Episode 11
Fast steps, heavy breaths, a wildly pounding heart—Atish broke open the bunker door. The sound of iron shards crashing onto the floor was drowned out in his mind. His eyes were searching for only one thing.
"Meher..."
And then his gaze landed on her, huddled in a corner.
His Meher...
For a moment, his breath caught. Her body lay lifeless, her eyes sunk deep into a terrifying darkness, her face pale, hair scattered along her forehead. But the most horrifying thing of all—her silence.
Atish's mind went numb.
"Meher..."
He rushed forward, stumbling to his knees before her.
"Meher..."
With trembling hands, he lifted her face. His warm fingers met her cold skin.
"Meher... Meher, please open your eyes. Meher!"
But nothing. No movement. No response. No scream.
Suddenly, a scream exploded inside him—but it never made it past his lips. His heart was drowning in pain.
"Meher, please! I'm here now, open your eyes!"
He grasped her cheeks harder, desperate, but she remained completely still—completely silent.
Atish started to lose his senses. His heart became so heavy it was hard to breathe.
"No, no, Meher—you can't be quiet. Please open your eyes! You're never quiet!"
His voice cracked. The corners of his eyes began to burn. His breath trembled.
Tears welled in Atish Zayan's eyes...
The man who never cried—was shattered today.
"I said, open your eyes, Meher!"
He patted her face one last time, but nothing. Absolute silence—like death.
"I won't let anything happen to you, Meher."
Without wasting another second, he scooped her into his arms. Her body limp, hands lifeless like a puppet's.
But Atish held her tighter against his chest, as if letting go would break her even more.
"Just a little longer, Meher..."
His hurried steps didn't pause even for a moment as he ran out of the bunker.
"Nothing will happen to you... nothing... not a thing..."
In the living room, the lighting was dim. Only two lamps were on. The atmosphere in the house was unbearably heavy. Zaryab was rubbing his forehead, helplessness clear on his face. Despite every effort, there had been no sign of Meher. He had gone everywhere—her friends, the hospital—he'd spent the entire day roaming the streets.
Mashal sat sadly in a corner. Ubaid held a cigarette but had forgotten about it in his hand.
Raza Sahab sat in silence, as if he had forgotten how to speak.
Atish had been missing since morning, and Meher was still nowhere to be found.
Amaan glanced at everyone and walked toward the balcony.
Outside, a cool breeze blew. The moon peeked out from one corner of the sky.
Aini stood by the railing, a tasbeeh rolling silently through her fingers.
Amaan quietly walked up beside her, leaning slightly against the railing.
"Everyone's going mad inside, and you're standing here alone?"
Amaan's voice was laced with exhaustion.
"I'm not alone. Prayers are with me... and above all, Allah."
Aini's eyes stayed fixed on the moon.
"Why do you always answer everything so philosophically?"
Amaan asked with a faint smile, still looking at her.
"Because the truth never gives straight answers."
A small smile touched her lips, but sorrow lingered in her eyes.
"Do you really think prayers can change everything?"
"They can't change fate... but they can prepare us for it."
This time, Aini looked at him.
"And are you prepared?"
Amaan remained silent for a moment, then looked at her deeply.
"No one knows another's destiny."
"You just have to hold on to hope."
Aini took a deep breath.
Amaan thought about her words for a moment, then quietly said:
"But hope only lasts while you still have time. Once time slips away... only regret remains."
Aini looked at him as if she understood exactly what he meant.
For a while, neither of them spoke. Only the sound of the wind whispered around them.
And then—Amaan's phone rang.
It was Atish.
He answered immediately. As soon as he began to listen, his expression changed. His eyes filled with shock and tension.
"They found Meher. She's in the hospital."
His voice grew louder, breath caught mid-sentence.
Everyone froze in disbelief. And the moment they processed what he said, they all sprang to their feet.
But Raza Sahab remained seated, as if his soul had left his body.
Tayyaba Begum burst into tears. Mashal rushed to console her.
"Uncle, let's go to the hospital,"
Ubaid stepped forward.
"My Meher..."
As he tried to stand, he stumbled. Ubaid caught him just in time.
Zaryab rushed over.
"Everything will be okay, Baba. She's going to be fine."
Zaryab held his father's hand tightly.
Raza Sahab gave a faint nod.
☆☆☆
In the emergency ward of the hospital, only the beeping machines and suffocating silence filled the air. Atish stood there. Meher was in the ICU. She was breathing, but unconscious. The doctor handed Atish the report.
"The patient has suffered severe physical and emotional trauma. There are deep bruises all over her body. Her throat was strangled to such an extent that she won't be able to speak for a while. This was inhumane treatment, Mr. Atish."
Atish's heart skipped a beat. If he could, he would've shut off every word the doctor was saying. Lost her voice? Meher won't speak now? What had been done to her body? He looked down at the report slowly—each word making his eyes grow red with rage.
"Whoever did this isn't even worthy of being called human."
The doctor was still speaking, but Atish could hear nothing anymore. A storm raged in his heart. That lifeless body of Meher, lying there silently, made his veins throb and his eyes flare red. Suddenly, he heard rushed footsteps behind him. Everyone had arrived. He paused, glanced at them—and as soon as they reached, he walked right past them without saying a word.
"Arees..."
He was not going to survive now.
Since coming back from the hospital, Mashal hadn't stopped crying. Her heart was restless. Zaryab tried to calm her, but she wouldn't listen. Sitting in the corner of the bed, tears streamed down her cheeks. Zaryab grew anxious. He reached out and pulled her closer.
"Mashal, please... stop crying now, please."
"Why did we leave Meher there? We shouldn't have come back without her. Who knows what she's going through, what condition she's in..."
Her voice broke. Tears slipped like pearls down her face.
"Why don't you understand? Atish is with her. You can't even imagine what he'd do for her."
Zaryab held her hand gently.
"But Zaryab... what if something happens to her?"
She wiped her tears and asked fearfully.
"Do you trust me?"
Zaryab lifted her face gently with his fingers. Mashal nodded.
"I'm worried about Meher too, but if you keep crying like this, I won't know whether to comfort you or manage my own emotions."
His voice was calm, but she didn't stop. She kept crying. Zaryab pulled her even closer.
"Mashal, just listen to me for one moment... Meher will come home. And when she does, if she sees you like this, the first thing she'll do is scold you. Do you really want her to see us broken like this?"
Holding her face in both hands, he spoke. Silent tears still fell from Mashal's eyes. Zaryab kissed her forehead and brushed her hair back with his fingers.
"When you cry, it feels like the world has turned dark. But when you smile... it feels like your light alone could make the whole world shine."
As she leaned against his chest, she went quiet—as if his words had become a balm.
"You know, Mishi... do you know what I fear the most?"
With a soft smile and a deep voice, he asked. Mashal looked up through her tear-soaked lashes.
"What?"
Zaryab looked into her eyes for a moment, then kissed both her eyes gently.
"Your tears... because every time you cry, it feels like a part of my heart is shattering."
Mashal gazed into his eyes, and it felt like time had stopped. Her pain, her anxiety—everything found peace in Zaryab's arms.
"And what about when I don't cry?"
Mashal asked softly. Zaryab looked at her for a second, then brought her hand to his lips.
"Then it feels like life is complete."
She smiled despite herself, as if all her worries had suddenly disappeared.
"Now go to sleep, it's really late."
Zaryab said gently.
"Aren't you going to sleep?"
She looked up and asked.
"Only if you tell me to."
Zaryab teased with a smirk.
"I didn't say that!"
She pulled away and hid under the blanket. Zaryab quickly pulled the blanket down from her face.
"But what if I say it?"
His tone was mischievous.
"Zaryab!"
Mashal glared at him and pulled the blanket over her head again. He smiled softly.
☆☆☆
Arees paced restlessly in his room, rage and obsession gleaming in his eyes — both slowly descending into madness. He looked like a hunter who had just lost his prey — and he had.
"No... this can't be. How could Meher escape? How could Atish possibly reach her?"
He was nearly losing his mind. Grabbing a glass from the table, he threw it to the floor with full force. His gaze then fell upon something else on the table. Instantly, he went quiet.
"Atish Zayan… You think you've won?"
He mumbled under his breath.
"No… the game isn't over yet."
A twisted smile crept across his face. His hands were still trembling, but his expression now seemed disturbingly satisfied — as if a broken puzzle had finally been completed. He picked up a paper from the table.
"Let's see now, Meher… how to make you fall."
He whispered. His mind was already hatching new plans — ones that could destroy Meher without raising any suspicion.
☆☆☆
It was nighttime in the hospital room — dim lighting, an eerie silence broken only by the beeping of the heart monitor and the drip of the IV. Even before she opened her eyes, Meher felt an odd anxiety, as if someone far away was calling her name. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Everything was blurry — white curtains, the beeping machines — and Atish. He was right beside her, seated so close, asleep in a chair by her head.
She felt a warmth on the back of her hand. Looking down, she saw Atish was holding it tightly, as if afraid that letting go would mean losing her again. But… how did all this happen? She had been in the bunker. Arees? Her brain jolted, and in just a moment, everything came rushing back — the darkness, the metallic stench, Arees' vile smirk, the brute force of his grip, and then… nothing. So how did she survive? How had Atish found her?
She inhaled sharply. The grip on her hand loosened slightly, and the moment Atish opened his eyes, they locked with hers. One second — just one — of silence, then shock, disbelief, and finally, a wave of profound relief.
"Meher…"
Atish whispered, like he still couldn't believe it.
Meher just stared at him, her mind still trying to understand whether this was real or just a dream. She wanted to speak, to ask him how he found her, how she survived. Her lips moved — but no sound came. Not a single word. Time froze.
Atish stared at her closely. It took him only a second to realize — Meher couldn't speak.
Her face turned pale, her breathing became rapid.
"Atish…"
She tried again, tried to say his name. But nothing — just air. Her lips moved but no voice came out, and then — tears spilled from her eyes. Panic overtook her. Her breaths became short and erratic, her hands began trembling violently. Atish quickly leaned in and cupped her face.
"Meher, listen to me…"
His voice was low, soaked in pain.
"No… no… no…"
Meher shook her head furiously. Her eyes held only one thing — fear.
Arees would come again. He would take her. This time, even Atish wouldn't be able to save her. He would kill her. She wanted to scream, to tell Atish everything Arees had done — but she couldn't speak. Her vision blurred.
Then, a calm, deep voice pulled her back.
"No one can reach you now, Meher."
Each word from Atish struck like thunder. Meher froze, but fear still lingered in her eyes. Holding her face firmly, Atish sat beside her, right next to her. The warmth of his fingers clashed with her silent cries. She forgot to breathe. His deep brown eyes seemed to pierce straight into her soul — so intense that her own eyes couldn't look away.
"As long as I'm here, no one will come near you."
Her heart skipped. She parted her lips to speak, but nothing came. Her eyes welled up again.
"Shhh…"
Atish whispered gently.
"I'm here, Meher. I won't let anything happen to you."
But she wouldn't stop. It was like she didn't believe him. Her body was shaking with fear, her heartbeat racing. Atish quickly wrapped his arms around her.
"Meher, relax. There's no one here. Nothing's going to happen. Just be quiet. I'm with you."
He stroked her hair softly, then pressed his lips to her forehead, inhaling deeply — as if holding back a crumbling world. His shirt began to soak from her tears. He heard her whisper through broken breaths,
"I didn't just want your voice, Meher… I wanted you. And now you're here. I don't need anything else."
Whether her fear lessened or not, the tears didn't stop. But there was something different now — her sobs had lost their panic. As if Atish's arms had lifted the weight of fear off her shoulders.
"Meher…"
He whispered again. But Meher only responded with her breath, letting him feel her presence. Atish pulled her closer, as if trying to absorb all her pain into himself. He pulled back to look at her face, wiped her tears with his thumbs. She slowly raised her tear-soaked lashes. He gave her a faint smile — but it was laced with pain.
"Meher…"
He whispered softly,
"Your voice will come back."
Her eyes softened for a moment — and then welled up again. Atish gently cupped her face again.
"And even if it doesn't… what then? Your eyes say it all, Meher."
Her tears streamed down again, and she quietly collapsed into his arms — as if this was the only place that could ever be her safe haven.
"Just stay with me. That's all I need to fight the world — just your presence right here."
She buried her head deeper into him, a restlessness slowly dissolving into peace.
☆☆☆
Here is the English translation of the final part you shared:
4
Meher had regained consciousness on the fourth day. After spending two more days in the hospital, she had returned home. Everyone at home was taking care of her as if she were a little child. Tayabba Begum fed her with her own hands. Mashal sat by her side all the time. Zaryab kept running around, consulting doctors for her. Aeni managed her clothes, Aimal did her hair, and Momina just kept eating and talking. Meher listened to her in complete silence, without even a smile. Atish couldn't understand what she was thinking.
Amaan tried to joke around with her so she would smile, but Meher? Meher's heart was not in any of it. Her entire attention was on just one person—someone who, more quietly than all the others, was taking extreme care of her. This was all new for Meher. She had never imagined, not even in her dreams, that Atish—the one who claimed to hate her, who was always angry, always shouting—would become this silent.
She wanted to ask him why he had changed so much. His transformed behavior made her feel a strange kind of unease. Oh, how she wished she could speak—say just one word to him, ask him something. But he just stayed close to her without saying anything, silently attending to her every need. She would just watch him with quiet eyes, lost in thoughts.
Every day, Atish had long conversations with Tehmina Begum. What those conversations were about, Meher never found out. Atish would take every other call in front of her, but when it was Tehmina Begum calling, he would silently get up and go outside. After the call, he'd return and hand Meher the phone. Meher would silently take it, talk to Tehmina Begum on video call, and then just as silently return the phone to Atish.
Atish felt like his heart was collapsing—it had been ages since he last heard Meher's voice. But it was her eyes that kept speaking. Atish read her eyes like he had memorized them. From every little reaction, he understood what she wanted to say, what she wanted to do, where she wanted to go, what she wanted to ask and hear from him. And yet, he kept avoiding her gaze. And that was what disturbed Meher the most.
The man who once couldn't tolerate hearing her voice could now understand her without her even saying a word.
To be continue....