The Wake.

30

"Azfar." She gasped out his name trying to blink herself back to reality, though it was itself all real what she believed to be unreal.

"Yes, jaan." By now she had forgotten all about his mentioning of the second wife, her anger, her complains and everything else. The only thing visible to her was him and his body against hers.

"I—" Before she could even remember what she wanted to say anymore he rested his forehead over hers, his hand beneath the water were still firm on small waist while hers were trying to find stability roaming in the water till she placed them on his chest and then it hit her, finally. "I don't want anything."

"You don't?" His forehead was still intact with hers.

"I'm—I'm, I just—" She tried to focus and her consciousness grew more as she realized he was all bare even if he was immersed in the water. "Why are you—" She took a deep breath shifting her head away from him a little, "Get away!" She pushed him and tried to use her knees to move herself up holding the sides of the tub.

Azfar let her go removing his hands from her body and she got out of the tub doing her best to not make contact with his lower body while doing so. "I have to change my clothes for the third time today because of you!" She walked out with heavy steps towards the closet as water dripped on the marble floor from the bathroom to the closet to the bedroom. Iraj changed her clothes and then went out of the room immediately.

Azfar came out soon after as well for lunch all changed into his casuals and ate without disturbing his wife with any comments this time. She tried to not even look at him, it was not easy for her to eradicate the image of what had happened inside the bathroom minutes back.

She finished the food without even noticing that she had eaten the vegetable dish instead of what she liked to eat and moved back to the room. She saw the water remnants on the floor and then realized Azfar hated mess and uncleaned areas. Iraj took a fabric napkin from the closet and started mopping the floor sitting down.

"What are you doing!" Azfar hurried towards her and took the piece of cloth from her hands.

"What do you think? I'm cleaning." She replied normally trying to move her hand near his to take the cloth back.

"Jaan, please." His jaw clenched and he closed his eyes for a brief moment and then inhaled in opening them again, "Go sit, the cleaners will do it."

"Cleaners?"

"Yes, now go to bed or go do whatever you want to but don't ever do this again." His heart hurt seeing her, "Please jaan, please."

"What's wrong with you? You've always told me to keep everything clean myself." She was still looking at him in confusion.

"Iraj—" He knew his words had left a deep impact on her from the past and now when he was trying to fix it all, it was not going to be easy, "Please, get up." He spoke with much softness which did make her stand and she went to the bathroom to wash her hands before she left the room.

When Azfar went out to see where she was, he saw her from the windows sitting outside on the grass and talking to someone on the phone. He stood there, by the window, till she was done talking which took around thirty minutes and he went out as well when she set the phone down on the grass too.

"You ate ghaas phoos today." He chuckled lightly.

"It doesn't matter." She hadn't even paid attention to it but didn't want to admit it either.

"Do you want to see the plants?" He walked closer to her and she looked up at him.

"No."

"Why?"

"You can show them to your second—" She stood up and went back inside the bedroom not wanting to even speak to him.

Entering inside she sat on the bed and saw a big square box lying there. It was tied up with a ribbon and Iraj didn't want to open it although she wanted to see what was inside. Azfar soon came to the room and then closed the door.

"Will you not open it?" He walked to her side.

"Isn't this for your second wife too?" Iraj scoffed with a dry laugh.

"It is." He sat down in front of her on the bed.

"Then why do you want me to see it, go give it to her." He took her fingers in his hands and stared at them.

"You haven't painted your nails." And then she remembered that her hands trembled now whenever she had tried to which made her always feel useless.

Pulling her hands out of his she tried to take a deep breath, "I don't like it anymore."

"Wait a second." Azfar got up and moved towards the dressing room then came out with a nail color in his hand, "You like this color the most right?" It was lavender. "I'll paint your nails, maybe you'll like them again then?"

Sitting back down before her he took her hands and placed her palm on his knee and started painting her nails with much precision and concentration. Iraj just sat there without being able to comprehend what had just happened. When he was done with the second hand too she brought her hands closer to look at them. "Do you like it? It matches with the bunnies on your shorts right?" Her shorts had very tiny mauve bunnies all over, it had never been a moment in Azfar Zaman's life if he wouldn't notice everything about his wife though it was also very ironic that he knew nothing about her truly till she had been hospitalized months back. It always made him feel like he was the worst.

The nail color was truly done without any mess or untidiness. It had been almost months since she'd seen her nails in color, she had stopped going to the nail salon a while back and this was definitely making her feel very emotional now. "It's very nice, Azfar." Her eyes were on her nails as a few tears came down her cheeks.

"I'll do them everyday, you can pick whichever color you want." He rubbed his thumb over her cheek wiping away the tears.

"Why are you doing this Azfar?" She blinked at his face.

"I want to do this, for my second wife, all my life." Both his hands held her face in his.

"What do you mean?"

"You jaan, you are my second wife, third, fourth, and whenever I'll have to marry I'll be marrying you again, but yes, you're most definitely the second one because I didn't treat you right as my first one." Azfar pressed his lips on her forehead. "I love you, Iraj."