Chapter 81: B

She felt as her heart moved, watching him worked diligently, pulling the malnourished girls down from the trunk as their hunger stricken bodies slumped on the floor as they tried to sigh out of the relief of being saved. And then she saw her, nearly unconscious as Na'im lifted her from the truck and he was about to land her where he placed the other girls when Maryam screamed, her tears bursting out of her in such a high speed and she didn't care that he had warned her this time, she didn't care that it might not be safe for her, for the baby, for them at all.
Weren't they in the barrack? They would certainly be saved. She ran, feeling as if her heart was on her heels as she yelled out Intisar's name. But it seemed she was the only one that thought she was calling her sister's name, because no one seemed to care. "Intee!" She managed to scream and they all turned their eyes on Maryam, Na'im bulging his eyes because there was a huge stone on her way which if she stumbled upon, nothing could stop her from being seriously injured, and then there was the baby. She would surely fall stomach first on the stone and he knew they would not be able to save the baby if that happened.
"Hoor!" He screamed her name, making sure he had carefully placed down the girl or lady in his hands before with a double fly of his legs, he caught her right into his arms, when she was about to stumble and fell, feeling as they got to the ground and Na'im carefully secured her in his arms that she had suffered no injury whatsoever.
She was crying by the time she lifted her body from his, her body was trembling with shock and pain and delight as she looked over and saw that Intisar was staring at her, crying as she tried to leapt herself into a standing position so she could be able to reach out to her.
Maryam was still cradled in his arms when he sat upright with her body in his, after his scrutinizing gaze was all over her body and he made sure she was safe even though his back had hit the stone, she didn't. He opened his mouth to speak when she spoke faster then him, "You've saved her, Na'im. You saved my Intisar." She was crying deeply with delight, appreciation and the love she felt for both him and Intisar.
Na'im followed her eyes and saw that their gazes were locked with the lady he had just placed down before he ran to save her and it was only then did he saw the striking resemblance between the duo. Even though the kind of life Maryam had lived since after their separation had changed her body and her skin, but they still looked the same with the hungry-scrawny Intisar that was still crying while she looked at her sister.
Maryam turned her gaze to him when she heard his silence, "Is she the one?" He asked and she nodded her head while trying to get up to her feet. "Wait, you can't run around here, Hoor. The baby, we should keep it safe." She placed her hand on her stomach instantly before she nodded her head and the gentle steps she had been forced to take towards Intisar for the sake of her baby were the longest steps of her life.
When she got to where Intisar was still slumped on the ground, Maryam slumped beside her and they took each other into a hug that bursted out the tears they had been hiding within. Na'im just stood there, staring at them as he felt his heart moved with triumph. He was glad, even though while saving this girl he had nearly lost a friend, but he was glad that she was his main hope for the whole operation itself. He had prayed that he would be able to rescue her and he did. Maryam lifted her head and stared at him under the cloud of her eye lashes before she muttered an incoherent, 'I love you, Na'im.'
...
Saima stared at Faruk with an inquisitive gaze while she felt the way her heart was pounding against her chest. He didn't speak to her, even though she felt that he knew what she was about to ask him, she had seen everyone. Maryam was there with her sister, Na'im with the soldiers, everything was moving fine for everyone except for herself. She hadn't seen him and even when Na'im had hugged her minutes ago, he hadn't said a word about his absence.
With her voice that was clogged with emotions, she took two steps towards Faruk that was trying to avoid her. "Don't move, Faruk. Tell me, where is he and what happened to him?" It wasn't until she asked the question did her tears came and even though she was trying so hard to stop them from rushing down, she got them along with the avalanche of pain that was ripping her heart.
"He's at the hospital..." She cut him off, shaking her head and wondering why he knew who she meant.
"No, I mean Lieutenant Hafiz. Where's he?" Her tears were intensifying because she knew she was just trying to avoid the truth when it was so clear to her. He had been hurt, maybe even closer to his death but what would she do? She was here standing as she cried the agony she felt in her heart.
Faruk sighed and nodded his head, "Where? Which hospital? Tell me!" She screamed at him, which caught Na'im's attention. But because she knew that if he came he might try to stop her from going, Saima broke into a run after Faruk had told her the hospital and she was in tears that blinded her vision but she kept running even though she had heard the way men were running after her, calling her name. But Saima rushed and entered the first tricycle she had seen.
But today, she wasn't so happy about how being in a tricycle made her feel and she could remember the first day she had entered one with him and how he wasn't able to take his eyes off her. He seemed to be amused by her giggles and there was a beautiful smile on his lips.
'Perks of being born with a golden spoon. Because yours isn't even a silver spoon anymore, Princess.' He had made the comment out of no where and she turned to look at him with one of her prettiest smiles.
'Says someone because he knows I know nothing about his background to retort.' She turned her attention back to the street, the rush of wind into the tricycle as she kept on giggling, 'But isn't it amazing? The strong wind reminds you of life and hope and whatever those amazing good feelings are.'
But today, she wouldn't be able to hear his laughter even if she had said that. She was crying so bad that she couldn't even see the streets even if she wanted to. The pain was too much for her heart that Saima wished there was a way to lessen what she was feeling but she knew it wasn't possible until she saw him and made sure that he would live, no matter how bad the injury he had was.
She was glad to have come with her bag, she wouldn't have known how to pay the driver. She ran into the hospital and panted as she stopped by the reception, asking if there were soldiers that were brought. The nurse showed her a wing and told her all the rooms in there were taken over by the soldiers and the girls that were rescued. She didn't even wait to hear what she had to say when Saima broke into a run and she kept opening one room after the other, her tears intensifying with each room she opened and couldn't find him in.
She was about to give up, as her heart began to fail her when she opened the last door and saw him there, standing as he turned to the door with his hand on the one IV that was attached to his body, trying to see who it was. Saima did a quick scan of his body but she didn't see any blood or sign of something so serious.
Her tears rushed down with the relief she felt before the door closed behind her and she rushed and fell into his chest. She broke into tears when she rested her head on the strong chest he possessed and felt the way, even though reluctantly, Hafiz wrapped his hands around her waist and hugged her even tighter than she was hugging him, as he sighed out of the relief he felt in his chest.
"I'm glad you're alive," her lips trembled as she cried, hugging him tighter as if she had been told that if she loosen her hold on him, then all this will turn into a dream.
Gently, Hafiz pulled her to an arm's length and he stared at her tears smudged face with a soft smile, "I was just rushing to go and see you. Thank god you're here, Princess."
She punched him lightly on the chest and he yelped, "You can't smile in this situation." When she looked back into his eyes, her tears were genuine and more tears gushed down to her cheeks, "I really thought you were dead or so injured that you will take month to heal." Saima hugged him again, feeling relieved yet she was still afraid of what would have been if her thoughts turned out to be true. "Thank you for being alive, and healthy, Soldier."
He smiled and kissed the top of her head, "Thank you for running over to me, Princess. It means the whole world and more, trust me." She broke their hug and took a step back, staring at him again while she stared at how the IV that was attached to his body was about to pull out.
"What do you think you're doing there?" She pointed at the hand and he smiled softly. "You can't tell me you were about to go and see me when you were admitted in the hospital. Lay back," she ordered and for once, she sounded like the princess she was, who was meant to give orders all her life and only receive them from the people that gave birth to her and her seniors in royalty.
Hafiz was about to argue with her when she screamed at him, "Go back before you loose consciousness! How do I know if you're still okay to even stand? Lay back." He was just staring at her with a smile but did exactly what she asked him to, as she came over and placed back the IV in it's right position.
"What happened?" She asked while placing the IV back and Hafiz stared at her tears strained face, wishing he could just pull her and kiss her as badly as he wanted to, but he knew right where not to cross the line.
"I managed to escape a very dangerous gas thrown at me. I'm alive but I've suffered a few of its effects which was loosing consciousness and dizziness." She slightly knocked the top of his head.
"Which means you're not allowed to move until the doctors said you're strong enough to do that." She pulled the blanket over his body and he was just watching her, missing her even though she was right there with him and loving her with each breath he took. Even though he had been warning himself not to love her, but there was no way he could escape doing that when she's all over his mind.
"I've missed you," he blurted out and it seemed like his words had taken her aback, as if she hadn't been expecting that. She slightly looked up at him and he smiled at her, "I've missed you so much that it hurts right here, Princess. I fought to live because I dare not die when I've promised you that I'd be back and I couldn't afford to leave that precious thing of mine in your hostage, forever."