The Wake.

21

"She's been on medication since weeks now Mr Zaman." The doctor told Azfar who could not overcome the shock of whatever he was told. Mehran was standing there too. They both had not had an argument ever since they had brought Iraj to the nearest hospital which coincidentally was the same where she was taken three weeks ago.

"Why the hell was I not informed! Isn't this place that I myself designed for the founder of the hospital! How can you keep something like this from me about my wife!" His anger was back again and rage was roaring out at the doctor.

"Mr Zaman, I'm afraid your wife did not want to—"

"I don't care! She's my wife you fool! How can you be so stupid to think that I won't find out!" He had found out. Everything. In the most brutal situation. Azfar was fisting his hands but Mehran was trying to control his mind and held him back.

"Azfar. Don't. It's useless talking to these people." Mehran spoke to revive his sanity.

"I want a proper apology. You know very well there's no other Iraj Zaman in the entire city, whose husband is Azfar Zaman. My wife was on her own here and I was uninformed, I want an apology if you and your hospital still wants to run on the money people give you." Azfar moved towards the room where she was and sat right next to her bed.

Such an unfortunate man he was. He knew it. He had been so blind to not notice anything wrong going on with her. Scolding her, throwing sarcastic remarks at her, yelling at her for always breaking things and always losing her balance while walking and moving around. And he had claimed to love her as well. What a big joke. Mehran Pervez was better than him, he had thought for the first time. At least he never made Iraj cry.

He didn't even think he was worthy of crying at his own actions. His fragile wife had been alone all along since weeks with something so heartbreaking and he had just conveniently left for his irrelevant work. She was falling apart every day and he was consumed with his own insignificant problems.

She opened her eyes after a few minutes, and he moved his hand to hold hers but she instantly shifted it away.

"Iraj, I—"

She turned her back at him and rotated herself to lie in the opposite direction of his face. She didn't want to see him, his pity, his sympathy, his sorry face.

"You don't want to see me, I understand." He gulped and didn't fight her or try to explain anything. He wasn't going to make her feel uncomfortable with his words anymore.

The silence from her side made him realize that he was right and she didn't want him here.

Iraj felt so weak and broken. She didn't have the courage for remaining as the same person who could ignore the world to get what she wanted. Her pride and determination had fallen apart. Now he knew the truth. He would see her with those eyes every time. And she didn't want to see him.

"I, um, Iraj the nurse is here." He stood up the moment that woman walked in and tried to wait for him to say something.

Iraj didn't reply and was still on the bed lying there. The nurse moved to face Iraj on the other side and Azfar went to stand outside at the door till she helped Iraj change her clothes.

"Do you have a phone?" Iraj asked the nurse with a broken smile.

"Uh, ma'am your husband has already—"

"Please." Iraj almost begged.

"Here." The nurse handed her the cellphone from her pocket.

Iraj dialed the only number she had learned by heart on through WhatsApp. "Hello? Who is this?"

"It's me, please come and take me from here." She felt her tears drop and the nurse turned away to give her space.

"Where are you? Why are you crying?" He said.

"Just please come, I don't want to be here anymore." Her voice broke while speaking.

"I'm on my way, don't worry, tell me where you are."

"Hospital. I'll text the address. Please come soon." Iraj swallowed her tears inside. He was the only person whom she could depend on.

"Just a few hours. Just a few. I'm going to be there, hold on for me alright." He said before disconnecting.

She knew he'd come right away. She had never thought though of ending up in a situation to have become like this. Iraj handed the phone back to the nurse before sending the location to her brother who was far away in a different country right now.

The nurse left and Azfar came back inside and sat down on the chair without a word. Iraj turned her face away from him and lied down. As much as he wanted to hold her, he couldn't, he knew it.

"We'll leave soon. I just want them to run all the tests again. So maybe a day after." He said after ten minutes. Mehran had left knowing that Iraj had now woken up. He didn't want to start a battle with her husband to meet her when she was already distressed.

The next day towards evening the man Iraj had called was there before they had left the hospital and had entered the room where Azfar was standing talking to the doctor while Iraj was on the bed sitting in a half lying position.

"Rehaan?"

"I'd like to be alone with my sister. Please leave. I'll ask you about what led her to be in this place later." He said and Iraj already wanted to flee from there seeing him in front of her finally.

Who knows Kazmi here?