wooing Meera Rai

XVI | soulmates

XVI | soulmates

Inayat Haafiz loved her boring life. 

She was a senior HR in a mid size firm of accounting and finance. Her work involved doing routine work, daily checks, sort applications, schedule meetings, sort resignations and manage the resources in a budget and time constraint manner. 

The pay was not a lot. It wasn't much to be very honest. It hardly covered her monthly costs, after spending it on her mother-in-law's medications. The money she earned was emptied the moment it got credited in her account, which left her with nothing for herself. It was a blessing Meera had financed Shenaaz's education entirely, and that she got Shenaaz a seat in the most renowned school. 

But, Inayat loved her boring life.  

Why? Given she was a widowed, single mother of a kid with a mother-in-law who didn't recognise her at times, so why was did she love her life?

It was a simple word. Just one word, in fact.

Meera.

Meera was her lifeline. 

For others, Meera was just Inayat's best friend. To Inayat, Meera was her family. And they had been each other's families' since they were kids in the sixth grade. It was funny, how she defended a timid girl from school bullies and she ended up being the only one who stayed.

So when she got an emergency call from a stranger, telling her that Meera had collapsed in school, Inayat got the biggest scare of her life. 

She hurriedly left the office, apologising for the sudden departure and rushed to the clinic Meera was admitted to. When she saw how pale Meera was when she lay with a saline injected on her right wrist, Inayat held her anxious heart and approached the doctor.

"She fainted in the classroom, and couldn't wake up despite the first aid provided." The doctor, a mid 50's man with a tired expression on his face looked through the file. "It seems like dehydration. What has she been eating lately?"

Inayat gulped, nervously playing with her fingers. "Nothing, she cannot stomach anything, since a month. I have tried all possible things for her to eat, but nothing seems to work."

"She looks absolutely distressed." The doctor remarked on seeing the whimpering Meera who couldn't sleep still despite being unconscious. "Is something bothering her?"

Inayat nodded. 

"Well, that explains it. I think it's better to visit the gastroenterologist and of course, a therapist to help ease with the stress."

The doctor handed Inayat the list of medicines and the fees. Inayat sat besides her friend who lay miserably sick in the dark corner.  

"Also - who is Vihaan?"

Inayat's concerned quickly resurfaced into point blank anger. She looked sharply at the doctor.

"Why?"

"She has been taking his name at intervals."

The rage Inayat had for the man couldn't surpass the sympathy she felt for Meera. Even in a complete state of blackout, Meera was calling out for a man who never loved her. A man who used her simply to feed in his fragile male ego and stepped over everything they had. The fact that she was chanting the name of the man who brought all of this miseries to her was baffling to Inayat. 

Silly, silly girl. 

How could anyone be this big of an idiot? Inayat shook her head, taking a deep breath and facing the doctor with less intensity and more embarrassment.