FROM NEVER TO HAPPILY EVER!

9.

Hooriya.

I send Saif to his room after that philosophical conversation we had in the garden, to make sure Asad has taken his medicines. Just hope his temperature comes down soon.

For the rest of the day, I roam idly in the haveli having nothing better to do. If Abbaji was home, we could have a fun going conversation over everything and anything but since Asad is on bedrest, the workload has shot up for him, not that he is complaining about it.

He is an awful jolly person for a fifty five year old. When dinner time comes, I serve food for Abbaji on the table but don't sit myself. For the last few days I was eating after feeding Asad but today, I don't particularly feel like feeding him.

"Saroj Chachi, I remember I have some work in my bedroom. It will be late by the time I am done, will you please take Asad's food to him. Also, please make sure he takes all his tablets before coming back. Including the one for fever." I request her politely and even though she looks slightly sceptical, she nods her head.

The lady understands people's need for privacy and doesn't question when not needed. I adore that in her. I rush to my old room on the first floor. I settle down in the loveseat beside the window. Staring at the night sky, filled with stars. No moon in sight, it seems like an ordinary night. I succumb to slumber hours later with his words circling my mind.

"I don't trust you with my medicines."

"You might poison me"

"I abhor the Patels"

"Pata nai kab is musibat se peecha chutega."

Next morning.

I am woken up due to the continuous knocking on my door. I get up quickly opening the door. I spot Rakeena standing there with a worried look.

"Bahurani, Asad baba got too high fever and fell unconscious it seems. Bade sahab has called a doctor.
He was looking for you." My heart almost stops at what she said, I rush to his bedroom without second thoughts.

What's happening? The moment I reach there, I take in the distressed look on Abbaji's face. The doctor seems to be inspecting his body. He has again inserted the needle in his hand.

"Doctor! Is he fine? What's wrong?" I ask him urgently.

He turns to me with a serious expression. "Mrs.Khan, I think he didn't take his medicines yesterday. I had told you they were necessary. Because of it, he has experienced too much body pain, leading to high fever. When his body couldn't take it, it collapsed. He lost consciousness, I mean. From what I found out, he has been out for hours now. I suppose there should have been someone alloted to take care of him all the time." he says professionally although I can detect hints of disappointment in his tone.

I can see the disappointed look on Abbaji's face for me. It was my fault obviously. In my pain, I forgot to take care of him. I shouldn't have trusted anybody with his responsibility.

"Don't worry, I have injected an antibiotic into his circulatory system. His fever will be down in a few minutes. You just have to wipe his sweat. Apart from that, I have also injected him a painkiller. So you don't have to give him his morning dose of tablets. He will wake up soon."

I nod solemnly, Abbaji escorts the doctor out of the house. I look for Saroj chachi and find her entering the room with a bowl of water and cloth along with it. I look at her questioningly.

"I served him dinner yesterday. He ate quite less and when I insisted on giving him his tablets, he told me he will take them later. He wouldn't budge on his decision, so I just let him be thinking he would take his medicines later. But looks like he didn't take them. Why would he do that? Why would he let himself through so much pain?" she says regret coating each word.

I don't know myself why he would do that. How much of pain he might have felt without those pain killers. This is so sadistic of him. I sit down beside him, wiping for sweat from his forehead and stomach as the medicine starts working.

Half an hour later, he is completely back to normal body temperature. I sigh in relief. Making sure there is Saroj Chachi beside him when he wakes up I walk into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

While serving breakfast, I can see the grim look on Abbaji.

"I am sorry Abbaji, I failed you today. I should have been there with him through out. But yesterday, he refused to take medicines from me, he doesn't trust me to give him the right medicines. So will you please give him his medicines from today?" His eyes widen for a second and then turn remorseful.

"I am sorry beta for what he told you. I think he still needs time to get over with what happened to Fahad. Just be patient with him please, he is a good boy." I just nod serving the dishes.

I send Asad's breakfast through Rakeena asking her to wait there until  she sees him take his medicine. Hopefully, he won't create a ruckus this time.

The same thing follows for the next three days until I finally had to step into his room to change his clothes. Saif was doing that for the last three days but today be had a business meeting outside Vijayapet. Abbaji told me he would send a male nurse to do it but something within me didn't want anyone to see my husband in a vulnerable position like that.

'Oh! And it's not because you have been dying to get a glimpse of him?'

No.

Liar.

Ugh! I just walk to his room putting a poker face. Be ready to face the worst Hooriya. He might use words as a dagger right through your heart but you have to be ready to protect it.

Just try not hearing him. If you do hear, don't let it get to you. And if they do get to you, donot commit the mistake of showing it before him. Don't let him provoke you. Just be emotionless.

Inhaling sharply, I push the double doors to his room. The light from his window is the first thing that hits me. I turn to look at him go see his eyes already trained on me.

He snickers, his face contorting into a sarcastic smile. "Oh, so Ms.Great finally got the time to greet my peasant self."

No. I didn't hear a word. It was just some noise. I step closer to him, his cut lip has healed. The bruises on his face have begun fading. His hands also seem fine now. The cast on his right leg is still there. It will take time.

I get the warm water from the bathroom with the scrubber. I bend over him, unbuttoning his shirt. When I am on the last button, he pulls me with my elbows. I gasp as I land straight on his chest, oh God did I hurt  him. He doesn't give me a chance to inspect, his left hand bringing my neck forward. I am forced to look into the golden brown orbs that have been haunting me for days now. With the other hand, he tucks my hair behind my ear, staring deep into my eyes all along.

What is he trying to do? I break eye contact trying to get up from him but he doesn't let me. Instead, he pulls me further on him, placing his face in the crook of my neck. My heart is hammering against my chest as if it might break out of my ribs anytime.

"Kahan thi." He whispers almost inaudibly if it wasn't for our proximity.

He inhaled my scent, sighing in what I  grasp is relief?

"Chodiye mujhe." I try to struggle out of his hold but even with broken bones, he is more powerful than  I could ever be.

"Hoor", he murmured and my stomach flipped. Am I hearing things? Or did he just call me Hoor?

And then suddenly he pushed me away, his face morphing into a blank look.

" Why have you come here now? I thought your good girl act was already over. There is nobody here to see your pretence. Just leave me alone like you abandoned me four nights ago." Somehow his words don't sound venomous. Instead they sound like the rightful complains of a lover.

A lover deprived of  his beloved's love.

And just like that, the light in my eyes returns shining as brightly as a constellation.