"Don't go." She whispered, blinking her tears back. Quickly she gulped them down and smiled as he entered the room back with his files.
"I will be back in three days, Zee. You will not even miss me when you will have Ammi, Abbu, and Zain here. I think I am the one who will be missing out on all the fun." He grimaced placing his work things in his bag. "I don't know why I have to go now?"
Then, Don't go. The words were on the top of her tongue.
"You will be here in 3 days" She reminded him, more to herself. "And, they will be here after 2 days. They won't be here so soon."
"I know but they will be here soon and stay with us for an entire week." He leaned and kissed her lips gently. "I will be back before you and I know it. After that, I will give you your graduation gift, trust me you'll love it."
"Tell me already, I don't like surprises." She whined.
"No! That's your graduation gift, you will get it on your special day." He stated grinning.
She rolled her eyes "Then you should have never told me about it, why hype me now when I'm not getting it."
"Because I love you." He chuckled pecking her lips again.
She melted at his confession, a mischievous smile taking up her face. "I hate you when you annoy me."
"No, you don't, meri jaan. You love me all the much more when I tease you." He said in so much confidence that she flushed.
"I do." She mumbled giving up, he grinned and kissed her forehead. "Thank you for bringing Ammi, Abbu, and Zain to my graduation ceremony."
"Who am I to bring them? It's their daughter's big day. They would have been here anyhow." He ruffled her hair making her scowl. "Now, you call me every day and take care of your diet, I don't want you to fall sick again. Eat what you feel like and don't force yourself to stomach anything you cannot. You understand?"
Azeen nodded, she had symptoms of food poisoning the past week, She had puked her guts out and had cramps in her stomach like never before. Shehryaar had panicked at her state, admitting her to the hospital without listening to her 'I'm okay, I'll be fine.' He could be calmed down only when doctors told him it was minor food poisoning and she will be okay in two days. Her medicine course is for one another day but she was already feeling much better if only her stomach cramps are to be ignored. Most probably they were the invitation for her early monthly cycle.
"I will take care but you will have to be back in three days, I want you here a day before my graduation day anyhow." She threatened and he quickly agreed.
"I'll be here, I promise. Mere bina you will not graduate. I won't let that happen" He teased.
Azeen rolled her eyes, "As if. You cannot stop the ceremony, Mr. Shah."
"Oh, I can, begum. I definitely can." He winked before pulling her hand in his and kissing her fingers. "You will take care, right?"
"I will, Shehryaar. Don't worry about me." She assured him, "You focus on your work and complete it in three days."
"I will, Zee. I can't stay away from you for that long."
Shehryaar kissed her one last time before pulling her down the stairs as he carried his bag and she clung to his arm. She didn't want him to go, never she lived here in this place without him, not for straight 24 hours without seeing him. He had always come back to her at the end of the day and she was content having him back.
Azeen glanced at the side of his head, wanting to have one full look at him before he left, she had this weird feeling in her heart of not having this moment again, she chastised herself at the thought. He will be coming back in three days or less than that.
"Mein jao?" he asked at the door.
She stared at him, eyes blinking as she felt them brimming.
"If you say no, main nahi jaunga." He asserted, caressing her face.
"Come back soon." She gulped and smiled with teary eyes.
"I will be here." He promised.
Azeen saw his car driving away. Her eyes followed the car until it left her sight. Entering back, she walked towards the kitchen with heavy footsteps, the thought of food made her feel nauseated.
"Azeen, how are you feeling now?"
Her steps halted, eyes snapping towards Ayesha who stood behind the counter sipping into her mug.
She waited for Azeen to answer, looking at her above the rim.
"Alhamdulillah, I'm good, better now." Azeen smiled.
Shehryaar's panic had made everyone know about her illness. Dado had stayed beside her until she felt okay, Ayaan popped into her room every now and then to check up on her, cracking jokes. Zeeshan Chachu had asked her once if she was okay, Ayesha had checked on her occasionally but Nafisa didn't say a word, she had felt her eyes following her but she didn't voice her thoughts, though she knew Nafisa ordered around for the edible food to be prepared for her.
"Shukar." Ayesha smiled "Coffee?"
Azeen pursed her lips if she could stomach it, few seconds later she agreed "Sure."
She frowned seeing Ayesha smirk for a second before it turned into a smile as passed her another, she glanced back at her feeling a negative vibe, but she shook her head and ignored it before sipping. She bit her tongue feeling the medicinal taste, her taste buds seemed to be dead with all the medicines she was having in the last few days.
"Is it not good?" Ayesha raised her brows.
"It is good, just my taste buds are dead." Azeen grimaced and chuckled.
"Are you okay, now? Shehryaar Bhai seemed to be worried a lot for you." Ayesha gritted the word Bhai, it left a bitter taste in her mouth.
"I guess I will be." Azeen shrugged feeling her stomach hurt again.
Ayesha smirked, covering it with a smile "I hope so." Not.
~~~
The constant headache didn't let her get down from the bed, the sun was up, and the time for Fajr will end soon but her body didn't cooperate, Azeen had been feeling nauseated feeling again for the past two days, the intensity of the stomach cramps had her whimper.
Clutching onto her belly she sat up and took a shaky breath, her vision took time to clear up and her feet took minutes to stable her weight. Supporting herself she went towards the cupboard and gulped the dose of medicine on her empty stomach, this bug didn't pity her enough to have anything after yesterday's breakfast which was already down the drain.
The cramp subsided, making her whisper shukar as she completed her morning routine and performed ablution for the namaz.
After the first sajdah, it took all her willpower to sit up, some more before she slumped back to the wall to hold onto her weight before she could drop down.
"Ya Allah, reham" she begged as she felt lightheaded and the bile rose up her throat. She cupped her mouth and stood up shakily.
"Azeen Bibi."
She heard the worried voice, a hand patting her back as she dry heaved in the sink, she had nothing left to throw up.
"Ya khudaya, you are burning." Nagma supported her, while she was throwing some water on face to wash away any urge of vomiting.
Nagma guided her back to the bed, covering her with the comforter and seeing her shiver with the slightest of wind.
"I will ask Bade Sahab to call the doctor for you, Azeen bibi. Aapki halat to bohut kharab ho gyi hai." Nagma said ready to run out of the room in search of Jamal.
Nagma broke through her hold, Azeen had stopped her yesterday from telling anyone but today she had to, she feared the consequences of any more negligence.
Azeen slumped back. Today her family was coming, if they saw her like this, it would be a disaster and Shehryaar, what will she answer him? She tried everything in her to not break her promise, to take care of herself but it seems she is infected with something she couldn't point out.
The food poisoning before wasn't this intense, she thought her cramps were that of periods but the burning in her insides clubbed with nausea and fever had her forget all the things as a medical student learned about disease symptoms and their cure.
It seemed she was dying each second, something slow and deadly was eating her health away.
"Gudiya?"
She blinked to clear her blurred vision to make Jamal's outline, eyes squinted to register his face which seemed to be a hard task now.
"Nagma, why didn't you tell me yesterday? My poor child is suffering so much." Jamal touched her forehead, wincing as he felt her skin feverish.
"Bade sahab..." Nagma continued but Azeen had lost the will to stay awake, the black dots clouded her senses and she felt like diving into a black hole, she was scared, fearing if she will be able to open her eyes and meet her family. Her heartbeats ranged in her ears as the last thing.
She was sinking.
"Azeen Bibi" Nagma patted her cheek, she turned towards Jamal with wide eyes "She...she fainted."
Jamal's face lost its color, he kept dialing the ambulance, screaming for them to come quick. Azeen's face had completely lost its color, her breathing was shallow.
"Nagma, go call Zeeshan, quick." He ordered pacing the length of the room.
Nagma ran towards the stairs and down to their room, she knocked on the doors loudly, the panic seeping into her bones.
"Zeeshan Sahab, please darwaza khole" She banged on the door.
The door was ripped open, a scowling Nafisa stared at her.
"What is this behavior, Nagma? Will you break open our door?" She glared.
"Bahu begum, Azeen bibi, wo...she fainted, she is burning in fever and Bade sahab called Zeeshan sahab, please. She is not okay. She was throwing up yesterday and today also." Nagma gulped, wiping her cheek free from any tears.
"Azeen? Was she not fine yesterday?" Nafisa frowned.
"What's wrong?" Zeeshan asked from inside, he raised his brow seeing a panic-stricken Nagma on their door.
Nagma repeated everything to him and his eyes turned towards Nafisa in skepticism but he nonetheless followed Nagma to the second floor.
Nafisa stared back, blinking as she tried thinking hard, Azeen was okay yesterday or it seemed like that. She was aware of her food poisoning but this? Something didn't feel right.
Nafisa locked her door and went towards the stairs to check up on the girl herself. A whiff of a familiar face caught her eyes, she halted in her pace watching the smile grow on her daughter's face, and her heart flipped into the unknown.
"Ayesha?" She called her out to which she flinched.
"Ji...Ji Ammi?" Ayesha tried muffling her smile but Nafisa could see through her, her eyes were shining with happiness at the unknown.
"How come you are up so early?" She questioned pointing at her with a deadly stare.
"I...was up" she shrugged.
"Azeen is not well," she threaded carefully, noticing the change of expressions. "Your Abbu is taking her to the hospital."
"Oh"
"She has a fever and her food poisoning seems to get worse in the last two days, even when it was me who got food prepared for her, she has had nothing except light food and some juice."
Ayesha's eyes glinted in the victory that she tried concealing with fake sympathy. "I feel bad for her."
Nafisa squinted her eyes to notice the slight twitch on her lips. "Do you have anything to do with her?"
"What? Me...Ho...how can you accuse me of something like that, Ammi?" Ayesha blanched.
"I am your mother, I know what you are capable of Ayesha, if you are behind this, trust me you will regret this." Nafisa looked at her miffed.
"I did...nothing, Ammi." Ayesha tried assuring her, but her lie didn't seem to work as Nafisa stared at her with displease and turned around to leave.
Ayesha gulped, wiping her palms away. She stared behind her mother feeling the dread creeping in her, she worried about getting caught, she was sure no one could find out about her giving those pills to Azeen, it wasn't possible to detect the drug in her blood streams but she shouldn't be this sure.
Quickly she rummaged in her closet to fish for the tablets, fisting them, and turned only to be slapped.
"Look, I wasn't wrong, was I?" Nafisa gritted.
Ayesha was horrified. "Ammi..."
"Is this what I think it is?" She pulled the strip out of Ayesha's hand wryly, taking a look at the strip which was nearly empty. Nafisa felt her blood run cold. "F...From when...are you doing this? Tell me" She screamed.
"I...I.." Ayesha shuddered.
"You what?"
"15...days." She flinched. "I...she should be ill, Ammi. I wanted her terminally ill."
Nafisa took a step back. "Are you in your senses?"
Ayesha nodded, wiping the tears away from her face "Shehryaar was mine, she jumped into our life. I wanted her to leave. There was no way Shehryaar would have left her so I thought she could fall seriously ill and he will leave her. No one will know. Once she is gone, I'll make him mine. He was supposed to be..."
"You sinned, you understand?" Nafisa slapped her again, wanting to strangle her. "She is his wife, they were meant to be together. It was written by Allah but who are you to try and take her life away? Do you even realize that...if someone gets to know you...your life will be over. What you have done is punishable, both in the world and on the day of Qayamat. Do you realize that you were trying to kill her?"
"I wanted her to fall ill....this will not kill her." She fervently shook her head.
Nafisa shook her harshly "You were poisoning her. You were killing her."
Ayesha whimpered feeling the harshness. "I...love him, Ammi."
"This is not love, this is an obsession. You are obsessed with him but you don't understand that he will never love you. Shehryaar is married to Azeen. He will never be yours, Ayesha. Make yourself understand this. He will be never yours." Nafisa shoved her back.
Ayesha fell on the floor, tears falling down her face.
"He is happy with her, anyone could see how much they love each other, what they mean to each other. Tell me, Ayesha, did you not see how distressed Shehryaar was when Azeen fell ill? Now, if he or anyone gets to know that you tried killing her, will he ever look at you again or will he even keep you in his life? He will get you arrested, more so kill you himself because you harmed her, Azeen, who means everything to him. He will abhor you. He will hate your existence."
"No! He cannot....he cannot...." Ayesha stuttered shaking her head fervently.
"He will hate you," Nafisa stated it was important to break Ayesha's bubble of obsession if it meant she had to break her daughter. She may be selfish to love her children the most but she will never support their wrongdoings. She had her differences regarding him but she couldn't hate Shehryaar.
She couldn't forget the fact that he was the first child who called her mother, his Choti Ammi.
"Shehryaar will never be yours. Get this in your head, Ayesha."
Ayesha curled up against the bed, fervently chanting No as Nafisa felt her heart hurt for her child. Nafisa took a shaky breath and took backward steps.
"You are not to step out of this room, not until I let you out," Nafisa commanded taking a quick glance in the room to see if there was any harmful object that Ayesha could use to hurt herself or anyone else, once she was satisfied she stepped out and closed the doors behind her.
She had to right the wrong committed by her daughter. If it meant begging for Azeen's forgiveness but before that, she has to bring the girl back to health.
~~~
"The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable, please try again later."
He frowned hearing the computerized voice for the third time since morning, he was trying to call Azeen but the girl seemed to be too busy with her family to even check her phone or bring the device into network coverage.
He sighed and pocketed the phone down before walking to the factory, his phone would be useless once he entered the premises therefore he wanted to hear her voice before he started his day.
Seems like his begum was unreachable at the moment.
It took him three long hours before the final selection of materials was made and the contract was signed between the dealers. Shehryaar shook hands with Rahil Khan, the young man who was entering the business securing the first deal with Shahs at the very start. His email had left Shehryaar intrigued and had made Shoaib fix this meeting with the 25-year-old. His sense of business was something that would get him to the top and Shehryaar was glad he could give him a good start.
Rahil was sincere, witty, smart, and honest, traits Shehryaar considered go-to in the business world.
"Ghar chalien?" Shehryaar asked Shoaib as the duo walked out of the small factory premises.
"Neki aur pooch-pooch." Shoaib shot the idiom grinning. "Chalo, I miss home already."
Shehryaar agreed, he missed home.
He fetched his phone and dialed her again, this time the phone connected and he waited with bated breath for her to pick up.
"Hello?"
He frowned, trying to match the voice to its owner. "Salam walaikum, Ammi."
"Walaikum assalam, Shehryaar beta."
"All okay?" He asked sensing the low voice, he could feel something wasn't right. "Azeen, Kaha hain?"
"Y..Yes, everything is okay. Azeen... is out doing some work. I'll ask her to call you back?" Manizeh was making excuses.
"Ammi, please tell me. What's wrong?" He could hear the shaky breathing of Manizeh.
"It is nothing...When are you coming back? Azeen is waiting for you, she keeps talking about you."
Shehryaar stopped himself from pointing out the helplessness in her voice. He bit his lip thinking of the possibilities of what could go wrong. "I will be back soon, I think by tomorrow morning."
Shoaib raised his brow and blinked.
"Oh, that's good. Come back soon and I'll ask Azeen to call you back. Okay?"
"Jii" he hummed biding bye to her and cutting off the call.
"We are leaving right this moment, Shoaib." He demanded.
"That's the plan, Sherry." He nodded.
Shehryaar fidgeted, his fingers drumming on the leather seat as he waited for the car to come to a stop infront of his home. He had tried calling his grandfather but the old man gave out nothing, he had kept the conversation as short as it came, a Salam and asking about him, nothing else. He had made up the excuse of not seeing Azeen as she was busy with her mother.
No one was telling him about her, he couldn't help the panic settling in him as he thought back to her health. What if she was not well again?
He would go insane thinking about her until he doesn't hear from her.
"Oh khudaya!" He grumbled and dialed Ayaan, wanting answers at once. The phone was received at once.
"Bhai, Salam." The voice greeted.
"Where are you?" Shehryaar came straight to the point.
"I am in the office, why?" Ayaan answered.
"Tell me, what's happening? Dado and Manizeh Ammi sound tensed and Azeen is unreachable, all of them are making up excuses about her."
"Bhai, I cannot lie to you." Ayaan sighed "Tell me, can you come back home now, like right now?"
"I'll be there in less than an hour." Shehryaar confided.
"Oh, Bhai the thing is..." Ayaan contemplated thinking about wording it out. " Bhabhi is in hospital. She had a fever and her food poisoning had returned....
Shehryaar stopped blinking, not hearing anymore. He dropped the call.
"All okay?" Shoaib inquired.
He didn't reply but his face was enough. Shoaib tapped on the glass partition and lowered it. Letting out the instructions which could keep his boss insane.
"Drive faster."
~~~
Sitting beside the bed, Shehryaar felt himself breathing again. His lung which was near to collapsing was rejuvenating and his heart seemed to descend from the inferno of anxiety. He kept his forehead against her hand, letting the feeling of her nearness seep into him.
He wasn't contented, he was far from feeling any positivity but seeing her, touching him brought a little calm. He didn't feel like his heart would jump out or his brain would burst with worry, he felt a little better.
"Shehryaar, Eat something. You have driven here straight from Aurangabad. You must be tired and hungry." Manizeh touched his shoulder but he shook his head without looking up.
He sat near a pale Azeen who was drugged to sleep off whatever the doctors had done to stop her fever and remove the traces of the chemical found in her stomach.
It was poison, his Azeen was poisoned. He wanted to think about it, and derive a conclusion for the one who is responsible, he wanted to but seeing her on this hospital bed broke his strength, his will to do anything.
"Shehryaar, Mrs. Alam is right. You cannot ignore your health. Come have something, then you can come back to her. She will be up quick." Nafisa tried this time. He has not left her side for the past five hours he had stepped into this hospital room.
"I'm okay." He said to no one, and pressed a small kiss on her fingers, tightening his hold on her. He was afraid, afraid that he would lose her, just like he lost his parents.
"Shehryaar..."
"Stop it, please." He snapped, looking at Nafisa, he leveled her with his eyes. "Stop it. You don't have to care."
Nafisa blinked in surprise not letting his words get to her heart " I know what you mean but I do care. For you and her, I care."
Shehryaar looked at her for a good minute before going to back his earlier position, shoulders slumping in defeat. He didn't say another word, he still respected her but he had limits and he was nearing them.
"Sherry" Nafisa touched his shoulder and he clutched his eyes to not look up. "I understand everything."
Her touch left and he kept his mum.
The door opened but he didn't turn. Hearing a set of footsteps entering and one retracing.
"Azeen is strong but more than strength, she has stubbornness in her," Manizeh said making him frown. "When she was a little girl and would catch a little illness, she hated being looked after. She said she will okay and would make me and her Abbu stop fussing over her even if she needed anything she would ask for it but never she liked us pampering her."
"I know, she is short-tempered when she is being fussed upon." He nodded mumbling, blinking the moisture out as he bit his lower lip to not cry. "She kept glaring at me the last time I brought her here and didn't talk to me when I tried feeding her."
"She doesn't like to be treated as a baby and she hates it we are neglecting our work or our health for her." Manizeh smiled caressing his head lovingly. "She will not like you starving because you are seating near her, waiting for her to wake up, Shehryaar. Eat something, if not for me then do it for her. Would you like her to glare at you when knows you starved yourself because she was here lying unconscious?"
"Being angry is the last thing I want her to be on me." He sighed cupping his face in his palms. "I will eat, just give me a moment."
"Sure."
Nafisa stared at the duo, she blinked hardly feeling the guilt and anguish of her actions from past years, burdening her. She failed him, failed the confidence Samina had in her upon taking care of Shehryaar. She shuddered remembering the bond she shared with her, his mother was her best friend, confidante, and sister she never had.
"Nafisa"
A hand touched her shoulder making her look at him, Zeeshan stood behind her. His eyes questioned her.
Her lips wobbled, eyes misted and she blinked only for a tear to roll down.
"Hey, What's wrong?" Zeeshan cupped her face, he pulled her away from the door and towards the steel chairs. "Tell me, Nafisa. What happened?"
"She will hate me. She will be so disappointed in me, Zeeshan. I failed her, I failed every unsaid expectation of hers." Nafisa confided.
Zeeshan frowned in confusion, letting her continue.
"Samina Aapa entrusted me with Shehryaar when she left for that business trip, you remember? She asked me to take care of him, to look after him in her absence and I had assured her I'll do it, I will take care of him until she comes back." She turned towards him, wiping her face. "But, you see, I did everything till I knew she will come back. The moment we got to know about their accident we put the entire blame on that child. We wanted to loosen our pain and our loss, and we blamed him to reduce it, uncaring about his pain, and his loss. I was selfish, Zeeshan, so much selfish to keep my children above him because I thought I was being a parent, I was caring for my children because I brought them into this world and it was my responsibility to look after their needs, I ignored Shehryaar, not wanting to divide my attention between him and my children I sidelined him but I ignored the fact that his parents weren't there to keep him above others. They weren't there to look after him, he needed me but all I did was push him to the side and focus on my children, he is my child too. I may not have bore him but he was the first one to make me a mother. How could I do this?"
Zeeshan stared at her, letting her words relate to that his actions. Did he do the right thing? Ignoring his brother's only son? Firoz was his roof, his support but what about the child for whom Firoz was the sky? Shehryaar's sky was snatched even before he could open his wings and learn to fly.
Zeeshan slumped against the chair, his fingers shaking against the armrest "I...I...Why...did I do that?"
"Zeeshan?" Nafisa called out for him horrified. "Kya ho raha hai aapko?"
His hand clutched to his left arm as he hunched forward on his seat. The pain coursed through his left arm to his shoulder and to his chest.
"Zeeshan!" She tried to hold him "Doctor! Shehryaar!"
"Chachu" Shehryaar plunged out of the door hearing the loud scream for him, eyes widening seeing Zeeshan's crippled form. "Ya Allah! Doctor Jaldi aaye please"
"Step back, It could be a stroke."
Doctors surrounded them, one called for a stretcher, the other for the room, and another called for medicines for CPR.
Shehryaar held back a crying Nafisa, she was into hysterics seeing her husband being wheeled into the room and hospital staff following.
"Sab mere gunaho ki saza hai" She cried in Shehryaar's hold.
"Choti Ammi, he will be fine" He assured her, more to himself as his eyes followed his stretcher.
"Nafisa Aapa, Allah sab thik karenge. Aap bharosa rakhien." Manizeh made her sit down, offering her a cup.
Nafisa shook her head whimpering "They are my sins my family is paying for, Zeeshan is there inside because I failed promises."
"Choti Ammi, what are you speaking?" Shehryaar kneeled before her, clutching her palms, rubbing them in order to reassure her. "Nothing is because of you, you understand? It...it was meant to happen."
He tried smiling, his heart was in despair for quite a while until he accepted it, it was meant to happen, everything was written to happen. He or anyone couldn't control it or stop it.
"I'm sorry" He whispered to her, eyes ducked down in shame "For using that tone for you, Choti Ammi. I...I felt as if I'll lose her like my...parents."
Nafisa sobbed "No, No. Sherry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for making you feel that you lost them. Your parents were not there, not physically but you did not lose them in that accident, you lost them when I made you feel like an orphan. When I forgot about my promises to your mother when Zeeshan held you responsible for something you had no control over. I'm so sorry, my child. Forgive me for everything, please. Forgive us."
"Choti...Ammi..." He gulped shaking his head.
"I don't deserve to be called that, Shehryaar. I feel so small and shameful. I don't know how to meet your eyes nor I know how will I ever face your mother when I meet her in the afterlife. She will be so much disappointed, so...so much disgusted by me...."
"Choti Ammi, please" he shook her palm cutting her off. "I cannot say it didn't hurt, It did. There were days when I was hurt because of your words but I...I know that you cared for me, though not equal to that for Ayaan and Ayesha, I was jealous at times but never, never I was angry with you, nor I am today. I know it happened and you had it in yourself to love me but your feelings overpowered and I wouldn't hold you up for it. I don't hold grudges against you, I cannot" He admitted resting his face in her lap.
Her fingers held onto his face as she bend her head on top of him, eyes letting the tear flow, lips wobbling as they both cried, one for the lost love, for years of wait, and the other in regret and reparation, the will to amend had her sob harder. She kissed his forehead, wiping away his tears and letting his smile.
"Ab roye nahi, Sab thik hai and Sab thik ho jayega." Shehryaar kissed her hands and she hugged him to herself.
"I failed in many things, Shehryaar, and I promise to amend them all. I'll make things right." She stated.
"I know you will" He nodded and stood up "Let me check upon Chachu and Azeen. Do you both need something?"
Nafisa wiped her face and shook her head, he looked at Manizeh who copied the actions.
"Okay then."
Soon Ayaan joined them at the hospital, Doctors had declared Zeeshan out of danger, his chest pain was less than a heart attack and immediate medical attention had nullified any chances of it as for now. He was resting in another ward accompanied by Ayaan, Manizeh was with Azeen. Shehryaar went to and fro from Azeen and Zeeshan, getting a good earful from his Choti Ammi and Manizeh on starving himself which led to a quick break in the hospital canteen leaving the two patients in nurse's care.
Shehryaar stared at Azeen's face to spot any moment, she has been under sedatives for the last 18 hours. Doctors had carried out tests that spoke of intensive intestinal poisoning, but the source was hard to find, he wanted a detailed explanation but Dr. Amir had calmed his curiosity, he was a good family friend and medical consultant his family often took advice from. He had explained too many medical terms and situations that he had frowned upon in confusion, getting him to give up and let the doctor talk to Azeen who may have a better understanding of this.
Only if she wakes up quickly.
"Ammi, Please go home. I'll stay here." Shehryaar said.
Manizeh looked up from her chair where she sat reciting verses of the Quran for Azeen's wellbeing. She took a glance at Azeen and him and nodded her head going back to the holy book to finish her surah.
Once completed she closed her eyes and blew all around Azeen, then at Shehryaar blessing them with the protective verses.
"She will be fine soon, Sherry." Manizeh patted his arm and he smiled.
"I will ask the driver to drop you and Choti Ammi back home." He said glancing at Azeen's sleeping form before leaving.
He checked upon Ayaan once and then came back to her room, his steps faltered. His eyes zeroed in on the pair of browns he had been waiting to look at again.
"Zee" he called her slowly and she blinked, her fingers moving to call him and he followed. Palms engulfing her hand. "You are up."
Azeen nodded slowly, "I am."