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"Where are the pap smear test reports?" Dr. Reynolds queried. I glance at him.

Pap smear test? Not a doctor asked about the pap smear test. But I didn't ask about it at all. I just told them the reports and the results.

"What is it?"

He gazed at me like I had horns in my head. "Mr. Asfandyaar." He called. "There is no chance that cervical cancer is confirmed without a pap smear test. That too stage 4? Blood test reports cannot confirm or even show it."

Zubab

If blessing was a person, it was Asfandyaar.

My father abandoned me. The only person I thought cared for me abused me to the point that I never thought I'd be able to be alright. He is the only man who made me believe in love again.

At first, I thought he was a nuthead. He was indeed one aggressive man in the beginning but as time passed I could see the tenderness of his soul, the childishness of his heart and the beauty of living with him.

For a few days, his eyes had been red. He was overworking from home. Maybe because of that.

I gaze back at the counter where I kept my juice. I have been zoning out a lot. All my mind revolves around the patients I need to have checked on and the patients I need to. My lower stomach hurts a lot. My head is still dizzy but not as much as it was yesterday. I can assure I am healing. Maybe the fresh juices and fruits helped a lot.

Asfandyaar has been worried sick about me. I don't want him to but he still gets worried. Sometimes it's cute seeing him bring me chocolates. Sometimes it's hard to see him so worried. I walk back to the hall, switching on the television with the juice. I sat on the couch.

I heard the doorbell ring and I got up. It must have been Moosa or Mom. The maid opened the door. I gaze back at the entrance.

It was my friend, Dr. Urooj Asjad.

I frown looking at her. She looked horrified. Sweat beads cascaded down her beautiful almond skin. She is the prettiest person I know in our college. She got married to another doctor, Dr. Asjad. We studied in the same college. She is one of my best friends and we have been working together in the main headquarters of Shah Hospitals in Delhi.

"Urooj? How are you?"

"Zubab? Where is Asfandyaar?" She didn't seem to process our meeting after so many days in the hospital. I frown.

"He is abroad at the moment." I answered. "America. Why? What happened?"

She wipes her sweat beads and drags me to the couch. Pulls me down as she sits next.

"Zubab, there has been a huge mistake in the labs."

"About what?" I ask her.

"Few days ago, Asfandyaar called me to get your blood samples because of your constant illness. You dozed in heavy sleep because of the medications you were taking."

"My blood test?" I didn't know my blood was taken. I looked at Urooj shocked. "Yes!"

"I took your blood samples to the lab. But that day it was to be held for a pap smear test of a cervical cancer patient. There were server problems. The names of the patients got exchanged and the lab technician Rina had sent it while checking the servers. It wasn't her fault. Now that we have checked we got to know about it. It was a mistake."

"Who did they send the report to?"

"Asfandyaar. I am sure he knows."

My heart dropped thinking what must he had gone through. Witnessing me sick would have confused him more. "Where is he, Zubab?"

"I don't know. He said he was going to Houston for business."

I took my phone and dialled the number he called me this morning after reaching Houston but it was out of reach. I sighed, glancing at her trying again and again but he wasn't attending. I messaged him but there was no response. I called his assistant's number but it was switched off. Then I remembered that Amit is with Asfandyaar.

I called the leader of Asfandyaar's team.

"Good afternoon, this is the leading manager of Asfandyaar Shah's team in Shah industries. How may I help you?"

"I am Asfandyaar's wife, Zubab. I can't reach him at the moment. Can you make contact with him? It's an emergency."

"We will try Ma'am."

"Can you briefly explain the reason he went to Houston?"

"No Ma'am. Sir hadn't told anyone yet." I frown. It was business, wasn't it?

•

I couldn't hold myself. He was stressed about it? His eyes being red these days because he was crying? Him running to get me chocolates or stuff that I ask? Him staying by my side all the time.

Everything made sense now.

He knew the mistake. But what he didn't know was that it was a mistake. A terrible mistake. He must have been worried so much about me. I hadn't discovered this huge mistake in my entire service in the hospital. Surely, there were server problems at times but they would be resolved sooner but this was horrific. Just the thought of the emotions Asfandyaar would have felt makes me feel terrifying.

I walked out of the jet and walked towards the car. Amit accompanied me, I got his number from the team. Asfandyaar doesn't know about my arrival in Houston yet.

I am a lot better now. Nothing is happening to me. Just a little tired but I feel a lot weak because of the continuous illness. I glance at Amit as I ask after we sit in, "Why did Asfandyaar come to Houston?"

"He had a meeting with a doctor of a known cancer centre yesterday morning in Texas. He hadn't come out of his room since then after he departed from the centre, ma'am."

I close my eyes.

Regret seethed over me. I haven't regretted anything so much. I regret ignoring the fact that how red his eyes grew. I should have asked him why he was going to America all of a sudden when their business has no relations with the west.

It took his team five hours to get me the visa here and I flew right after in the jet with Moosa's and Dad's help. I was new to this. I had no idea how this worked so I had to get help.

We arrived at the hotel. I walk out of the car with my handbag and without waiting for him to come out. I walked towards the reception and gave them my ID. "Can you please give me extra keys of the room Mr. Asfandyaar Shah has checked in?"

The hotel screamed luxury with dripping glitter in a lot of places. That wasn't any of my concerns at the moment.

"I am sorry ma'am. We don't provide it to strangers."

"I am his wife."

"She is. I am his secretary. It would be great if you kindly provide us with the keys to his room."

"Surely sir and ma'am." She smiles politely and turns towards a door and comes back after a good two minutes with a card. The key.

"Room no. 1610 of the sixteenth floor."

I walk towards the lift. Amit stayed back and I didn't call him either. I can't visibly show him the vulnerable side of him. He respected our privacy.

I opened the door to his room and entered inside. It was clean, silent and hollow. I walked in and saw him. In the worst of his states, he had his eyes closed. He was deep asleep. His phone lying in his chest, a picture of us was on. He was looking at us. I looked behind me and the television was switched on with funny videos we used to record laughing so hard while we set our villa together.

A home we made with our hands. A home sweet home. I walked towards the tea table and glanced at the paper. It was a report. It was my mistaken report. I read the end of the report and my name. Anyone who has not much knowledge about medicine receives something like this would always think that it's true.

Zubab Zaheer Shah

Diagnosed with Stage(IV) of Cervical Cancer.

I lay beside him and closed my eyes. I don't know when I doze off.

•

"I see forever in your eyes. What is forever without you?"

I heard. It was him. My person. My Asfandyaar.

I kept my eyes shut. I guess it had just been 15 minutes since I dozed off.

"I wish this dream was true. Just having you by my side feels like heaven."

He thought he was dreaming? I open my eyes. "It's not a dream." He stares at me. The vulnerable pain in his eyes is too bad to be there. "It's not."

"It's not?" He asks. "You are here?"

"I promised I'll always be with you. How can I ever leave your side?" I sat straight. He did as well. I could see him smile through his pain. I held his hand and chose to not say anything. He didn't do as well for a good five minutes. We appreciated this silence in our own way.

"Why did you come here?"

"I told you it's business."

"It's not." I started right after. "Is visiting a cancer centre business? When did the CEO of Shah Industries start working for Shah Hospitals?"

He closed his eyes. "Did Amit tell you? It was just a volunteer visit."

"No Asfand. Why are you hiding it?"

"Hiding what, Jaan?"

I sigh. He knows I cannot speak much after he calls me this way but today I need to. "That you saw the reports. That I was diagnosed with cervical cancer."

He looks back to the front. His eyes slowly started to shed tears.

"Asfandyaar. I am fine. I am completely fine. I am not going anywhere. It was a mistake because of the servers in the lab."

He gazes at me shocked for a while. Much to my notice his eyes were more red now. He started sobbing as I held him in my arms. "It's fine. It's completely fine. I am here."

"No Zubab. I thought..." he pauses and looks at me. "I thought I lost us. There's no me without you."

"I know. There's no me without you as well."

He cries on my shoulder. I could feel how much burden he would have felt. "I thought your curse on the lake was turning true, Zubab. I have never felt so helpless and powerless. I have never felt so alone."

I held him tighter. Stroking his soft hair, I couldn't help but cry tears of pain. "Even Dr. Reynolds told me yesterday that without a pap smear test there is no way cervical cancer is confirmed. I was so confused."

"I am a doctor. You should have asked me once. Should have discussed the wrong reports once with me."

"I was damn scared to even talk about something so scary with you that was shown to be existing inside you. Who told you?"

He cried more. My blessing was crying. He felt alone in this whole world and I thought he was busy with business.

"Urooj did. She is my friend before being a doctor. She was so worried for us because of the server's mistake. She informed me yesterday about it."

"I am glad she did." He said between his tears. I was crying as well. Just the thought of staying away from each other haunts me.

"I'll always be there with you, Asfand"

"I'll make sure you are, Zubab"

We flew back to India after a few days until he felt alright. Urooj came home the other day and Asfandyaar thanked her for informing me about it.

•