Chapter 157

Then, faintly at first, Fazl heard it. A small, broken sound from the backseat. A sniffle. Then another. He glanced in the mirror and saw her shoulders trembling, her hand pressed tightly against her mouth as if trying to contain something she could no longer control.

“Roshanay bibi?” he asked softly, his voice losing its edge. “What happened?”

She shook her head, tears slipping down her cheeks despite her efforts. “I don’t know,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “I cannot understand my own emotions anymore, Fazl. I feel like crying at the smallest thing. A song, a memory, even the wind against my face. And it is so strong—so potent—that I cannot hold it back. I have never been like this. Something is wrong with me. I think something is really, really wrong.”

Fazl was quiet for a moment, his jaw working as he searched for words. When he spoke again, his voice was gentler than she had ever heard it.

“You are not weak, bibi. And nothing is wrong with you that