With You

Chapter 9

"So this is a bear." Zarah told Maira while flipping the page to see a Lion staring at them. After her duty finished, she took Maira with her to the children's ward to spent her time with the kids. As the patients were increasing, she was getting less time in her hands for the paediatric ward. One child tried to mimic the voice of a bear resulting a cute giggle from Maira who was in her arms and flipping the pages of the animal book.

"Zari,tell us a story. Maira will like it." Zarah giggled on Faiz's excuse to listen the stories.

"Ok. Let me think of a story." Maira nodded excitedly on her words and she kissed her cheeks in adoration. She was getting habitual of this little bundle of joy, Zarah wanted the riots to end soon but there was a tiny guilty wish in her heart which was whispering to prolong that riots so she would get more time with this little girl.

"He will listen to them too?" Zarah looked at the kid, Misha who was pointing towards someone in her back and as she turned her head, she found Ryan who was now about to exit due to the revelation of his secret presence.

"You can stay."

Zarah said quickly, shifting to the other chair to make her seat vacant for him. Didn't know why he was so mysterious? And yes, it was his habit to come anywhere without any noise, just like now.

"I was just passing by so I thought of checking up on Maira."

He reasoned while taking the seat beside hers as she only nodded. It didn't seem like passing by.

"So, let's start." Zarah mumbled while clearing her throat a little as she moved Maira's fringes away from her eyes, "There was a wise courtman who was beloved to the king. The king always ask for his opinion in every matter and the courtman advised him wisely."

Zarah started her story and glanced at Ryan whose eyes were fixed on her and his excitement coated features were nothing less than the kids around her. "So one day, the king and the courtman goes for a hunt and with some accident the king gets his toe injured." She continued, looking at the kids who were waiting for her to continue.

"The king asks his courtman what he thinks about his injury, the courtman replies-'whatever God does is for our good.'" Zarah looked up in question as with a screech of the chair, Ryan got up. "What happened?"

"I thought this will be some new story but that's old stuff-charms and magic of some unknown." Ryan told her with a smirk and she felt her mind went off with a tick.

"You're free to go. Go." Zarah told in a controlled manner in order to show herself composed in front of the children around her and Maira who was now sleeping in her arms.

"I too don't have any intentions of listening to these so called good stories." Ryan mumbled while leaving the room as Zarah pursed her lips to just control her feelings of anger and remorse.

How unusual his talks were? Didn't he believe in God? But why? And even if he didn't, he should respect for others. But how could he just disbelieve when every minute strand of his body was a slave to the Almighty. Zarah took a shiver as again Ryan's words echoed in her mind.

***

Ryan stormed towards the canteen just to block out the words of Zarah which were crawling up inside his head like a hunter moving towards its prey.

Whatever God does is for our good.

Why the hell he couldn't let go of her words? Or was it her image which he didn't want to let go? Zarah's image of holding Maira carefully in her arms with children surrounding her and as she intently told them the story. But she could have tell a nice and a sensible story!