Realm of Love [Short Love Stories]

❖

❖ ════ ❃•❃ ════ ❖
𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓐𝓫𝓼𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓶𝓼 𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮

I read it again and again. Again as my heart clenches, again when it cries, again when it pauses, again when it begins beating again.

Within the beats of my heart, I find myself dead.

Diagnosed with Stage IV of Cervical Cancer.

I read the name. Zubab Zaheer Shah. I read the time, it's 11AM this morning. The name of the doctor, Dr. Urooj Asjad. Yes, she was the one I called from the nearby Shah Hospital.

Cervical cancer? I took my phone, shaking and googled the symptoms.

Vaginal discharge with stench
Purulent or body secretions and
Vaginal irregular bleeding.

She had none of it.

This was a mistake. This has to be one. How can life be so cruel to me? It snatched my mother from me. The one who looked after me. The woman I love with all my heart is the only person I am living for. I'll die if anything happens to her.

I received a call from her. I picked it up. There was no second thought. Her voice came out weak.

"Hello?" Weaker than she was. "When will you return home Asfand?"

She never asked me this. She has always given me time but today she needed me. I am scared.

"Are you okay, Jaan?" I asked. My voice came out shivery. A sense of casualty plastering my fear. I don't want her to know. At least not now. She doesn't even know I got her blood tested.

"I am fine. Just got my periods and I have been on irregular terms a lot from the past few days. I really need dark chocolate. Can you bring me some? I am over with the current ones."

My hand stills as I hold my phone.

She had been getting the symptoms from earlier and I had no idea.

"Asfand?" She calls but my voice is lost. I could not make myself voice out that I was not okay and this was too much. It hurts. It hurts a lot. "Asfandyaar?"

My heart falls in a ride of peace as I hear her call me. My dreams shattered in front of my eyes and I couldn't do anything. I was thinking that maybe we will become a family and here I was losing my only family.

This cannot happen.

"Asfand? Are you there?"

I build my courage. I can't let things change our beautiful beginning. I will fight for us no matter what. "Yes, Jaan. I'll bring it home. Just prepare yourself with a hot bag okay? I'll be right there with you."

She hangs up. I am sure she must be smiling. She smiles everytime I call her Jaan and I will do anything for that smile.

I drove towards a supermarket and bought the chocolates she wanted me to buy, bought more than she ever bought. I entered the villa and walked towards our room. She is there; Sleeping. Her hands clenching her stomach. Maybe it's the pain. I am crying again.