He immediately held her face and looked into her eyes to calm her down. Then he sat next to her and held her hands. He was so shaken by her words that he couldn’t hold back his tears. He hadn’t spoken to anyone about his ordeal in the past two days, and now that there was someone to share, his patience broke too. ‘Forgive me, my child, for the crimes that my sons have committed . . . I beg you,’ he said with folded hands. ‘I am ashamed and deeply embarrassed. This is not what the holy Quran teaches us.’ Syed paused, wiped his tears with the back of his hand and continued, ‘I am also grateful to Allah that instead of the two wretched rascals whom I thought were my real sons, he has blessed me with an angel like you. I request you to accept me as your father. Get well soon and we shall move out of this godforsaken village to my ancestral home in Muzaffarabad. I don’t wish to live here even for a minute longer than we have to. But till then, please stay calm and somehow tolerate the unbearable pain.’

However, Bibi’s tears refused to recede. The inhuman and barbaric acts of people, who till a day before had been close friends, had shaken and shattered her faith completely. She sobbed inconsolably. Syed fed her some water, after which she fell unconscious again. He covered her with a bed sheet and fanned her forehead. ‘Please forgive me, Allah, forgive me for the crimes my sons have committed. Give me strength to bring up Bibi as my own daughter, I beg of you. Help me heal her heart so that she can stand on her feet again,’ he prayed. Then, taking a piece of cloth and dipping it in hot water, he gently sponged her forehead and arms. He also slid small spoons of honey mixed with milk through her lips and repeatedly checked her pulse. He prayed each time after doing so.

The sharp afternoon sun gave way to the soft hues of dusk but the old man refused to give up. As the sun set behind the mountains, Bibi opened her eyes again to find Syed by her side, looking at her with hope. He muttered a quick prayer to thank Allah and then addressed her softly, ‘Allah, the almighty, wants you to live, my child, and emerge stronger from this unfortunate incident. We have a long journey ahead. Don’t give up. Be brave, my girl. Get well soon. We are surrounded by wretched beasts in the garb of humans. We will leave this place as soon as you’re slightly better.’ She didn’t respond; instead, she closed her eyes and rested her head on the pillow. The pain in her eyes was far greater than that of the near fatal wounds she had on her body.