Safeena

take me back

" Alfez please don't!"
" Aseem then what? I can't see you like this okay? Whatever it is sort it out."
" I am fine , we should go back ."
" You are fine?! This is what fine looks like? You can't even keep your eyes open, Aseem just please for once, listen to me."
" Can you please change the water in the bowl?"
" Sure."
" Call princess Safeena here. Please?"
" Alright, I will send a message."
" Thank you so much."
" Alfez--"
" Shut up."

Shaheen ran towards their room to inform her.
" Safeena?"
" What?!" She yelled.
" Hey! Why are you yelling at me? I actually wanted to inform you of something."
" What is it?"
" It's about Aseem--"
" Don't take his name. I don't want to hear anything about him. I don't care at all. If he has come back tell him to leave and go wherever he was desperate to go.--"
" Safeena safeena! He is sick, he has a high fever, Alfez brought him back here."
" What?!"
She stood up in a hurry.
" What , where is he? Shaheen ?"
" He is downstairs near the --"
She shoved her aside before she could even complete her sentence and ran outside.

She rushed into every room she could find.
" Aseem!" She called out.
" She is here , I will get her here." Alfez said .
Aseem held his hand to stop him.
" Aseem, it's going to be okay."
Alfez stood out of the room. As soon as she saw him , she ran towards him.
" Alfez, where is he? What happened to him? How is he?"
" He is in there."

She sat down besides him. She checked upon him.
" He really has a very high temperature Alfez --"
" I know."
" How--"
" I don't know."
" Why do you trouble me so much ?!" She exclaimed.
" I wasn't going to come but --"
" Shut up , I don't want to hear from you at all. Alfez?"
" Yes ? "
" Come aside "
" Yes?"
" I don't think he has eaten anything. I will get something. I will call someone here to treat him and give him some medicines okay?"
" Okay "
" Look at him , don't let him go anywhere."
" I won't and thank you, after all this , you are --"
" Don't , I am just doing it because he is sick."
Alfez smiled a little.
" What happened to him all of a sudden?"
" I really don't know "
" Okay." She left.
Alfez then went back to him.
" What did she say to you? She asked us to leave right? I knew it. I -- we should go, I was the one who said all that, we should go."
" Aseem! Stop, don't get up! Its nothing like that. She is getting you food."
" What?"
" Yes and she is also sending someone to check you up "
" She is?"
" Yes she is."
" But why? I thought she will hate me"
" Is that so easy?"
" Yes Aseem ? Is it?"
" What can I do Alfez? I -- you know how I feel? Every night I think about how I messed her life up. Her life was clear , everything was figured out. She would have become a queen with all the proper respect and whatever steps they have. But now? After she came with me, everyone sees her differently. She had a great reputation before all this, everything has now crumbled down. Earlier no one would ever talk against her but now they are throwing stones at her. She left her family to run away with me , her grandfather hates her. How can I live like that knowing that she is suffering because I came in her life. "
" Aseem --"
" I don't know what to do anymore. I have these thoughts every day. It kills me from inside. Alfez, I can't -- it kills me."
Alfez patted his head.
"When I came here, I was being taken to the dungeon. I was beaten and locked in that room which had only one slip of space to look outside. And then she came there, I don't know how she got the keys but she had them and -- " he took a breath.
" And then they -- the guards pounced upon her , they started snatching it from her hands and they hit her . There was a point where they were on her while she was trying to get up. And I was in there , I couldn't do anything. I was so helpless that I --"
" Hey! Hey! Aseem --" Alfez consoled him.
" Even then, she was stubborn like hell. She didn't give them the keys. She opened the door and then--"
" Then?"
" I killed them."
" You what?!"
" I killed those two guards."
" You what-- you are telling me this now?! "
" Alfez I had to--"
" Just stop talking for a second."
" Alfez?"
" After that ?"
" Then her grandfather tried to kill me , twice. I almost died."
" Aseem just stop -- "
" Now You tell me now, what should I do?"
" I don't know. Aseem -- all this is just very -- I don't know what to say."
" Yeah I know, she wouldn't have let me go if I hadn't fought with her. Now I just hope that she gets to live her life as she was supposed to. We will go back Alfez."
" Aseem you are --"
" I am okay , just help me stand--"

" Where are you both going?! "
She stood there on the door step.
" Alfez, tell your brother to lay down."
" Did she hear what I said?" Aseem whispered into his ears.
" I don't know."
" What are you two whispering?"
" Nothing "
" Alfez, tell your brother to lie down and eat the food , a maid will come and give it to you."
" Alright "
" We were leaving." Aseem whispered again.
" I wasn't, you were and I think right now it's better not to piss her off." Alfez whispered back to him.
" Fine "
" When did you come ?" Alfez asked her.
" Just now , why?"
" Nothing just asking."
" Alfez , come here ."
" Yes "
" Listen , there is a man in the palace who is going to come to treat him tomorrow morning. So right now it's only us."
" Okay "
The maid entered with the soup.
" Give him that. It's liquid so that it's easy to digest."
" Thank you."
She smiled.
Alfez brought the soup to Aseem .
" Here "
" I don't want it." Aseem said with a frown face.
" What why?"
" I swear I don't feel like eating please, not now , get it away ."
" Aseem don't be a kid."
" Please Alfez, I don't want it. "
" What's going on?! " She asked.
" He isn't eating this." Alfez replied
" Aseem eat please --" Alfez tried convincing him.
" What please, you are his elder brother Alfez, don't pamper him. " She went towards him
" Shut up and eat. Open your mouth!". She raised her voice.
He opened his mouth as Alfez fed him.
" Alfez? Did you check him again?"
" He still has a high temperature."
" Let's just let him sleep. I should go."
" Alright, thank you safeena."
" Don't thank me. It's alright."
" But you came that's what matters after all this. That's why."
She smiled a little and left the room.
" Right."
" Aseem?"
" No not now Alfez."
" I was just asking if you are feeling better after eating."
" I do. "
" Go to sleep now and don't think much."
" We will leave tomorrow --"
" Aseem sleep."
Alfez sat beside him, changing the wet cloth from time to time.

It was past midnight. Alfez fell asleep besides him resting his head on the wall. That's when she came in. She came to see if he was doing better. Safeena saw both of them asleep. Aseem was lying and Alfez had fallen asleep sitting besides him. She tiptoed towards Aseem and sat down. She took off the cloth on his forehead and checked him. She looked at him sleeping for sometime. She tried to control herself, put herself together and then was about to get up when he held her hand. She moved her eyes from his hand to his face. He opened his eyes and looked into hers.
" You ah want something?" She asked in a low voice.
" You heard me earlier didn't you ?"
" I am leaving -"
" Wait, I know you heard me."
She looked down.
" And I also know that you came here to talk to me. "
" No I didn't. I am going back --"
" Safeena? I don't know what you are thinking after you heard all that but I don't want you to misunderstand me."
" I am not. I know what you want."
" Safeena , I love you "
" I know "
" And --"
" And I am not going to stop you anymore. " Safeena said.
" Safeena "
" What ?"
He looked at her fulfilling his heart.
" Nothing." He replied.
" Get rest " she said.
" Listen--"
" What?"
" Do you want me to leave right away?"
" Are you --?! Do you think that low of me ?! "
" No no - I just thought that you don't want to see my face ever again."
" I said that because I was mad at you. Not because I -- " she didn't complete her sentence.
" I hurt you a lot didn't I?"
" Stop it."
" I am so sorry "
" Stop please "
" I don't want to be a guy that holds you back. "
" You don't --! No , just not , I can't do that again. I am leaving."
He said nothing and she left.

The next morning, Alfez woke up with a neck pain. Aseem was still asleep. Alfez checked upon him. He still had fever. He went outside the room to look for Safeena.
" Hey !"
" Alfez, how is he?"
" Not yet better, he still has fever. Better than yesterday though. When is the person coming to see him?"
" He should come by now."
" Okay "
" Don't worry I will get him. You stay with Aseem."
" Sure."