Wabasta | Complete ✔

Chapter 10

"Arey, yeh yahan phirse?"

The voice of a nurse made them both look up and turn. 

"Phirse matlab?"

"Doctor yeh patient kuch ek saal pehle bhi ek baar emergency mein ayi thi. Uss baar doctor Tareeq inka ilaaj kar rahe the."

"Achha? Tabh toh hospital records mein kisi family ka contact number hoga. Pichhli baar inke saath koi aya tha?"

The nurse thought for a moment before answering.

"Haan, unki mother ayi thi shayad."

The doctor let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank God, atleast kuch toh pata chala. Tum chalo mere saath, hum records check karte hai." He looked at Aman, "Naam kya hai patient ka?"

Aman, still in state of daze answered in a low voice, "Firdaus Jahan."

"Okay, thank you. Unki family se contact ho sake toh aapko inform kardenge."

With that, the doctor left, and he was left alone again, but this time with more questions.

There was a crushing pain in his chest. It felt like the walls of the hospital were closing in on him and going to collapse any moment. Breathing was becoming increasingly difficult.

Within the next few minutes Aman rushed out of the hospital and stood right outside the emergency gate, trying the breathe in some fresh air. The glistening moonlight provided enough light for him to see what was going on around him. He wished he could see what was going on inside him as well.

He stood there for a good half an hour, confused, angry and scared. It all seemed like a nightmare which he desperately wanted to wake up from. It was true, that the thing that he wanted the most was to find Firdaus, but not the way he did. Never like the way he did.

What came next was completely unexpected.

Outside the hospital, he saw Shagufta and Zaitoon Bano. They were rushing inside the hospital when they spotted him and froze, just like he did when he saw them. Aman stood there trying to decipher the expressions on Shagufta's face, but he couldn't. It was weird melancholy of several emotions, none of them optimistic. He was expecting her to say something, but instead she just went inside. Zaitoon khala, who looked like she was unable to think of what to do, decided to go with her. Aman followed the inside, unsure of what might happen.

They were back in the same corridor where now Shagufta was talking to the doctor who had previously talked to him.

"Doctor woh theek toh hai na?"

"Jee jee, aap fikar na kare woh theek hai. Bas mujhe aapse kuch poochhna tha." He paused for a minute, "Lekin yahan nahi. Aap mere saath mere cabin mein aye. Baki hospital ke formalities bhi wohi poori karlenege."

Aman stood there silently watching them walk away and disappear around the corner. His mind was buzzing with perplexity, totally confused and disoriented. He rubbed his temples and close his eyes shut, and only opened them when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Zaitoon standing there, teary eyed.

"Aman?"

Aman couldn't stop the tears from flowing down his eyes. For the first time that night he felt a sense of familiarity.

"Khala, ye kya horaha hai? Firdaus...Shagufta aunty..."

Zaitoon raised her hand and cupped his cheek. 

"Beta tum kitne bare hogaye ho. Abhi tak toh doctor bhi ban gaye hoge. Lekin tum...tum yahan Lahore mein? Aur Firdaus tumhe kahan par mili?"

"Meri gaari se takra gayi thi. Yahan hospital le aya toh doctor ne kaha ke woh..." he stopped midway when Zaitoon retreated her hands and looked down. "Khala woh aisi halat mein kyun hai?"