IBTIDAA ابتدا

two

Bakhtaawar couldn't sleep a wink that night. He twisted and turned around in the bed, adjusted his sons in his arms but he wasn't able to find any peace or sleep. He finally gave up at the first crack of dawn and walked to his room to see his wife.

His heart broke seeing her sleeping in the same condition that he had left her in. Her kameez was still unzipped and her face had dried tear stains on it. The beautiful face that belonged to his beautiful wife. What however caught his attention was the way her hands were shielding her belly and he choked back a sob realizing what he was about to ask of his wife and unborn child.

Bakhtaawar sat beside her on the bed and caressed her tear stained cheeks and her chapped lips. He leaned down and placed a kiss on them before helping her sit up in sleep. His hands unconsciously went to support her palms that were protecting their baby and he couldn't stop that lone tear that leaked out of his eyes.

" Gul?" He whispered softly in her ears so as not to startle her.

" Gul tumhaari kameez theek karni hain" he almost didn't want to wake her up but also knew that she would be uncomfortable sleeping the way she was sleeping.

Gulaisha came awake groggily and when she saw her husband by her side she was immediately alert seeing his pained expression. For that's what she always does. Keep his pain above her's.

" Zayd? Aap theek hain? Bachhey theek hain?" She checked his body for any injury and her face contorted in confusion seeing him unharmed but still in pain.

" Bachhon ko kuch hua hain? Kaha hain wo? Aapne unhe akela chod diya? Main dekhkar aati hoon" she tried getting down but was caged in her husband's arms.

" Hum sab theek hain. Main bhi aur bachhey bhi" Bakhtaawar turned her around and hissed when he saw the red marks all over her back formed due to the open zip digging in her delicate skin.

" Aahh" Gulaisha moaned when he touched one particular indentation which looked deeper and redder on her porcelain skin. One  which was probably formed by the metal fastener at the base of the zip.

" Saare jahaan ki fikr hain tumhe par apne aap ki nahi. Dekho kaise zakham ho rakhe hain pure peeth par. Thairo mein Amma ke kamrey se marham lekar aata hoon aur khabardaar joh apne jagah se hili toh" Bakhtaawar warned her and got up to retrieve an ointment from his mother's room.

Taking the tube from the medicine box, he adjusted his sons properly, barricading them from all sides again before going back to his wife. He sighed again when he saw her dozing off whilst sitting up, her kameez hanging loose on her delicate frame leaving her shoulders and back bare.

" Hazaar dafaa kaha hain ki main har waqt nahi ho sakta hoon tumhaare saath tumhaara khayaal rakhne ke liye. Par meri na sunne ki thaan rakhi hain na tumne. Hamesha laaparwaah rehti ho khud ko lekar..." He supported her sleepy body with one hand and applied the ointment with the other.

Bakhtaawar felt his eyes fill up everytime his wife hissed and he cursed himself, for it was because of him she had slept off in this state. His hand unconsciously held her hand that was resting on her belly and he caressed it ever so lightly, with the most tender of touches waking her up from her groggy state again.

" Zayd?" Gulaisha teared up when she saw his hand cupping their baby, the baby whose fate still remains undiscussed.

" Shhhh, bass ho gaya" he kissed her naked back and shoulder, his palm never once leaving her belly.

Gulaisha hid her face in his chest and she sobbed her heart out while he just held her helplessly, unable to do anything to reduce her pain. The pain in her heart.