The atmosphere inside the ICU was suffocating. Doctors were trying their best to stabilize Arisa, while out in the corridor, Abir Khan had changed into a sharp black blazer brought by his men. The police had surrounded the hospital, but they didn't dare enter—Abir's snipers had taken positions across the surrounding rooftops.
Abir stood before the glass partition, a sense of calm madness in his eyes.
"Arisa," he whispered, "it's time to wake up. I will be the first face you see in your new life."
Suddenly, Arisa's eyelids fluttered open. Her vision was blurred, the bright hospital lights stinging her eyes. The doctors watched in amazement as her heart rate stabilized.
Aryan tried to rush in, but to everyone's shock, Abir walked inside first. No one stopped him; the guards seemed paralyzed by an invisible fear. Abir sat by Arisa's head and gently stroked her forehead.
"Where... where am I?" Arisa asked in a weak, raspy voice. "Who are you?"
The words shattered Aryan's heart. The doctor's fear had come true—Arisa had forgotten everything. But Abir didn't look sad; instead, his smirk widened.
"You are at home, Arisa," Abir said softly. "And me? I am your world. I am your husband, Abir Khan."
"You're lying, Abir!" Aryan screamed from the doorway. "She's nothing to you!"
But Arisa looked at Aryan with a blank, hollow expression. It was as if she didn't recognize him at all. Then, slowly, she placed her hand over Abir's.
"Abir..." she murmured, "I feel like... I have no one but you. My head feels so heavy."
Abir looked at Aryan with a look of pure triumph as he pulled Arisa into a protective embrace.
"Don't be afraid, Arisa. Those who tried to take you from me will never come near you again. From now on, every breath you take belongs to me."
Standing in that room, Aryan realized he hadn't just lost his sister—Abir Khan had sinisterly rewritten her entire reality. The toxic injection might have erased her memories, but it had left behind a web of fear and obsession that bound her to the monster.
---