The prologue for 'His Saving Grace' is out. Check it out now and let me know. Follow me to know more about the updates and oncoming stories.
Mariam was pacing frantically, with a whimpering Zahaan in her arms. The toddler's head was resting on her shoulder, with his small arms clutched tightly around her neck.
"Urts, mommy," He whimpered, painfully.
"I know sweetheart, I know. We're here to see the doctor okay?"
"No!" Zahaan yelled, and Mariam flinched at the shrill voice ringing directly in her ear. "No doctor!"
"Sweetheart, come on. The doctor will give you medicine and then you will feel better. Your ear won't hurt anymore." Mariam told him, rubbing his back soothingly while swinging him around camly.
"No," He spoke but more softly this time. He sounded almost defeated.
"Mommy is right here, baby," Mariam said and her voice cracked at the pain of her child. She was trying desperately to convince her stubborn son to go inside where Doctor Knight was waiting.
Dr. Knight was Zahaan's pediatrician, and had been for years now.
He was the doctor in charge when Mariam and Zeyad had rushed into the hospital at 2 in the morning with a burning up Zahaan in Zeyad's arms.
Zahaan's eyes had suddenly rolled back into his head after hours of crying. That was the time they found out that their son had an ear infection, along with the very heartbreaking news that Zahaan had autism. He began showing signs a lot earlier, but they were very subtle to be noticed. So, when Dr.Knight treated him for his infection, he had caught the signs.
His symptoms were the usual - delayed speech, Mariam had noticed that Zahaan was very slow with his speaking skills and had even consulted a doctor about it, but during that time it wasn't that obvious that it could be autism and had assumed that it was due to his hearing impairment.
He later started avoiding eye contact and that's what caught Dr. Knight's attention.
After conducting some tests, it was confirmed that Zahaan in fact had Autism Spectrum.
Mariam was devastated at the news and had cried all night, praying to the almighty, asking for forgiveness for whatever she had done. She believed it was because of her sins that Allah (SWT) was punishing their child.
Zeyad was worried too, but he had wowed to do everything that he could for his son. And Zahaan wasn't even the problem. The problem was Mariam. It took him a long time to convince her that Zahaan would be okay, that everything would be fine.
The first two years were difficult, they didn't know how to react to one of Zahaan's fits. He would start repeating the same thing over and over if he was upset or throw things when angry. The worst thing was when one morning Zahaan came limping to their room crying about pain in his left leg, when Zeyad pulled him up on the bed, he took in a sharp breath. Mariam asked what it was and gasped when she saw that his ankle was bent at a wierd angle. They had asked if he fell from his bed or the stairs but he only shook his head no.
"Are you sure, Zahaan? Do you remember falling?"
"I no fall," He had cried.
They again rushed into the hospital, again after running some more tests, it was found that there was some nerve damage in his left side of the brain, resulting in deafness and now a deformation in the left side of his body.
Apart from all that he was fine. He was smart for his age and had learned sign language pretty quickly. He was slow with his speech but quick with his hands.
At the age of four, Zahaan was still very small in size and was often mistaken for a three year old.
Mariam heard hurried steps behind her and saw Zeyad walking towards them. The buttons to his suit jacket were open, his tie hanging loosely around his neck with his dark glasses in place. Even frantic and worried, he managed to look handsome. He always looked handsome to Mariam, though. She blushed at the thought.
"Mariam," He spoke in his ever soothing voice and Marian already felt calm. "What happened?" He asked taking Zahaan into his arms when he made grabby hands.
"It's his ear, it's acting up again."
"Dadda," He squeaked.
"I am here, baby."
"Mommy bad. Mommy take doc."
He cried clinging to his father and Marian rolled her eyes at the scene. It was typical of Zahaan, crying to his dad when Mariam wouldn't listen to his demands. She was quite sure that Zeyad was spoiling him.
"Now, now. Mommy isn't bad, she just cares for you. If we don't go inside, then the doctor won't be able to help you."
"I'll take you to the zoo if you agree," He bribed and Mariam glared at him from across.
"Pwomis?"
"I promise, sweetheart. Now let's go inside."
"I wan mommy." Zahaan again made grabby hands but this time for his mother. Mariam wanted to scoff and laugh at the same time. Scoff at Zahaan's tactics and laugh at Zeyad's betrayed face.
"You may spoil him rotten, but he's a mumma's boy. He loves me more." She teased leading the way inside the office.
"That he does. Just like his father," Zeyad said shaking his head with a fond smile.
***
"Zahaan Amir Ali, you get back here right now. I am only going to count till three. One . . ." Mariam began counting impatiently as she held the bottle of syrup in one hand a spoon in the other, her foot tapping against the floor.
"No!" Came the small voice from under the dining table.
"Zahaan, listen to your mother," Said Zeyad in a stern voice.
"No. Mommy bad. She give medi. Medi taste whack" He said making a disgusted face.
"Oh, so now we're back to bad mommy? Great. Fine, I am the bad mommy but you still have to take your syrup." Mariam then placed the bottle on the table and dragged a screaming Zahaan from under the it. She then sat on the floor and tucked his hands and body between both her legs. Zeyad handed her the spoon filled with syrup that Mariam placed in his mouth forcefully. She held his nose so he wouldn't shut his mouth or spit the medicine out.
Zahaan noisily took in the the bitter liquid, fat tears pooling from his eyes.
"Do not spit it out, Zahaan. I am warning you."
Zahaan begrudgingly gulped the remaining of the liquid at his mother's threat. His mommy was terrifying when angry. Little did he know that his mommy was doing this all for his sake only.
Zeyad helped Mariam off the floor once Zahaan was free and the said boy ran, or limped back as fast as he could with his leg brace straight to his room, slamming the door shut behind him.
"I can't imagine how you deal with him all day. I could never get him to take his medications." He said circling his arms around Mariam's waist, shaking his head.
"That's because I am his mother, and I know when to be strict. You, on the other hand," She said pointing a finger at his chest, "are a softy. You can't watch your son cry. Not even if he is being naughty and stubborn."
"You are the best mother, Mrs. Ali" He said pecking her lips.
"I try, Mr. Ali."
Later that night after dinner Mariam made her way to Zahaan's bedroom where the said child was lying face first into his mattress. His hearing aid was lying on the floor, where Mariam was sure he had tossed it in anger. He sure had anger issues for such a small kid. He was quite at dinner and hadn't even finished his food.
Mariam walked inside after knocking with a bottle of milk in her hands. Yes, he still drank milk from his bottle. It was one of his nightly habits and Mariam was worried he won't stop using it, but Dr. Knight had assured her saying that it will go away eventually.
"Hey, baby boy. See, I've got milk for you," She said as she sat next to his small figure.
"Ngh" He made some incoherent noice.
"I know, I know, you're mad. But mommy was just trying to help you.
Is you ear hurting anymore?"
Zahaan shook his head no and Mariam smiled. "See, that's because you took the syrup. You're a strong boy aren't you?"
Zahaan again nodded his head instead of speaking.
"Come now, I miss those beautiful grey eyes of yours." She said as she tickled his sides earning giggles in return.
"There's my boy," Mariam laughed as she picked him up, placing him in her lap.
"Mommy, top,"
"Oh, you want me stop? But I don't want to!" Mariam said as she hugged him close.
After they stopped laughing, She placed him on her lap as he drank his milk. As soon as his bottle emptied, Zahaan was fast asleep.
"Lob you mommy" Zahaan mumbled as Mariam placed him back on his bed
"I love you too, my love."
_____________________________________
And that's a wrap.
Please don't kill me for doing that to zahaan. It was all decided before I even began writing the story.
Question of the day.
Q. Which is you favourite book/series on wattpad and others?
A. My favorite book on wattpad is sadie someday and favourite book is One day at a time by Danielle Steele.
Don't forget to check out my other book His Saving Grace!
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