10th Jan, 2020
Distance.
In a relationship, distance is one of the most important thing. When two people in a relationship stays distance apart for quite a long time, then the relationship is either strengthened or it is weakened over the time. With Shumail and Eram, guess distance had weakened their already weak relationship.
Defining silence was what was filled in the room when both Shumail and Eram's gaze locked with each other. If Shumail was worried a few moments before for Eram then seeing her awake and all fine, his stoic and cold facade was back. He didn't wanted to show any emotions on his face that could give away how he actually felt.
When Eram looked at him, she kept blinking her eyes thinking that she was imagining Shumail standing in front of her eyes but when even after blinking her eyes several times, she still saw Shumail standing in front of her, her eyes widened realising that he was actually standing there, right in fornt of her.
'I am not imagining! Shumail is really standing in front of me! Shumail is finally back!'
Eram's happiness knew no bound seeing him after so long. She didn't think even for a second before she tried to get up from the bed and run in Shumail's arms. Realisation hit her late that she have both her legs fractured and she can't walk on her legs, only when she had fallen on the floor right beside the bed and injured herself again. She landed on her left arm which thankfully wasn't injured but the impact of the fall made her let out a painful hiss and her eyes closed tight shut due to the pain that shot through her injuries on the head, arm and her legs.
Eram opened her eyes and looked down at herself, and that was when she found both her legs in a cast, along with her right arm which was having a fracture too. As her other hand went to touch her head, she felt a bandage wrapped around her head as well. The memories of her accident came rushing to her and she remembered how she had passed out calling Shumail's name, thinking he might appear out of nowhere, but what made her confuse was why she wasn't able to move her legs and walk.
"What happened to me? Why am I unable to move my legs?" She asked but the question was directed more to herself.
Shumail was immediately by her side as he saw her fall and with an irrational heartbeat, he put his hands under her form and picked her up, trying to be careful not to hurt her more. She was pulled back to reality by this act of Shumail and her head snapped up to look at his face.
"You were in an accident. A car had hit you and the impact was worse on your legs. According to doctors, you won't be able to walk on your own temporarily." Shumail who had happened to hear her confusion, answered. There were particularly no expressions that Eram could see on his face.
For a split second that she was in his arms, she felt her heart would explode with happiness seeing herself in his arms but the moment was short lived because Shumail immediately moved back after he had placed her on the bed. When the warmth of his hands and body left her, she stared at him with hollow eyes and blank expressions as she tried to think what was happening.
What he was thinking, what was going on in his mind, Eram could know nothing. Shumail was standing in front of her but it was as if he was just physically present. Eram lowered her gaze to her lap and began to fidget with her fingers. Listening to what Shumail said, Eram's heart sank but it was not because of the condition she was in but because of the situation her condition had put her into.
Seeing Shumail in front of her, a hope to win his trust back, to work on their weak relationship had filled Eram but after hearing that she wouldn't be able to walk for god knows how long, that hope shattered in million pieces. The happiness on her face vanished in thin air and she turned her face to the window, and refused to look at Shumail.
"I'll go call the doctor." Shumail said and walked out of the room. As soon as Shumail was out of the room and the door was closed, Eram burst into tears stuffing her face in her hands and let her tears run down her cheeks freely. Her emotions were all over the place and felt burdened with the reality.
'I wouldn't be able to walk.' It was as if she wasn't able to believe it and kept on repeating the same thing in her mind again and again.
'Now, what will happen to my relationship with Shumail? No one would want a disabled wife.' Her shoulders shook as she cried. 'How will I work to gain his trust back, being this helpless? How will I face Shumail? He would see me as an added burden. He had already done so much for me and my brother. How do I add more problems to his plate!' She cried.
The sound of the door opening fell on her ears and she quickly wiped away her tears and sat up straight, not to give away the idea that she had been crying. Her face looked pale but she still tried not to show it. Shumail entered along with the doctor and they walked to her. The doctor began to question her about how she was feeling and began to take down his observation about her. Checking up on her, he turned to Shumail to instruct him to give only fluid diet to Eram and then took his leave.
As the doctor left, an awkward silence fell between the two. Eram once again turned her head to the window unable to meet his gaze, and refused to look anywhere in his direction, while Shumail just stood there awkwardly. His mind went back to how she had attempted to run in his direction as soon as her eyes had landed on him, and he was compelled to think why she did so. Theirs wasn't a relationship that was filled with love, then why had her face brightened up at the very sight of him and why she had took a run in his direction, were the questions that were bugging his mind.
He had just parted his lips to make an excuse and walk out when the door opened. Shumail's head turned to the sound of the door opening and he saw Haya standing at the door with a soft smile on her lips.
"Shumail bhai, did I disturb you guys?" She asked. "I came to see Eram. Glad that she has gained her conscious." She smiled, walking in and closing the door behind her. "I thought being a girl, I might be of some help since there were only the boys present with you."
"You did great. Thank you so much for coming." Shumail replied, returning her smile. "You sit. I'll get something for you." He saw that as an excuse and headed out to run away from the awkwardness.
"How are you doing?" Haya questioned. She walked around the bed and headed to take a seat on the chair placed by her bed. "With all the incidents happened between you and bhai, we haven't been introduced properly right?"
"And I'm going through my punishment for hurting such a pure soul." Eram said in a small whisper, fidgetting with her fingers in her lap. "I was so stupid to betray and hurt a man like Shumail, wasn't I?" Eram let out a dry laugh, laughing at her own fate.
"Don't be silly to think like that. It wasn't like you were doing everything on your own. You had your reasons, and besides, the fact that Shumail bhai's aunt can go to any extent for money, isn't hidden from anyone." Haya said, caressing her arm.
"Whatever reasons I had, I don't have any reason to ruin his life this way. I shouldn't have done that." Eram's voice shook as she spoke, she was on the verge of breaking down again.
"You have the realisation of your fault. That's what matters! Stop being like this Eram." Haya tried to console her. "Now that Shumail bhai is back, try and work on your relationship. Try to fill the void gap and develop the trust between you both. Surely it won't be easy but can you let go of bhai like this?"
"I too wanted to do that." Eram burst into tears. Haya panicked looking at her break down in front of her and she quickly stood up.
"I didn't wanted to hurt you. I'm so sorry if I said something that hurt your feelings. I really meant to help." Haya said, getting near her and placed her hand on her shoulder carefully. Eram's pent up emotions finally seemed to burst out and she didn't care about anything at the moment. She circled her free hand around Haya's waist and placing her head against her chest, she began to weep. For a moment though, Haya was taken aback but she stayed silent and let Eram cry her heart out and remove all her emotions out.
"The very sight of Shumail had given me a hope that now that he's back, I'll do whatever it takes to win his trust back, win him back. Seeing him in front of me I had decided that I won't let go of him this time. I wanted to work on our relationship again, start all over again. I wanted to be with him, feel how it was like to love and to be loved. I wanted too..." She trailed off, letting out another cry. "But is that too much to ask for? The past whole year that Shumail was gone, was the period which was a punishment for me. Each day I would wake up praying that I would be able to see his face, would be able to hold him, would be able to apologise to him, would be able to have a happy life with him. With just those thoughts in mind I was living. It was hard, very hard for me, but I knew that I deserved that punishment for hurting him. I deserved it!"
Haya wound her hands around her back slowly and began to caress it, listening to her silently. The hurt in her voice, Haya could feel it and it was making her tear up too.
"But now, what am I suppose to do? How am I suppose to face him? Being in this condition, how should I wish to walk back in his life again?" Eram put forth her thoughts making Haya's eyebrows frown. "I guess I really don't deserve to be with him. What should I do!"
Haya quickly pulled back and looked at her with knitted eyebrows. "What are you talking about?" She asked.
"I won't be able to walk temporarily. It can take a few weeks for my injuries to heal but is there any guarantee that I would be able to walk on my own again?" Eram asked, wiping away the tears from her cheeks and looked at Haya. "How should I burden him more? I guess it's a sign that I should walk out of his life and set him free from my problems." She smiled dryly.
"Are you mad? Stop thinking all this nonsense! Why would you think this way!" Haya exclaimed lightly, taking her seat back on the chair.
"Then you tell me, what should I do? How am I suppose to get near him and make him realise that I won't betray him ever? How should I win back his trust? How should I win back him, when I would need help to even walk? That's not possible anymore!"
"Why are you seeing your condition through this angle?" Haya smiled. "Because from the angle I see, this condition of yours is going to be an advantage for you to get near him, if you use this chance properly." She winked at Eram, and Eram's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Me not be able to walk and do stuffs on my own, how will that be an advantage, instead of disadvantage, for me?" Eram questioned, confusion written all over her face.
"Well, get Shumail bhai to do them for you. You wouldn't be able to walk, make excuses to get bhai to carry you everywhere. Getting near him emotionally will only happen by getting near him physically." Haya said.
"That's what I am saying! Shumail will find it as an added burden!" Eram spoke out her fears.
"But only till you succeed to pull his heart strings. He loves you, believe me he do, or else he wouldn't have taken efforts to do the things that he did for you. You need to bring out his love for you. You need to make him understand that you're being genuine and that he can trust you." Haya said placing a hand on Eram's hand.
"Will it work? He won't see me as a burden, will he?" Eram asked, looking at Haya with dove eyes.
"You need to make it work. He won't take the first step, and neither will he let you, but you have to be persistent. Don't lose. Keep trying. I know how Shumail bhai is. He is hurting and only you can take away his pain. Do it." Haya put forth her request. Eram seemed to be thinking about it for a moment before she looked at Haya and nodded her head at her.
"I promise you. I won't back out and won't let go of Shumail this time." Eram promised. She had a look of determination in her eyes that made Haya smile at her brightly.
A knock sounded on the door and then they both heard Shahmeer's voice from outside. "Haya, are you done? Should we head back?" He asked.
"Coming!" Haya answered and then turned to Eram. "I'll take your leave but remember what I have told you. Use this chance and pull bhai back to you." She winked at her and taking her handbag, she stood up. "Take care." Eram nodded.
"Thank you." Eram said when Haya was halfway to the door and Haya turned to her to give her a knowing smile, and with that she headed out to an awaiting Shahmeer, leaving behind Eram who kept looking at her with dreamy eyes and a wish to have a relationship with Shumail like theirs.
Assalamualaikum!
Everyone's doing great right?
How was the chap? How will Eram be using Haya's idea?
I'm warning you guys. The coming chaps will be something which you would be loving and which will give you the feeling of butterflies dancing in your stomach! You've been warned! ;)
I was of the idea that I'll finish WYCA first and then will continue with DS but anyways I'll keep updating DS too, and sorry for such a late update!
Chapter dedicated to the sweetest Gulabisehar
Until next time....Fee Amanillah!