Head pounding...like a drum following a certain rhythm.
I could feel the hit,like a vibration. A dull ache that doesn't seem to go away.
I tried to remember where I was or where I got the pounding headache from as I opened my eyes but I was coming up blank.
I saw a slight movement as if someone left the room in a hurry but it seemed like I imagined it.
And then it all clicked...Salman,Yazeed,eye staring,me hitting my head.
I sat up but realized I was in a hospital bed. Just then a nurse with a scowl on her face came in muttering about patients that can't stay one place. I rolled my eyes mentally.
"What happened to me?" I asked the unfriendly looking nurse while she adjusted the IV fluids and checked my vitals.
"You had a concussion." She said simply.
I was about to ask another question when she shut me up. "The doctor would be here soon and will explain everything."
Few minutes after she left ,a good-looking doctor came in. She had an easy smile on her face and I felt relaxed immediately.
She explained all that happened in details for me. I didn't really listen because she wasn't answering the question I wanted to hear.
How did I get here?
Where are my family members?
Where's yazeed?
"....you just need to stay one more night so that we make sure you have no internal bleeding of sorts." She said as she wrote something down in her notebook.
I sagged my shoulders feeling really exhausted.
"But..how did I get here? What about my family?"
"Ah..a young man brought you in. He was dressed in an overall. He stayed by your side all night. He alerted us when you regained consciousness and then left. I asked him to stay and talk to you but he insisted that he just wanted to make sure you were fine."
I felt this inexplicable warmth wash over. He stayed with me..all night. I felt giddy.
"You look happy," the doctor observed. "Boyfriend?" She asked.
My cheeks flamed. "N-no no..why would you think that. He's just someone that works with me." I said trying to keep a straight face.
The doctor chuckled and gave me a look that said she knows better.
She left and said she'd come back later to check on me.
When she left,I relaxed on my bed then suddenly realised I had to let my family know. They must be really worried.
I saw my bag and veil laying on the visitor's chair. Another smile...
I grabbed my phone and called Amirah.
"Where have you been Yasmeen? Do you know how worried we were? What happened to you? Where are you?" She asked in a rush,her voice full of tremor.
"Calm down babe,I'm fine. Well not actually fine,got in a little accident,at the hosp..."
She didn't let me complete as I heard her telling everyone at home that I've been in an accident. I could hear the commotion that was happening. She didn't even allow me to explain in details and now she'll make every one nervous.
"I said I'm fine,stop making them worried. It was a slight concussion."
"What's the name of the hospital?" She asked.
When I told her,She hung up on me without saying a word.
And before I could say Jack Robinson,my family members trooped into my ward, all of them talking at once. My head was starting to hurt.
I've never been so glad to see the scowling nurse as she came in and told them only one person at a time could see me. I sighed in relief.
Aunty hafsa was the first. I explained everything to her and she understood but not before saying 'I told you so'. She cautioned me on going to the site of the ongoing fashion house but as strong headed as I was I refused. I stuck my tongue out to her playfully and she muttered something about us making her feel like a grand ma at her young age.
I laughed at the young age part.
Amir came. He spent just few minutes before he left.
Then came Amirah and Afrah.
I told Amirah to put Afrah on my bed beside me.
"Hey princess." I ruffled her hair. "How are you?"
She smiled shyly. "Ayam fyne. Pwease don't be sick like me."
"You're not sick princess,you'll be fine. And I'm fine already. I'm not crying or looking sick am I?"
She nodded then rested her head on my shoulder.
I turned to Amirah who was watching us closely.
"Where's baba?" I asked.
She just shrugged.
"Does he know?"
She nodded and looked away gazing at the window.
I nodded too. What was I expecting? That he'll magically go back to normal because I hit my head on a hard hat? Sounds ridiculous.
"Are you Okay?" I asked Amirah. She had a lost look on her face.
"Yeah,I'm fine."
"You don't look fine to me." I said.
She sighed and cradled herself holding her knees.
She looked up at me,with sad eyes and said. "I just want things to be back to normal you know? I miss Mama..alot," a tear slipped from her eyes and I held back my mine.
"Baba acts as if he's the only one hurting but can't he see? We're hurting too. She was our mother. She left abruptly,no warning sign. One minute she was here,cooking us breakfast and scolding us and the next she isn't there anymore. When we start to heal,try to be happy for once,baba reminds us of all the reasons we shouldn't be happy. Even you yasmeen,I was mad at you for a while,you just left us on our own simply because the pain was too much. You were supposed to be by our side and help us heal. You were supposed to watch Afrah grow and explain to her how amazing our mama was. But you left..."
She sobbed and I couldn't stop the tears from falling. I needed to let it out. She was right. I was selfish. I couldn't stand to watch baba go about his day like a living corpse. I couldn't watch our once lively home become a dull lifeless place where no one laughed or smiled. I couldn't watch the baby sister I adored suffer from a congenital heart disease...I just wanted the pain to stop and by leaving,I never thought it affected Amirah that much.
I felt a small hand wipe my tears and looked down to see Afrah with a sad look. "Ya yashmeen pwease don't cry. I'll cry too."
She got down effortlessly from the bed and went over to Amirah and hugged her.
She was just a little girl,but she comforted us in a way we couldn't comfort our own selves. I wiped my tears.
"I'm so sorry mirah na,I'm sorry for being selfish. For leaving you guys. I wasn't thinking well at that time. I was overcomed with so much grief and I know my excuse isn't valid and wouldn't change a thing but I'm really sorry I wasn't there when you guys needed your big sister to comfort you."
She gave me a small smile. "It's okay. It's all in the past now. Everything's slowly going back to normal. It's just baba..I hate seeing him that way. I hate that he pretends we don't even exist. Atleast for Afrah's sake, atleast even if he won't acknowledge us,he should acknowledge her. He's the only parent she knows and he doesn't treat her like a daughter. Haba!"
I nodded at her words. Baba wasn't willing to change. We've done everything we could.
"We just keep praying. That's the only thing we can do now. God that brought the pain will take it away all in due time. Let's just keep praying."
She didn't say a word. I didn't either. We were comfortable with the silence. Each one of us lost in her own thought.
♠
It was getting late and they both decided to leave. I told them I was being discharged tomorrow so they promised to come and pick me up.
In the silence of my room, I let my thoughts drift to Yazeed.
What was it about him,so warm yet so cold. He had this air of mystery about him. I wanted to find out more about him. Know more. I wanted him to open up to me...
I remembered those eyes of his, held so much pain and regret but yet they had this fire within them,a determination that made me shiver. He was a common man who had an air of power surrounding him. He...
And then I saw a slight movement from my peripheral view. Where the door was. As I turned,I saw a shadow pass and before i could blink my eye,there was nothing.
I must have imagined it.
I rubbed my eyes as I felt the sleep ready to take me. As I closed my eyes,I swear i could see a person staring at me from the door but my head was a jumbled mess so I let the sleep take me.
***
[A/N]: I'm sorry guys ..i really have no legit excuse. I'll try to be updating frequently from now on. Thanks for sticking this far with me❤
Don't forget to vote😇❤
Love,
Siyyamah✨