High On Life

44: Seven Days....Seven Decades

"R...Riz..Rizwan j..jee." Her tone breaking, tears dripping down her eyes as she stood there beside his bed looking at his injured face which had scars all over, bandages stained in blood as they covered his head, both arms and his right leg in casts.

I just weeped silently seeing him like this. Lying there, seeming pretty much dead.

Shehry....Kiyun kiya aise? Kiyun kiya tumne aise? Kiyun uss aik insaan ki jaan par ban gaye tum jo meray sab se qareeb tha.

"Mama...The doctor said we need to leave now. They need to do his checkups." I said quietly, grabbing her shivering hand.

She yanked her hand out of mine and fell to the floor and cried against his arm which was attached to an IV drip.

"Nida...it's been a week. One...week without him." She sobbed as the words 'one week' escaped her lips in a whimper.

We hadn't blinked an eye for seven whole nights. All we ever did was cry in the day missing him and in the darkness of the night, wishing and praying that he recovers but here we were again just like those past seven days, standing by his bed crying over his helplessness. Our helplessness.

These seven days were more like seven decades to me. Seven decades without his jolly, smiley, caring.....presence around me. Please come back papa. Please....Nida ke liye bhi nahi?

I couldn't hold back and just fell down next to her and cried in her arms. My thoughts were too painful and just kept eating me alive with every passing second that flew by in his absence.

The door creaked open and in came the doctor and gestured me to leave. I nodded and walked out the door but could hear him as he crouched down to her level and spoke.

"Bhabhi sambhaliye apne aap ko. Mein apni poori koshish kar raha hun har din, unhein hosh mein laane ke liye. Aap ki aik hi beti hai. Aap kamzor parr jaayein gi to uss ka kia banay ga?" He looked down the whole time and so did mom who just sobbed silently looking down at her hands.

There was a brief silence in the room which he broke again. "Aap ghar jaaiye ab. Aur rest kijiye. Mein Rizwan sahab ke saath hun. Jab tak mein unhein hosh mein nahi le aata, mein unn ko kabhi akelay nahi chorun ga. Yeh mera vaada hai aapse." He looked up at her face and she did too. He smiled slightly and she just nodded slowly, getting up.

She just glanced at papa and the doctor walked out understanding. A few tears dripped off her eyes as she slowly bent down and kissed papa's forehead.

Pulling away she softly held his hand in hers and spoke against it "Rizwan jee....mujhse vaada karein aap jaldi waapis aayeinge. Please? Mujhe aise...akelay mat chorein. I miss you...I..I need you Rizwan jee."

She then slowly and carefully put his hand back on the space beside him on the bed and reached out her hands to his face.

Reaching for the corners of his lips, she slowly curved them upwards, just the way....the way he used to do with her.

"Mein aapki...aapki woh waali muskuraahat, woh pyaari pyaari harkatein dekhna chahti hun. Bas aapko apne paas rakhna chahti hun. I'm so sorry Rizwan jee. So wrapped up in my own self, I never cared how you were. Mein...mein bohat buri hun na Rizwan jee? Meri waja se hua na yeh sab? Bolein. Bol dijiye 'Haan begum. Biwi to humesha apne shohar se apne pyaar ka izhaar karti hai, pata nahi...pata nahi tumhein kahaan se utha laaya hun'." She weeped at the last part with a painful chuckle.

She then leaned in and kissed his forehead again and pulled away speaking as if mimicking him. "Aik yeh meri dramaybaaz jaan aur uss ka jhoota moota pyaar."

I couldn't bear to see the sight in front of me and just turned away and cried.

"Kiyun Shehry?" I broke out in many tears and she walked out of the room.