UNEDITED
Days passed...four days after Eid and Ahmed Nurrain is already packing his bags to go back to Dartsmouth. Maleeka stretched her arms widely to accommodate him. Eyes were on them but she cares less. Not knowing when she will see him again breaks her heart.
"So seal the promise, we meet soon, my birthday?" She asked pouting, trying so hard to push the tears from her eyes.
His head fell, his face facing down thinking of how to say it wouldn't be possible...how to not break her heart again. He knows right that she will understand, she always understands...His Maleeka.
"It's okay My Nurrain. I understand." She whispered placing both her hands on his shoulders. "Now align your shoulders and raise your chin. Be the Soldier that you are Captain Nurrain!" She added in between painful laughter.
Ahmed Nurrain blinked his tears back doing just as she commanded. He raised his hands to salute. "Yes Ma'am."
Their laughter filled the whole space, smiling as he picked up his luggage.
"Wait." She said just as he was about to turn back.
She pulled out an envelope wrapped in a gift bag. " this is for you."
He collected it...almost too quick to open when she placed her hands on his.
"Open that when you settle in your apartment."
He smiled and hugged her once more before they both drift apart.
Maleeka hugged herself, patting her arms while walking towards her car. Something to comfort her and praise her worth of being a military wife.
Lost in her thoughts, she found herself walking towards a different direction.
"I am sorry." A voice startled her. She flinched and turned not sure of what happened. It took her a minute to realize that either the woman bumped into her or she bumped into the woman. Either ways, she squatted down to help the woman with the lots of books that are down.
"I am sorry." She said also as her hands grazed on a book title "A thousand splendid suns by Khalid Hosseini" she smiled and thanked the nature that now everything reminds her of her husband. How he disturbed every peace of hers some year back to read the book but even with his manipulation she didn't, there was no time to do that.
She picked the book a rose. The face of the woman right in front of her. If Maleeka was a man, she would have proposed to her at that instant. So beautiful.
"Thank you and I am sorry." She smiled again and stretched her hands to collect the books from Maleeka. Instead of giving, Maleeka held onto it like it belongs to her.
After minutes of awkward silence, the woman spoke .
"I am kind of late for my flight."
"My bad. I am really sorry." Maleeka said pinching her forehead. She handed the book over to the owner with an apologetic smile and walked away.
For a second, she hated the fact that this happened. There is love and there is madness and hers is a combination of both. To her, there ain't no life without Nurrain, he is the bane of her existence.
She brushed the thought of everything and drove out of the airport and straight back home. The house feels empty without him she can't lie so instead of wallowing in self pity, she cuddled herself up in their bedroom and slept off.
********
The sound her phone ringing woke her up. She groaned and scurried the bed for it. Khalil's name popped on her screen. Hesitant at first, she dragged the round took to the right.
"Hello
Maleeka." His voice came through. Instead of replying, she hummed and waited for him to say what he wants to.
"Can you please fill in for me today? I need to do a really important work for my parents." His voice came through again. This time with a plead.
She hates the fact that Khalil is very nice to her at the moment. He has been soo good that she finds it really hard rejecting helping him.
"Okay, I'll be there in less than an hour."
With him thanking her, they ended the call.
She groaned and turned on bed before finally getting up to freshen up. She has the night shift which is to start later on but now that she is filling up for him, she needs to go out by 3pm. She hurriedly packed her bag. Putting in every necessities, she proceeded to the kitchen to pack some food for herself.
After almost thirty minutes, she picked up her cars keys and drive to the hospital.
She met him all set to leave.
"Heyy." He said helping her with her Stanley cup.
"Helloo. It better be worth it." She whispered blinking her eyes like a threat.
"Trust me, it is." They laughed when they reached the call room, luckily for her, it's empty and from the looks of it only one person is present. She smiled at the thought of having the room to herself.
"There is a stubborn patient in Amenity room 4, God! That's a stubborn old woman."
"Well I better not get on her bad side."
Maleeka stretched on the bed and pulled out her pringles and condensed milk, a very weird cravings she have lately.
"Wait...pringles and condensed milk?"
She stared at him, daringly.
"I'm not saying anything about it." He laughed and walked out.
She waited until 5pm before heading out to check on the patients and alas! She met the stubborn woman. The woman even told her she is pregnant and if she thinks it's a joke she should carry out a pregnancy test. She tried as much as she could to finish up with her and leave.
By 8pm, she sat in the hospital's cafeteria letting her thoughts linger. It's been an hour since she spoke to her husband, and he in support of the woman said she should give the test a try, who knows.
She didn't want to get her hopes neither her husband's. It's been like that for years, getting hopes then getting it crushed. Minutes passed, she thanked God her partner is here already if not she would have gotten the scolding of her life.
Just then, a WhatsApp message popped on her screen, it was Nurrain asking about the test. She didn't open it, instead, she slowly walked to the labs section.
"Heyyy Dr Maleeka." The technician said, jovial as usual.
"Helllooo Khadija, how are you?"
After the greetings, Maleeka informed her why she is there.
The test was done and in less than 20minutes, the results were out.
Her eyes widen and then failed....letting out a deep sigh, she closed her eyes.
YOU ARE READING
Thorns and Roses
Ficción General"...even roses have thorns." "Love is both a curse and a blessing, it goes beyond what the heart feels,what the mind thinks or what the eyes see...Love is what the Soul feels, rooted deeper than the oceans...filled with darkness and calm waves."...
