The Addiction of Love

IV

A few more months flow by. Kaif has now been in coma for eight months.

After Aayat realised her feelings for Kaif, his condition started to affect her more. It broke her heart to see him lying in bed. And even though, there is a high chance that after Kaif wakes up, Aayat would not be able to see him everyday.

Aayat does fear that Kaif might never love her back, and after he's fine to go home, he might not even meet her again.

But that fear couldn't overpower her hope to see him completely healed. She just wants him to be mended, even if it results in her never seeing him again.

On a Wednesday, Aayat stands near the window in Kaif's room, alone. The month is April, so the weather is pretty decent in Delhi, neither too hot, nor too cold.

Sarah is still in college, and Ameera is in Dr Jaiswal's cabin. While waiting for her to return, Aayat enjoys the evening breeze. It feels like a normal day to her.

Her phone, kept near the small table in one corner of the room, notifies that she has a new message.

She starts to walk towards it when suddenly her eyes fall on Kaif. And for the first time in the past eight months, his face looks different to her. To get a better look, Aayat goes near him.

And what she sees shocks her. His forehead slightly frowned; his lips are parted a little; and his fingers, his long, slender fingers moving slowly.

She gasps as she watches the man in front of her trying to make movements. Panic and excitement runs through her veins.

With trembling feet, she comes out of the room and screams in the corridor,"Dr Jaiswal? Where is he? Nurse, the coma patient inside, he's moving. We need the doctor."

Within a minute she sees Dr Jaiswal and Ameera running towards her. The nurses stop Ameera from going inside the room and the doctor asks them to wait.

Ameera turns to Aayat,"What happened?"

"I, umm, he was moving his fingers and lips."

"Oh Allah," Ameera says in a breathless voice.

"He'll be fine." Aayat hugs the crying mother.

Both Sarah and Junaid are informed about this recent update and they both reach the hospital in less than thirty minutes.

But the doctor comes out of the room only after an hour and simply informs the family with a smile,"Kaif is awake."

And just like that, Aayat's life takes a new turn. The man she has been in love with is finally awake.

"Can we meet him?" Junaid asks.

"Yes, but you also have to understand that he's very weak, mentally. Don't overwhelm him with love and emotions. Give him time. Be subtle with him." Dr Jaiswal says.

Ameera nods and then runs towards his room, followed by Junaid. Sarah always starts walking inside, but stops when she sees that Aayat is frozen at her place.

"Are you not coming in?" Sarah asks.

"Umm, no. Not right now." Aayat says.

"Why?"

"You heard the doctor. He has just woken up. I think he should only be with his family right now."

"But Aayat, you're family too." Sarah holds Aayat's hand.

Aayat smiles,"But Kaif doesn't know that yet. Let's give him some time."

Sarah sighs defeatedly, and turns to walk inside the room.

"Sarah, listen." Aayat calls her," I've left my phone and purse inside. Will you get it for me while coming out?"

Sarah nods.

Aayat takes a seat on one of the benches in the corridor, while Sarah walks inside the room to see a sight that almost makes her cry.

Inside the room was her conscious brother, hugging their mother. Oh, how badly she'd prayed for this day.

Kaif's eyes meet Sarah, and she lets out a sob.

"Hey little sister, missed me?" Kaif asks in a weak voice.

A few more sobs escape her lips and she runs directly into his arms.

"Bhai, you scared us so much. Never ever do that again." She cries on his chest.

"I am sorry, munchkin. I promise I'd never leave you alone." He lightly kisses her forehead.

Ameera and Junaid are also crying looking at their children together after so long.

Later that evening, Sarah realises that Aayat is waiting outside for her and the belongings.

Sarah gets up to collect the phone and purse and looks at Kaif.

"I'll be back in a minute, bhai." She excuses herself.

Kaif looks at her mother,"Whose phone and bag was that?"

Ameera just smiles at him,"You'll know eventually."

Outside the room, Sarah gives Aayat her stuff and Aayat thanks her.

"I let you go today. But tomorrow you're meeting bhai, and that's final." Sarah says in a determined voice.

"Sarah," Aayat starts.

"No, Aayat. I know you're dying to meet him. And you've all right to meet him. After all it's because of you that he's talking and laughing inside." Sarah cuts her in between.

"Okay," Aayat slowly says.

Aayat agrees so easily because what Sarah said was true. She was indeed dying to meet him.

That night, Sarah insists on staying with Kaif so the rest three of them return back.

When Aayat enters her home, she is beaming with happiness.

"MOM, WHERE ARE YOU?" Aayat says on top of her voice.

Salima, who was cooking dinner in the kitchen, is startled by her daughter's voice.

She makes her way out in the living room quickly.

"What happened?" She worriedly asks.

"Kaif, he woke up." Aayat informs her mother with the biggest smile possible.

"Oh my God, really! Thank you so much, Allah." Salima mutters a little prayer thanking the Almighty.

"Did you meet him?" She asks her daughter.

"No, but I will tomorrow." Aayat says nervously.

"Ahh, nervous to meet the love of your life for the very first time?" Salima teases her.

Yes, she knew about her daughter's feelings. And she had no problem with it. In the past months, she had met Kaif's mother, Ameera once. Salima was going to pick up Aayat from the hospital one day, so Ameera came out to meet her. It was a brief meeting, but Salima understood that she is a very nice woman. And Kaif being her son would be nice too.

Obviously Salima's assumption could be wrong, but she trusted her Almighty and prayed for her daughter's happiness. And if Aayat's happiness was Kaif, she'd never come in between them.