Bitter truth

Chapter 39.

It was around 11, everyone was gathered around in the lawn circled near the bonfire. Fatima was in her room praying her Salah. They already ate their dinner.

"Where is Fatima?"Rumaisa asked.

"She is offering her prayers." Hasan said keeping his hands near the fire. It was a cold night.

After about half an hour Fatima came down. She was about to enter in the lawn but stood in her place. Her heart beat was going at peak and her body felt numb. She wasn't able to breath properly. She stumble back but fell on the floor.

Hasan was the first to noticed the sound and looked at his behind. He immediately got up and rushed towards her. She started crawling back with her trembling body. Hasan went to her, sat on his knees and hugged her tightly.

"Everything is fine." He said breaking the hug and looking at her. Her eyes were glued to a spot. With that laiba, hania and Rumaisa came running towards her. Hasan followed her gaze and looked in the direction she was staring at in fear.

"Shit." He mumbled to himself.
"Hania close the door fast." He said panicking.

He again hugged her tightly.

"Baby you are safe, I'm here. Nothing will happen to you." He said caressing her back. Fatima was still having a panic attack. Her mind was still on that fire and it started giving her flashbacks.

"Fathi."

"Jaan, look at me."

"Fathi." He said shaking her shoulders. She came back in her senses and turned her gaze away from the closed door to Hasan.

"You are fine. No one is going to hurt you. You are safe baby relax."

"Please follow my breathing." He said keeping her hand on his chest.

She started to follow him but she was just feeling numb.

"Fathi, talk to me. Just look at me and don't think anything else. You are safe now."

"In. Out." He said taking long breath with her.

"I can't." She said quietly still getting difficulty to breath.

"You can, you can. Just take your mind from there and look at me. Talk to me. Anything. Just try to take your mind from it and breath please for me."

She closed her eyes then opened after few seconds. Hasan's one hand was wrapped around her waist and another holding her hand to his chest. After about 10 minutes she started breathing but still not normal. Her body was trembling even in his arms.

Hasan hugged her again tightly, caressing her back.

"You are safe, you are safe." He was saying her but it sounded he was saying it to himself.

He broke the hug and looked at her.

"Are you fine now?" He asked cupping her cheeks. She just nodded in response.

"Hasan..the fire looked..the same." She said silently.

"No Jaan it's not same. That fire was to keep us warm not to harm us, it wasn't same darling." He said stroking her cheeks.

"It felt..real..I thought he will burn me again." She said holding his hands tightly.

"Do you want water?" He asked changing the subject.

"No." She said and leaned on his chest while closing her eyes.

She didn't even noticed that 3 pairs of eyes looking at her worried and scared. Hasan took her in his arms and carried her upstairs to their bedroom.