Agar main sach kaho tu sabr hi ki azmaish hai

Ye mitti imtihan pyare ye paani azmaish hai

Nikal kar khud se bahar bhagne se khud main aane tak

Farar akhir hai ye kaisa ye kaisi azmaish hai

Talash-e-zaar main hun ko kisi bazar-e-hasti main

Tera milna tera khona alag hī azmaish hai

Nabud o buud ke phaile hoye is kar-khane main

Uchalti kudti Sunita hamari amzaish hai

Mere Dil ke dareeche se uchak Kar jhāñktī bahar

Gulabi ediyon wali anokhi amzaish hai

Ye Tu Jo khud or nafiz ho gya hai shaam ki Surat

Tu jaani shaan ki lab hai yeh Teri amzaish hai

Diye ke aye hawaon ke marasim khul nhi paste

Nahin khulta ki en main se yeh kis ki amzaish hai"

"Mahi!!!!!"

He turned around and looked at his baby girl laying in the ground unconscious and his sister was shaking her lifeless body.

Hina took Mahi to her room to distract her but when her phupho went to get some snacks for their movie marathon.

The sneaky baby girl ran outside as she heard some voices, she got curious and moved toward to find out.

As she near the living room where her Baba and Dado were fighting, she got scared.

Her dado never like her, she knew it but her Baba and everyone else always takes her away from her.

She heard them screaming and fighting about her and her fragile heart can't take it anymore.

She felt a pain in her chest and soon she fell on the ground losing consciousness mumbling one word.

"Ba...Baba...,"

Hina who was searching for Mahi in her room came running outside already knowing where the curious girl was.

When she saw Mahi dropping lifeless on the ground she shrieked loudly getting the attention of the fighting duo.

He stood at his place numb as a whimper left his mouth looking at his baby girl.

"Mahi... Mera bacha,"

He ran toward her cradling her small body close to his heart, calling her, shaking her but still no response at all.

Naseem beghum was also shocked but she still didn't feel anything for the innocent soul.

She rolled her eyes thinking that the 7 years old was acting to get her son's attention.

Hina ran to call her father who was in his room reading.

Soon they both came to see the most heart-breaking sight of Affan pleading to baby Mahi to get up and call him Baba.

"Baby...ba..baby... Please wake up na... Don't scare Baba like this... Please I will get your favorite Donuts... I even let you drink coffee but please get up... Please call me Baba once...,"

Hina choked on her sob this was devastating for them too but Affan condition was making them more anxious.

Ahmed Sahab came into senses and shook Affan's shoulder.

"Affan we have to take her to the hospital immediately beta... Just move... for Mahi,"

He nodded his head in panic and picked his daughter up, running outside.

Ahmed Sahab and Hina followed them leaving Naseem beghum standing alone who just scoffed at this drama.

"First that bitch ruined my son's life now this bastard child was ruining him... But I will do anything to save him,"

Hina opened the backseat door for Affan as he placed Mahi and ran toward the driving seat but Ahmed Sahab beat him to it.

"Affan... You are panicked and tense... I can't let you drive. You sit with Mahi I will drive,"

Affan nodded with teary eyes and sat beside Hina who was cradling his baby girl.

He took Mahi from Hina and hold her close to him, inhaling her baby smell that reminded him of his Jhalli so much.

Just one thought revolving around his mind, 'please I can't lose my daughter, please not her too,'.

"Baba drive fast,"

He was panicking as baby Mahi was just lying in his arms and the lifeless body of his daughter was squeezing his heart.

He was checking her slow pulse and weak breathing.

"I am Affan... just relax... We are almost there,"

He glared at the road,kissing his daughter's forehead, and when the car stopped he opens the door and ran inside carrying baby Mahi with lighting speed calling for help.

"Doctor... Doctor!!! Help me...,"

Ahmed Sahab and Hina followed him trying to catch up to his fast pace, they saw him acting frantically.

Soon the doctors and nurses ran to him and take baby Mahi from him running to the emergency room with Affan right behind them.

The nurse stopped him from going inside, he wanted to protest but his father stopped him.

"Sir, please wait here...,"

He opened his mouth to argue when Ahmed Sahab cut him off.

"Affan... Let them handle it... Just wait bacha...,"

He closed his eyes as he saw her small figure being probed and poked by various needles and devices.

Ahmed Sahab and Hina let him see because they know he won't listen to them.

After 30 minutes of miseries, the doctor came outside but the expression on his face scared everyone.

Affan was waiting for him to speak with a racing heart.

"Affan... I have told you many times to not let her stress about anything. I am not saying this as your friend but as her doctor... The attack was much powerful, it's a miracle she survived this but she is stable now,"

Affan sighed in relief but soon the little amount of peace was taken from him as he heard the next words his friend has to say.

"But we don't know for how long... She needed the surgery as soon as possible... If not then we may lose her,"

Affan was stunned looking at the doctor for laughing and saying this was a prank but the grimace on his face was killing him.

His baby girl was again fighting for her life just because his mother didn't know how to keep her hatred away.

His friend patted his shoulder with sympathy.

"We don't have any donor right now and baby Mahi doctor was also out of the city... I... I just want you to pray... She needs it more than anything... Now I will go and call my resources to help us with the donor... You just pray ok,"

Affan was still numb at his place as the doctor walk away.

Hina was crying embracing her father who also has tears in his eyes.

The words keep revolving around his mind that his daughter was in danger and she needed surgery immediately.

That they didn't have a donor and her doctor was also out of the city so did that mean his baby girl will leave him?

Because if he loses his daughter, he will be a corpse, nothing more.

He stumbles and fell on the chair he was sitting before.

Ahmed Sahab and Hina let him be they know his pain was more than their and he has to let it all out.

He fisted his hairs pulling them in frustration and helplessness as a bitter laugh escapes his mouth that soon turned into a sob of self-pity and agony.

He was again going to lose someone close to his heart and he was not that strong now.

He still remembered the day when he legally adopted baby Mahi as his daughter.

But the next day his doctor called and told him to meet him immediately.

He went to the hospital with his daughter and the news he got turned his life upside down.

His innocent one-year-old daughter was a heart patient, her heart was weak and it can't bear a little bit of stress.

Now he knew the reason why those useless people leave her alone in this cruel world but he swears to protect her and guard her soul with love and adoration.

The doctor suggests to avoid stress for the baby and give her all his attention which he did almost losing his job and social life.

Two years ago, his 5 years old baby girl was hospitalized because one of her class fellows called her motherless.

That cost him his daughter when she fainted in the class.

He was so panicked that day, the doctor said they can't operate because baby Mahi was so small and they can't risk her life and also to not stress her more.

That's why he started home-schooling for her, but because of his job he can't give her much attention and his father told him to come back home for his daughter's sake.

Worst mistake ever, he thought.He gave his innocent daughter in a silver platter to be tortured mentally by him mother.

He scoffed as she didn't even deserve the word mother after everything she did to his Jhalli and now to his daughter.

His heart was paining like someone was squeezing it and the suffocation he felt because of his helplessness can't be explained in words.

He stood up and moved toward the room his daughter was laying unaware of her Baba pain and agony.

He moved inside and sat on the stool beside her bed and hold her small hand, placing a kiss on it with his wobbly lips.

"Baby... Please be strong... Please fight for Baba... Ba...Baba needs you Mera bacha... Baba need you,"

He cried his heart out holding onto his daughter's hand as he kissed it with each word.

He looked at his pale baby girl, the same paleness he saw on his Jhalli face before she left him for good.

"I know I am very bad... I have wronged that innocent soul but please don't take my daughter away from me I will die,"

He whispered the words closing his eyes, narrating his miseries to his Allah Pak to solve his problems.

"I love you so much Mahi... Just be strong for me Meri Jaan... Baba will save you even if I have to give my heart to you... I will baby... I will,"

He kissed her forehead a habit he did with only his Jhalli but now his daughter also gets this token of love.

He glanced at her and keep sitting beside her until the nurse came to tell him to go outside and let baby Mahi rest.

He nodded with heavy heart, again kissing her forehead and hand as he caressed her head, he went out.

He sat beside his sister who side hugged him as he smiled weakly at her looking at his father who was pacing in the waiting room busy on the call.

Ahmed Sahab ended the call and looked at his devastated son who looked like he aged in just some hours.

He sighed in defeat and spoke getting the attention of both the siblings.

"I have contacted all my resources but there is no donor available... Nothing,"

Affan closed his eyes as tears escape his eyes, he looked down at his hands.

They heard someone coming and looking upward but seeing her there boiled everyone blood.

But Affan was more vocal about his displeasure.

"What the hell are you doing here? Are not you happy now after you put her here,"

Naseem beghum just looked at her family who left her alone at home and came here with that so-called granddaughter of her.

"I just came to know about her well being...,"

"yeah right... You surely do... She was fighting for her life just because you can't keep your meaningless hatred to yourself... Now you know... You get the hell out of here before I forget all the limits and throw you out myself,"

He scoffed at her words, she didn't care about his daughter's wellbeing.

She just came to know if she was successful to get rid of another innocent soul or not.

Naseem beghum glared at her son as she waited for her husband to defend her.

When she looked at Ahmed Sahab and Hina, they are also looking at her with hatred but she didn't care.

"I am your mother Affan... I will do anything for your wellbeing,"

"Stop right there ... Just stop this... You don't know even a little thing about being a mother... You just know how to manipulate humans and destroy their lives as you did for Maham, me and now for my daughter,"

The father-daughter duo let him take all his anger out as Naseem beghum was looking at him stunt.

"You have always wanted to remove Maham from my life and you did just that but at what cost mother... You ruined my life in all this... I am a divorcee who lost someone so close to his heart that life didn't matter to him,"

His words were like a knife to everyone's heart.

"But when I find a little bit of happiness in my daughter... You started all your games again... You are the reason she was here today fighting for her life... But I swear ... I swear if anything... Anything happens to my daughter you will also lose your son... I will kill myself if anything happens to my daughter...,"

Everyone gasped at him but the determination in his eyes and the sincerity of his words can be seen clearly.

"Meri Bachi ki dharkane chalti rahe, eske liye agar mujhe apni dharkane bhi rukni pari ... then I will not back down... So go from here... I don't want to see your face anywhere near my daughter... Please,"

With that said he moved out of the waiting room leaving his family dumbstruck.

Naseem beghum came to her senses and moved toward her husband.

"Ahmed please stop him... He was talking nonsense,"

She holds his arm but he pushed her hands away and spoke venomously.

"You... Yourself are responsible for all this Naseem... You drove him to the edge now because of you... Just because of you we will lose someone either one way or another,"

She was looking so helpless but her family was overall this drama as they told her to go home and enjoy her victory.

"You have successfully ruined the only happiness of your son mama... Now go, please... Your work is done here... Now let us grief...,"

This time Hina spoke with so much bitterness that her mother stumbled back but no one moved to help her.

She walked outside when she finds the hatred in their eyes.

She cursed the innocent soul who took her family away from her.

Affan has gone to his friend cabin to know about any possible arrangements of the donor but his only hope was crushed with the words his friend spoke.

"I am trying Affan but it was so much difficult... Mahi blood group was also rare... But we are trying my friend don't lose hope,"

He moved toward the praying room with a crushed heart and trembling body.

He did his ablution and fell in prostration in front of his LORD.

He was crying so loudly that the passer-by outside was feeling pity for him.

He raised his hands for dua and said all his miseries to the ONE who knows everything without telling.

"Ya Allah... Help me... My daughter was fighting for her life please don't take her away from me... I have already lost so much I am not that strong to lose another loved one of mine,"

His tears were staining his cheeks, his eyes bloodshot, lips wobbly, hands trembling and body shaking with his sobs but he was lost to the moment.

"Please send your angel to help my daughter ... Send someone to save her... Please... I am not strong enough... Please... Save my Mahi... Bring her back to me... I need my Mahi back... Please... Give my happiness back to me,"

He repeated those words again and again calling for help.

He knew his LORD will never burden him more than his strength.

He sat there crying and calling for hours when a frantic Hina came inside the room calling him.

He looked upward with bloodshot eyes but the beaming smile his sister gave him was like a new ray of hope for him.

"Bhai... Bhai!!! They found a donor... Also, some visiting surgeons were ready to operate our Mahi... She will be ok Bhai... They have already started the process,"

He looked at his sister with disbelief but her nodding at him with tears of relief flowing down their cheeks.

He thanked his LORD for this help, this mercy and also prayed for his baby's life and ran with Hina toward the room his daughter was.

"Shukar Alhamdulillah mere Rabb, you have provided so much to me... Just protect her life please return her to me... safe and sound,"

He reached the room as the nurses were rolling baby Mahi bed out and toward the operation theatre.

He stopped them and kissed his baby cheeks and head mumbling various Duas and verses and blowing them at her for her protection.

He moved with baby Mahi bed holding her hand till the operation theatre and looked at her with tears in his eyes.

His friend and family came behind as his friend patted his shoulder and forwarded the consent form toward him.

He signed with shaky hands and give them back to his friend Afzal.

"Don't worry Affan... She is in good hands... They are the best surgeons... She will be back healthy as a horse. She can't leave her Baba alone... It might take some time so sit tight and hope for the best,"

He smiled warmly at his friend who needed all support and moved inside.

Ahmed Sahab and Hina side hugged Affan who just keep looking at the door waiting for his baby girl.

They waited for 6 hours, 6 hours of anxious and painful waiting. All teh moments he spend with his angel was revolving around his mind, pinching his heart and increasing his misery.

Her laughter, her tears, her pouty face everything was haunting him as he just pray for her safety.

As Affan was pacing with restlessness, Hina was sleeping on her father's shoulder who was also fighting the sleep as it was close to dawn.

Affan asked Afzal who came to give him company and also share coffee talking about the donor.

"How did you arrange the heart donor this soon... I mean I am grateful for that and not complaining but who was the person or their family so I can thank their family for this great sacrifice,"

"When it was a young 30 years old woman... she was coming from abroad and meet with an accident. She died at the spot and as she didn't have someone else to contact and was verified as an orphan... So we proceed with the work... Mahi life was more precious and I know the lady will be happy to help such an innocent soul,"

"We got this much information from her papers... She was a doctor but nothing more,"

He felt bad for the lady who was alone in this world and now she was also gone but he will be always grateful for the donation of her heart for his baby girl.

Afzal went away after some time as his duty time started.

Soon it's time for fajr and Affan woke up his family.

They prayed and as they were returning the nurse came toward them.

"Nurse, how is my daughter? Is she ok? When can I see her? Did the operation is successful?

Affan bombarded her with his questions and the nurse smile at his impatience.

"Take a breath, Mr. Qureshi... Yes, your daughter is fine... The operation is successful... She is a fighter and she fights with all her might for her Baba... We will shift her in the room soon but you can only meet her after the visiting hours' starts,"

He beamed happily and hugged the nurse in enjoy who was stunned at him.

But as she was close to his mother's age she just patted his back.

He moved back and rubbed his neck sheepishly mumbling 'sorry' to her as his family and the nurse laugh at his cuteness.

"It's ok... I know you are happy even jovial as everyone in the operation theatre was also happy at this success... Congratulations to you all... Now I have to go and arrange some burial arrangements,"

Affan was happy but soon he frowned as he spoke softly.