You're my dawn

16. Let me feed you

Dropping them at their doorstep, Mrs Masood cleared her throat. "Next time, be careful."

She nodded embarrassed as hell even though she didn't remember using cherries in any of the dishes that she prepared. She wondered where he had consumed cherries.

The elderly couple left and she helped Arsh inside. He was still in a partial daze.

Depositing him on the bed, she straightened up, panting. Taking a few deep breaths, she sauntered towards the kitchen and busied herself on making vegetable soup for him while her mind pondered. She knew he was allergic to cherries from the beginning, he had informed her about it a few days after their wedding.

Whenever they had dined out, she had seen him making sure that no cherries were there in his food, then how come he ate cherries today?

As she entered the room with a bowl of soup, she saw him, restlessly turning sides. His face had lost its colour. Today, as she saw him pass out, she realized how important he had become to her. An integral part of her life, so much so that she didn't even want to imagine a life without him.

Does marriage do that to you?

Maybe?

Sighing audibly, she moved inside.

"Arsh," placing the bowl on the small table placed near the window, she approached him and shook his shoulder.

He opened his eyes, red-rimmed. "Hmm?"

"Come on, let's fill your stomach, you have vomited everything out."

He closed his eyes again.

"Arsh," she tried to make him sit.

This time he tried to support his weight but he was too weak to do so.

With great difficulty, she made him sit against the headboard and after fixing the pillows to support his posture, she strode towards the table to fetch the bowl.

He tried to hold the bowl but his hands shook terribly.

"Let me feed you." Saying, she sat near him and started feeding.

Thankfully, slowly but eventually, he finished the soup.

As prescribed she gave him the medicines and wiping his mouth with the tissue, she made him lay properly.

She kept sitting beside him until his restless movement ceased and his breathing evened out.

As she glanced at the watch, it was already quarter to five in the morning.

Grabbing a simple peach kurti and a pair of white straight pants, she disappeared into the washroom for a quick shower.

***

She woke up to the blaring noise of the doorbell. As soon as her eyes shot open, her gaze slid to her side and finding the place beside her empty, she hurriedly extricated herself from the blanket and sprang out of the bed all the while calling Arsh.

"Arsh," she yelled while checking the washroom.

Sprinting out of the room with her heart pounding in her ears she yelled again. "Ars-" Her steps faltered as she saw Irfan, Farhan and Firdous sitting in the living room with her husband.

Arsh strode towards her and nudged her with his shoulder.

Coming to her senses, she greeted them not meeting Firdous's aggravated glares.

"I was almost about to come but you said Arsh was doing fine," Irfan said, patting her head and she nodded.

"What happened to him by the way?" Farhan asked, eying Arsh who was standing beside her. Even though he looked better now, his sunken eyes and chapped lips gave it away.