W-A-N-D-E-R-E-R

Chapter Five.

Marwan settled at home and decided to speak with his mom later in the night.
"No ummiy, please don't cry. You just have to be strong for me okay?" He said to his mother while he spoke to her through a video chat. He had bought her a cellphone and sent it to her through one of his subjects who still came to see him.
"My son, life without you has just been so difficult for me.... You have no idea how much it is that I miss my only child..... Even the king is not able to cast away the loneliness that I feel..... Please come back soon my son" Queen Khairah replied with tears tripping down her face. "Ummiy it's just a matter of time okay? I promise to return to you as soon as Abbiy is ready to accept me back. Please ummiy you have to be strong for your only child okay?" Marwan said. "I wish I could just get to touch you my son. I miss you so much." The queen replied touching the screen of the cellphone as if she was going to touch her son's face. "Allah Hafiz ummiy, you should go to sleep now." Marwan said knowing fully that if he continues speaking with her, she would just cry the more. "She's way too emotional" he thought, said his prayers and slept on his right side with his right hand lying under his right cheek as the Prophet Muhammad SAW had recommended. Meanwhile, Ishtar and Ayman also finished for the night and in the process, Ishtar felt a little bit weak. "Maybe it's as a result of stressing out today" she thought and headed to her room.

The sun rose very fast today, casting it's bright yellow colour on the surface of the earth.
"Ishi, I have a conference meeting to attend today and it's very important that I attend. I will be back at the office very late at night and before I'll come over to pick you up it must have been very late". Ayman announced. "There's no problem Ayman I'll just find my way home then. I pray for your safe journey" Ishtar replied. "Okay then, make sure to be very careful alright?" Ayman said as he dropped her by the entrance of Halal Chops. "I will but then Ayman, now or sooner, you'll have to find a personal driver for me so that we won't always have to go everywhere together and disturbing each others movement that's why we have two cars" Ishtar replied. "I'll see to that anyway" Ayman said and drove off once Ishtar was out of the car.

Hardly had Ishtar entered the restaurant and took a few steps in than she felt weak and dropped immediately. Luckily for her, Marwan was able to save her from falling as she fell on his arms. "Ishtar" he called out but she had passed out. "Bring water!" He announced and one of his employees did immediately. "It seems like she's fallen unconscious" Fahim said and Marwan sprinkled water on her face but she wasn't going to wake up. "Ishtar!... Ishtar!... Ishtar open your eyes.... Ishtar get up!" Marwan called out to her several times but she didn't respond. "Someone get my car keys from my office!!!" He shouted and Fahim sped up immediately knowing that it was his job to do. "Oh Allah! Please forgive me for touching a girl in this manner but I just have to save her life. She needs my help, please help me to help her." Marwan said as he lifted Ishtar up in his arms bridal style and took her to his car.
"He doesn't like to visit an hospital but coming to Ishtar, he didn't hesitate. What am I missing out here?" Fahim thought to himself as he walked back to the office. "It seems like love is in the air. This is very interesting. Thank Allah for my Marwan". He thought again and smiled at that thought.
"Doctor... Doctor please tell me how she's doing? What happened to her?" Marwan asked as he stood outside the emergency room while the doctor came out. "You have to see me in my office now" the doctor announced and Marwan's face changed immediately. "Really doctor? Is everything okay with her?" He asked again now very worried. "Young man, she's absolutely fine and there's nothing to worry about." The doctor replied smiling and Marwan felt at ease. "Okay doctor, let's get to your office now" Marwan said walking hurriedly ahead of the doctor. He really wanted to know what was happening to Ishtar. He was really so worried for her but he can't realize why.
"Young man, what's your relationship with her?" The doctor asked while they were in his office and Marwan seemed to be lost. He had no idea why the doctor asked since he hardly visit an hospital. "I'm just her employer, she works at my restaurant. Why do you ask doctor?" Marwan answered. "Ohh I see, looks like you are her husband but anyway you'll have to deliver my reports to her family members" The doctor said and "Yes I'll just do that doctor but what exactly is wrong with her" Marwan replied and yet worried sick. "Young man, so much concern for her, are you perhaps in love with her?" The doctor asked again with raised eyebrows and Marwan felt irritated. "Love?" He asked. "Yes" the doctor replied. "No doctor Im not in love with anyone" he replied with a disgusting look as he had no idea why the doctor was driving at that. And truly, Marwan had never been in a relationship so he doesn't know whether he actually loves Ishtar or not, all he knows is that it's his duty to protect her and what will make one feel the need to protect a girl? Love it is.
"Doctor, just tell me what the problem is" Marwan said firmly now sounding furious. "Okay okay I'll tell you now" The doctor finally surrendered. "The lady you brought here has been under an heavy dosage of sleeping pills. These sleeping pills are very strong ones that works slightly shortly after being used but strongly sometimes afterwards. I can be very sure that she takes them at night and sleeps during the day, but for the past few days now, she hasn't been having enough sleep during the day and which is why she got knocked out" the doctor announced and Marwan was severely shocked. "There's nothing to worry about now young man. I've given her an injection which will cause her to sleep very often for up to five days but in turn, it will make the power of the pills null and she'll be able to sleep naturally. So, do her a favor and give her five days off work, she needs it" The doctor added and Marwan was relieved. "I'll do  that. Thank you Doctor, thank you so much, thank you sir" he said smiling with excitement. "You can take her home shortly after she regains consciousness" the doctor said and Marwan nodded as he exited the doctors office.

Marwan stood by Ishtar's bedside, counting the drops of the drip she was being given. "Why did she do this to herself? What prompted her to put her life in so much danger, she's just so naughty! Oh Allah please heal her soon" Marwan thought and prayed. Soon Ishtar woke up and before Marwan could notice, she bursted her mouth open. "Where... am I?" She asked aloud and this jolted Marwan from his thoughts. "Relax Ishtar, you're at the hospital" he replied and she was shocked. "How... What happened to me? How did I get here?" She asked again. "You were unconscious this morning and I brought you here" Marwan replied. "Really? What happened to me?" She asked and Marwan told her everything while she was shocked. Marwan went on and told the doctor that she was awake and the doctor gave him the discharge papers and he went on to pay the bills and took Ishtar home afterwards.
On getting to the twins house, Marwan questioned Ishtar about why she used heavy sleeping pills but "it isn't something you should bother about knowing" was her response and Marwan insisted until she finally told him. "My parents were captured by the cruel king Mahmood Abu Hanif ten years ago and we were thrown out of the empire. since then, I've always cried everyday up till midnight and I never feel like sleeping anymore. I take sleeping pills because I never want Ayman to see my eyes puffy the next day. Working at your restaurant has prevented me from sleeping during the day and it affected me a lot. So you see, that's why" Ishtar announced and fell asleep once she was done talking leaving Marwan shocked and devastated. "Astagfirullah Ya Rabb" Marwan said as he carried Ishtar from his car into the house. She had given him the keys and he was able to enter the house. He laid her on the couch in the living room and went up the stairs to look for her room. He found it difficult locating her room but he finally did and he smiled at the view. "Neatly arranged and clean" he commented. "This house is a big one" he commented again as he laid Ishtar on her bed, covered her with the duvet and "should I perhaps remove her hijab? It's kind of tight" he thought. "No, that won't be nice after all I'm not a mahram to her" he thought again and decided to let her be. "I'll just put on the a.c" he said and did so. Before Marwan left, he wrote down a note and placed it on Ishtar's bed right beside her. Leaving the house, he locked the door and held the keys, "The person she stays with must have an extra copy of the keys. I'll keep these and return back to her when she resume work" he thought and left for his restaurant immediately as it was already getting late. He was at least happy that he had found out the reason why she slept so much and why she took pills. Just one question remains, who is Ayman to her?

"I wonder why Ishtar isn't picking up my calls" Ayman thought while driving home. On getting home, he unlocked the door and headed straight to his twins room. "She's asleep" He said while he entered her room. "The a.c. is on, but Ishtar doesn't sleep with the a.c on, is she fine?" He thought and put his hand on her forehead. "She's a little bit hot" he thought and pulled off her hijab immediately. Soon, he noticed a small paper beside Ishtar and "what's this?" He thought and opened it immediately.

.... Salamualaykum Ayman. I don't know the relationship you share with Ishtar but I'm sure you are someone very close to her. Bi'idhnillah I won't say that you have been very careless with her but I'll say that you haven't done well in monitoring her activities... Earlier this morning, Ishtar fell unconscious and I considered it my duty to take her to the hospital. The doctor revealed that she had been under a heavy dosage of some strong sleeping pills and she got knocked out due to lack of enough sleep for some time now. The doctor gave her an injection that will make her sleep for five days and in relation, I have given her a week off work. Do take care of her as she needs you more right now. I pray Allah heals her soon. Allah Hafiz.
Marwan Abdullah, M.D Halal Chops.

Ayman read the note aloud and was shocked by it's contents. He felt so ashamed of himself. "I've failed in my duty to protect my own sister. Please forgive me Ishtar" he said as he watched her closely and kissed her forehead. He hated himself and blamed himself for the state his twin is in.

Salamualaykum lovelies. Another chapter and I'm so happy that I'm moving forward. I hope you like it and enjoyed it. Do vote and comment, that keeps me going. Love y'all and jummuah Mubarak to you all. Salam.

_mohtieby_