Ek Nayaa Aaghaaz - A sequel to Yakeen ka safar

Chapter 1

It had just been a few days since Zubia had gotten discharged from the hospital. The past week had been very draining for her, both emotionally and physically. A lot had happened and she was still processing everything.

Dr. Shehroz and Dr.Asifa had insisted that she stayed with them until her wounds had healed and she was ready to resume her duties at the hospital. She had tried to tell them that she would just rest in her hostel room, but they didn't listen to her.

She was tired of lying in bed all day, with nothing to do. She sat up and rested her head against the cushioned bed frame. Since she had nothing to do, she found herself thinking about the events from the past week, every once in a while.

That sight of Rehan Bhai talking to Asfandyar at the reception and the events that followed, were playing in her head like a video tape and it was almost like she was experiencing all of that again. She didn't want to, but she couldn't help it. She was jerked out of her thoughts by the ring of her phone that lay beside her. It was Asfandyar. She stared at the phone screen for a few seconds before she received the call.

"Hello..? ", he said.

"Assalamualaikum", she responded. She wasn't really sure how to address him.

"Kaisi tabiyat hai aaj? Khana khaya?" He asked, concerned.

"I'm a little better today. Haan kuch der pehle kha liya tha.

"Are you sure? Agar koi baat pareshaan kar rahi hai tou tum mujhse share kar sakti ho" He said reassuringly.

"N-nahi nahi.. I'm fine. Thanks for checking up on me" She said with a little hesitation.

"Okay, Take care.." he said, and disconnected the call.

Asfand had sensed the hesitation in her voice and knew that she was not really okay, but he didn't want to push her to share things with him. He thought giving her space was the better thing to do right now.

As Zubia disconnected Asfandyar's call, she felt a few tears rolling down her cheeks. She actually wanted to tell him that she wasn't feeling okay, but then she remembered that the last few days had been really overwhelming for him too. She cursed herself for putting him through all that turmoil. She knew that he was already very worried about her and she didn't want to stress him out further. She suddenly remembered the last glimpse she got of him before she had jumped into the river.. "Zubiya!! Kya kar rahi ho?! Foren neeche utro! Ruko, Mai aa raha hoon". She remembered what he had said. But, back in that moment , even though she had heard and seen him, it all seemed blurred out.

The only clear thought in her head at that point was "I don't deserve to live, if he finds out that truth about my past, he will leave me".

Right now she was cursing herself for what she had done. "One step that I took, put him through so much pain. What had he done to deserve that?" She thought to herself.

She then remembered how he went weak in the knees and teared up as soon as their eyes met for the first time after the incident. She hated seeing him like that, vulnerable, helpless.

"Tum jaisi bhi ho, tumhare saath jo kuch bhi hua hai, mujhe koi farq nahi padta. Mai hoon tumhare saath". These words of his were ones that she would never forget. They were working for her like a medicine that she didn't know she needed. She smiled lightly as she recalled the feeling of being in his arms, protected and safe. It had been a while since she had felt that way.

She still thought that she didn't deserve him, but she had now decided that she would try from the bottom of her heart, to reciprocate his love and give him all the happiness he deserved. She had realised that she couldn't afford to let him go. This was the first time that she had fully allowed herself to acknowledge and accept her feelings for Asfandyar.