Asfi-Zubi - Love will find a way!

Has everything changed between us?(Part 4)

That afternoon passed off in the strangest manner, in a fast blur at times and then crawling in slow motion at others.

The meeting in the conference room where Asfand discussed his operative procedure went off without any incident. Despite her uneasiness, she got caught in the discussion between the senior doctors and Asfand. There was heartfelt appreciation she felt for his seminal work. She felt so proud as everyone broke into applause at the end of his presentation and even though she did not clap, a genuine smile of appreciation lighted up her features.

Gone was the hesitation and unease of the earlier hour. Nicole was specializing in cardiac surgery and was the one asking most of the questions, but each of the resident doctors was eagerly listening to Asfand. He was also relaxed and in control as he walked them through the professional procedure and his challenges.

Zubi considered that it was always such a joy to meet Asfand, the doctor and the scientist, because that was where the innate goodness of his character, his objectivity and fairness and his idealism shone through. Even as his assisting doctor in the hospital, she had stuck on to her job despite his irritability because there was no denying his brilliance and sincerity. It was only when Asfi, the person came into the mix, did things deteriorate, she thought; or maybe it she who brought out the worst in him. She grimaced at how she was again allowing her personal thoughts to intrude and became seriously involved in the discussion. The hour passed off quickly and then of course her luck played foul.

Dr Linda: So I believe you have some slides for us don't you Asfand. To show us what were the challenges  that faced you?

A: Yes sure, if someone could just help me with the projector.

Nicole who was sitting the closest to him shot out to help him and Zubiya felt sick. She got out of her chair and walked off to fetch herself some water and came back and sat as far away from him as she could possibly do behind her male colleagues, shielded by their bulk.

Z: (thinking) This is so stupid, I shouldn't be feeling jealous like this. Hope he hasn't  brought his wife along. That will make me really sick, if I had to meet Faryal. I don't think I could survive meeting her again. No, I have to be stronger than this. This is history now and we have all of us moved on. I have to be an adult about it. I have to admit that I did wrong by not confronting him before leaving. So he is entitled to dislike me. I have to face that as my due punishment and move on.

She forced herself to look at him while he linked his macbook to the projector. He was talking to Dr Linda and Nicole and looked engrossed and attentive. He looked so good, it should be a crime to look so attractive, she thought, He always looked best in black, but blue was a close second. He did look a little older, she thought , but right now he was in his charming mode, she thought angrily. What about the wife at home, how does she feel about you spreading the charm around? Yeah go ahead, go laugh and flirt, hope Faryal does something violent to you when you get home. Steadily she grew angry.

As soon as the projector slides came on, Zubiya felt someone had hit her hard, in the solar plexus, because there ran a series of pictures, one after another of the place she felt was her only home on this earth. One after another, the pictures of the hospital, the familiar faces of the OT nurses, even Dr Shehroze. She found herself looking at the background of the pictures trying to hungrily grab some familiar feature, a lost friend. As if she was trying to find some inkling of herself in that place she had left behind. Ducking behind Avi, so no one could see her tearing up, she watched in fascination and overwhelming sadness, and then, unable to take it, she quietly got up and noiselessly left the room. Watching her slim back,  Asfi leaned back, satisfied, that the hospital pictures he had unnecessarily put together with the surgery pictures in his presentation had at least found some reaction from her. At least some ground to build upon, even if she had no reaction to him.

He thought back to his months of planning to get close to her in a way where she could not escape, getting some time to spend with her. The completely dishonourable things she made him do, made him awkward and ashamed for a moment.

Zubiya walked to her ward. Enough Dr Asfandyar that she could tolerate for one day. She didn't care if Dr Linda didn't like her absence. She wasn't there to pander to them. She was a doctor and was needed by the babies under her care.  She picked up her stethoscope and got totally lost in checking up on the little ones under her care.  She was just finishing up for the day, when her boss walked in to her ward, along with, no surprise there, Dr Asfandyar.  Zubiya turned away to her own work and paid attention to the baby she was examining, as it squirmed under her hands.

They came to her. And she didn't falter for a moment as she discussed the case with her boss. Dr Asfand stood apart and with his arms folded against his body, listened to Zubi, the voice he had travelled so far to hear, looked at her unhindered, her hair loose and open as he had never seen it, her familiar  large eyes, not as trusting as they had been, but still as beautiful as ever, her petite figure, her curves accentuated in clothes designed to celebrate her womanliness and a certain confident grace, visible in the way she held herself straight and unbowed, a Zubi who would stand her ground in what she thought right.

A ( thinking)--"So Zubi, you have been busy growing up? Did you need this distance to become your own person? Why was it necessary to destroy everything to rebuild yourself? I would have let you go even if you had asked me.", he asked her the same way he had been having these millions of mental conversations with her in the past two years.

Dr L: " I  agree with you Dr Zee. We should get a blood count tomorrow and if the ferritin is still high we should test him for auto-inflammatory diseases."  She turned to Asfand to explain something to him.

A: still watching Zubiya, " I wonder Dr Linda if I could ask you a favor. Could you please let Dr Zubiya show me around in the hospital for the time I am here? I wont intrude on her work, but it would be easier for you if you didn't have me in your office all the time. Besides, she is from my country and probably understands my concerns better than others. "

Z: now really annoyed and taken aback, " But Dr Linda, I don't think I have free time. Dr Nicole has far less surgeries this week. She will be able to give more quality time." She said with a spark of annoyance and uncaring impertinence.

Dr L: " I think this is not such a big deal, Zee. Please show him around and help him find his way in the hospital for the very short time he is here."

Z: " And how short is this "short time'?" annoyed with Dr L and uncharacteristically sharp.

Dr L: " Asfand, you are with us till next Sunday aren't you? So it is 6 days,Dr Zee. And this hospital pays for your time so you need not bother with managing your time, which you might recall is my area of work, not yours". With those sarcastic words, Dr Linda flounced off , leaving a fuming Zubiya looking at Asfand in ill-concealed anger.

A: ( amused and happy to have watched her discomfiture) " Well Dr Zubiya, you have still not changed in one respect, you still don't know how to separate the personal from the professional".

Z: " Dr Asfandyar, everything has changed. If you look at it clearly without the past clouding your vision". She turned away and walked off while he followed her thinking "well that went better than I expected".

However the little bubble of happiness in him was pricked too soon as he saw the very good looking Dr Alexander from the morning, waiting for her near the door. Xander saw her sweep on furiously unseeing and tapped her from behind. Zubiya, turned around in anger and said " What??", her voice raised many decibels beyond her normal tone.

Xander, put up his hands in mock surrender," Woah, Zee?!!".

Zubi stopped, took a deep breath and shook her head," Sorry Xander, bad day. Drop me home please?"

Asfand's day turned as dark as Zubi's in a trice.

to be continued................

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