Unexpected Promises

Chapter 75

Atifa's pov: 

"Ammi… I'm fine, I'm here with you, haina? Then don't think about anything else. And please don't kill anyone. He isn't a bad guy, he is-" 

(Right?)

"He is. He said that he was here to take you away, didn't you hear him? He- he would have taken you away! A- and he was holding your hand, he wouldn't even leave it! How can you say that he isn't a bad guy?" Moving me back and holding my shoulders, she looked at me with wide eyes and replied. 

"N- no ammi. He isn't. H- he was just kidding. No one is going to take me away from you." Attempting to give him an assuring smile, I defended him. I was scared to even meet his gaze because of whatever ammi had uttered. He must have been so hurt, right? And I- I couldn't even defend him properly. 

"No Atifa, you don't know. Th- there are bad guys too out there, they hurt us, they-" 

"Yes ammi, I know. I know. I agree. You should rest now. We will meet again tomorrow, In Sha Allah." Realising that she wasn't going to listen to me now, and maybe my insistence could provoke her, I finally replied in a hushed voice. 

"No, I- I don't want to rest. Don't leave. Please don't go." Holding my hands tightly, she begged, her eyes wide as different emotions swirled in them after a long time. It was like she forgot about our topic of discussion all at once. It was still kind of confusing, her changing moods and emotions. 

"You want us to go back home, right? So you need to rest ammi. And I'm not going anywhere, I'm just going to go and rest in my room. I will come back tomorrow, okay?" Squeezing her hands lightly, I replied with moist eyes and a small, hopefully, assuring smile. 

"Promise me you won't go anywhere and will come to meet me tomorrow." Shaking her head, just like a kid, she asked me, taking me by surprise. This side of hers was new to me, it was so different, so contrasting from her personality, the one always oozing confidence and who didn't care about anything and anyone. It made me wonder if I even knew my mother at all or was I just living with a facade all along. 

"I promise you ammi. I promise you." Giving her an assuring nod, I held her hands tightly, not wanting to leave her warmth behind. After all, it was after so long that she was letting me hold her and showing her concern for us too. She wasn't being a void soul anymore, she was letting her emotions take control of her for once, and I didn't know for how long this was going to last. I didn't want her to change again, but it was ammi we were talking about, we couldn't be sure about anything with her. She was one side of chess, sometimes a soldier, sometimes a horse and sometimes the King or Queen herself. And even after combining us all, we couldn't compete with her. 

"Okay, come back soon." She mumbled, laying back down while still looking at me, as if scared that I would just vanish somewhere if she looked away. 

"I will, good night ammi." Running my hand through her forehead and left cheek, I murmured with a small smile before pecking her forehead and moving back. 

"Good night Atifa." Patting my left hand, she offered me a small hesitant smile while finally leaving my hand. 

Getting down from the bed as I made my way over to the wheelchair, my gaze flickered over to him, only to find him looking passive, like anything that ammi told about him didn't affect him much. I wondered how that was possible, or was he just good at hiding his emotions? Maybe he was. Maybe that was the case. Staring at me, he took a step ahead, wanting to help me. Giving him a small assuring smile, I sat on the wheelchair. 

Just as he turned the wheelchair around, ammi's confused and skeptical voice stopped us. "Who else was here?" 

"It was just me, ammi." Glancing up at him in panic, I cleared my throat before replying, not turning around.