The Wake.

23

"Why have you not finished the fruits Shahwar?" Rehaan pulled his very pregnant wife on his lap.

"I don't want to, I want chocolates." She sweetly smiled and then scrunched her nose.

"I'll get them if you finish the fruits, please, please," He kissed her cheeks, "Please."

"Okay, okay." She gave in finally.

Iraj was sitting right across them in the lounge, staring at them with adoration. Her brother had definitely changed. They both looked perfect together. Iraj smiled at them and sighed slowly at her own misery.

It had been two months since she'd been there. It was much better than Azfar's house. Her sister in law would talk about so many things the whole day when Rehaan would leave for work for a few hours. It was her eighth month of pregnancy and he just didn't want to go to work at all. The person her brother had married was certainly one of most beautiful people she had ever met.

Rehaan had banned his wife from entering the kitchen because of her desires to cook food herself, he wished for her to just sit in one place, he was too cautious about it but would not even get upset with her when she'd sneak into the kitchen at times to make her tea at night. He'd simply follow her and carry her back to the room. Iraj had seen that happen six times now.

The only thing that would worry her sister in law was that Rehaan spoke like they were going to have a girl. He had brought everything for his unborn child that was pink. And Shahwar would stare at him with a troubling look but never said anything to oppose his thoughts either. Iraj had witnessed her brother understand every single moment of silence from his wife but in this regard he was oblivious. Even Iraj wondered what would happen if they would have a boy instead of a girl?

Their dynamics were completely different from hers and Azfar's.

She got up and went to the garden area where she had been growing a few of her favorite flowers that were only tiny little plants right now. Here she was never even noticed when she would drop something or break anything. The workers would just calmly clear the floor within a few minutes. No one would tell her how irresponsible or careless she was. Her brother would take her and his wife out for dinners every weekend. All three days, Friday to Sunday.

She had not had any severe episodes of tremors or any other symptoms. Just her same old previous things. She'd been getting physical therapy as well, it would distract her and put her mind to focus on something.

She went back to her room and went for a shower. It was time for dinner when she came out and changed her clothes. Before she could go down for dinner her brother came to her room and knocked before entering announcing his presence.

"What's up?" She frowned at the sudden visit.

"Can we talk?" He looked weary and she knew something was definitely up.

"Oh dear, what is it mister?" She folded her hands over her chest. "Here to ground me or something for eating too many candies?" She raised her brows.

"Do you want more candies? Hm?" Placing his around her shoulder he took her with him to sit on the couch.

"Nuh-uh." She shook her head. How could she want more of those, her brother had gotten huge glass jars filled with too many of them in the kitchen that she and Shahwar both would eat late afternoon, daily.

"Iraj, I'm going to say something, after hearing all of it if you hate me, then I promise I'll never say anything again to you about this." She sat looking at him with confusion.

"I can never hate you, even if you are the worst funny man to exist." She giggled, "I will be honest and tell you clearly that your jokes are very unfunny that you try to make bhabhi laugh with."

"Azfar's been calling me every single day since I brought you here." Her laugh disappeared the moment he said that. "I was upset first so I took my time to answer, but he would only ask about you everyday, every single day."

"Why is he calling? Unhe kya fark parhta hai? He should be happy now I'm gone for good." She inhaled.

(What does he care?)

"He wants to see you. I've been pushing him away, but I'll leave the final decision to you. Though he has said that he'll come here even if you don't want to see him, but I won't let him if you don't want to." Iraj slumped into her brother's arm with a huge heavy breath.

"Fine. I'll see him." She said in a low voice and closed her eyes.

"Sure?"

She nodded continuing her deep sighs.

"Right, then uh, let's go for dinner." Rehaan and Iraj went for the dinner and after that Iraj came back to her room feeling too sleepy. She didn't want to think about Azfar. As most of the time her late night thoughts before going to bed were always about him.

She laid down on the bed and pulled her covers. Soon she fell asleep and when her eyes opened the next day she thought she was hallucinating. Azfar was sitting next to her on the edge of the bed holding her hand. She sat up at once and rubbed her eyes but he was still there. "Azfar?"

"I've been dying to hear that." He smiled with a blink.

So...not a very long separation track?