Almost eight hours had passed by and I was still waiting outside the surgery room.
Everyone had taken turns sitting alongside me and had only left at regular intervals to buy food or to use the washroom. Nevertheless, I had stayed rooted to my spot and had acted really stubborn, therefore, they had let me be.
As I did not have to offer my obligatory prayers due to my monthly cycle, there was no reason for me to leave the place and however I was clearly in no state to digest any food.
Alhamdulillah, Dilshad had been successful in arranging the required amount of blood and the surgery had resumed with fastening pace.
Aahil's mother kept calling me every half an hour or so, unlike me she was so cool and collected. She had complete faith that her son was going to be fine and kept reassuring me.
She desperately wanted to be here in the hospital but unfortunately, Aahil's father's health was deteriorating and she was reluctant to leave his side.
Nonetheless, she promised to visit the villa once aahil would be discharged from the hospital.
I kept praying silently and fervently. It is ironical that all of us remember our creator only during hardships and we seize to remember him during our happy days.
It was more than a week now and Aahil still hadn't recovered. I did not know what I would do if God forbid something went wrong. I did not even want to think along those lines as the mere thought made me shudder.
A lot of relatives, friends and some of his staff members had sent him bouquets and get-well-soon cards. But none of them was allowed to see him, save for the few family members. After what happened last time with the oxygen supply, the police did not want to take any potential risks. They had increased the security and I was glad.
I begged Allah to grant me a second chance to prove myself as a better wife. I so badly wanted him, both physically and emotionally. He was mine to hold and to love, and I would never ever let him go.
"Aleena, the doctors say that it is going to take exactly another couple of hours," I turned towards Lissa who squeezed my tensed and tightly coiled fingers. "Why don't you go to the room and freshen up until then?"
I shook my head, "Not gonna happen."
"Don't you want to look presentable when Aahil looks at you?" She winked at me making the situation look light.
"No, he would just have to accept me the way I am."
"You are being unreasonable, this isn't how you naturally look. You appear like a zombie."
I was adamant that I wouldn't go and Lissa had no way other than backing out. I had been sitting from the past ten hours and my back was stiff with strain, the pain unbearable, but I wasn't going to admit it to anyone, not even to myself.
Ayath and Lissa had begun playing a silly game where the one had to start with a random name and the other would reply with another name which began with the same alphabet with which the previous name ended.
I closed my eyes and rested my throbbing head on the headboard and began listening to them play so as to distract myself from imaging the doctor's slitting out Aahil's chest and the blood oozing out.
From the past few hours I had been imagining the worst-case scenarios and it was making me giddy.
Sharukh
Harris
Sid
Dilshad
Davis
Simar
Rakee
Elizabeth
Hameed
Dilshad
"Yeah," ayath squealed, "I won as you repeated the same name twice."
"Did I?"
"Yes, you did! You said Dilshad twice."
I couldn't help but open my eyes and look at Lissa amused, she turned bright crimson.
Just then a number of nurses excited the surgery room, gifting me a small smile. I hurriedly stood up from my place and was positive that everyone could hear my heart beating.
No longer able to take the suspense I blurted out in a rush, "How is my husband?" It felt as though I wouldn't be able to take the next breath.
"Take it easy, child. The doctor will have a word with you shortly," A plump and charming nurse exclaimed as she patted my slim shoulder.
A few seconds later, doctor, Watson exited the surgery room, still looking fresh and perfect, even after ten hours of performing a surgery.
He gave me a weak smile as strode towards me. I held my breath, hoping that it wouldn't be another bad news.
I had lost all energy to cope with anything negative.
"Mrs Hussain, I apologize for the inconvenience caused due to lack of bloodstock."
I ignored his apology, "How is he?"
"It looked really bad in the beginning and we thought maybe his heart would give out, but thankfully the surgery was a success and my team is positive that he won't need lung transplantation. We are hoping that he will regain his conscious within a few hours."
Alhamdulillah
A huge tide of mixed feelings and relief filled me. I never knew that it was possible to ever experience such pure happiness. I closed my face with my hands and cried a million tears.
My heartbeat accelerated and I felt it would burst with the extremely fierce love that it contained for my man.
__________________
The day was spent, keeping check of his improvements.
I had urged mom ayath and Ali to return home and they had left reluctantly after I promised to visit them as soon as Aahil recovered completely. I knew that Ali couldn't afford to take more than three-day leave from work and I didn't want to put him in trouble.
My eyes longed to sleep for hours together to stop the extreme throbbing of my head, but I couldn't leave Aahil's side until he regained consciousness.
The need to hear his honey-dark drawl was increasing with every second. I sat there staring at his handsome face and realised that simply watching him filled my heart with peace.
My hand ran through his ruffled hair, traced the blemishes on his chest and I bent to kiss him gently on his face.
After long agonising minutes, I rested my head on his arm gently and closed my eyes for a few seconds, when I felt the familiar warm touch caressing my hair.
Opening my eyes, gained me a half crooked smile and I jumped, "Yaa Allah ... " I burst into uncontrollable tears.
"Ouch, you are hurting me," He gripped his chest, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth with pain.
I instantly let go realising that I was hugging him, "I'm so sorry...I'm really so sorry. I was so scared...I just couldn't control....myself," I said between loud sobs.
Aahil opened his palm and gestured me to slip mine into his. He kissed my hand, "Calm down sweetie----" He began choking, "Water."
I quickly grabbed the water bottle and poured a little amount to his mouth very carefully.
"I'm fine don't worry over me. My head is swimming with all the medications probably, Can I sleep?"
I nodded my head and was about to leave.
"Please don't go," He held my hands firmly in his and went back to sleep.
I alerted the nurse station. After a few tests, the doctor confirmed that Aahil's condition was improving and we could get the discharge within days.
___________
A day had passed and things were appearing a lot better.
Aahil had woken up a couple of times but had returned to sleep as he was still on heavy medicines.
There was a slight knock on the door, I wore my abaya and adjusted my hijab, only to reveal a smug-looking Usman.
"Mrs Hussain!" I did not know how he had got here, but suddenly he was beside me.
Wasn't he supposed to work in the villa's office extention? He was the one I had walked into on the first night of my wedding.
"Yaa ALLAH, you look dreadful!" I was only vaguely aware of him standing so close to me and hearing him assure that he would see to that I was alright.
"I don't need your sympathy," I tried to get away from him as I saw Dilshad walk away in the corridor. I wanted to call out for help, I wasn't getting good vibes from this man.
Unfortunately, Dilshad had his back faced towards me. I glared at Usman when he refused to grant my request and was purposefully blocking my way, "How did you get in here? The staff hasn't been allowed to enter the premises until the investigation comes to an end."
'I am not the staff. I am a friend of yours. That is what I said with the security man at the entrance otherwise they would never have allowed me.'
"A friend of mine?" I gasped in horror.
"You never have been a friend of mine. Not now! not ever!"
"You are overwrought, Mrs.hussain. That's perfectly understandable given the circumstances. You might find yourself needing a friend...or a shoulder to cry upon..as none of your family members is here."
My chin lifted in a rebellious gesture.
What was he trying to do?
Be a friend? Or something else?
"Please leave the premises right this instance," I made my way towards where Aahil lay but to my utter dismay Usman followed me.
"Now you might feel strong, do you think that you can handle all this alone..but you might need someone..if..if Aahil..well..If he ------'
"If I do what Usman? Kick the bucket?"
I spun around, pulled by the familiarly deep voice which for hours I had been wondering whether I would hear again.
"Aahil!"
But Aahil did not look fine. He was breathing heavily.
He looked tired and dishevelled, his usually immaculate shirt crumpled, his black hair falling untidily over his forehead, and the skin on his shoulders and chest, still cherry-red with ugly blisters.
But he was alive! Alhamdulillah!
"Sorry to disappoint you if that's what you were hoping for," He drawled sarcastically, still in control, despite the amount of will power it took for him to breathe evenly.
He looked venomously at Usman, "Unless you want a broken nose ....get away from my wife!"
Usman obeyed the intimidating command and moved away.
"Aahil!" I rushed forward but somehow stopped myself from throwing into his arms.
It somehow felt awkward in broad daylight and I urged myself to stand still.
Besides, just then two doctors and a few nurses appeared. One of the doctors advised Aahil to take rest. There was still slightly chances of his breathing getting critical again, so they had to monitor him for the next 24 to 48 hours.
"I am perfectly alright and I want to be shifted to my villa."
"Nevertheless, you should take rest and get monitored for the required hours," I said concerned.
"I said that I am alright and don't need to waste my time my being monitored unnecessarily." The authority in his deep voice was sufficient for the doctor to realise it was pointless arguing.
Nonetheless, I determined not to be bullied by him. "You really ought to," I whispered, worried for him.
A fleeting smile lifted one corner of his mouth, "And you would worry if I wasn't?"
Against the backdrop of activity, of the medical equipment being carried away, of people scurrying away, for a moment, it seemed like we were entirely alone. "Of course I would," I chocked, wondering if I had imagined the odd inflexion in his voice, "You don't know what I have been through ......."
"Don't I?" His eyes were dark, fathomless pools of concealed emotion.
"I must say your concern surprises me. A man could die for just half of that."
"Is my concern less acceptable than anyone else's?"
Pale beneath his skin, Aahil released his breath in a hiss, "Somehow it is," The raw intensity was still behind his hard facade.
Was he being sarcastic?
Hurting me when he had to be able to see the anxiety in my face.
Couldn't he see that I had been out of my mind with worry?
But he wasn't looking at me now. He was looking at Usman.
I had completely forgotten about him.
"May I ask you what were you doing here? Wiping her tears?" Aahil's tone was visibly threatening and it made Usman recoil.
"I.....I thought she did not look well,"
He sounded nervous, not looking too good himself at the moment, "I thought she needed someone to help her out. I felt she would make herself sick by worrying."
"Did you now?" Aahil's expression was hard, inscrutable although there were doubts in the brown eyes that rested on Usman.
"If she was going to be sick than I think that would be my concern, not yours," My heart did a little summersault as I heard him say those words. I couldn't understand why was he being possessive out of the blue when he clearly did not believe my concern.
But my heart was rejoicing even as my mind was telling that Aahil was only acting with atavistic aggression, as any male would, asserting what his rights were over a rival male.
But Usman was not a competition against Aahil in any sense of the world.
And If Aahil still felt the need to be possessive just because of the advances that Usman was making towards me, then he was being incredibly naive.
Even though Aahil was trying to act strong it was clearly visible that he had started gasping for air once again.
"Please allow them to monitor you for the required hours," I said gently.
And this time he nodded without further arguments. Aahil was being monitored very carefully because of the potential danger of delayed-onset pulmonary enema.
Usman scurried off faster than lightning and it was almost laughable.
Detective Hamilton showed himself after long hours, he wanted to have a word with me, "We believe that it wasn't an accident, Mr Hussain was subjected to harmful exposure purposefully."
I kept my expression blank.
"Someone knew he was doing his research using phosgene and they used the opportunity to harm him. I am not sure if you are aware that phosgene is one of a chemical weapon and can cause mass destruction. It was also used in world wars. If the person is exposed to a high concentration of the chemical then it can even result in death."
"Of course, it was planned," I replied meekly, "The writer of threatening notes already confirmed his intentions," I replied with sadness tugging my heart.
"However, the police does not believe in any threats. We need definite proofs."
I stood silently.
"Mr Hussain is recovering, therefore, it is understandable that the person did not intend to kill him but merely tried to warn him about the danger they could cause to his life. Aahil needs to backout from searching the papers and solving your dad's murder case."
Now I intended to find the file, no matter what comes my way.
I couldn't allow my father's murderer to win. He needed to be punished.
"How can you be so sure that the phosgene exposure wasn't an accident?" I questioned, still curious.
"If more than 1mg is produced in any laboratory it needs to be reported. Mr Hussain had all the required papers to perform his research and all the safety measures were taken. If he had not covered his eyes during the experiment than the chemical could even cause him to lose his eyesight."
I chill shiver ran through my back.
"Someone fiddled with the lab equipment beforehand. The rupture of the gas pipe was done by very intelligently and without leaving behind any trace. Only one of the known men could do the act."
"Do you mean we could have another traitor?" I was hyperventilating as I spoke.
Detective Green hamilton shrugged his shoulders.
"Maybe."
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I wrote such a long chapter, therefore, I hope for more comments than the previous chapter InshaAllah.
Aahil is back on popular demand :)
Fee amanillah <3