𝑨𝒊𝒕𝒃𝒂𝒂𝒓 (𝑨𝒔𝒇𝒊𝒚𝒂)

Part 4

Parts 4

A past revisited

"Mujhe mere hospital mein ala kirdaar ke log chahiye. Aap janti hai thi pehle se meine apko kaha tha ki mujhse jhooth na boliyega, ye lijiye apka resignation."

Zubiya broke in cold sweat. Her eyes were swollen and her clothes were drenched in sweat. Her tears had made a big patch on her pillow and zubiya lied down without any expression.

She was now way beyond scared. She had been able to create a mirage of herself in the eyes and heart of people of Neelum Valley and she was scared to face the truth.

Zubiya's tears were wetting the pillow but that was not new. Her emotions had been haywire since the moment her ammi died. She was left without any anchor, no support, nothing.

Zubiya didn't knew how long she had been locked in her room. Her eyes were red, her breaths heavy as the nightmare of Asfandyar throwing her out of the hospital keep repeating.

It was constant shrill of the ringtone that broke sleep. Zubiya picked up her cell phone and listened.

"Dr Zubiya, Dr. Asfandyar aapko dhund rahe hain.." the nurse informed her. Zubiya looked at the wall clock that was right infront of her. It was showing three.  The first thought that crossed her mind was how could she sleep that long.

She looked at the cell phone to confirm the date and it was showing 23rd August.

"Did I slept for more than forty hours?" She remember that she had came to the mess in the evening after hearing from Dr. Asifa that Asfandyar had done his MBBS from Karachi and from that moment she was more confident that she had seen him somewhere. Her doubts were cleared when she searched him on the social media.

One such photograph had her past coming infront of her.

His long curly hair tied in single clip, the white coat and his stethoscope in his hands.

Shudder passed through Zubiya.

"Ya Allah yeh toh wohi hain. Inka naam asfandyar tha." Zubiya could suddenly feel asfandyar's body covering her sixteen year old self. His words were reverberating in her ears.

Aaj toh mein mil gaya, har baar tumhe bachane koi nai aayega.

Yeh mat samajhna mujhe tumse koi hamdardi hai, bas tumhare waleden ka khyal hai.

Apni nahi toh kamse kam apne parents ke baare mein soch leti. Ek ladki ki izzat bahut nazuk hoti hai.

Tears of helplessness fell from her eyes, the tears which were hidden till now, all the words were making her realise that no matter where she would go, her past would haunt her.

One mistake of trusting a stranger has cost her the peace of her life.

Zubiya stood up wiping her tears angrily. She was feeling weakness but that doesn't matter now. She was having a job to sustain herself and no matter what happens in the future, she would keep herself away from everyone.

The cold water spashed on her face, she didn't realised that she had forgotten to open the mix he water but the coldness was making her pain numb.

The pain that was making her cry.

Correcting her scarf on her head she headed towards the hospital.

**

A knock Asfandyar's room made him look at the occupant and his eyes looked at a pale looking and tired Dr. Zubiya khalil. Her big eyes were swollen and he felt like she would fall any moment now.

He so much wanted to question her about her health but the protocols and his position at the hospital made him tight lipped.

"Have a seat, Dr. Zubiya." He said with the usual rude tone.

"Kya main jaan sakta hun aap kahan thi? Aap call par thi aur jab patients ko aapki zarurat thi aap kahin nahi mil rahi thi." Asfandyar's words were true but zubiya wasn't in a state to answer him or justify herself, seeing her silence, he observed her.

"Aap theek hain?" He asked and this time zubiya answered him but not what he had questioned.

"I am sorry sir," zubiya apologized but asfandyar didn't couldn't form the reason of her apology.

Zubiya felt her head swaying and if it was not for Asfandyar she would have fallen.

"Careful Dr. zubiya." He held her and made her sit. The moment he touched her wrist, she was burning.

"Aapko toh bukhar hai.." but zubiya couldn't make out of his words.

Asfand seeing her condition asked for the medical help and Dr. Zubiya was admitted.

Asfandyar was actually worried seeing her so weak, but he didn't let that show on his face. Dr. Aasifa came and saw Zubiya it was more like every other doctor would come. Zubiya was having Viral and high fever, she was appearing dehydrated as well.

It was next day when Asfandyar came and saw a sleeping zubiya, she was looking much better, her fever had gone down and but she was still looking like she had been crushed under so much of responsibilities.

Asfand removed his glasses and sat beside her some time. He wasn't someone who would openly his emotions to someone now. But then it was Dr. Zubiya who was lying on the hospital bed.

The woman who had been strong, determined and yet she was having some broken experiences that he had recounted on various occasions.

She was extremely passive and unforgiving when it come to the cases like khajista. She had been more vocal how Khajista should leave her husband and not face the domestic violence anymore.

He could still remember her words reverberating in his ears.

"Kab tak aise rahogi Khajista, Aaj bahadur ne tumhare kirdaar par sawaal uthaye hai, kal haath uthaya tha aur kisi din uska bas chalega toh shayad jaan se bhi maar de. Kya tum us din ka intzaar kar rahi ho, jis din wo tumhe maar dega."

Zubiya baji mein ek kharidi hui biwi hun bahadur ki, uske zulm sehne ke liye mere baba ne mujhe bech diya, agar mein chup chap nahi ye sab sahungi toh kahin wo mujhe aur na bech de.. Uske zulm sehne jyada acha hai baji ek zillat ki zindagi se toh"

Sitting for some minutes, Asfandyar left from there.

"Kya hain aap Dr. Zubiya?" That was the single question that was in his mind from a long time now.

*****

Hello everyone

I know it's been a long time,

I hope you people still remember Aitbaar

Do vote and comment.

Will update next part pretty soon..

Much love ❤️❤️❤️