Let me Hate you by Anjaani (the reading list .TXT) 📗

The Truth

Mr. Bakshi, the police commissioner, notified them about Asmaira being in the lockup on charges of prostitution. Though the accusation was false, it involves Hashmi's reputation.

While Jamshed and Salar were talking to the commissioner, Amaan walked towards where Asmaira was held. When he entered the room, he saw she was still in the same dress, unconscious. Her clothes were torn, and she had handprint marks on her face. The lady constable who was there with her was shivering when she came to know about Asmaira's identity as what she would put her in a bad situation.

“Sir! I didn't know she belonged to a strong family; we caught her in the red light area and thought she was acting,” the lady constable begged while shivering.

“She was just an accused and not guilty; why did you slap her?" Bakshi asked sternly. He didn't want to offend someone influential like Hashmi for the stupidity of his subordinate.

“She...she was asking to call her husband repeatedly; the other cellmates were arguing for her too. I lost….lost my cool and slapped her,” She defended.

“You put her in a cell, and you dare to slap her too,” Amaan roared while kicking the chair.

“Amaan,” Jamshed cools him.

Once they came out of the station, Salar appreciated Bakshi for his efficiency in covering the entire incident.

Throughout the way, Amaan was looking at Asmaira. He never felt so much ashamed of himself than he was feeling at that time. He always misjudged her. He always thought she wanted to be like Raina, but he always looked for Raina in her. While Jamshed was driving and Salar sat in the passenger seat, Amaan held unconscious Asmaira by her shoulders while her head rested against his chest. He had to cover her body with his coat and was sure his mother would never forgive him if she sees Asmaira's torn clothes.

Fariya's indifferent behavior added to his misery. She refuses to talk or look at her son. When she saw Asmaira's condition, she glared at Amaan as if killing him with her looks. 

Amaan was lying with his half body on the bed in the Rainbow Children's hospital while he was in a sitting position.

Beep, beep. The sound of the medical apparatus was resonating in the silent room. Raina was sleeping with an oxygen mask for her troubled breathing. 

Due to his uncomfortable sleeping posture, Amaan stirred in his sleep with a frown. This movement broke Raina's uneasy sleep, and she opened her eyes. She saw Amaan sleeping beside her, holding her hand gently, fearing even the slightest pressure will break her hand. What she saw broke her heart. His disheveled hair, uneven stubble, and he had bags under his eyes. From his swollen eyes, Raina could guess he cried before sleeping. She tried to remove her hand from his grip; however, this caused Amaan to immediately jolt.

“Amaan,” she said in her hoarse voice; she winced due to a dry throat.

“Raina, how are you feeling now?” Amaan said with panic while holding her hand in his palms.

“Amaan, can you promise me something?” Raina said in her weak voice.

“Anything, anything,” he said, sounding desperate to make his wife happy.

“Promise me, you will do one thing Ma will ask you to do.”

“Yes, baby! I promised I will listen to her,” he was kissing her hand while his eyes welled up. He had a notion that this conversation would be his last with his wife, yet he didn't want to believe it.

“It's time. Please call Asmaira,” Raina said while she coughed a bit due to her breathing problem.

Amaan reluctantly dialed Asmaira's number; however, even after multiple attempts, when she didn't answer, he panicked.

Answer the Goddamn phone Asmaira, he thought while not breaking his stare from his dying wife.

However, when he heard a timid voice on the other end of the call, he immediately put the phone on speaker for Raina.

“Aashi,” Raina said while gulping hard to make her hoarse voice natural.

On hearing no response from her sister Raina again said, “Aashi baby, how are you?”

It was becoming difficult for Raina to breathe with each word, but she knew she didn't have time.

“Aashi, please talk to me. I need you,” Raina cried out.

Amaan could hear the other person on call, and he clenched his fist when he heard her say, “What? You need me? I am sorry, you are calling the wrong person.”

Raina's eyes welled up on hearing Asmaira, “Please, I am really sorry, sorry, my baby sister.”

“I am sorry, but my sister died 5 years ago, and even if she was alive, I wish she would die in pain. I wish she would never be at peace,” and the call got disconnected. Before Amaan could do anything, he saw Raina's breathing got heavy, and he called the emergency button. 

Beep.

A flat line was all he saw on the heart rate monitor, and the next second doctor declared her dead.

In Fariya's room,

“Why has nobody told me anything? Why was I kept in the dark? How can Raina not share her last wish with me?” Amaan was kneeling in front of Fariya, who refused to look at him.

“If she had told you, would you agree to marry Asmaira?” Fariya questioned.

Amaan was silent.

“She knew you would never agree, and she didn't have time. I couldn't let her die without peace.”

“Ma, I loved her, and I will always love her,” Amaan said while crying. This was the first time he shared his grief with anyone, and this confession made Fariya's heart melts for her son.

“She did wrong by hiding her pregnancy complications. If I had known before, I would never let her continue her pregnancy. It's not fair, Ma; she never loved me and left me alone,” Amaan's head was on his mother's lap, and his shuddering shoulders couldn't hide his despair.

“She chose to leave me alone when she knew how much I love her; she knew I can't live without her, she still left me,” this time, he couldn't stop sobbing and cried hysterically, clutching Fariya's legs. 

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