Mr. Jilani was going to America for a few days on business. Before leaving, he came to meet Kayan, but he was stunned to see the state of his room. Everything in the room was scattered, and in the middle of the mess, Kayan sat in a disheveled state. His hands were injured with dried blood on them. Seeing this, Mr. Jilani's heart ached, and he immediately rushed toward him.
"Kayan... son... what have you done to yourself...? What happened to you...? How did you get these wounds...? Khalida Bibi, come quickly and bring me the first aid box...!"
He sat beside him, speaking with great concern. Khalida Bibi brought the first aid box; she was very worried seeing her young master in such a state, but she couldn't ask or say anything. It was a rule in this house that no servant would interfere or speak about family matters, only focus on their work, and everyone followed it strictly.
Mr. Jilani cleaned his wounds and bandaged them. Kayan remained numb and lost. His father spoke again:
"Kayan... tell me son, what happened...? Don't trouble your Papa like this, say something...!"
"Dad... she... she's gone... she left, Dad... leaving me... she went far away from me... after sentencing me... Dad, she's gone...!"
He spoke in a lost, faint manner. Mr. Jilani didn't fully understand, but he realized he was talking about Hoor. He asked in confusion:
"What are you talking about, Kayan...? Where did Hoor go? And why?"
Kayan remained silent. Then, Mr. Jilani noticed the letter lying nearby, picked it up, and began to read. His face changed colors as he read the text; he understood much of it now, but he still questioned Kayan.
"Kayan, what happened that made Hoor leave even after loving you so much...? Tell me...!"
Kayan said nothing. He had nothing left to say or explain. How could he tell his Dad that he had committed such a great injustice against an innocent soul? He sat silently until Mr. Ilyas arrived, grabbed him by the collar, and pulled him up. Kayan, already lifeless, stood up as Mr. Ilyas spoke in a state of extreme rage:
"How dare you do this to my innocent daughter...? I warned you that if tears ever came to my Hooreen's eyes because of you, I would never forgive you... How could you do this? I won't leave you alive... Where is my daughter? I won't let her stay even for a minute with a beast like you!"
"What are you doing, Ilyas? Let go of him. Have you gone mad? What is going on???"
Mr. Jilani spoke angrily while trying to free Kayan's collar. He was Kayan's father and had raised him alone since childhood; he couldn't bear to see this.
"Yes, I have gone mad! Ask your son what he has done! History has repeated itself—the only difference is that back then, the one who did this was a stranger and a vile man, but this time, it is my daughter's protector (Mahram)!"
Mr. Ilyas spoke with a bitter laugh while looking at Kayan. Understanding the meaning behind the words, Mr. Jilani's footsteps faltered. He spoke to Kayan in a trembling voice:
"Kayan, is all of this true...?"
Kayan silently lowered his gaze. At his silence, Mr. Jilani broke. It became difficult for him to stand; his hands and feet were trembling. Those same trembling hands left a mark on Kayan's face. The father who had never even sighed at any of his actions had raised his hand today—but then, the mistake was just as grave.
"I wish I had slapped you back when you killed an innocent animal just because your whim wasn't met... I wish I had slapped you when you insisted on the Nikah with Hooreen... I wish I had slapped you when you imposed your will and forcefully made her part of your life. If I had slapped you then, that innocent girl wouldn't have to go through such pain today... I feel sorry for myself and my upbringing...!"
"Call my daughter; she will not stay here. And you will receive the Khula notice soon."
At Mr. Ilyas's words, Kayan looked at him in agony and spoke in a firm tone:
"You may take my life, I won't utter a sigh, but I will never let what you want happen. Hoor is only mine!"
"Don't even take my daughter's name with your tongue! Call her... Hooreen... Hooreen... look, your Papa has come to take you. Where are you, my life???"
"She is not here... she... left me... after sentencing me, she's gone...!"
Saying this, he picked up the letter and gave it to Mr. Ilyas. Reading it, Mr. Ilyas realized how much his daughter loved him and Kayan, and that she had indeed left them. He looked angrily at Kayan, who stood in a broken state like a traveler of centuries who spends his whole life searching for a destination, only for it to vanish once found. A person can have patience when something is never received, but losing it after finding it makes patience impossible.
"If I don't find my daughter or if anything happens to her, I will not leave you alive!"
Mr. Ilyas warned him. In response, Kayan said:
"I will never let anything happen to my Hoor. I will find her at any cost."
"You will have to find her. Until you bring my daughter-in-law back, do not show me your face or try to talk to me. I am going to America. By the time I return, I want to see Hooreen in this house, otherwise, consider that you have no father."
Kayan looked at his Dad in agony, but ignoring him, Mr. Jilani walked out with Mr. Ilyas. Both were worried about Hooreen. Mr. Ilyas was literally crying while Mr. Jilani consoled him. Meanwhile, his phone was ringing repeatedly. He was ignoring it because he didn't want to talk to Amin Laghari at all. Finally, fed up, he answered and spoke angrily:
"If you called to beg me to return your business, I have no intention of listening to any of it right now. My job was to ruin you, and God has given you the rest of your punishment. Don't bother me with more calls."
"I called to tell you that your precious daughter-in-law is in the hospital. She came in front of my car on the road, so I brought her here. If you don't care, I'll just leave her here and go."
At the mention of Hooreen, he immediately became alert and looked at Mr. Ilyas.
"Which hospital is my daughter-in-law in??? I am coming right now!"
Laghari gave him the address and ended the call. Looking at Hoor, he wondered how she had suddenly appeared in front of his car. He had applied the brakes just in time. He had gotten out of the car to see her lying unconscious on the road and recognized her immediately. He wanted to leave her there, but something—perhaps the pull of blood—drew him toward her. Seeing her bad condition, he put her in the car and brought her to the hospital. He still wanted to leave her to her fate, but his heart wouldn't allow it; he kept seeing Noor's face in hers. That's why he called Mr. Jilani, but he also couldn't forget that because of this girl, his daughter's marriage to Kayan didn't happen. He felt both hatred and sympathy simultaneously, unaware that the child he had yearned for his whole life was right in front of him.
"Ilyas, Hooreen is very attached to you, so seeing you might make her lose her restraint. Let me talk to her first so she can compose herself a bit, then you can meet her."
Entering the hospital, Mr. Jilani said to Mr. Ilyas, who replied:
"How can I wait here when my child is in pain there...?"
"I can understand your state, but try to understand me too. Amin will be inside, and I don't want you two to face each other because the situation could get much worse."
"Should I not meet my daughter because of fear of someone...? He might have the power of money, but I am not afraid of him."
Mr. Ilyas spoke angrily, and Mr. Jilani explained:
"It's not about fear or power, because he has nothing left—no wealth, no power, no one of his own... It's about Hooreen. Do you want her to find out like this...? Think about what she will go through... You know the situation she is already in. Imagine the revelation that the man who saved her, who is standing before her, is her mother's offender and her biological father...!"
"Hooreen is only my daughter! I am her father, no one else... and fine, I will stay outside for a while, but not for long."
Mr. Jilani went to meet Hooreen. When he entered the ward, Hooreen was lying with her eyes closed. The slight movement of her toe showed she was awake but didn't want to open her eyes. Amin Laghari was pacing in the ward as if fighting with himself. Ignoring him, Mr. Jilani immediately moved toward Hooreen. Seeing her safe, his eyes involuntarily turned to the heavens to thank his Lord. He called her affectionately:
"Hooreen, child...!"
Hooreen slowly opened her eyes. Seeing Mr. Jilani, she held back her tears and sat up. Some marks were still visible on Hooreen's arms; seeing them, he looked away and spoke:
"Child, why did you leave your home like this???"
"I... I... can't understand my feelings right now. I wanted to be alone for a while, so I left."
At her blatant lie, his eyes grew moist. He remembered when Kayan had hurt Hareem and she had complained to Mr. Jilani and cursed him. But here, even though Kayan was the guilty one, Hooreen hadn't said a word against him and took the blame herself. He spoke in a choked voice:
"Hooreen child, I have come to take you. Let's go home."
At his words, expressions of fear and agony appeared on Hooreen's face, which both Mr. Jilani and Laghari noticed.
"No... Mamoo... I won't go home... please...!"
He moved forward, placed his hand on her head, and spoke with a face wet with tears:
"Hooreen, your Papa and I know everything that happened to you... your Papa is outside too, waiting for you... come back home with us...!"
"Why are you begging before this girl...? What is so special about her...? What magic has she performed that you father and son are wagging your tails before her...?"
Before she could reply, Laghari spoke with contempt, shredding her self-respect. Hearing this, her eyes filled with water. Mr. Jilani spoke angrily:
"Shut your mouth, do you understand...? Leave this place! I am grateful to you for saving my daughter-in-law's life and bringing her to the hospital, but that doesn't mean you can say anything."
"Why shouldn't I say anything...? Because of this girl, Kayan rejected my daughter... she was treated unjustly, yet I don't know what forced me to bring her to the hospital. If I could, I would have left her there to die... but I will do this in front of you so that you and your son receive a wound you will remember your whole life. Look at her—how innocent she looks after robbing my Hareem's happiness! With this innocent face, she trapped Kayan and now his father, too. Look at her state; it clearly shows she has come back after blackening her face with someone, and yet you want to take her home... Who knows whose filthy blood this is!"