❛ We each begin in innocence, We all become guilty ❜

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"I always knew this would end, everything ends, but I never thought it'd end like this" Her head drops as she takes a deep breath whilst tears rolled down her cheeks.

"You made every effort Mehrul, he is liable for everything" Zohra gently held her palm in hers and sighed in despair "In fact, my poor son isn't at fault either. His father and I should be held accountable. If only we had raised him with the love and care he deserved, this day wouldn't have come. If only we hadn't traded on our son for our careers" Zohra sobbed silently.

Mehrul remained silent, she knew it was true. If not entirely true, Murtaza's parents were partly responsible for their wretched lives. However, she never took exception for their actions.

Not knowing how to sympathize with the woman who was racked with guilt at the moment at her own past action, Mehrul quietly perched beside her sleeping daughter. Her fever was still high.

The covert distressed in the room went unremembered when a maid rushed into the, almost tripping at the doorway. The feral look on her face clearly evinced her shock.

"Begum sahiba, woh.. Murtaza sahab aain hai. Aap jaldi chalein"
(Ma'am..Murtaza is here, you need to come down quickly)

"Murtaza yahan aaya hai?" Zohra's eyes went wide in shock.
(Murtaza is here?)

Four years ago, when Murtaza moved out of his parents house, he had made it clear that he would never step in this house again, come what may. It was a known fact that Murtaza was a man of his words and to believe that he went against his words for, probably the first time in his life was nothing less of a shocker to everyone.

Zohra and Mehrul rushed down to reach the living area, the former in extreme worry while the latter a little reluctantly. Upon reaching the hallway, a shuddered gasp left from Zohra's mouth at her son's state-drenched from head to toe, eyes were red and his black hair wet and disheveled, face pale and foot bare.

As their footsteps approached him, Murtaza lifted his head and caught sight of Mehrul scurrying towards him with an indescribable frown etched on her face. The corner of his mouth lifted up into a weak smile as he instantly trudged towards her.

"Mehrul aise kon adhi raat ko ghar chod kar aata hai?" Murtaza gently held her palm, while mehrul stood motionless.
(Mehrul who leaves their house in the middle of the night?)

"Chalo ghar chale" Instantly wiping the lone tear that escaped his eyes he softly tugged at her hand.
(Come on let's go home)

Mehrul didn't move, instead she yanks her hand away from him as if his hold was burning her skin, all the while, Her repugnance tearing his heart to shreds.

"Mai kahi nahi jaungi" She spoke, rather stating firmly looking everywhere but him. His unhinged state was wavering her resolutions.

"Mehrul please aisa mat karo. Bhale hi tum mujhe maaf na karo lekin mere saath wapas chalo, wahan mera dam ghut raha hai. Mujhe akela mat chodo, mai nahi sehpata hoon akelepan, yeh tumse behtar kon janta hai...mehrul please... " He begged, falling on his knees and joining his hands, Murtaza begged for her to return.
(Mehrul please don't do this, you don't have to forgive me but just please come back, I can't breathe in the house, I can't bear loneliness and you know it better than anyone here.. Please mehrul..)

"You had me murtaza, you had our own little family and you ruined it all on your own" Mehrul said, her voice breaking.

Her eyes landed on the pool of blood near his foot, it continued to intensify, soaking his slacks in red. The urge to pull him closer and tend to his wound was so excruciating that she almost gave in but the picture of Maisha flashed in front of her eyes, shattering her heart. She can't forgive him this easily. He had this coming.

"Badi ammi inse kahein yahan se chale jaye." Turning around she voiced her decision and stormed away, while the tears ceaselessly rolled down her cheeks.
(Mom, please tell him to leave)

Murtaza fell to his knees-helpless and wrecked. Zohra studied her son in the stillness of that grim night. There he was, the son she'd wronged years ago. But he was still her innocent son beneath the layers of the boorish person he had molded himself into. A sob escaped her lips upon realizing the havoc that ripped through her son's life because of her foolish mistakes. The guilt overpowered her and Zohra yearned to redo it all, once again. This time she'd be there for her son always, without fail. But only if time had the rewinding possibilities to save our lives. Zohra realized that she had scarred him for life and the mere thought was killing her from inside.

Murtaza looked up at his mother with slight hesitation and copious guilt. Despite how much he loathed her for what they did to him, she was his mother after all and he needed his mother now. "ammi.." Murtaza called out, his voice quavered.
(Mom..)

"mera baccha" Zohra rushed to him and instantly engulfed him in a desperate hug.
(My baby..)

"Ammi maine yeh kya kardiya. I ruined it and didn't realize it until it's all gone from me. She's right, I am to blame for everything. EVERYTHING" He sobbed in her chest while she helplessly peppered kisses in his hair.
(Mom look what have I done.)

"Murtaza" A voice, oh so broken and painful, caught their attention urging them to turn their heads towards the main door. His father, Shahzaib stood limp in his tracks, eyes welled up with tears and fixed at his son.

"Baba.." Murtaza needed his dad.

"Mera beta" Shahzaib instantly pulled him into his embrace.
(Oh my son)

They sat there for a long moment. Shahzaib and Zohra held their son tightly in their embrace, afraid he might shatter any moment.

"What do I do now baba? I...I am a sinner. I wronged them. I wronged my best friend. She is my wife and the only person who was there for me when the whole world left me alone. I wronged her, I wronged my own daughter. Why hadn't this occurred to me earlier and why now? I can't bear this, this is killing me baba. I can't breathe. I'm the reason for their pain. I can't..." Murtaza clutched his chest and sobbed, his body shook.

"Murtaza, I'm sorry, calm down please. Everything will be alright. Baba will promise you everything will be fine. Just shush. Please don't cry, it's hurting me to see you like this son. Please" While on the attempt to calm his son down Shahzaib couldn't hold back his tears when he saw his valiant son sobbing inconsolably.

"Everything is over now" Murtaza muttered, shaking his head.

"No murtaza, there's always hope,believe me there is. We're sorry for being the worst parents, we made a mistake. We're responsible for this and we promise we'll make everything right this time, trust us this once will you? We want to earn your forgiveness for what we did to you, Murtaza. We're ashamed." Zohra gently held his face and wiped his tears.

"I wonder if my daughter will ever forgive me for what I did to her? The irony of this whole situation is hurting my soul. That poor girl...how did I never see myself in her. I am a monster, I don't deserve her forgiveness. Hell I don't even deserve to be her father, She's as pure as her mother, they both deserve better but despite all that I could lay my life to earn their forgiveness. I would do anything. So given that, Yes. I'm trusting you both and I..." Murtaza took a deep breath and held their hands "I forgive you..." Zohra broke into tears as soon as those words left his mouth and Shahzaib sobbed silently with his face hidden in his palms.

"Ammi...Baba? please don't cry, I need you both now" Murtaza hugged them, who embraced him. While Shahzaib stroked his hair in affection, Zohra planted a kiss on top of his head. They sobbed silently with no bitterness or rancor left among them.

"Baba, could you take me to the hospital? I think my leg is bleeding" Murtaza slowly uttered, still in their embrace. The pain shooting through his leg was getting unbearable with each passing second.

The older couple pulled back swiftly, their faces etched with worry and horror.

"Ya Allah" Zohra gasped as they noticed his blood shocked trouser and blood pooled around his foot. Earlier the position he was in hid the injured leg from them and they hadn't noticed until he told them about it.

Murtaza has now taken his first step towards working out with his parents when he asked his father for help. Taking baby steps to return back to life. He'd waited for this moment all his life and from the mistakes Murtaza has committed, he'd learned one thing that every moment is precious and there's no rewind whatsoever. So he's going to make sure it's all worth it.

"Get up son! Hold my hand" Shahzaib helped him up.

"I'll come too," Zohra said, hurriedly wiping her tears.

"Zohra, Mehrul needs you now. I promise I'll take good care of our son. Okay?" She nodded half-heartedly and sent them off.

****

Of all the bad days she'd lived, this was the most awful one. Mehrul nearly lost her daughter and now she's practically losing her husband-causing her to fall into abysmal depths of despair. At this point, she was confused on whom to blame. Murtaza? his parents? fate? or maybe herself?

Mehrul stared out the window into the ashen sky and at the far away stars. The rolling blankets of clouds that float past her window called her body and brain to rest and let the heart go to its steady rhythm.

She was in her old room. The safe haven she had lived in for most of her life. This room had memories of them becoming best friends to strangers with souls connected but hearts apart. As she recalled all the beautiful times, the door creaked on its hinges as Zohra opened it slowly-the only thing that hasn't changed in the past five years.

"Mehrul, You okay beta. Do you need something?" Zohra gently asked.

"He was bleeding. He had hurt his foot" Mehrul spoke in a hoarse whisper without turning around. Tears started again without sound or movement.

"Yes, Shahzaib took him to the hospital just now. He'll be fine" She walked inside towards the bed, her shoulders slumped as though the night had beaten her down "... and Maisha's temperature came down thankfully"

There was a deep and prolonged silence disturbed only by the light, rhythmic, tapping sound water dripping onto a puddle from somewhere outside the window.

"I.. " Mehrul resumed, her voice cracked and raw " I let him hurt me, because I thought it'd make him hurt less"

****

Three years and i still feel sad when I read this chapter!