Fate

The Final Chapter-Part 1

Okay so initially I decided I was gonna do one super long chapter but then I decided to split it into two parts coz it actually got wayyyy longer than I expected!

Anyway grab your popcorn and your tissues for this last chapter!

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*a few hours later*

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The monitor chimed displaying Meerab's heart rate. Careful not to tug on her cannula, she gently raised her hand to stroke her daughter's face. She purred at the contact as Meerab cradled her in her arms, her touch feather light as if she would break at the slightest of force.

Meerab had regained consciousness about a half hour ago. She had woken up to Murtasim by her side with their daughter wide awake in his arms. His coat rested neatly on the back of the chair he sat in and the sleeves of his black shalwar kameez were rolled up to his elbows as he playfully swung her side to side.

Laying there, breathing softly through the oxygen mask, a tear slipped past her eye as she watched him play with her. Pure joy radiated from his features and body language when she responded to his tickles and raspberries with tiny smiles and cute sounds, her little tongue peeking out every time.

As if sensing she was awake, Murtasim looked up from his daughter to meet Meerab's gaze. His playful expression transformed into a much softer one as their eyes locked. As if it had a life of its own, her trembling hand reached out in his direction, as if calling out to him. He met her halfway when he got up to sit beside her, facing her as he held her hand while carefully balancing his daughter in his arm.

Leaning down he placed a feathery kiss on her forehead and murmured, "eik minute." Pulling back, he pressed a button above the headboard and about a minute later a young nurse walked in. She seemed to be a fresh graduate and looked unusually perky for the time of day considering it was nearly midnight.

"Asalam o alaikum kese tabiyat hai ab aap ki?" she chimed and Meerab could only nod in response, gesturing with a motion of her head that she was fine. But in truth, she was far from it. Her body was numb from all the sedatives yet she could feel the ache in her muscles, the nausea seemed to have made a permanent home in her chest and with each breath she took, her lungs felt as if they would collapse at any moment.

But as the nurse checked her vitals, Meerab found herself easily distracted by the soothing caress of Murtasim's thumb on her knuckles. She then very gently helped her sit up and Meerab felt a pain like never before as every bone in her body ached as if somebody had pricked her with a thousand needles at once.

Murtasim held her hand as she did and her grip around his hand tightened, the pain jolting through her body like a thousand electric shocks. Tears lined her eyes but she held them back, biting her bottom lip as she struggled to cope with the pain.

But the moment soon passed, the pain lessening to a great extent when the nurse adjusted the pillow behind her back and she rested her back against it. It wasn't soft like normal pillows, but in that moment it felt like exactly what she needed.

Once she was settled, the nurse politely requested to speak to Murtasim privately. By this time the baby had managed to fall asleep again so he settled her in her little cot and followed the nurse outside. But before he left, he gave her an assuring smile, comforting her with the knowledge that he would be right back.

A heaviness settled in Meerab's chest as she looked in the direction of the door, wondering what information the nurse would be dumping on her husband. The steady supply of oxygen through her mask did nothing to ease the invisible weight on her chest but when she heard a little purring sound from the cot, she forgot everything as her eyes landed on the little ball of pink resting peacefully among the cushions wrapped up in her little blanket.