Chapter 90: Chapter 90

ABUJA, NIGERIA.

Mika'il hurried to the hospital following the ambulance in tow because he reached the accident late, he was asked to follow and not enter inside where they are trying to save both the baby and mother. He anxiously step on the pedal forgetting that his stepmother is inside the car with him which is weird. He's never being himself around the woman, he didn't know how to react to his father married to another woman and his mother being absent in the house. It feels different and not good kind of.

When the woman heard the news, she called him out and request to be with him in this tough situation, he agreed to that and allowed her inside his car. His heart is thudding in an unexplainable way, hurting his chest in process of it. His ears hurt, as if he cannot hear anything but his heartbeat beating in the fastest rate. He is scared shitless!

He might hate Zara but she does not deserve to die like that, or does she not? He is not sure whether he is more concerned about his baby or his wife, he can't say.

As soon as he arrived at the hospital, his father's hospital, he left the car running with his stepmother inside and rushed to the stretcher taking his wife. His heart is thudding hard and loud in his chest afraid that he might lose them both since the mother is not breathing by herself which might suffocate the baby inside of her. He swallowed thickly, staring at her pale face and bloodied body that is almost unrecognizable. She looks awful and is in pain, no doubt from all those cuts and glasses.

"Do what needs to be done, Dad but please save my baby. Save them both please." Mika'il begged, wheeling an unconscious bloodied Zara to the OT alongside his father clasped in his operation outfit.

"Don't worry, son, we'll try our best to save her and the baby just calm down and take deep breaths." With that, Dr. Malik hastened into the OT with other doctors and nurses already spreading the towel like stuff and the instruments are already there too. This is where the real battle begins.

"Have you heard? Zara met up with an accident and is currently at the hospital, let's go." Mujaheed ushered Kauthar who's been watching him talk to Mika'il through the small mouthpiece he's clung unto. He was telling him not to show Zara he's regained his memory and now Zara in an accident?

"She didn't plan this one too?" Kauthar rolled her eyes but stood up to go change into something else. That very day happens to be a Sunday and they both don't have work, it should be the day they rest in each other's arms but no, they have no rest since Zara barged into their lives like that.

"She didn't, someone else did I think. From what I've read here, there are some witnesses that the person who hit her was doing it intentionally or was drunk. He is under custody now. That aside, Zara is in critical condition with the baby too." Mujaheed is also changing from his sweats to jeans and polo shirt. At least he manage to look effortlessly handsome in that while she jumble through her clothes in the closet for the nth time.

'I'm going to a hospital for goodness sake.' She chided herself before settling on a magenta maxi dress, cape sleeves and crew neckline. A matching chiffon veil on her head wrapped in classic, black slippers and small belt bag then she's done getting ready.

"Have you called Mujaddad and Fayha?" She asked, buckling her seatbelt sluggishly because no matter what, she can't bring herself to feel bad for Zara. She's even tried acting it out but she couldn't, the woman has no space in her heart so maybe that's why. And she's ruined too many things in her life.

"I did, they should be there before us or we make it together." He gripped the steer wheel in concentration, the look Kauthar knew all too much for her to keep quite and allow him to think things through thoroughly. He is placing the dots about the whole accident..

"Why must we go?" Fayha pouted, pushing her hands into the sleeves of her flay Ankara gown after hearing the news about Zara being in the hospital in a very critical condition. Zara, who Zara epp?

"Because we might be able to solve many things there with her. There won't be any lie after she wakes up, you don't want to miss out, do you?" He raised a brow knowing he's got his nosey little wife to leave the confines of her home so she won't miss a thing. The woman loves everything latest, to see it with her eyes so he use that against her.

"Are you insinuating that I'm nosey? What the fuck?" She cursed then closed her mouth and touched her stomach, her baby shouldn't hear that. But her hormones are going haywire, even if they are not, she also use the pregnancy against him!

"What? No! Why would I think that?" He widened his eyes in alarm before taking the white veil she wanted to wear and wrap it quickly around her, even adjusted her sneakers to her feet to calm her down. Ah, you never want that pregnant Fayha showing up.

"Better, because I have new ways of torture up my sleeve. That Zara should do and die already." She rolled her eyes, making her way to the door while her husband shook his head. The hatred for Zara ran in deep in his family, there is no way she will ever be accepted. He wonder how his family accepted Hanan anyway.

"The nefarious ones don't die early, remember?" He chuckled when she huffed, his arms wrapped around her shoulder as they walk silently to his 2020 Acura TLX.

"Unfortunately." She answered after settling in the car before they zoomed off to the hospital too to meet another person's destiny. How dramatic their lives suddenly yawed into because of one person, sigh..

"I am not going anywhere near that woman, Amir, don't force me. If I see her, I don't know how I'm gonna react so just go and tell me whatever it is that happens there." Bushra crossed her arms underneath her breasts, hellbent on not going to the hospital to see Zara.

Do they really expect her to wash her legs and go see the woman that ruined her life? That woman that faked so many deaths and also killed because of a man? The demoness that snatched her happiness from underneath her foot? That same malevolent lady that took away her daughter's father away from her for her selfish motives? The same bitch that makes her life a living nightmare? Quelled her so many dreams and a bright future? That vermin that made sure she is not given an ounce of happiness to live in?

Hell fucking no!

The mere mention of her name makes her skin crawl and goosebumps emerge in an unpleasant way. If that woman escapes this accident alive, then Bushra Amani is sure to end her by herself and will go to the jail for real this time around.

"I understand, I'll just go there alone." Amir sighed, he wanted her there with him but he won't force her to come.

"Call me when you get there." She pecked his lips and made her way back to Anaan's nursery hoping the girl will wake up so she won't be bored but no, the girl only stirred and started snoring some more.

Amir arrived at the hospital later than all of them, he heard the news last and trying to coax his wife to come with him took much more time too but he doesn't care, his presence won't change a thing. He wished he'd stayed home with his wife instead of coming there to see his brother looking disheveled. He sat down close to Murad, watching all of them talk in that code language they use while contacting some police officers to confirm their suspicion.

"It wasn't an accident." Mujaddad sighed, raking his hand through his hair. His wife use her hand to rub his back quietly to ease his tensed muscles, he gave her a grateful smile.

"The money Zara stole, some politician knew she did it and sent his goons to come get it. I've sent some police officers to the Masari mansion to guard it since the person who planned this will be there to get the money where Zara hid it. So far, no news about this person." Murad added, passing a cup of coffee to Hanan, Fayha and Kauthar before taking a sit next to his wife.

Amir sighed, he really should've stayed back home and cuddled his wife than listen to all these. Politics, money, goons, murder, he is not sure that is what he likes to listen to. He'd rather have his wife wrapped around him so he brought out his phone and started texting her knowing she is definitely bored too back at home.

'Just come back already.' She texted, rolling on the bed while waiting for him to reply which he did seconds later.

'That'd be weird. Everyone is here except for you, they didn't ask about you and if I were to stand up to leave...' He left the message blank knowing she'd understand then tucked his phone away when he saw his father walking out from the OT with a small uneasy smile gracing his face.

That smile clearly spells, bad news!

"We've managed to get her conscious, there is no internal injury or anything of that sort but..." He trailed off, breathing out through his mouth while staring at an anxious Mika'il whose eyes balls are only following his fathers lips to make sure he didn't miss anything, if he did, he could read his lips.

"What?" He licked his chapped lips, heart thudding extremely fast to the point of pain while his nervous system is sure damaged somewhere within.

Does he care about Zara that much or is it only his daughter inside of her?

The answer to that question is, he cares about his wife even if he doesn't want to believe it himself. She's done all that out of obsession, he gets she did so many terrible things to get to him but she never did anything to harm him and for those months, he's tried his hardest to love her which didn't happen but he started caring along the way. The lies she's fed him crooked his own resolve, he started doting like he's loved her. That is a part of his memory too, he's cared and still cares.

"We can't save the both of them in this condition. It's either the baby or the mother." Doctor Malik stared at his son whose face split into so many torturous emotions.

He knows what he is going through, it is a tough decision whether he's loved her or not. Not to forget, that woman is someone else's daughter, someone's sister and would be mother. He can't just kill her because of the bad things she's done, she needs to be alive to repay all that she's done and confess to her crimes too. If she dies like this, many people won't get justice and that'd be unfair to them especially the dead ones she's killed and the girl she's turned to an orphan because of a lie.

"We don't have time, Mika'il, you need to choose immediately." His father urged, his eyes darting around too like he is going to run off immediately to finish off the surgery. His hands are still bloody, he didn't remove the gloves which he needs to do as soon as possible.

"Save the mother." His answer was reluctant, his shoulders slumping down before he dropped down to the waiting chair beside them. He stuck his head between his palms, eyes closed and tears are stinging his eyes because he's never thought he would be in this situation. Choosing from his wife or daughter? Damn it!

From his peripheral vision, he saw his father rushing back to the operation room to do as his son said only to find Zara awake in the room waiting for him. The doctors and nurses inside the OT are warily staring at her while waiting for him to come it. His brows scrunched in concentration, willing his mind to answer the questions in his head before they open their mouths. When no one did, he moved closer to Zara and waited with baited breath.

"I want you to save the baby, please." She rasped and lost consciousness, she didn't blink ever since he walked in, she looks dead already.

Doctor Malik got splitted into two, not knowing which to chose. On the other hand, his son asked him to save her and on this hand, she wants him to save her baby. Which one should he chose now? He visibly looks torn between which to take, his facial expression looks tortured. He can't go back to ask his son what he thinks because they don't have that time neither could he chose alone so at the end, he did what he should.

"Time of death, 06:34PM."

He saved the baby.

"She wanted me to save the baby and not her." Dr. Malik explained to his son who is now holding onto his baby girl in his hand guiltily because he can't help feeling bad knowing he wanted to save the baby too and not the mother. He is guilt free now though, the mother wanted that too.

Dr. Malik placed her in the crib and left the room, she is in the nursery while her dead mother is in the OT now. She told him something but he won't act upon it till later, she died after holding her daughter in her arms and also named her too but she asked him to keep it a secret between them. He shouldn't value her words since she's never done something right to him nor his family and she is the root of all their problems but she beseeched. He never thought he would see Zara that broken and shattered.

She didn't beg for forgiveness, but she died with a tinge hint of smile which he didn't understand. Someone like Zara don't deserve an ounce of grace in her life talk less of dying looking at peace. But then again, can he get in between the Lord and His servants? He cannot because everyone have a story to tell, have something no one knows so Zara must've fine something ridiculously good in her past to get such ending. He won't like to admit it, he is happy for her.

He's never been relieved with his patients dying but Zara's death brought peace to his heart and he is suddenly seeing brightly again. The darkness enveloping his family is out of the way, she won't ever come back unlike going to jail in Nigeria when you won't know how the person came out. They tried saving her, they really did but she wasn't responding. It was as if she gave up on life and nothing they do could help.

Zara is dead!

"Oh my, she looks like Bushra Amani." Jiddah, Zara's younger sister mumbled in astonishment as she benignly took the baby from the crib, mindless of the other people present in the room right then.

"She's right! Come and see this Thar." Fayha grinned so wide that all her lips are showing, her eyes shining in surprise and flabbergast that it was enough to get everyone curious to round around the baby in Jiddah's arms.

"Oh..." All the other occupants in the room have their mouths slackened to the floor because there is no way someone won't think this baby came out from Bushra Amani's womb minutes ago instead of Zara.

Eyes fixated on the new born baby, Amir was sure his eyes are staring at their baby with Bushra. Even Anaan don't look like this baby, she does not look like her mother like Zara's baby does. It is as if Zara never knew who this girl is, she does not have any tiny bit of her features on her. When she opened her eyes, they gape after gasps escaped their already loose lips. Her eyes, have the exact shape of almond like Bushra's unlike Zara's deeper ones. Just what is going on right now? What happened when Zara was pregnant with this baby for her to look like another woman.

This is what they call carbon copy!

"Are you sure Bushra Amani didn't give birth to this baby?" Jiddah's eyes are still wide on the baby as she talked and hearing that brought Mika'il to his feet and back to his senses.

He was lost for a moment there, he wanted Zara to confess her crimes before dying, that wasn't what Allah has planned for her. And truthfully, he didn't want her to die while giving birth to their baby, he feels indebted now. With what, he does not know but it is a feeling deep inside of him. What is he indebted to? He kept questioning himself that he forgot to stand up and name his daughter or even look at her.

Taking his daughter away from Jiddah, he stared deep inside her eyes as if she is whispering something and bewitching him with them. His heart jolted, it is as though he is staring at his ex wife all over again, so innocent and vulnerable. He yet again fell instantly in love with his second daughter. The feeling of protectiveness and possessiveness gripped his guts, that love shared only between a newborn and father cocooned him and not to forget about the way her similarities to Bushra blew him away.

After whispering the shahada to her ears and other Islamic necessities, he took a deep breath and released before naming her, "Bushra Amani."

The occupants of the room watched with baited breath, as if they cannot believe what is happening. Amir was suddenly jealous, his guts wrenching in annoyance because why is he naming his daughter his wife's name? Granted, she was his wife first but it didn't stop the emotion from searing within him, he kept his cool though. His eyes darted around before he left the room and hospital all together.

"She looks like you. It is as if Zara has been thinking about you the whole pregnancy." Fayha joked in the phone, laughing heartily as she buckle herself back in their car since they called for a meeting the next day again and now they should all go home and if they want, they can go to the villa where Zara's final rites will take place.

They are not going, none of them would but Hanan, Murad, Mujaddad, Mujaheed, Dr. Malik, Jiddah made their way to the same car to go. Fayha and Kauthar won't.

"I just saw the photo." Bushra sniffed, she is still looking at her namesake because she is touched with the sentiments of it all. She looks like her and he named her after her.

Just how and what is destiny pointing at?

THE END.