Love for Rent

x Miss You x

'Thank you for being here' I took the coffee cup from Jaan's hands while we waited outside the hospital room. Ma had her operation two days ago. The doctor was now visiting her to do some check-ups and monitor her recovery post-procedure. It was a scary time, but luckily Jaan was there. I felt terrible that he had to put his wedding preparation on hold to be here. I spoke to Mona a while back, apologizing, and was worried she'd be upset that her fiancee was with me. Still, she knew Shahzaib requested him to be with me if I needed something since he couldn't be with me. I was kind of relieved that he wasn't here. I was already too paranoid and stressed, and seeing me like this would have worried him, too. The truth was, ever since he left, I wasn't feeling like myself. I was feeling like a liar. I felt like a cheat. More importantly, I felt like a part of me was missing. 

'Stop thanking me already. It's getting on my nerves. He gave me a light smile and sat next to me.

'You should go home. I'll manage now,' I told him. I spoke to the doctor, who told me that the recovery process after a liver transplant can take up to a year. She had to spend about two weeks here under care. The operation already cost a lot, and now there were more charges. I was running out of funds. I thought about asking Shahzaib, but I couldn't. I didn't know why I couldn't ask him.

'Sure you'll manage. You look like you'll collapse any second. You need to go home and rest. You haven't slept in two days, and you need a shower' Jaan didn't hold back from giving me the truth. I did look like a zombie. I was too tired, but I couldn't sleep even though I tried to sleep. There was so much heaviness I was feeling in my heart.

'I do need to shower. Fine, I will go, but you're leaving the minute I get back,' I confessed and finally agreed to go home for a few hours. I was about to leave but suddenly stopped, hoping that maybe Jaan would be able to help or give me some advice.

'Hey, listen, I know it's not...it doesn't seem right to ask you, but I just want to know if there is any way you can loan me some money. The daily charges here are so expensive, and I am running out...I know you are planning your wedding, and it's just that I don't want the doctor...' I struggled to explain, and my voice cracked as I discovered tears running down my cheeks. I wish Shahzaib was here for a few minutes just so I could ask him to hold me. Asking for money like that didn't bother me before, but now I felt like I was begging.

'He took care of it already, he transferred some funds to my account, and I have taken care of the bills already,' Jaan informed me, and I looked at him with so many questions. Why didn't Shahzaib tell me about it?

'He told me you would never ask him for help directly. He sounded sad. If I am honest, maybe he was expecting you to call...I don't know if it's my place to say to. Still, he is honest about his feelings. He doesn't like to hide once he knows what he wants. He is stubborn. Still, I also know I have never seen him at peace like the way he is when you're with him, so you should do the same,' Jaan said to me carefully. I could see his thoughtful intentions behind his words. He wanted both of us to be happy.

I nodded with a smile and thanked him.

'You are a very good person,' I told him as I wiped my face. He offered to drop me off, but I took a taxi instead. On my way to the house, I decided to call Shahzaib.

'Hi' He answered the call on the first ring.

'Hi' I smiled as I heard his voice.

'How are you? Is everything okay?' He asked right away.

'I am fine. I am heading home for a few hours. Jaan is in the hospital,' I told him.

'Why isn't he driving you?' He asked me.

'Because he is not my driver, and I can take a taxi' I laughed at his demanding overprotecting question.

'How is your day going?' I asked him instead. For the last two days, he patiently listened to me while I rambled about everything that was happening in the hospital, and he never once stopped me.

'Ummm...yeah, everything is fine, we started shooting a short film, it was nice to be on set after so long, it was a long shift, we started early morning so just finishing wrapping for the day' He told me about his day and there was a sudden change in his voice when he talked about his work. He sounded passionate and happy. Just hearing him speak like that made me happy. I wanted to tell him that I missed him, but I knew he would come to see me the second I said it; finally, he was working on a project he had been looking forward to for a long time. His life was starting to come together in the way he wanted. His dreams were coming to a reality.

'And how is everyone at home?' I questioned him, and he went silent for a bit.

'What happened?' I asked when he tried to change the subject.

'Nothing for you to worry about. Everything is fine,' He replied in a distant tone.

'Okay, you tell me when you feel like it. I won't force you...I also wanted to say thank you, Jaan told me you transferred money to his account to take care of extra bills. I should have asked you myself,' I told him.

'Then why didn't you?' He asked me instead; now, it was my time to be silent.

'I don't know,' I managed to reply. Second, later he sent me a video call, and I saw him on my screen.

I smiled seeing him, and he smiled back. I didn't want to cry in front of him, so I looked away and took a deep breath to calm my stupid emotions from saying or doing something stupid.

'Are you okay?' He asked me again, and I couldn't lie.

'No,' I shook my head and sobbed quietly. The taxi driver glanced back to look at me worryingly, and I told him it was fine and my husband was with me. The old man smiled gently and turned his attention back to the road.

'Why are you so damn stubborn?' Shahzaib got upset.

'What?' My sobbing stopped, and I stared at him.

'Just admit that you miss me' He glared back angrily.

'Fine, I miss you, and I hate that you're away happy,' I snarled, and the side of his lips lifted slightly, and his eyes sparkled. I couldn't help but smile at his stupid ways to make me confess my feelings. He wanted me to say that to him.

'Now that wasn't so hard, was it? I got to go. Something came up. Talk to you soon' He raised his brow before ending the call abruptly. What had gotten into him suddenly? Jaan was right. He was a stubborn man. I knew that all along, but I never saw this advanced version.

'He is quite a strange man, but he made you smile' The taxi driver chuckled.

'Yes, he did' After talking to him like that, the day didn't feel that overwhelming anymore. I think I could finally sleep.