Monster

Ch.13 - Is He Okay?

"Ah- Sar (head)" he spoke up lifting up his face again cleaning up his teary face with his hands, and I looked at him dumbfounded, confused what he was trying to say. "Sar, my head, it hurts."

"Ah okay, I'll bring the tablets." I unfolded my legs as I was sitting cross legged to bring him some pain killers that aren't that harmful. I didn't properly got up when his voice stopped me.

"No, wait." listening to his reply I sat back properly gesturing him to continue. "Ah- Can you, ah- can you please... Umm, massage it? Just like ammi used to do?" I felt his voice cracking up at the end and that made me not to say a no to him.

"Umm, okay." I got up and went to the back side of the couch towards his side. He rested his head on the head side of the couch and I forwarded my hand towards his forehead. He closed his eyes before me touching his forehead and I could literally feel my hands shivering.

The moment I my fingers slightly touched his forehead I couldn't gather myself from not moving my hand back at the touch.

Ya Allah, how am I gonna do this? Why did I even say a yes to this?

"Saba? You there?" his voice made its way to my ears when I noticed he knitted his brows in confusion with his eyes still closed.

"Yea-yeah." I again tried to move my hands forward to his forehead calmly but his voice stopped me.

"Come back and sit."

"What?"

"Come here." he opened his eyes but didn't looked up at me. He patted the place where I was sitting before. "Sit."

"I'll do it Shehryaar. I just... need a little time."

"I know, come."

I went back sitting cross legged again looking up at him whereas he was looking at his hands placed on his knees.

"Umm do I mind if I... I put my head on your lap and then you can... Umm." he looked up at me and said, softly, his asking me for permission.

I didn't know what got into me and I nodded my head.

Are you kidding yourself Saba. You just couldn't touch him knowing well, and now?

He shut his and very gently put his head on my lap, adjusting his legs and the other body.

"it'll be much easier, you weren't much comfortable there. Sorry." he said looking up at me with his eyebrows raised and I nodded my head.

"Thanks, just do it for a few minutes." he whispered and shut his eyes calmly. I pressed my lips in a thin line and put my hands on his forehead. Slowly and with time I started massaging it looking at Shehryaar's features closely. His eyes were shut, his features were so calm unlike they were a few minutes ago.

He didn't show any movement. He's asleep I guess. I know he wasn't sleeping well for the past days so I let it be.

He's not hurting me anywhere that I stop him.

I sighed and rested my head from the right on the couch's head side and shut my eyes, inhaling the quietness we had.

"You know when I was little..." he spoke out of blue, followed by a fake chuckle. "Well not little, but just younger than I am right now." he opened his eyes looking into mine and then lowered his eyes to his hands which was placed on his tummy, my eyes followed his. He was fidgeting his fingers with each other.

"Whenever I was in sort of any stress, she used to massage my forehead, with my head on her lap, making me forget every sort of uneasiness or stress." he smiled but hurt and pain was evident on his face. A tear left his eye and I almost gasped.