Chapter 125

“Will you be able to bring her back?” his mother, Afsheen, whispered in a low, lonely voice that barely carried across the table. Her voice was a thin thread, fraying at the edges from constant worry. She looked smaller somehow in the soft light of the dining room, her shoulders hunched as if carrying an invisible burden. “I see dreams where she is calling you out for help. Every night now, the same thing. She doesn’t call me, Moosa. She calls for you, begging you to come and save her. My heart tells me that she is very alone there. She is scared, truly scared, and I can feel it even when I’m awake. I can’t sleep at night anymore, thinking about her like that.” Her voice cracked on the last words, and she cried out softly, unable to hold it back any longer. The cry was small, but it filled the room, leaving no space for anything else. Tears welled in her eyes, spilling over and tracing slow paths down her cheeks. She pressed a hand to her mouth, trying to steady herself, but the sob