Written Among The Stars.

Chapter 34 - Trials and Questions.

Following the prayer, they were sitting in the room which was allotted to them. Aaban came out various times to get updates regarding the surgery. It was taking longer than usual. Haneen kept asking him about it but he didn't tell her that because he didn't want to worry her more. However, when six hours passed, Haneen became suspicious. It was night time now and the surgery was supposed to be completed by now.

"Aaban, why are they not coming out?" She asked him. He just sighed, shaking his head.

"Aaban, I am so scared." She told him honestly as she tightly held his arm and rested her head on it.

"Don't be. Everything is fine."

"Aaban!" She mumbled, tiredly. "Can you come with me? I want to know but I am scared."

"Let's go." He agreed and took her outside the operation theater. The doctor came out soon.

"Doctor, is the surgery over?"

"Not yet ma'am. There were some complications during the surgery so it's taking longer than usual. Hope for the best."

Hearing this, Haneen's grip tightened on his arm. She was losing her mind.

"Come on, Haneen. You need to sleep now."

"No. I won't." She shook her head.

He dragged her with him to a couch and held her face, looking into her eyes. "Haneen, my love, listen to me. You need to sleep. You are over stressing yourself. You'll fall sick yourself. Who'll take care of Baba then, haan? I will wake you up once the surgery is done."

"No Aaban, why don't you understand? I don't want to go from here. Please listen to me once." She crumbled in his hold and broke down. He rubbed her back and let her cry. He knew that she needed to take it out so he didn't say anything further.

After she relaxed a bit, he again tried to reason with her.

"Haneen, meri jaan. [my love] you need to realize this thing that you exhausting yourself will not do any good to both of you. Baba is fine. It will just take a few more hours. Come with me. I will stay with you." He told her and she nodded, listening to him this time.

He took her to the room and made her lay down on the bed. He joined her from the other side and held her tightly, close to himself. He woke up in the middle of the night and found the place next to him empty. He got up and looked outside. It was raining heavily. The thunder clouds were roaring. He got worried for Haneen. He knew that she was scared of the thunder. He looked around the entire floor but couldn't find her. He went to the balcony and saw her in the lawn, standing there all drenched in rain.

He was terrified beyond words. He ran downstairs and quickly brought her inside. She was dead cold right now. He could see the tear stains on her cheek. He took her to the room and dried her up with the towel and wrapped her in a warm shawl, making her sit near the heater.

"Haneen, what's wrong with you?" He cried out helplessly. "Please, be strong."

"I am tired of being strong, Aaban. I really can't do it anymore. I am broken."

Seeing her like that, he broke down in front of her, holding her hands. "Haneen, please. Don't do this to yourself."

"Aaban, I swear, I can't anymore. I have lost all my strength after today. I don't know how long these trials are going to last. I have been going through one problem after the other. I have been very patient all the while, Aaban but I can't anymore. My support system has turned weak and so have I."

"Haneen, my love." He cried as he held her together. She was half conscious.

"I need you right now, Aaban. I have no strength left and I only have you to rely upon. Please, help me out."

"What are you talking about, Haneen? You are the strongest person I know. You are my little fighter."

"Aaban." She cried. "I am sorry."

"No, Haneen. It's not your fault. You have been nothing but caring and loving. I am the one who's sorry. I am sorry, Haneen. I really am. Please forgive me. I promise, I won't hurt you ever again. Just promise me one thing, please take care of yourself."

She nodded as she crashed onto him.
"Baba theek hojayenge na?" [Will my father be alright?]

"Yes, Haneen. When his daughter is so strong then why won't he? Don't be stressed. He will be alright in a few days. I promise you."

°°°°°°°°°°°

"Haneen!" He barged into one room after the other looking for her. He had been searching all around the hospital for a while now. The last place renaining to look for her was the balcony in the room beside her fathers. He went there and opened the door. From a distance, he was able to make out her silhouette. He walked quietly towards the balcony. She was standing there, looking in front of her and completely lost in her deep thoughts. The surgery was over and her father was shifted to the recovery room for the post operative care. He was still not conscious.

Her arms were folded over her chest and her eyes were sparkling with the unshed tears. He walked in front of her and one of the traitorous tears rolled down like a cascade on her soft and gentle cheeks. He leaned his hands forward and cupped her face in his warm hands, moving his thumb under her eyes to wipe away any of the tears. She looked at him with quivering lips as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. She closed her eyes and let her tears fall. He leaned his forehead forward until both of their foreheads were touching. He didn't tell her this time that everything would be okay because sometimes you just need someone to hold onto you without saying anything. He knew that she needed to cry right now. He knew that she had been holding back her tears for too long now and so he let her cry, their foreheads leaning against each other. She cried hysterically. Her hands folded into fists over his chest as if she was afraid to hold onto him. She almost believed that everything that she held onto was snatched away from her and she didn't want her last support to be snatched away from her too. He brought his hand upto her head and ran his fingers through her hair as she buried her face in his neck, dampening the area. Nobody said a word but still she was ensured that he was with her. Now and always.