled with despair.Azlan's eyes widened in horror as she raised the knife towards her wrist. With lightning speed, he snatched the knife from her grasp, hurling it to the ground."Have you lost your mind?" Azlan's voice boomed, his grip tightening around her wrists.Shahana had indeed lost her mental balance. Had she been in her right mind, she would never have contemplated such a drastic step. The thought of embracing haram death would never have crossed her mind."Yes, I have gone insane," she retorted, her voice laced with desperation. "You all have driven me to madness. I can't bear to live anymore. Just kill me already." She struggled against his hold, trying to free herself."Come to your senses!" Azlan pleaded, his voice laced with urgency."I'm perfectly sane. You all just want to inflict pain on me. No...you want to kill me, don't you? You're all my enemies, my adversaries. You too are my enemy." She was rambling incoherently, her words a jumbled mess of fear and paranoia."You're all conspiring to kill my child. You're all murderers. They'll come back again. They'll torture me again. And my child will die again. You're all murderers. You're all killers."Azlan's heart sank as he listened to her disjointed rantings. He knew that Shahana's mental state had deteriorated significantly, and he feared for her well-being."Shahana, please listen to me," he cupped her face and tried to reason with her, his voice filled with concern. "No one wants to harm you or your child. I'm here for you. I'm here for our child.Believe me. I promise this time, I won't leave you alone."But his words fell on deaf ears. Shahana was lost in her own world of fear and anguish, her mind clouded by trauma and despair." Leave me. You want to harm me. Don't you? ""No... I love you.""You are a liar. You are lying. You want to kill me. You and your family have always hated me. All of you want me dead. You and your family have killed my baby. You guys are murderes." Suddenly she lunged at Arsalan with all her might in an attempt to strangulate him.The sounds of commotion from their room drew two nurses and a doctor rushing in. They found Shahana attempting to strangle Azlan, while the nurses struggled to pull her away from him. Azlan stood silently, making no attempt to defend himself, watching the devastating state of his beloved in quiet despair.Red veins bulged in Azlan's eyes.The two nurses, working together, managed to restrain Shahana, who still fought tooth and nail, trying to lunge at Azlan.As the nurses held her firmly, Azlan turned on them, his voice filled with rage. "Don't touch my wife!" he thundered.Startled by his outburst, the nurses released Shahana, but by then, the doctor had administered a sedative, and her eyes began to droop. She swayed unsteadily, about to fall, when Azlan caught her in his arms.The nurses and the doctor watched in silence as the young man wept, tears streaming down his face for his beloved wife. A wave of sympathy washed over them.Gently, Azlan laid her on the bed, and the doctor checked her vitals once more, starting an IV drip.As the nurses and the doctor left the room, Azlan leaned down and kissed her forehead."You said Allah would make everything alright. And I know He will. Insha'Allah, you'll recover. I'll take you to the best psychiatrist in this country. You'll get better. You have to. For me. For our child."Azlan's voice broke, and he sobbed uncontrollably.Who can comprehend the anguish of witnessing the destruction of one's love? Let Azlan Amin tell you...------------Towsif and Haya were fast asleep when they were startled awake by the sound of someone knocking on the door. Towsif checked the clock and saw that it was 3 am. He had a feeling that something was wrong. Haya, also alarmed, looked at Towsif with concern.Towsif reassured her and got up to open the door.He was taken aback to see Azlan standing there in the middle of the night. His hair was disheveled, his clothes were wrinkled, and his eyes were swollen and bloodshot."Azlan, son, what's wrong?" Towsif asked, his voice filled with concern."I need to see your wife," Azlan replied curtly, ignoring Towsif's question."But what happened? Tell us first..." Towsif pressed, noticing Azlan's harsh tone.Azlan remained silent. Haya had also come out of the room. Seeing her, Azlan's eyes flashed with anger."Where was Shahana when I was frantically searching for her everywhere?" Azlan asked, his voice laced with disdain and contempt. Haya's spine tingled with fear at his tone. Towsif was momentarily stunned as well."What kind of tone are you using with Haya?" Towsif demanded, his voice laced with anger. No matter what the situation was, Haya was his wife, and he would not tolerate anyone disrespecting her.But Azlan completely ignored his question."I asked, where was Shahana when I was searching for her everywhere?"-----------Check out my other stories if you are liking this one...