Asfi-Zubi - Love will find a way!

Asfi-Zubi Meet Again (Part 3)

Back to the present, Zubiya sighed and stood up, looking out at the wintery dark evening even though it was only 4 pm. Why did she still keep thinking about him? He must be married and who knows may even have a child by now. Just as well, she had walked out when she did. Their relationship would not have survived the day he would have discovered about Rameez. At least one of them was happy this way. She would manage without love, as she always had...She didn't think she deserved love. Not the way he deserved love. She sent a prayer up for his happiness and hoped he was happy with his wife (Faryal?) She decided then she wanted a clean break from her past.

The next weekend Zubiya, egged on by her enthusiastic friends , went in for a beautifully styled haircut, her hair still the same length but cut in waves to frame her petite face. She also got some beautiful trousers, skirts and coats. At least, now, when she went for work she looked really pretty and well turned out and not as if she was pining away for a lost love in her regulation jeans, UCSF sweatshirt and scrunched up plait as before.

But fate, as always, had other plans.

The day dawned cold and wet and windy, the omnipresent San Francisco fog, affectionately named Karl by residents, an annual fixture all winter. Dr Zubiya and her fellow pediatric residents Dr Nicole, Dr Avi, Dr Greg and her friend Dr Xander, were all hurrying back from lunch,  up the very steep Parnassus hill, racing to reach the Pediatric ward, as the Chief Surgeon had buzzed their beepers for an emergency meeting. All of them were laughing at Greg's exaggerated story of his last night's date which clearly had not been a success but had given him dramatic material for his very popular mimicry acts for the next month or so.  As they all raced in at the entrance to the hospital, glad to be out of the cold wind whipping their hair, they came upon their super sexy boss Dr Linda Wyn and Dr John B, the world famous chief surgeon at the hospital entrance, going in with someone. Dr Wyn, famed for chewing residents up and spitting out their bones, turned towards them and froze their boisterous entrance with her icy stare.  All five of them stopped short, their laughs cut off midway, while the two senior doctors and their visitor, a man clad in a sharp navy suit, a blue shirt and a fawn overcoat,  turned towards them.

Dr John B: " Oh hello We were just going up to Floor 19. You four have a meeting now with our visitor from Pakistan, Dr Asfandyar Khan, who we are really excited to host.  So guys, here is the young doctor we have been hearing about who has a new procedure for pediatric cardiac surgery for the bicuspid and tricuspid valve. And Dr..(stumbling over his name), these are our young surgeons specializing in pediatric surgery.

Dr A: ( smiling at Dr John) Call me Asfand please. I realise my name may be a bit difficult for you.

Dr Linda(taking charge):  Thanks, Dr Asfand, let me introduce you. This is Dr Nicole from USA, Dr Greg from Ireland, Dr Avi from India and this, of course, is Dr Zubiya from your own country.  They are all doing their graduate degree in pediatric surgery and work in my clinic.

Asfand looked at each of them and his eyes were cold and distant as they stopped on Zubiya. The blood rushed to Zubiya's cheeks and she turned icy cold and white hot at the same time. Her legs gave way and she stumbled a bit.

Dr Greg and Dr Nicole nearest to her caught her "Woah, what's up Zee?'

Asfand still looked at Zubiya fixedly, expressionlessly.  He noticed the fifth person in their group, who was standing away,  immediately came up as Zubiya stumbled and whom the other doctors immediately gave way to, as if he was a closer friend of the girl. The girl was still staring at Asfand as if she had seen a ghost. The tall good looking boy with his blond hair falling down his forehead,  looked down in concern at Zubiya and asked, "What happened Zee. Do you want to sit down?"

Zee finally turned away from looking at Asfand and looked at Xander and said something inaudibly.

Dr Linda, impatient as usual, interrupted this conversation and said," Young man, I don't recall seeing you in Peds"

Xander, straightened up and laughed, "No Dr Wyn, I am from their cohort but a resident in Psychiatry. I am Dr Alexander Graf."

As others talked, Asfand noted that Zubiya looked back at Xander who was walking away, almost as if her security blanket was taken away. He saw Xander look back and signal to Zubiya to talk on phone later and saw Zubiya nod. Asfand's jaw clenched and he felt sheer, murderous rage. He replaced the helplessness he was feeling with an expression of contempt for her and was gratified to see her, looking scared and lost and near tears when she looked at him.

As everyone rode up in the elevator, Zubi, holding on to the lift rails, trying to be as inconspicuous between Greg and Avi, looked at Asfand, hungrily, looking at his straight back resolutely turned away from her,  smelled his after shave, which was distinct to her even in the melee of so many people and briefly closed her eyes. Even as she was going crazy just being in his presence, she could clearly feel the waves of hatred and anger emanating from him.

She thought "Why did you have to come? I was just learning to survive without you."

As clearly as  if  she had spoken those thoughts aloud, he turned and looked at her taking in her pretty white frilly shirt and black trousers, her long coat, her hair messed up by the wind and her beautiful dark eyes. He thought, she looked beautiful and fragile, making men around her want to protect her. But only he knew how much pain she caused to people who loved her. It was all a lie. And he wouldn't let her go away this time without paying a price for destroying his life. He looked at her coldly and looked away as if she had no value or consequence to him.