After my father's request, I felt the weight of the responsibility on my shoulders.I  knew that this was a huge task, but also understood the importance of fulfilling his  wish. I left the hospital room feeling a mix of emotions - fear, hope, determination and a sense of duty.

Ibrahim immediately started to make arrangements for the nikkah, reaching out to Aariz parents , Mumma was shocked by dads sudden behaviour we didn't wanted him to loose hope obviously he will be living with us , but we  also knew that father's wish was of utmost importance.

A mix of different feelings - guilt, confusion, and uncertainty - overwhelmed as I  pondered his request. I was torn between my  longing for my love, Jake, and my desire to fulfill my dad's  wish. What if I  agreed to the nikkah and ended up betraying Jake's? what if i say yes to the nikah and he survived because of the news" On the other hand, what if I disagreed and my father passed away, leaving me with a lifetime of guilt and regret? I was afraid of making the wrong decision, and all the "what ifs" were making my head spin.

Before i could even adapt what was happening , I  saw Aariz approaching me, and I didn't know how to react. I couldn't bring myself to smile or greet him in the midst of such a poignant moment. Jake's memory still lingered in my mind, making it difficult to focus on the current situation. I felt disoriented and light-headed, I  sat down on a nearby chair to regain my balance.

As Aariz approach dad's bedside, clutching his hand which had an IV pipe, "uncle we're here for you"  I was grateful to see Aariz offering comfort to him

I stood up to leave, unable to process the situation I see dad squeezing Aariz's hand, the only sign of life coming from his frail body. The oxygen mask obscured his face, making it hard to see him. Despite the emotional weight of the moment,I couldn't let the words of him go unnoticed. He asked Aariz, "Will you take care of my Sarah?"I  couldn't hold back my tears as I saw the concern in his eyes. his hand, grateful for the opportunity to fulfill his wish

But then he takes my hand, looks at Aariz  standing next to him, and says, 'Will you take care of my Sara?'Aariz was taken aback, however dad's eyes seem to imply that he trusts him. Without hesitation he nods and says, 'Yes, I will take care of your Sarah'

The only thought I had was... Jake,  betrayal, nikah, Ariz.  I wanted to scream, cry, hide somewhere, and never come out. I never wanted to face this. But here I am trying to deal with the toughest phase of life. It's not easy, but I'm trying my best to get through this.

A few moments later, a middle-aged man walked in, followed by Ibrahim. Ibrahim then called for me, and I walked out of the room. As I exited, I noticed Aariz had a worried look on his face. I felt like a knife had pierced my heart when I heard him say, 'He will be doing the Nikah.' I tried my hardest not to cry, but the pain was too much. I felt alone and unsupported. But after all, this was my decision. I needed my dad to recover and be healthy.

My mother put her hand on my shoulder, trying to reassure me. "Everything would be fine", she said, but I couldn't even bring myself to go to her and tell her the truth: that I loved Jake. She herself was struggling with her own mental health because of my dad. I knew there was something she could have done, but instead she was just trying to keep the peace. It all felt like too much for me to handle.

When they called me back in for the rituals, I overheard Aariz saying, 'I need to have a word with Sarah before this nikah.' I didn't want to face him, but instead wanted to crawl under the seats and hide.

'Sure' , Ibrahim spoke up which broke my thoughts.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I felt a sense of dread as I had an idea of what might happen.

"Aariz approached me and asked, 'Sarah, can I have a word?'

"I could barely manage a strangled reply of, 'Hmmm...'"

"Then, he began, 'I know this is tough for you. I don't want you to feel forced into this. If you don't want to do it, just tell me."

"I scoffed through my tears as they fell from my eyes. 'Forced? Don't you see, I'm forced! I can't even back out because this is what we're talking about: my father. Even if I don't want to, I will have to do it. There's no other option. I can't see him  die" ,I said, as a tear fell from my eyes."

"What if this hope can bring him to life" I continued.

As the tears fell off my eyes, Aariz stepped forward and said, "If you want, I can say I don't want to do it. No one will doubt that you don't want to do this. I will simply say that I can't marry you. We can do this if you want."

"I was taken aback by Aariz's offer, but I didn't quite know what to say...

As I hesitated, he continued. "What happens next is up to you," he added, "I will stand up for you and say that I won't marry you because I love someone else. If that is what you want, then I am ready to make this sacrifice."

I was speechless for a few moments, torn between the desire to accept Aariz's offer and the fear of disappointing my father.

As I was about to give my response, Ibrahim stepped in and said, "So, can we get this started?

Aariz was shocked at first, but he quickly realized that I wasn't ready to back out.

I cut him off and said, "Yeah, we're ready."

I couldn't help but feel guilt and shame as everything proceeded.

My father was happy, thinking I was going to marry the guy he chose for me. In reality, I felt trapped.

It wasn't the life I wanted, but I didn't know what else to do.

I couldn't really express my true feelings, but I went along with it because I felt like I had to do it.

It began with recitation of the Quran and prayers, and  we had to declare our vows and intentions in front of my dad It was an emotional scenario , with tears sadness mingling together

I felt so broken inside, as I thought of Jake, and I sobbed, unable to say the third qubool hai."

I was overwhelmed, and I couldn't stop crying.

My father, still weak from illness, looked at me with his tear-filled eyes, which broke my heart with sadness and guilt.

Then, Ibrahim spoke up, reminding us that the nikah needed to be completed.

After Ibrahim's reminder I forced myself to compose myself, but I couldn't stop bawling.

Aariz looked at me, his heart breaking as he witnessed me sobbing my heart out.

"The ceremony must be completed," Ibrahim persisted.

I hardly managed to choke out the words of the third qubool hai.

The middle-aged man said, "Now you're husband and wife."

My father looked at me, tears still swelling in his eyes, but it was too late to go back now.

Aariz pov:

Even though Sarah had been forced to marry me, I felt a sense of relief.

I don't know why, but deep down, I felt happy being married to her.

It was a sudden feeling, like a beating in my chest, but somehow I felt good being married to her.

She was my wife now, and this feeling of relief and happiness was overwhelming.

I saw Sarah dabbing the tears from her eyes, and her father was smiling faintly, still recovering from his time on the bed.

Ibrahim congratulated us and we were motioned to leave the room, but I could hear Sarah say, "I'm fine here with dad," in a stern tone.

"At least go for a walk or for a coffee," Ibrahim says with a smile.

Sarah stands up and walks towards him. "You know this marriage has been done because of dad, and you also know that I am not at all happy with this. Yet, you act like everything is normal," she says with a hint of frustration.

"At least be polite. Dad could hear us. We can at least act for him, right?"He continued, his tone growing slightly irritated but he was trying to remain calm.

"I understand your frustration, but let's not make a scene. We should at least act for his sake, right?"He continued, his tone growing slightly irritated but he was trying to remain calm.

"But I'm so fed up," she said, her voice getting louder. "I'm done with this whole marriage thing and I'm not going to pretend like everything is normal, atleast not front of you"  She storms out, saying

"I'll take her from here. Don't worry,"I said , going after her. This thing is frustrating and I understand her anger but I  dont want to make a bigger scene.

I decided to follow her and see if I can talk some sense into her.

She runs down the corridor and slams open the door, which happens to be the stairway door. I walks after her, hesitating to touch her at first but then placed my hand on her shoulder.

She was bent over holding her head with both hands, I could see the emotions of frustration and anger radiating from her.

She jerks with a sudden reaction, probably being surprised at being touched. "Uh, um, you can NOT touch me!" she says, her eyes becoming bloodshot red.

But then, it seemed to hit her that we were now married, and she realized that I could touch her. Her face changes again, this time into an unsure look, as she realizes that she is now married to me and i am allowed to touch her.

"Look, I've got a plan," I start, and she raises her eyebrows in surprise.

"I can divorce you if you want, after your dad recovers fully," I say, and the words felt like the toughest I've ever uttered from my mouth.

She was left in a state of shock and I only knew those few words that came out of my mouth.

How could I have loved her so deeply, in such a short amount of time?

"Uh umm, I don't know how my dad would react," she replied, her voice still shaky from the shock.

"I don't know if this is even possible, or if I could even do this..." she said, her voice becoming more hesistant and unsure.

After she said this, there was a brief silence between us. I could see the indecision and stress on her face, and I felt my own heart racing with nerves as I considered the gravity of the situation.

I decided to take the lead and speak up first, "Let's not worry about your dad for now. Let's just focus on you and me... and what you want.."

She nods, her voice still shaky and unsure.

I open the door and lead her out, and she just utters a brief "hmm."

We walk down the corridor towards the stairs, and I could see the indecision and stress on her face, as if she is afraid to follow me.

We head down the stairs, and as we walk outside, I realize how surreal this situation was.

I didn't expect to get married so soon, and especially to her, but here we were, on our way for coffee.

The walk to the nearest coffee shop felt like an eternity, as we were left in an awkward silence.

It felt as if we both were trying to process the events of earlier, and now, we were just walking, trying to find our way back to normalcy.

It felt odd, like a dream, but at the same time, that was exactly what it felt like- waking up, back in the real world.

Sarah's phone pinged abruptly, and the stream of thoughts were broken.

She unlocked her phone and type something fast, then she checked her phone and suddenly her emotions on her face shifted.

Suddenly, her phone chirps out with a ringtone, and she looks at me briefly before picking up her call.

It must've been a call she was waiting for, because instantly, her expression changes.
she was momentarily distracted before grabbing it and answering the call. The shift in her expression suggested it was a sought-after call.

She skirted around the topic of the nikah by making a simple excuse. "Dad was unwell and  I'm out of the city, but would return home tonight" I guess she's doesn't want to get into any more details until they could talk in person.

After ending the call, she appeared to get emotional as she quickly wiped away a tear before coming up to me.

With a hint of worry in my voice,
I inquired  "Are you alright " she nodded.

After a brief moment of silence, "Can I ask you something?" but I continued without waiting for her response. Instead, I went straight to the heart of the matter and asked, "Is there someone in your life that you love?"

As she wiped away a tear, she looked at me with a mixture of sadness and vulnerability. "Yeah, I do," she replied softly. "There's someone special , someone I love deeply." Her voice quivered a little, hinting at a hidden pain. I could sense that there was more to her story, something she wasn't ready to share just yet. "Hey, dont worry things will be okay for you" I was, trying to lighten the mood.

As I opened the long patio doors of the cafe for her, a gentle breeze swept in, carrying the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. We found our way to a cozy cornered table, the soft lighting creating a warm and intimate atmosphere. I ordered two caramel hot coffees and a croissant for us, hoping to make this moment special. As the waiter left, I turned towards her, my heart racing with anticipation. Her eyes met mine, and in that moment, I knew this was something different which I never felt before

"Do you like caramel in your coffee? Is it okay if I ordered for you without asking your choice?" I asked, trying not to stutter. Her smile was gentle as she replied, "Caramel sounds perfect, thank you." I felt a wave of relief wash over me, grateful that my choice had met with her approval. The conversation flowed effortlessly.

"Um, so coming to the point, I wanted to say, we can see where this goes. I know you were forced, and it isn't easy to cope up with," I started, shifting the conversation from food to something a little more serious, which felt important in that moment. Her expression softened, and she nodded, understanding the weight of the unspoken words between us. The cafe seemed to hold its breath as we navigated this delicate conversation, unsure of where it would lead us.

After we finished our coffee, I glanced at my phone and noticed a message from Ibrahim. He requested that I drop Sarah off at the airport after instructing her to pack her belongings. Ibrahim mentioned he would be staying with mom and dad , and we needed to be home as Sarah had a seminar at the school. The message added a sense of urgency to our evening, hinting at unexpected changes in our plans.

I shifted my gaze to her, "You should pack your stuff; I'll drop you at the airport. Um, Ibrahim has booked your tickets, so you should be home before your seminar." The weight of the situation hung in the air as I relayed Ibrahim's message to her, knowing that our time together was about to take an unexpected turn.

I quickly had an idea and excused myself. I stood up and dialed Ibrahim's number. "Hey, bud, I was thinking I should go with her to Vancouver as well. So, what do you think about us going together? Is it okay for you?" Ibrahim's response was reassuring, "Yeah, mate, now she's your responsibility. You shouldn't be asking such minor things to me. Just ask her to give me a call." The plan was set, and the journey ahead seemed full of possibilities .

I returned to see Sarah, her eyes full of worry and a questioning look on her face. "Can you just give him a call? He wants me to take you home. Is that okay for you, right? I mean, are you comfortable? I'll go home directly after leaving you at your place," I said, feeling unsure of my own words as I tried to navigate the situation delicately.

She just nods and says, "At least take me now so I can pack my stuff up." It seemed like a mix of relief and urgency in her voice, ready to tackle the task at hand before our journey to the airport.

As she swiftly tapped on her phone, the memory of her mentioning liking someone flashed through my mind, causing my jaw to clench. Despite the flood of emotions, I found myself unable to take any action in that moment.

We drove off. Getting down from the car, we rushed towards the reception for our room keys. We were quiet during our way in the elevator. As the door opened, we both headed to our respective rooms.

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Hey everyone, apologies for my absence. I understand I haven't been consistent, but I've been dealing with a writer's block. Nonetheless, I was able to publish a new chapter. I hope you enjoy it, and please remember to vote and leave a comment. Your support is incredibly valuable to me.