Meher •completed•

35.

A week had passed since Yusuf had left Lahore for Islamabad. He was here to help and support Hooriya in her battle against cancer.

Hooriya had been admitted to Kulsum International Hospital for further treatment. Alia and a group of senior doctors were doing their best to save her.

Hooriya had been started on chemotherapy as well as radiation therapy. She had gone more frail and the treatment was as painful, it was like going to brink of death everyday.

Hooriya lay on her hospital bed, looking out of the window which overlooked the street of Islamabad, she saw the tiny fleeting cars as they headed for different destinations.

These yellow painted walls of the small room smelling of disinfectant had been her home for the past few days.

The familiar squeak of the door open reached Hooriya's ears. She turned her head around to the her only visitor come again.

"Hello beautiful!" Yusuf greeted her entering the hospital room, he placed the Bouquet of flowers on the side table, he walked closer to Hooriya and bend down to kiss her forehead.

"You don't have to lie." Hooriya said looking at him with a smile.

"Lie about ?" Yusuf asked helping her sit on her bed.

"Look at me, I'm almost reduced to bones, and the chemo it's left me with zero hair on my head, how am I beautiful?" Hooriya laughed a humourless laugh, pain was evident in his tone.

"You are and always will be beautiful Hoorie, you don't need hair or anything to make you beautiful, what is in here it makes you the gorgeous person that you are." Yusuf said pointing towards her heart.

Hooriya looked at him with teary eyes and smiled.

"Alia has gone to discuss your case with the department head, they have already changed the course of your medicine and radio therapy will continue Hooriya." Yusuf informed her.

"Let's not talk about it right now." Hooriya said. "So tell me, after all these years Alia is back." Hooriya said insinuating to his past relationship with the doctor.

"She is."

"And ?"

"And nothing. She is and always will be a good friend, but nothing more." He said giving he a small smile.

"Really ?" Hooriya asked. "Then there must be someone else who has your heart, because this." She said pointing at Yusuf. "This is a man in love I'm sure."

"Aisa Kuch Nahi hai Hooriya." (There isn't anything like that)

"Tell me who is she." Hooriya asked.

"No one."

"Ek haft he hua hai. Voh ek hafte me sab kuch se kuch nahi ho gayi ?" Hooriya said. (It's been just one week. Has she turned from your everything to nothing)

"Hoor I don't -."

"Oh please." Hooriya said snubbing Yusuf. "I see the way your eyes bleed when you see her name flash on the screen, I see your hand twitch wanting nothing more than to receive her call, I see your desperation, your pain, your helplessness, I see myself in you Yusuf." Hooriya said with a small sad smile. "Jhoota matt bolna ki koi nahi hai."

"Hoor I..I can't I'm -."

"You don't have to explain Yusuf, mohabatt puch kar ya batta kar nahi hoti, jaanti hu aur samajhti bhi hu." (Love doesn't wait for your permission to happen, I know and understand this very well.)

Yusuf sat in the small stool on the bed side and took Hooriya's frail hand into her own.

"I didn't want it to happen Hoor, I tried to fight it, but .." Yusuf gulped in the breath caught in his throat.