6th Nov, 2021

Hi!

Someone's back.

Struggling with numb and wobbly legs, Yazan exited the OT, looking extremely petrified, finally done with the surgery that took him 4 hours straight.

He began unzipping his surgeon suit, his white shirt coloured in blood exposed to his eyes abruptly watered them.

Tears began to seep down his cheeks which wetted dried blood from them, that he got while kissing the dying person whose whole face was bleeding.

Locked in a cage of hopelessness and severe agony, he sobbed and whimpered like a lost unfed baby.

"Yazan."

Yazan stared up to his family watching him in fear and pity, while they themselves are enslaved to misery too.

"Ee..ee...is dying...."

Yazan complained in a low whispered, lips wobbling in disappointment.

"You shouldn't have joined in."

Iffaz's father said seeing him messed up so bad.

Where Doctors aren't allowed to perform surgery on their family members he went against fighting with those who tried stopping him.

He immediately shook his head disagreeing.

"Th..at's still fine if..mm..ee dies in my ha.nds, I gave the...best of me that..none else would."

As a doctor, he'd give up to save his patient, but here he's a companion, even after the surgery went almost unsuccessful, he wants to keep trying for that soul hasn't escaped yet, he might hold onto it.

Unable to stand on his feet any longer, he sank to the floor with a thud, his hand still massaging his heart trying to lessen the volume of it's screaming beats.

None forwarded to console him, knowing they don't own the ability to.

But she thought she might, so she courageously made her way to him.

"Zan...."

Yazan thirstily gazed up searching for her around.

Sayba realized herself to be awaited as he sobbed staring at her with terror and distress written over his face, as if wanting to share it with her.

"Zan...Yazan..."

She kneeled down and embraced him to a warm hug that he immediately resided in and pulled her tighter.

Those of their family excused this sight in order to meet the leading assistant of that operation to know the present condition of Iffaz.

Sayba caressed his back lovingly, hearing him cry like a baby, or a lady, or unlike most of the man who don't cry this bad and open.

"Sshh..he's gonna be fine, don't lose hope."

"I'm...so..so so so...scar..ed.. he..said to let him live...but he...he's leaving, he's not doing..well in that bed and I can do.. nothing....

You..you know he's killing mee..more than he himself is dying."

He sniffled between words, just the thought of losing Iffaz blocked every hope of having him back to life and already makes him believe that he's gone.

She tightened her grip on her arm while kissing his head adoringly letting him cry to the fullest.

"Yazan."

Sayba looked up to Sawda coming to their way when Yazan moved and got up while wiping away his tears, yet they filled his eyes back.

Sawda stood next to Yazan with her gaze down to the files in her hands.

"He might make it out...it's not that worse like seemed before."

She spoke in a low voice, no sobs, no whimpers, as if no emotions and pain in her voice.

Then she looked up at Yazan and their eyes met a second, that second felt like million ones when they caught each other caged in the same illness.

Other than Sawda hiding her pain to herself while Yazan pouring it all out unable to held it inside, it's the same they're going through.

"I'll be with him now, you go home and fresh up and...be back soon."

Yazan gazed at her for another second again, wondering if her action of not letting her emotions overpower herself is less painful than him going through this breakdown.

"Yazan.... he's here, he'll be fine, hold on to yourself."

She assured him and herself.

"Maybe...if you say so! Let..me meet him."

He began stepping backwards, tears still unruly flowing down his cheeks.

Reaching to his destination, he wiped his tearful face and entered the room where Iffaz laid lifeless.

"Hey lo..love."

Yazan walked to the bed and sat on the chair next to it, with his shaky one, he took Iffaz's hand in between both of his and made it caress his face.

"Let me live."

The last words Iffaz said voiced back to his mind, shaking him in fear like a leaf.

"Let me live too, Faazi...if you leave just like that...I can't live too."

He shifted to the bed and carefully placed his head over Iffaz's chest making sure to not apply force.

He carefully listened to his heartbeats for a minute that lessened the torment his heart is going through.

He raised in his hopes, this beautiful lyrics that his best friend's heart sings won't surely pause.

With this belief Yazan backed off and left the room after giving him a goodbye kiss in his wounded forehead.

Then he drove home with Sayba while his mother and sisters stayed back.

••••

Yazan experienced worse of his loneliness coming home, welcomed with the area screaming silence as it needed to be lived on.

Who would live in him if Iffaz leaves?

Sayba dragged him to their room while he blankly stared at either the floor or the roof.

"Yazan...."

She stood in front and leaned up to kiss his forehead.

"Clean up."

He said nothing, drowned in deep thoughts, his body shivered as if he's freezing in this hot burning day.

Sayba shook his face yet to not get any reaction or even his gaze in response.

He just kept gazing at the floor busily, drop by drop tear raining down his eyes, hiccuping sometimes feeling thirsty but not realizing the need of water.

"You can cry all you want...Yazan."

She held his face in her hands and made him look at her.

He swiftly nodded and supported his head in her shoulder, voice raising with whimpers and wails.

"I...only fear..lo..losing him and he.. he's leaving and I can do..no..nothing, absolutely nothing than just.. get used to..this voidness."

"No no Zaani... he's surviving it, it's you who doesn't want to hope that he's."

He cried out hugging her tighter to run from his fears but nothing helps, just the mere thought of having Iffaz no more curses him living longer.

She let him grieve for few more minutes and then sent him almost forcefully to have bath.

Till he was done with that and praying, Sayba looked for something to feed him but found nothing cooked so she had to take the cruelest decision of her life, unless she lets her husband stay hungry.

She made pasta watching it's recipe from YouTube and returned to her room finding Yazan in the prayer mat, done praying.

"I'm not hungry, we're late come on."

"Just 5 min..."

"Sayba no plea..."

He was cut off by the ringing of his phone that brought his heart pounding in anxiety as he ran to receive it.

"Yazan he'll heal, he's doing way much better."

The words sounded confident and honest yet the news didn't bring peace to him, too powered by his fears.

"Ook..ay, I'm coming."

Yazan gazed at Sayba expressionless, scaring her.

"Says he's doing good in..that death bed?"

He lowly chuckled to the joke while she sighed in relief.

"I guess doctors always hope less regarding such matters, don't they?"

Keeping the plate of pasta beside him, she walked to the dressing table and picked up a lotion bottle in her hand and went back to him.

She took few drops of the baby lotion in her palm that her husband regularly uses and stood in front of him with a supportive smile that he returned gazing up.

"You look sick Zan, they won't let you check on him if you don't overcome this weakness."

She wiped her palms over his face going down his neck adoringly as he closed his eyes and inhaled it's scent in, the only fragrance he loves which his best friend made him used to from their childhood.

Then he looked down at the pasta taking in it's smell.

"I'm...really not hungry but did..you make this?"

"Mmm hmm...there was nothing cooked so you have to..."

Before she could complete saying he already opened his mouth waiting for her to feed him.

She chuckled, thankful that he's way much better after experiencing almost a trauma half an hour back.

She took a spoonful of the pasta and brought it to his lips that he immediately took it and began chewing on, his eyes fixed on hers that helped him from being agonized as he indeed needs to be strong to take care of his best friend.

But as she continued feeding him, his eyes moistened at a time, he almost started to shed tears again. Sayba gasped pulling him to her chest and was about to speak the words of consolation when he coughed and let out a chuckle.

"It's spicy, love, nothing else."

••••

It's been 5 days of that day and Iffaz is healing well but hasn't still gain conscious.

His awaiting wife keeps herself busy with works giving no chance to her emotions engulf her hardiness, while Yazan's eyes always stay teary even if he's not crying except for at nights.

Right now he made himself a home in his wife's warmth, cuddling to her to not be haunted by loneliness.

"Aaa..chhuu.."

Yazan shivered before sneezing once again in Sayba's chest, causing her sigh and next groan when he rubbed his nose in her neck.

"You even care that you're dirtying me? I've just bathed."

"Wake me up to any call."

He casually said and began crawling back till he reached her abdomen.

Before laying his head in there, he made both her legs hug him by his waist earning a low musical laughter from her.

He smiled gazing at her through bloodshot blurry eyes, unconditionally gratified to have her support when he cried each 5 days the same without complaining.

"Sleep well."

"Mmm..."

He then nuzzled his nose in her abdomen and made himself comfortable to doze off in peace learning that his best friend is about to wake up anytime soon.

Once he fell deep into his nap, she carefully excused herself and shifted him to a pillow, what makes her do this easily is that he swirls like a baby and doesn't wake up to any changed position.

At last with a kiss in his bicep, she pulled the sheet over him and exited the bedroom.

"How's he now?"

As she entered the hall, Yazan's mom questioned with concern.

"Well...better."

Even though Sayba doesn't bond well with her MIL, she joined to chit chat having her sisters in law along, they talked almost for an hour.

"Okay, let me check on Yazan."

Sayba jumped on her sit when Yazan's mom stood up saying this.

"No no, he's asleep."

"Hmm I'll just see him fo..."

"Aunty he'll wake up then, he didn't sleep the whole night."

Sayba passed her an awkward smile, almost panicking.

"Excuse me? Am I going to cry on his shoulder there?"

Annoyed, her MIL stated making her way to the staircase.

Sayba rushed to her confused sisters in law and signalled them to stop their Mom which obviously they needed reason for.

"Please just tell her to not go now."

She slapped both the girls head but none agreed.

"Tell me the reason first."

Helpless, she turned and stomped on her foot before speaking in a loud voice.

"Aunty he's not dressed."

"Ohhh then say that na bhabi! Mom Bhai is naked, don't go."

Aaina said louder.

Yazan's Mom halted on her step, slowly turning around to meet with Sayba staring at her with an awkward smile.

"Okay...."

She sighed making her way back to the girls.

Surviving this awkwardness, both of them sat opposite to each other while Yazan's sisters began punishing Sayba with sheepish grins.

"Okay then, I.. I'll rest for a while."

Their Mom vanished the next minute leaving her daughters bursting into guffaws.

"Did I say he's naked? I said he's not dressed, he's in his towel only."

Sayba said fuming in anger, her cheeks turning red in embarrassment.

"Oh yea Bhabi? Then why didn't you let your baby boy's Mumma meet him?"

"Bec..because he..he must be naked by now, huhmm he literally dances in sleep."

Saying, Sayba also started laughing her lungs out with them.

"He might have surely kicked you more than kissed you till now, yea?"

"Yeah whatever, I'm going to rest too then, bye bye."

She raced to her room and inhaled in a deep breathe before clicking the door open, wondering if she should go in with closed eyes or face the disaster, without any shame.

••••

"Ohh come on lady, so what if you didn't cry, I'm sure every other girl out there had sleepless and tearful nights for

meeeeee oowwww nooo Sawdaaaaa!"

Iffaz groaned in fake pain to his wife's punches before she burst to tears and sat on his lap to hug him.

"I almost lost you, I'd die Iffaz, I was so scared, if I were pregnant then I could surely have lost our baby."

Sawda spoke, her fingers brushing his beard as she gazed up at him fearfully.

"Wait...what? Baby? Like.. was that an example? Come on, who uses such ifs buts?"

She laughed realizing what she has just said.

"I'm sorry, I'm not in my sense, but I missed you a lot...."

They spent almost an hour together and then others met him, the last to be informed of Iffaz's consciousness was Yazan as he was performing a surgery.

"Hi."

Iffaz waved his hand at him as he entered and kicked the door closed behind him.

"Hey buddy, woke up? Could have slept longer, nevermind."

Yazan walked to him with a totally changed personality, displaying no sign of weakness except for his bloodred swollen eyes.

Having him healed erased every tormenting moment he experienced in these days.

"Tit for tat Zaani, once you were sick and I felt the same like you did, so no sorry, you deserved this torment."

Then they chatted like the gone days never existed where they weren't together, Yazan returned to his regular cheery self where no pain lived, untill then..........

"Knock knock! May I come in?"

A hoarse voice spoke interrupting them.

"Hmm yeah."

The door opened inviting a towering man, clad in casual t-shirt and jeans, his eyes hidden behind the baseball cap he wore.

"Do we know you?"

Yazan asked when the guy kicked the door closed and took his cap off making his way towards them.

"Can I have some minutes with you Doctor? I had taken appointment to meet you a week back."

He spoke to Iffaz.

"Oo..Kay, no idea about that, do I know you?"

"You'll, if this gentleman allows us some privacy."

Yazan pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance, not liking the guy's attitude.

"I want your talk done within 10 minutes."

Yazan glared at Iffaz before he walked away from the room.

"So let's not beat around the bush, Yazan Mirza."

Iffaz raised his eyebrows at him being called with the wrong name.

"Who are you?"

"Heard of me from your wife? Myself Emir Saeed, your dude."

He introduced himself extending his hand for hand shake.

Iffaz stared at him stupefied, waiting for him to speak further.

"Okay maybe not I assume, for your kind information,"

Emir paused and leaned in to his ear,

"I'm the son whose father you've messed up with, burnt in acid and stoned to death."

"BASTARD..."

Iffaz dragged him by his collar almost going to strangle his neck when Emir pushed him back and stood up seething.

"More to know Yazan Mirza, about me....and your loving wife."

Iffaz watched him in disbelief, wondering how to react and of what this guy is talking about regarding Sayba.

"Wanna hear our tale, Zuni Zani?"

"Doctor Iffaz Rahman! Time for your medicines."

Both the man looked at the door when Sawda entered the room. Iffaz gritted his teeth at the nuisance.

"Sawda leave."

He ordered.

"Mm...just for a minute, have them first."

"SAWDA LEAVE I SAID."

And she did, assuming his meeting with that guy might be more important.

But the loss was already done.

"I'm..I'm sorry?"

Emir began walking backwards, cursing himself for this misunderstanding.

"Hey! Wait!"

Iffaz immediately got down the bed after removing the pipelines attached to his hands to follow Emir.

But by when he reached to the door, Emir already was one in the crowd to be found.

"Damn it! Nurse, call Doctor Yazan here right now."

Emir made his way to the reception center but in his way he came across Yazan's chamber.

He hastily got inside and to his fortune, found Yazan sitting in his chair.

"Excuse me?"

•••••

Assalamu Alaikum!

How was it?

Time for some heart breaks and aches.

The 2 upcoming chapters are going to be those...I've been eagerly waiting for to write hihihi...

🙊And if you have enough time to waste, give a try to my new book, pretty plwish!🤧

Meet ya guys the next week.

Tata!

And for the love of Allah and this author, do before you leave.