Omar

I had just stepped out of the shower, and pulled on my shirt and pajamas, when I saw Madi's name light up my cell phone.

Why is she calling me right now? Has something happened to Noor?

By the time I picked up the phone she had already hung up. So I called her back immediately, and after the 5th ring she picked up, "Madi? Is everything ok?"

"Yes, umm...everything is ok...", but the panic in her voice was hard to miss and I was sure that there was something wrong with Noor, or her baby.

"Madi...you don't sound ok?", I replied, but then I realized that instead of the hospital sounds in the background, I heard a mechanical chugging sound.

Slightly confused about where she was, I asked, "Are you on a train?"

She didn't say anything, so I repeated again, "Madi...what is going on?"

"Ummm...mein train mein hoon. Aik aadmi mujhe ghoor raha hai, aur mein akaili hoon (I am in a train. A man is staring at me, and I am alone)", I heard her say in her Americanized Urdu accent. I didn't know that she knew how to speak Urdu, many kids of Pakistani origin who grew up in the US didn't, but in that moment I knew she was speaking in Urdu because she didn't want anyone else to understand what she was saying. It was a safety technique all bilingual people learnt quickly.

Oh God...Madi's in trouble!

Now I was starting to panic...she was alone on a train, late at night, with some weird man who was making her uncomfortable. It took me a second to understand all of that, but then my mind clicked and I pulled up the train map going out of the Chicago downtown area. I wasn't sure exactly where she was headed, "What's your next stop?"

"Galewood", she whispered.

I looked on the map quickly. Found it!

"Ok Madi, get off at Galewood...and go to the 24hr pharmacy just outside the train station. I am coming to get you. For now stay on the phone with me", I grabbed my keys and ran out of my apartment.

"Ok...", she said in a small voice.

The train stop was only about 10 minutes away from me, but a lot can happen in 10 minutes on an empty train. I tried to not let my mind think about all the crime reports on the news I had heard since moving to Chicago. Or think of the patient I had the nurse do a rape kit on during my ER rotation a couple of months ago. I prayed for her safety as I raced out of my apartment building's car park area.

Oh Madi...please, please be ok!

But I should have known that her stubborn self would try to downplay the whole incident, because even though the fear and panic in her voice hadn't gone away, she said, "Actually, ab woh aadmi door chala gaya hai. Meray Papa mujhe utha lein gein...aap ko aane ki zaroorat nahi hai (Actually, that man has moved away now. My dad can pick me up...you don't have to come)"

Then why are you still speaking in Urdu?

"I am already on my way...and Madi...you don't have to pretend you're not scared, not with me, ok?...", I reiterated.

"Omar...", her voice was soft, and innocent, and it made me want to drive even faster than I already was.

"Madi...I got you...ok? Where is that man now?"

She said that he hadn't moved and was slumped over a seat, probably after all the drinking.

"I am going to check his breathing, I can't say for sure he is just sleeping...hopefully he hasn't overdosed on something", Madi said over the phone.

"What? Madi...no...stay away from him...", I screamed into the phone.

Of course, she did not listen to me. I heard footsteps, and then her phone disconnected. I frantically, tried to call her back but she did not pick up. Pressing on the accelerator and with my hand on the car horn I broke two red lights in a row, as I sped through the streets of Chicago.

A few minutes later I screeched to a halt outside the 24 hr pharmacy I had asked Madi to come to. Her phone was going straight to voicemail now. To say that I was scared out of wits, was an understatement. I ran through the aisles of the pharmacy to make sure she wasn't there and was almost about to call 911 when I saw her standing in front of the freezer aisle.

Madiha

Ice cream was my favorite dessert and after the day I had, I deserved a whole pint of it. I was still trying to decide between the different chocolate flavored ice creams, when I heard my name being called out. I turned, but before I could reply I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around me and hold me tightly.

"Oh...thank God", a familiar voice whispered in my ear.

Then equally abruptly, he let me go.

"I...uh...I am sorry...I didn't mean to do that...", a flustered Omar said as he stepped back from me.

He was wearing blue pajama bottoms and a plain grey shirt, and his face was flushed and eyes wide. In a hushed, but stern tone he continued, "Madi...what the hell is wrong with you? I asked you to stay away from that man and instead you hung up? Do you know how scared I was for you? Don't ever do that again...do you understand?"

I was lost in his penetrating gaze, or maybe it was his masculine scent or his damp hair that swooped across his forehead in waves when he touched my arm again, and gently said, "Madi, are you ok? Did he hurt you?"

"No...no...I am fine. I am sorry...I didn't mean to scare you. The train went into a tunnel and your call dropped and then my phone died. The man was completely out of it when I stepped off the train...", I was finally able to gather myself enough to reply to him.

He took a deep breath and finally seemed to have calmed down a bit, "Thank God you're ok. But honestly, when I asked you if you had a ride, you should have told me that you were taking the train this late at night. I could have just dropped you off..."

"I didn't want to bother you...".

I felt bad that he had gone through so much for me, because with the man passed out from drinking so much I could have just continued on the train and gotten home myself.

And then I wouldn't be standing here awkwardly trying not to stare at him...

"Madi...you will never be a bother for me. If you can't ask a friend for a ride home, who else will you ask?", his facial expression relaxed and he smiled at me warmly, "Come on...I'll drop you off"

Friend, that's an upgrade from a friendly colleague... I was jolted back to reality.

Yes, that's right, he is here as your friend. Nothing more...

I followed him out of the pharmacy, again wondering why my mind keeps getting annoyed at the fact that Omar considered me a colleague and/or a friend. How was that a bad thing? I have had plenty of male friends, even if none were besties, and worked with plenty of male colleagues. I was generally a friendly person...with everyone, including men...men like Omar.

You've had an emotional day, your wires are all mixed up...just shake it off!

We had just stepped out of the pharmacy when Omar turned back towards me and asked, "Do you want ice cream?"

"What?"

"You were standing in front of the ice cream freezer...were you going to get some? I can wait if you want to go get it..."

Oh for God's sake...stop being so nice!

"Nopes...I am good. Where is your car?"

I knew I was a little curt in replying to him, but honestly, I just needed that day to be over and more importantly I needed to get away from him and sleep off whatever emotional craziness had come over me. If sitting in his car, and getting dropped off by him was a means to that end, I wasn't going to stand around wasting time because of ice cream.

"It's right here...", he said, pointing to a silver-grey two-seater sedan in front of us.

My mouth may have dropped open when I recognized the make and model of that car, "You own a Porsche 718 Boxster?"

He unlocked the passenger door and held it open for me, "Yes, I do...please get in. It's getting really late, we have to be back at work soon..."

I did get in, and couldn't help but caress the smooth, luxurious leather seats while looking around at the sleek interior of the car. Omar closed my door and then walked over to the driver's seat.

Holy smokes...how rich is this guy?

I couldn't contain my amazement at this beautiful car and blurted out, "Is this a Model 4.0 with six cylinders?"

Omar's eyes lit up, as he replied, "It actually is. How do you know so much about cars? I would never have imagined you to be a car aficionado"

"I am not...my dad is the lead automotive technical expert at a luxury cars dealer in Schaumburg. Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari...he works on all of them. And then he comes home and bores us with details about their engine capacity and interior design during dinner. I may have picked up a few bits and pieces of information over plates of biryani and kebabs...or maybe it was chai and tea biscuits, I can't remember"

Omar laughed loudly and that made me chuckle.

"That is awesome. Let me know if he is ever looking for an extra set of hands!", he grinned at me.

"You won't get paid for it...not that you need it. How are you able to afford this on an intern's salary anyway? Are you like super rich or something?", maybe that was not my place to ask, but I was curious, and he said we were friends!

He didn't seem to mind the question, and smiled at me when he replied, "I am not rich at all...you could say my dad is. His solution to everything is also to throw money at it. So when I was in a bit of a slump because of, you know...my engagement, and my PhD getting delayed etc., instead of talking to me, he sent me money. This car was just an impulse buy..."

An impulse buy? My impulse buys are handbags and shoes...

"Huh? What does...your dad do?", I knew I was really pushing boundaries here, so I added, "Sorry, that is a personal question...you don't have to answer it"

He didn't say anything for a few seconds, and I was starting to get worried that he did not appreciate my line of questioning. But then he turned towards me and said, "Madi...it's not something I talk about often, but I don't mind telling you. He is the majority shareholder in a surgical instrument factory that uh...does business all over the world, including with some hospitals in Chicago...I think. None of it is mine though. I am the black sheep of the family, since I chose medical school over business school"

So, Omar's dad is a businessman? I knew a thing or two about that world...given than both my fiancé and my sister's in-laws were business people. And owning a surgical instrument factory that does business all over the world, would put you up there among the richest families of the country.

Ok...then. Well! I have a rich friend...

Its fine...I am fine, I told myself for the twentieth time that day. My nerves were on the edge because so much had happened that day, from Jawad's text message to Noor getting sick, then Salman and Omar arguing/making up, the train ride with a drunk man, and now these ridiculous feelings about Omar being a friend that didn't make any sense. And, finding out that he, unlike the rest of us mere mortals, could afford to buy a Porsche on a whim because life was being unfair to him.

If there was anyone else who had gone through a day like this they would have had a meltdown half way through. I was actually quite proud of myself that not only had I made it to the end of the day, but had handled most of the day pretty well. Except that mini-crying session in the supplies room, but you know what they say about crying:

"Crying doesn't mean you're weak...Sometimes it's what you need to do to get strong again" - J.W. Lynne

Yup, that was it. I was a strong woman, and that entire day had proven it.

"I agree, you are a strong woman...", I heard Omar say.

"What?"

Was I talking to myself out loud?

"You mumbled something to yourself about being a strong woman...if that was a Madi self-motivation speech, I agree with you. You are an incredibly strong woman", he grinned at me.

Just then his car's navigation system announced "You have reached your destination"

"I appreciate you saying that...and thanks so much for dropping me off"

I thought I would be embarrassed at having being caught talking aloud, but Omar really had a way of putting me at ease. I smiled back at him and grabbed my stuff as I got out of the car. But before I could close the door, he said,

"Madi, can I say something before you leave...", he paused, probably expecting me to nod or say yes or something.

His voice had assumed that low deep pitch again, the kind that makes your heart flutter because you know that whatever words follow will be said with utmost sincerity.

"Sure...", I didn't mean to hold my breath, but somehow ended up holding it anyway.

"It has been an absolute honor to work with you this month...I couldn't have asked for a better senior resident"

I let out my breath. Why was I expecting him to say something else?

I looked at him for a second, before replying, "It's been an absolute pleasure having you as an intern on the team as well...goodnight Omar"

"Goodnight Madi..."

I closed the car door and walked away. He waited till I had unlocked my front door and stepped inside safely. Then the engines of his Porsche came back to life and he drove off into the night.

The last few minutes had made me realize that I had probably never had a more wholesome relationship with another colleague/friend than what I had developed with him over the last couple of weeks while on service. The physiologic reaction my body occasionally had to him, was just a distraction, and probably a result of having such an insane day.

I decided then, that I liked him...not in a romantic way, but just in a I'll-have-his-back, because I know he'll-have-my-back, kind of way. And it was best for me that I leave it at that. After all, I wasn't looking for any other relationship. My life was already enough of a mess.

Now to deal with my fiancé, and my parents...

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