Kashmakash

Part 18

'Farheen Bhabhi, Aap, Zain aur bhaijaan ke saath aap hospital chali jao. Badi mushkil se Salma Bhabhi ko sulaya wo jab jagengi to main unko Mobeen ke saath le jaungi. Aur Hyder aur inko ko bol dijiyega thodi der ke liye ghar aa jaye, Kal raat ka gaye hue hai dono' Inayat told Farheen.

'Haan, jaate hai hum' Farheen said, picking the tiffin bag from kitchen counter.

Upon reaching the hospital, they found Areeb and Hyder sleeping on a bench, their heads slumped back in exhaustion. The weariness was evident on their faces. Approaching them, Arif softly called out, 'Areeb, utho'.

Hyder jolted awake, fear evident in his eyes as he asked, 'Haan..haan. Sab khariyat?'

'Haan beta, Sab sahi hai' Arif reassured her and continued, 'Chalo tum dono ab kuch kha lo'.

He motioned to his wife to serve them. Areeb rubbed his face to shake off sleep, while Hyder's expression reflected his discomfort. Seeing Hyder's hesitation, Areeb suggested, 'Hyder, Ghar jao. Thoda naha dho kar aao. Aise hospital baith kar kuch nahi ho raha. Chalo shabash utho ab'. He gave Hyder's back a comforting pat, gently urging him to rise.

'Tum dono ghar jao. Main aur Zain wait karenge ab' Arif instructed. Arif instructed. Areeb nodded in agreement, pulling Hyder along with him, and Farheen followed suit.

**

Naaziya knocked gently on Hyder's door, holding a tray filled with food.

'Hyder kuch kha lijiye' Naaziya insisted. Hyder shook his head in refusal, but Naaziya entered the room and set up the food on the table. 'Thoda sa bas ek roti' she pleaded, bringing a bite to his lips. He reluctantly opened his mouth and ate from her hand.

After finishing the meal, he noticed she was still sitting on the bed. He asked softly, 'Kya hua?'

'Main sir message kar du. Aapko need aa jayegi.' she suggested.

He moved to sit in front of her on the bed. 'Bed pe khade hoke oil lagau kya; Idhar rakhiye sir' she said pointing towards her lap. Hyder looked at her in surprise, but she didn't seem to mind and gestured again for him to lie down. Tentatively, he lay down on her lap, closing his eyes as her fingers started to massage his hair, providing the comfort he desperately needed. He fell asleep after a while, leaving Naaziya there, gazing at his peaceful face.

**

Shafa paced restlessly around her room. It had been over 36 hours since Sameer's operation, but there was no sign of improvement in his condition. Since her mother's instruction to stay away from Hyder, she hadn't contacted him. She was deeply concerned about Sameer, but her feelings toward Hyder were equally tumultuous. Hyder had not contacted her since she came back from hospital.

Unable to bear the uncertainty any longer, she made up her mind to call Hyder. After all, they were friends before their engagement.

'Hello Hyder, Sameer kaisa hai? Aur tum kaise ho?' she asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

'Shafa Appi, Hyder Doctor ke cabin mein hai. Wo phone bahar bhool gaye hai. Wo aate hai to main bolta hu unko' Zain informed her.

After waiting for more than two hours, she realized that he wasn't going to call her back. Doubts started clouding her mind.

'Do I never cross his mind?' she questioned herself. 'Now do you see? He was only marrying you to rescue Naaziya from his gloomy life. You mean nothing to him," her inner thoughts battled..

'Was I not even a friend to him?' she uttered aloud, the hurt causing tears to well up in her eyes.

**

After nearly 50 hours, their confidence began to waver. Raafia was staying with Sameer's family. She had either cried or made duas in last 2 days. During these two days, Naaziya had been a rock, supporting Raafia, ensuring she ate and rested, and offering words of encouragement. Naaziya's hopeful words had kept Raafia going, but as time passed, panic started to set in among everyone, infecting Naaziya with fear as well.

Inside the doctor's office, Hyder anxiously waited for updates. "Mr. Siddique, I regret to inform you that there have been no changes in Sameer's condition. The chances of him regaining consciousness are diminishing with each passing minute. It would be wise for you to mentally prepare for the worst," the doctor explained.

Hyder's voice trembled as he asked, "What are the odds?"

"Approximately 10%," the doctor replied.

"Then, I don't want to hear anyone even mentioning the worst," Hyder warned, his frustration and desperation evident. He stormed out of the office, needing to collect himself and regain his composure.