Stairway to Heaven

33. Stairway to Heaven

"Mateen! I am asking you something?! Will you answer me in this lifetime?!"

Finally, after Ammar's constant pestering for the past half an hour, Mateen turned to face him with an irritated click of tongue. The hold on his phone's screen against his ears loosened only for a moment, as he looked sideways to shoot Ammar a resentful glare; who was holding up two waist coats.

"Right one—Sorry, it was just Ammar being Ammar." He returned curtly and returning to his prior activity, quickly added on the phone; still pressed against his ear.

"Just Ammar? I am just Ammar now??! WOW! Your childhood friend is JUST someone now!" Mateen completely ignored Ammar's squeals of grievances and got off the bed to make way towards the balcony.

"THIS—! THIS here is exactly what happens to miserable, sad and pathetic guys like you, who have lived a single bachelor life their whole lives and FINALLY manage to land a marriage partner. ONLY TO LOSE THEIR DAMN MINDS!---YEAH! WALK AWAY Mateen Abbasi!" Ammar cried out behind him, but Mateen paid him no heed as he stepped out, whereas Ammar continued to prance around his room like a crazed, sleep deprived man; which he technically was in that very moment.

"Do you remember that time, after I returned from my suspension? And you had this suicide patient—" Hajra heard him go on at the other end of the phone, while she sifted through the books she needed to pack with her.

"Oh. Yeah. I think it was the first time I had actually talked to you." Mateen felt a soft smile extending across his features, as he leaned against the railing.

"I dreamt about that. When I was in coma. And I saw Mush too." On hearing these words leave his mouth, Hajra's hand reaching towards the book on top shelf halted midway. She pulled it back and stepped away for a moment to gain composure.

"Do you remember what you said to me after I ran away from the Ward? And you found me hiding in a corner in the hallway? God, you don't know, but your words really saved me then...and again in that coma."

He went on calmly with smile laced in his voice, whereas Hajra on the other side was finding it difficult to release the breath she had sucked in.

She could still vividly recall every single detail about that day. Mateen was assigned that patient but he had panicked on seeing her slit wrists and her wailing parents screaming at them in desperation to save her.

During the time Mateen was on suspension, she had heard rumours about how people had their suspicions about his sister, Mashal's death by suicide, but knew that the cover up Mateen's parents had put forward was death by Hypertrophic Cardiac Myopathy (HCM).

She didn't feel pity for him, at all. More than anything Hajra had always detested the look of pity in other people's eyes for her. Whether is was upon hearing about her father or his death, or about her Mother's tireless efforts to raise 3 kids all on her own, without any support. She knew she wouldn't let her grief define her. To Hajra, it only gave her all the more reason to take on the world and all its trials head-on. If facing forward was the only choice she had, then she would do just that and more.

The only thing that perturbed her was the tinge of respect she began feeling in her heart for Mateen, following those events. She could now see, that maybe just like her, Mateen too was wearing an armour to hide his pains from the world. The mask of coldness he wore, might've just been a prop, in refute to give assent to the world, to put his damage on exhibit for their own amusement. Just like her, Mateen too was battered and bruised, but still up and walking. Trying, battling, and hoping against hope, without ever willing to give up; until the end—Until victory was finally in sight.