Sadqay Humare.

fourteen

When the Prime Minister Zaydaan Ziagil held his daughter in his arms for the very first time, his entire life started to flashback right in front of him.

From the moment he was able to understand faces and what those faces said, to the very moment of him holding his daughter in his very arms.

He remembered the face of his dead sister, the one that no one in his family ever talked about because it was too painful, he remembered the first time his mother had told him to get out of the room at the mere age of nine years, he remembered how angry she had been at him for entering her room without permission, she had told him to get out of her sight before his father had suddenly entered and picked up Zaydaan.

He had yelled at his own wife..telling her to stop being rude to his precious son, he remembered being sent to the boarding, he remembered crying in the middle of the night, he remembered meeting Minal for the very first time, he remembered breaking her heart.

He remembered meeting Aaina for the very first time and feeling her light spread over his darkness, he remembered how scared she had been, a little dove trying to adjust in a cruel, cruel world.

He remembered how she just wanted for him to care and he remembered how hard it was for him to actually care. He remembered being so scared when he heard about the attack and he remembered how hard his heart had beaten the moment he had seen her, safe but afraid. He remembered her confession, she loved him.

He remembered how suffocated he had felt, like a burden. He remembered his conflicted feelings, his anger, his cruelty, he remembered how he had almost decided to marry Minal and he remembered how that moment had actually defined his true love for Aaina, the only woman whom he truly wanted to be with.

He remembered telling her how much he loved her and everything changing right in that moment, their lives turned lighter, happier. He remembered the moment she had told him she was pregnant and how the panic of being a father had set in, the one that he had covered up with his blank face and charming nature.

But nothing, nothing could ever compare to this. Nothing could ever compare to holding his baby girl in his arms. Her tiny hands and her pink face, her small lips and her nose that actually resembled his, her pretty eyes and that frown on her forehead as she slept soundly.

She looked so magical, like a fairytale.

In that moment, Prime Minister Zaydaan Ziagil promised himself that he would be the best father to his little girl. He wouldn't manipulate her for the sake of his love, he wouldn't shove his dreams on her and he wouldn't raise her as some heartless person.

He promised himself that he would love his daughter, no matter what.

Because she was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Who cared about the world when he had it right in his arms? 

Zaydaan x Aaina.

"Prime Minister Sahab went to a meeting as soon as he arrived in Bahawalpur. Security alert hai poore mulk mai is waqt, Shifa lekin sab se high alert par Bahawalpur hai. Kaha jaa raha hai ke Prime Minister Sahab koi sakht faisla laine lage hain. 

(There's a high alert in the entire country, but especially in bahawalpur. It's being said that the Prime Minister is going to be making a firm decision today.)"

"Sources are saying that a military operation is going to be launched again to fight terror in the country."

"Is waqt mai Bahawalpur cantt hospital ke bahar maujood hoon. (I'm present outside the bahawalpur cantt hospital right now.) We were informed that the first lady was going to visit the victims but she has not arrived yet. You can see the media is all over the place, there's obviously a shock among every person as such a vicious attack has taken place after years. Pakistan has been living in peace under the leadership of Prime Minister Ziagil."

"And as our viewers can see, the first lady has arrived. You can see the tremendous security around her. She's entering the hospital right now. It will take her some time to come out and when she does, we're hoping that there might be a media talk."

"We're taking you back to the headquarters where the CM Punjab is holding a media talk. He's going to brief about the recent meeting with the Prime Minister."

"It's a panic filled area. The entire bahawalpur is scared, in shock and mourning the loss of it's people. This isn't easy and we hope that the government knows that."

"The first lady accompanied the Prime Minister to bahawalpur last night, three hours after the attack took place, they both were on a plane to bahawalpur. She's going to visit the cantt hospital and families of the ones suffering right now."

"Wife of the COAS has gone straight to the houses of people who have died. It's clear that army and government are working together to form a strategy and defend the country." 

The faint certain smell of hospital and the loud voices in the ER greeted the first lady as she entered the large hall with her team by her side. She had Sami with her on one side and a few guards on the other. She recited a few ayats in her head, asking God to make her strong enough to face all the ones that had suffered at the hands of those terrible terrorists.

She gulped as she was guided by a few doctors, who told her about the woman who had lost her leg in the attack.

She could not even think about the pain of the woman. To know that this woman wouldn't be able to walk again, to know that he'd entire life would get affected just because she was at some place, it was terrifying for Aaina.

"Assalam alaikum. Ab kesi tabyat hai inki?" (How is she now?)

She greeted the man who was sat by the woman's side. By the looks of it, she assumed he was her husband.

The man stood up, eyes red and bloodshot as he greeted her back, telling her about his wife's condition.

Aaina nodded, holding back her emotions.

"Oh. Hosh aya tha in ko?" (Has she woken up yet?)

He told her that the doctors had sedated her, she wasn't ready to face the fact that she had lost a part of her.

Aaina let out a deep breath, mustering up an encouraging look on her face.

"Theek hai. Aap fikar na karein. (Alright. Don't you worry.)The government will help you in every way that we can. Please take care of yourself."

She got guided to another bed, a woman was lying down on the bed, unconscious with several tubes attached to her, her breathing sounded rough and her face was filled with injuries. She looked like a beautiful woman, a woman who had gotten affected, who was probably on death bed right now..just because of some idiotic, satanic extremists.

It wasn't just the woman that grabbed Aaina's attention, it was the little girl standing by the woman's side. She was probably five or six years old, eyes swollen with sleep and worry evident on her little innocent face.

She reminded her of Zayla. Her daughter back home who was younger than her but the thought of her standing beside Aaina's bed someday, it was enough to make her understand how terrible it truly was.

The first lady bent down, looking at the girl.

"Oh hello, Salam alaikum. What's your name?" She greeted the girl with two small braids.

The girl looked into Aaina's eyes without any fear.

"Summaiya." She said with her soft voice.

Aaina let out a smile.

"Summaiya. That's a very pretty name. Is that your mama?"

The girl nodded at Aaina, she heard clicks of the cameras that were there to take photographs, she heard the doctor telling her that the woman had sustained a few burns on her body and had been deeply injured when she had arrived. Broken ribs, arm and nose.

"Okay. Did she wake up?" Aaina asked the girl, ignoring all the other voices around.

Summaiya shook her head and Aaina stood up from the bent position, putting her hand on the girl's head.

"Who else is with them?" Aaina asked the doctor, who motioned her nurse to answer the question.

"Her husband is here."

The first lady crossed her arms.

"Here? Where?"

The lady doctor stepped up, giving Aaina an answer in detail.

"I met the father a few minutes ago, he has gone to buy some medicines. She was struck by the impact, has a few broken bones but she's going to be okay. We've given her sedatives to calm her down so she probably won't wake up till tomorrow."

Inwardly, Aaina breathed out a sigh of relief. Relief because the woman looked so torn and broken that she didn't think the woman would make it.

But thankfully, the doctors were hopeful.

"Alright. Why is the father gone to buy medicines? Don't you have people here who do that?" Aaina asked next. She didn't want the little girl to be all alone.

"We do. But we're low on staff and the ER is crowded."

"You're prepared for such emergencies. I don't want this little girl around with no adult to look after her." She instructed, the doctors only nodded.

"The nurse will stay with her until her father arrives." The doctor assured the first lady and Aaina nodded, giving a thankful smile.

"Okay."

She bent down once again, smiling at the girl.

"Bye, Summaiya. It was very nice to meet you."

"Don't worry, okay? Your mother's gonna be just fine." She assured, giving her one last look as the nurse sat by the girl's side and the first lady got guided towards the next patient.

As she went and stood by the next bed, an old man tried to sit up in his already weakened condition, just to pay respect to the first lady.

Aaina's heart warmed at the gesture, at his honorable heart that wanted to respect someone who was so much younger than him.

She shook his head, telling him to lay down and not get up.

"Nai nai (No, no), please. Aap rest karein. (Please rest.) I'm just here to ask how you're feeling." She mumbled, sitting on the chair placed next to him.

For some reason, she wanted to talk to him. His gesture had touched her heart and while Summaiya reminded her of the mother that she was, this man just reminded her of who she really was. A woman here to wish health to all those who were hurt.

The old man let out a sigh.

"The attack, it was-" He fumbled to find the right words, still too consumed by the terror of the attack, by the noise that he had heard, the cries that he had seen and the deaths that he had watched.

Aaina gulped.

"It was vicious but we're all going to be okay. The government is here to aid in you any way you want." She assured, not knowing what else she could say.

The government could help them with their home, their money but no one could actually bring back what all of these people lost in that terror attack.

Money couldn't but everything, neither could power.

"Thank you, madam."

"It's just Aaina. I'm sorry that you had to go through it all. It's very hard." Aaina tried to console him but the next words that she heard, she didn't know how to comfort him after that.

She gulped as she heard his next words, trying to keep the tears at bay.

"I lost my wife in that attack. We were married for thirty years and now she's no more. No one can change that." The old man told her, telling her that it wasn't the pain in his leg that was hurting him, it was his heart.

Aaina tried to swallow the tears but one slipped her eye and she couldn't help but apologise over and over again.

"I'm really sorry, I'm so very sorry." She whispered. She couldn't resist herself as she put her hand on his shaky one, trying to give him comfort.

"It would have been better if I had died instead." He choked out, not bothering to hold back his tears.

The first lady took three deep breaths, thinking about Zaydaan.

"Your Prime Minister is my husband, the thought of something bad happening to him crosses my mind every day. I'm sorry that you had to lose someone you so dearly loved." She said again, continuing.

"I can't understand your pain though but I do know that your wife would have wanted you to live your life, in the best way possible." She explained, finally getting up.

She had already spent more than fifteen minutes in the hospital, she was supposed to spend only an hour.

The first lady let out a deep breath, looking at Sami bhai first.

"Sami bhai, take this man's details and make sure that he's okay at all times. If he needs any therapy, money, anything, just tell me. Okay?" She requested the man she considered her dear brother, her friend's husband and the most trusted man when it came to her security.

Sami let out a small sigh, he nodded in understanding but also said what had to be said.

"The latest report says that eighty nine people died, Aaina. Eighty nine. Do you think that you can help all eighty nine of them?"

Eighty nine families had been destroyed. Her heart felt so heavy even thinking about that.

"I don't know. But I'll try my best." Aaina said as a response, knowing that this was her duty. This was the least she could do.

"I can not even imagine the pain they're all in." She mumbled as they left the ER, zoning out.

Sami cleared his throat, moving people out of the way.

"No one can. People who've lost their loved ones, to even imagine the pain that they must be in is so unsettling." He replied, frowning as Aaina suddenly stopped mid way and looked at Sami, eyes just slightly fearful.

"I'm not going there, I can't." She said it in such a low voice, admitting that she didn't have the courage to witness any of the houses that had actually lost their loved ones.

She knew that she needed to do this but she just couldn't.

"You told the Prime Minister that you would." Sami said as a counter response but Aaina simply gulped, shaking her head.

"I'll talk to him." She murmured, waking again.

"The press is outside, they're waiting for you to talk to them." Sami told her, waiting to see if she'd talk to the media or not.

They had to choose the exit on that decision.

Aaina thought for a moment before shaking her head.

"I'm not sure if I should." She was afraid that she'd just cry in front of everyone and she didn't think that it would give the right impression to anyone.

Sami, once again nodded in understanding.

"Alright. Then we'll leave from the back." He announced, the security team following them as they left. 

----

@ARYNewsOfficial : "I am absolutely heartbroken at the tragedy that has suddenly occurred in our peaceful country. I visited the cantt hospital today and met up with many sufferers of the attack, I couldn't help but feel devastated. They are in pain and they don't deserve to be. However, I have full faith in the government and armed forces of this country." Said the Lady Aaina Zaydaan via her official website.

---

Prime Minister Zaydaan Ziagil walked outside the conference hall, standing in the hallway. A few hours ago, he was unsure and guilty. Now, he was simply vengeful.

He would get justice for all those who died and he would make the ones suffer, the ones who did the terrible act.

If there was one thing he was extremely good at, it was excelling at what he had decided to do.

And he knew exactly what he was going to do to those enemies of the state.

A military operation to find all those connected with the attack, all those operating and planning to do more like s**t like this, the armed forces would find them, hurt them and they'll be executed without any court trial.

Those terrorists deserved brutal death, not a long process of court trials. Terrorists didn't need justice.

There was still alot of planning and paperwork left to do though.

He looked at Yaqub standing next to him, he was the minister who had been particularly assigned to the bahawalpur incident, his constituency was this area after all.

"The president has called for a joint parliament session tomorrow, army chief has already called for a CCC. I want complete report of all the casualties and injured every day for atleast a week. If there's any progress, tell me. I'll be sending the railway minister here tomorrow to inspect everything. All clear?"

Zaydaan asked, looking at him with those cold and firm eyes that could get anyone to look away. 

Yaqub gulped, nodding his head. He was a confident lad, an actually good human being.

"Yes, sir. We've already made a few reports. The counter terrorism department has also made two reports and mailed them to the PM office. We're at your service. Day or night." He assured.

Zaydaan liked his confidence. He nodded.

"Good."

He was still talking to Yaqub and his team, looking at a few files when he saw his wife entering from the back side, looking so glum and just sad in general.

Zaydaan frowned, welcoming her.

"Hey, you're back earlier than I expected." He greeted, Aaina sniffed saying her Salam to the people around.

She looked at her husband, who distanced himself from his team as they walked a little forward for some privacy.

"Hey. I couldn't go to their homes. I just couldn't. Even visiting them at the hospital was painful enough." She replied, clearing her throat.

Zaydaan understood why she didn't go, she had a sensitive heart. But he still expected that she would atleast visit one or two homes.

"You should have tried though." He insisted.

Aaina bit her lip, telling him what she saw at the hospital.

"I know. But I met a girl who wasn't much older than Zayla and it got me thinking that how many such children are in hospitals for their parents or have been orphaned today. I couldn't, just. I couldn't." She whispered, the worry lines evident on her face.

Zaydaan grabbed her arm, rubbing it in comfort.

"It won't happen again. It won't." He assured her, she feigned a smile.

"InshaAllah."

She looked back at his team, it seemed like they were all ready to leave.

"Are we ready to leave?" She asked her husband who is nodded eagerly, putting his hand on the small of her back, guiding her towards the exit.

"Yes. Come." He mumbled as they walked away. 

After getting settled in their relative seats, Aaina felt Zaydaan's quiet demeanour and questioned him about his day.

"How did the meeting go?" She asked.

"Hectic. But we've made some good progress and we'll come to a final decision by tomorrow." He replied, ready to ask her about her visit now.

"How did the visit go?"

Upon hearing his question, Aaina could not help but remember the pain she had seen in the hospital, especially that little girl Summaiya and that old man, the one who lost his life.

"Painful." She whispered, her voice cracking as she looked at him.

Zaydaan saw the choked up face, the almost ready to cry face of hers. The blank expression on his face turned into a tender one as he looked at his wife.

"What happened?"

Aaina gulped before revealing the story.

"I met a man, an old man." She started off, sniffing as she remembered.

"He was injured and hurting. And he told me that his wife had been with him for thirty years and now she's no more. He lost her during the attack."

Zaydaan nodded, understanding why she was feeling this way. She didn't know them but she felt like she was somewhat responsible, just because of him.

Aaina put her hand on his, and her head on his shoulder.

"It got me thinking, Zaydaan. It's so easy to tell others to move on but how can one live without the person that they love?" She asked, tears slipping her eyes as she wiped them off.

"I can't even imagine my life without you. What if something happened to you? What will I do then?" She looked up at him and he saw the Aaina that he had first met.

Innocent, Kind and too sensitive.

He understood why she was thinking about it, she thought about losing him quite alot during times like these and it made her more human. He wanted to make her feel better over it but she had a point, did she not? There was always some chance of losing your loved one.

"Aaina..you're just shaken up." He said to comfort her.

"I don't want to lose you, Zaydaan. Please." She pleaded.

He could assure her of many things but he couldn't ever assure her of life, of death, of things that weren't in his control.

"You won't." He still assured.

"Promise?" She asked, hopeful.

He let out a small chuckle.

"I can't promise my life, love." He replied, placing a small kiss on the top of her head, not caring about his team sitting right behind him.

"We all have fears, Aaina. Even I do." He whispered, careful. He didn't want anyone to hear him say all that to his wife. Let the world think that Zaydaan Ziagil didn't have a soft heart.

"What is your fear?" Aaina asked him, head still on his shoulder.

"What do you think?" Zaydaan shot back, she bit her lip, pondering over it before speaking up.

"That one day you won't be the Prime Minister anymore." She answered the best possible thing she could come up with.

Zaydaan moved his shoulder, making her lift her head at him.

"Do you really think that low of me?" He questioned her, eyes narrowed.

"What?" She asked back, confused.

He cupped her chin, saying the utter truth.

"My biggest fear is that one day my enemies will use you and Zayla to finish me off. My enemies know my weakness. They know that you're more important than any power." He insisted, telling her that she was important, she was the constant in his life.

He didn't know why she didn't feel secure enough to say that out loud, she was so important, she was his wife. His first lady. His weakness.

"I am?" Aaina asked him, as if not believing it.

Zaydaan clicked his tongue.

"Ofcourse you are. You're so important, Aaina. You're my weakness."

His wife smiled, putting her head back on his shoulder.

He thought she was his weakness? She wasn't. She didn't want to be.

She let out a sigh, carefully saying her very next words.

"Zayla and I aren't your weakness, then. We are your strength." She told him, tightening her grip on his hand.

She lifted her head up, staring at him through her eyes.

"When I stand by your side in tough times, as the first lady..I want the world to see me as the woman who gives you courage, not weakness. I want them to see me as Zaydaan Ziagil's strength." She stated, telling him that being called a weakness wasn't it, she was his strength. Just like he was hers. He had to be.

"And I'm sure that Zayla wants her baba to feel the same way about her."

Zaydaan smiled at her words, her words that had such a deep impact on him.

"Okay." He agreed.

"Okay?" Aaina asked him, that's it? Okay?

Zaydaan hummed in agreement.

"You know what I love the most about you, Aaina?" He wondered next, asking her if she knew why he loved her so much.

This was Zaydaan, so his nature. He would be so honest and truthful and vulnerable at moments where Aaina didn't really expect him to be. And he would be a cold bastard when she would expect him to be soft. That was just how he was.

"What?" Aaina still asked, heart beating fast.

"You have this unshattering belief in me. Your eyes always tell me that you have utter faith in me." He responded.

"Because I do." Aaina accepted, letting out a deep breath.

She had so much faith in him. He was the person who had the ability to make her feel like the entire world was like a fairytale even when it was burning in flames.

"I hope you always feel that way." He softly said in her ear, Aaina couldn't help but hope for the same.

"Me too."

She mumbled, closing her eyes. 

--

When they finally landed back home in Islamabad, the car took them towards the Prime Minister House, back to their home.

Her cell phone vibrated as she sat by her husband's side.

"Hello?" She picked it up, seeing that it was Noora.

"Hi, Noora. Yes..we're just coming home. How's Zayla?" She asked as soon as she heard Noora on the other end.

All she wanted to do right now was have some family time. Her, Zaydaan and Zayla. It sounded perfect.

"She's okay. Ahad wanted to talk to Zaydaan bhai but he's not picking up the phone." Noora said instead, clearly stating that it was Ahad who had actually made the call.

"He's with me." Aaina gave the phone to Zaydaan, pointing at it.

"It's Ahad." She informed as the Prime Minister put the phone near his ear.

"Yes, Ahad?" He frowned, shocked as he heard the very next words.

"Maria's dead. Someone killed her."

The woman who had accused Prime Minister Zaydaan Ziagil of s****l harassment had been brutally murderer in her own apartment.

How convenient for the Prime Minister.