Wabasta | Complete ✔

Chapter 21

Recap

After several months of rehabilitation, Firdaus finally begins to get her life back on track. Aman, who's about to go back to London for his residency proposes to her for marriage, to which she reluctantly agrees. But on the day of the engagement, Firdaus sends a letter through Jannat saying that she's calling off the engagement and leaves the city, urging him not to come look for her.

*****

The sound of pagers and phones in the A&E
was a part of the daily melancholy in life. He never stopped to look, everything around him was as frenzied as everything inside him. Chaos was normal, so was gloom. But that never deterred his intentions nor did it ever cloud his judgement. Too many things were at stake. Lives of not one individual, but their entire families. One wrong decision, and everything would be over.

Aman, like his friends and colleagues always said, had spectacular skills as a doctor. Not only were his hands swift and trained, but his verbal tone would often save a situation that could otherwise have had turned into a mishap. He was good with words, always had been. Perhaps that is why people loved him and admired him. It was a different story that now he had forgotten how to love everyone wholeheartedly, everyone except one.

It was almost midnight when he wrapped up work and was walking through the A&E towards the back door, ready to go home and rest after 26 torturous hours of duty. But before he could step out he was stopped by a little boy who ran towards him like a gush of wind. A smile appeared on his face without trying as he bent down and opened his arms to pick him up.

"Hey buddy! What are you doing here?" he looked up from his face and saw a woman walking towards them. She too, had a big warm smile etched on her face.

"He was missing you, so I brought him over. I told him that you're really busy right now, but Daniel wouldn't stop bugging me."

"Ahh, little man, your patience is thinning down I see." He patted him as the little boy blushed and dug his head deeper into his chest. "It's okay Sophie, I'm never too busy to meet him. As a matter of fact I was just heading home."

Sophie pulled her lips into a thin smile and brushed Daniel's hair as he kept turning his gaze between the two of them. He pulled his arms in front and gestured that he wanted to go home together in sign language.

"As you say captain!" Aman replied and the three of them walked towards the parking lot.

By the time they reached home, Daniel had fallen asleep despite his excitement just a little while back.

"He's played a lot outside today with the neighbours kids. Got him all exhausted." Sophie explained as the two of them turned around in the front seats and looked at him sleeping peacefully on the backseat of the car.

"He's doing exactly what kids his age should be doing. You should be happy."

"And I am! It's just that...I get worried. I just don't want to let anybody break his heart."

"Sophie," Aman looked at her with a softness in his eyes, "he's an extraordinary little boy. He's meant to stand out in a crowd and be applauded. That's absolutely nothing that Daniel can't do that other boys of his age can. In fact, he can do much more. And soon people will realise that. You don't need words to make friends. Have you seen the way he interacts with everyone? He's a smart and kind child. So you don't ever need to worry about him."

His words gave her a sense of calmness. Aman unlocked the doors, picked up a sleeping Daniel in his arms and went inside the house behind Sophie who had held the door open for him. Once he put him down on the bed and pulled the duvet over him, he turned to leave but was stopped by Sophie's voice.