THIRD PERSON'S POV:
(Flashback)
That was the time of night, sky was full of clouds which were shining with loud thundering voice. Maryam was sitting in the corner of room, pouring the emotions of her heart on the pages of Diary. She was feeling scared with every thundering voice. Actually she wasn't scared of heave rain or thunder but she was scared because she was alone in the home as well as she wasn't free with anyone in the neighbourhood that's why the weather was making her scared. A very loud thundering sound made her jump on her place. Her hand dropped the pen which she was holding firmly and heart started beating faster but she picked the pen and Again tried to diverted her mind, but couldn't. At the same time the electricity was gone... The whole environment was full of darkness which was broken by the lightning in the sky and Maryam felt more scared she was remembering how his father use to take her care in every situation, in that type of weather her mother use to gave her warm milk with dry fruits and there she was sitting silently for whole day without eating anything. With great difficulty she stood up and made her way to kitchen, she lit up the candle and took a relief breath. She was going to the room when listened a small knock on the door, her heart skipped a beat. She was alone and light was gone. Clock was showing 11 of night all those things together were enough to make any girl scared.
She didn't open the door and keep standing in the corner holding candle in her hand. But then again a knock
"ko..kon hai" She stammered in fearful voice
(w-who is this?)
"Open the door" She listened the known voice and felt warmth in her frame. Placing the candle securely she scoot to door and opened that. Aatish entered in the home and closed the door behind him
"Aatish its been five days this time, which type of job is this? I never listened about any job like this" Maryam complaint while hugging him, she was about to cry dur to fear.
"Maryam... Are you crying?" she break the hug and got a kiss on forehead.
"Aatish I was scared" again a thunder cracker made her jump on her place but she didn't felt scared because she wasn't alone anymore.
"Let's go to room, no need to be scared I'm here." both
"Aatish I was missing you, Ohh.. I forgot it... Have dinner or not?" Maryam said after sitting beside him and suddenly asked the last part while making bun of her hair.
"I had my dinner, have you?" Aatish asked and Maryam shook her head "Aatish today I don't know how I put extra salt on food,and I don't want to cook again. So I didn't had lunch even dinner" Maryam said and Aatish silently watched her. "Hungry?" He asked and she nodded.
"Wait for sometime, I'll bring something to eat" Saying that he made himself stand.
"But how will you go, aren't you seeing it will be heavy rainfall" Maryam said but Aatish smiled and said her to lock the door. It was only few minutes when Aatish went out from the home and clouds started pouring water heavily and hight speed wind was complimenting the rain to make the weather cold but worst.
"Maryam.. I didn't get anything near by, so make work with this" Aatish come back after some ten minutes and handed over a small polythene to her which had eggs, some packed snacks and biscuits.
"Aatish you are fully drenched" Maryam said with concern and looked at his state. Water was dropping from his clothes and hair.
"You go and eat something I'm going to change" Aatish said and Maryam nodded going towards the room, holding a candle in his hand and Maryam moved towards the kitchen.
After some ten minutes Maryam was done with her dinner she happily moved towards the bedroom and set the bed for both of them at the same time Aatish stepped in the room.
"Maryammmm... Water was soo much cold" He said while clenching his teeth, he was literally shivering when Maryam looked at him.
"Aatish why you took bath with cold water and where is your clothes?" Maryam asked when found him only in his boxers.
"It's so dark, that I didn't realised, I picked your kameez shalwar instead of my kurta pajama" Aatish said while wiping his hair with towel and Maryam laughed on that she lay down coveing herself with duvet and Aatish lay down beside her taking her in his embrace.
"Aatish wear the clothes, weather is very cold today" Maryam said but he covered himself with duvet and shook his head
"No need" He whispered and Maryam smiled.
"I was missing you" She whispered and he pecked her cheek.
"Mujhe bhi tumhari yaad aa rahi thi, isi liye to aa gya" hugging her more tightly he said but that words trigger her.
(I was also missing you that's why I come)
"What do you mean that's why you come!! It's up to you to come back or your boss?" she asked while moving back
"Ofcourse it's upto my boss but today I took leave" Aatish mask the situation and Maryam hugged him tightly.
"I love you Aatish" He smiled while closing his eyes and Maryam aslo closed her eyes to sleep. Both slept in each other's embrace, in dim light of candle, ignoring the loud sounds of thunderstorm and rain.
.........................
Maryam was feeling cozy in his embrace, she snuggled in his bare chest and felt very warm,
Abnormally warm...
She opened her eyes. And felt why she was feeling so much cozy. Aatish was burning with fever.
"Aatish... Aatish wake up" She shook his hand and he opened his eyes with difficulty.
"Aatish you have fever" Maryam said.
"Aatish what happens to you sitting beside him she asked and the room was still dim lit because only two candles were giving small light.
Maryam remove the duvet from him and he tried to cover himself, he was shivering, Maryam was only thinking about what should she do then. She started wiping his forehead and hands wet cloth. And after few hours, sun began to give his rays to the cloudy sky. There was still rainfall but not heavy like last night. with Maryam's efforts Aatish's fever was reduced.
"Maryam.." He opened his eyes and looked at his wife who was sitting beside him, holding a tensed expression on her face.
"How are you now?" Maryam asked and he blinked his eyes indicating his health was fine.
"Draw out my clothes I have to go to office" Aatish said and Maryam shook her head.
"I'm not letting you go anywhere, you should take rest in this situation." Maryam said after checking his temperature which was still very high. She went out from the room to made breakfast for him and he made himself stand to wear clothes but due to high fever he couldn't manage to stand properly. Before he fell down he sat down on bed. And Maryam entered in with breakfast
"Aatish eat this and take rest, we will go to doctor after sometime" Maryam said and Aatish nodded. His fever was so high that he couldn't help but followed what Maryam said.
He spent whole day in the same situation, sometimes his fever was becoming high and sometimes it was becoming normal. After taking medicine he was sleeping.
On the other band Aatish's family was Amazed that he wasn't present in home. Before that Aatish came back to home before breakfast time but from back door so no one was known about his mid night meetings with his wife.
Aatish's mother was concerned but his brother and father were thinking that he must be with his friends. But when whole day passed and Aatish didn't return home, his brother understand that he must be with Maryam. His Father also understood the same but he didn't wants to believe on that. He keep on waiting for his son for whole night but since Aatish's condition was very not good so he didn't back to his home.
---Next Morning ---
" Aatish how are you now?" checking his temperature Maryam asked and he sat down. "Better than before" He whispered and Maryam kissed his cheek.
"You are doing day night sifts that's why you are falling ill" Aatish keep watching her because only he knew what day night shift he was doing.
"Its alright" He muttered and Maryam said him to be ready for breakfast.
Both were sitting for breakfast when listened a knock, on the door. Maryam went to open the door thinking that he must be Landlord for taking rent. But she got a shock when open the door as that was Aatish's elder brother.
"Assalamualaikum bhai" Maryam greeted him while covering her head with her dupatta.
She was the same girl who never wore dupatta on her head just because she hairstyle will be ruined but for Aatish's happiness she was doing everything.
"Waalaikumas Salam, is Aatish here?" He asked and Maryam nodded while giving him space to come inside. Entering in the small home He noticed Aatish sitting on mattresse resting his head and back with wall. He was busy in his breakfast but looking weak
"Aatish you are here and there Ammi is crying thinking about you" His brother said in hushed tone and Aatish looked at Maryam who was standing behind his elder brother.
"Ammi is crying but Aatish...." Maryam looked at him mumbling the same, she was confused
"Maryam bhai has come here for first time, make him tea" Aatish said and Maryam went out from the room
"Aatish If you have to come to meet your wife you should tell me I would do something, but you come here without informing us" His brother complained in slow voice while going towards Aatish and he sat while adjusting his position
"Bhai say slowly, Maryam don't know that I'm living in home" Aatish said to his brother and he was confused.
"Aatish we all are thinking that you forgot your wife... And are you sitting here!! But You both still are in contact!" his brother was shocked
"Bhai Maryam is my wife, I'm not coming here to meet any other lady at night. And she was alone, you know about the weather, I came to meet her and I got fever so I wasn't in condition to come back" Aatish said in hushed tone.
"Aatish will you tell me everything clearly?" Aatish's brother asked in and Aatish was helpless to hide anything. He informed everything about the condition which his father putted in front of him and informed his brother that he came secretly to meet Maryam. His brother was unknown about the condition his father put in front of him.
"Aatish you were managing with small income, but you left your wife here? Do you want to divorce her?" Aatish shook his head in reply.
"Bhai I don't wanna divorce her, but I can't live in that situation in which we both were living, we were craving for even small things. Now at least we are getting everything to fulfill our needs" Aatish said while eating another bite from the bread.
At the same time Maryam entered in the room with tea and some more things for breakfast. He served Aatish's brother.
"Aatish girl is very kind" His brother said when Maryam left the room to bring something from the kitchen, and Aatish nodded.
"Now I'm going back home, I'll say to baba that you are not here, when you come back to home say that you were in your friend's home and you got fever that's why you didn't came back" Aatish nodded on his brother's plan.
"Bhai please stay for some more time. Go after having lunch" Maryam said respectfully and his brother smioed
"I'll wait for lunch made by you but in that home" saying that he left the home but not before patting Maryam's head and passing a smile to Aatish.
"Rose I should go now..." Aatish said and Maryam shook her head.
"I'm not letting you go anywhere" She said sitting beside him after putting the empty utencils of breakfast in the kitchen.
"Rose it's important" He said and Maryam hugged him.
"You are still weak" She showd her concern but after a short discussion Maryam got agreed.
"Take care of yourself and try to Come back soon, I miss you when you aren't with me" Maryam said when Aatish was going out of the home
"I'll" He just mumbled and kissed her cheek.
===============
"What do you both brother think, you will make a story in front of us and we will be agreed?" Aatish's father yelled in Aatish and his brother and both were silent. His father got the reality behind the lie of both brothers
''Baba Maryam is my wife I went to meet her for onse."
"Aatish choice is yours, I'm giving you one month, choice your wife or us. If you will choose that girl the there isn't any space for you in my home. And if you will choose us then divorce that girl"
Aatish was in great chaos because of another condition putted by his father.
One side there was a comfortable life and other side was Maryam who was his wife and....
And love.. Maybe...
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Let me know what you think about this part!
_Naaz Jamal