The Bias

Chapter 40

"Look at it, Sahib sent me these. We look so great, haina?", Shehnaaz asked Miraal. She  was showing her the pictures and recordings from their dance at  her cousins wedding. The duo were sitting in a room across the ward. Shehnaaz had been all excited seeing the pictures and how well they had had come out as.

" Tera muh kyu fula hai?", Shehnaaz asked Miraal.Shehnaaz could sense the way air around them seemed strange. It wasn't just today, but she had started to sense a sense of low energy around Miraal. Sure Shehnaaz wasn't as vocal of her love for Miraal, but she was used to receiving her love.  But this felt different.  Miraal had not called her Sana for days, they had talked and shared memes as usual, but replies were less Miraalish.

Miraal turned her head around and looked at Shehnaaz, clenching her eyebrows." Kuch nahi?" She said in a tone that was more of a question, and then looked back at the screen.

"Bolegi?", Shehnaaz repeated, looking at her, one of her eyebrows raised a liitle higher, as clenched her lips tight.

"Kuch nahi, bola na!"

"Miraal you have been acting weird, did I do something.."

Before Shehnaaz could finish, Miraal got up and almost walked out. Shehnaaz was quick to grab her hand and pull her back. " Kya natal kar....What the fuck?", she spoke.
"Kya hua? Do kyu rahi hai?'

"Let me go!", Miraal pulled her hand out, tears threatening to break out." It's none of your concern!"

"Kya kar dia maine?", Shehnaaz spoke pulling her to the chair. " Bolegi?" She asked raising Miraal's head up.

"Its not you, its....", she spoke. But Shehnaaz could barely hear anything of that.Shehnaaz sat on the floor, keeping her head in Miraal's lap.

"Did I hurt yoh?", she questioned. "Agar kia hai toh I am so sorry...."

Miraal kept quiet for a few moments but then interrupted. " Sana I am scared.", she spoke as her fingers brushed through Shehnaaz's hair.
"I am sacted because you are going. Because nothing will remain the same, no matter how much we try. I am scared that our separation would not effect you as much as it would me. I am sacred,  that you are less attached to me and that you would forget me. I am scared that I would lose you and also your parents. I am scared  that when you leave, I would be an orphan once agian. I won't have a stupid, full of tantrums person in my life and I won't fell sorry for myself for being stuck with you and not being able to do anything about it. I won't have any family left.!"   She confessed keeping her head in Shehnaaz's,  placed on her lap as she sat on the chair.

"Only in one situation!", Zaid spoke back.  They were sitting in room at their hospital, working with her dissertation.

"Kya?", she whined looking up. The tabulation with results had been eating up with her head. She needed to submit her work as quick as possible to get the degree she had so worked hard upon..

"Goa chal!"

She gave him an exasperated look. And then rolled her eyes back, " Strip tease na de du tujhe?"

"Woh toh tu usko deti hogi, Mr Shukla ko. Lacy red lingerie me!" Zaid added teasing her back. " Pyaar me hai kya uske?" He added taking a pause.

Pyaar me hai kya uske.He asked in simplest of ways. "Pagal hai kya ? Pyaar me hai kya? "  she replied  getting up moving away from the table.

"Aap yeh likh k rakho. Mai ward se chakkar laga k aau!"

Shehnaaz walked in quick steps, almost running, but not fast enough to be noticed. Reaching the washroom she was quick to bolt the door at her back.
Shehnaaz stood along the door, the door holding her body. Pyaar me hai kya? His words rang in her ears, her heart raced at an erratic beat. She  clenched her eyes tight, her hand placed at the top of her chest rubbing her chest and neck, lips tightened into an 'O' as she let out heavy breaths.