Keep Your Enemies Closer

~ healing and growing ~

Zaviyar struggled to open his eyes, which felt heavier than anything he had ever felt. It was as if an external force was deliberately keeping his eyes closed. As he tried to shift slightly, he felt a pang of pain emerging from his shoulder making him wince. He couldn't even get his other hand up to reach out for his aching shoulder, which too felt under the weight of something heavy. He felt trapped and suffocated, all while being in sharp pain. His throat was unusually dry. As he finally found the strength to open his eyes, he regretted it instantly as the blaring white light burnt in.

"Ahh"

A low grunt coupled with the shifting of his body were enough to wake Zaira up from her sleeping state as she looked at Zaviyar visibly in pain. All drowsiness left her body as she raised her head up from his hand and jumped off her chair.

"Zaviyar? Zaviyar tum theek ho? Rukko mein doctor ko bulati hoon. Zyada hilo mat please."

She rushed out to inform the doctor about him waking up, who followed her back to the room. After checking Zaviyar's vitals and his wound, and giving him some painkiller injections, he turned to Zaira.

"Allah ka shukar hai Zaviyar achi recovery show kar raha hai. Tamaam vitals normal hein. Abhi nurse aa ke in ki dressing change kar de gi. Teen din yaheen hospital mein rakhein gay, us ke baad aap mareez ko le ja saktay hein."

"Shukar hai. Par ye travel kar saktay hein itna?"

"Ghentay ka taqreeban safar hai na aap ke gaaon tak?"

"Jee, chalees minute lagtay hein aam torr pe."

"Hmm, aap ne bas ye ensure karna hai ke ye safar ke dauraan zyada hilein nahi, baaqi masla hona nahi chahiye itna. Bas movement restricted rakhni hai in ki do haftay tak."

"Okay, buhat buhat shukriya aap ka Dr. Lateef."

"Mera kaam hai ye, aap apna bhi aur apnay mareez ka bhi khyaal rakhein. In ki biwi honay ki haisiyat se aap ko aglay kuch haftay kaafi khidmat karni paray gi in ke."

The old aged man smiled at her making her grin too as she looked over towards Zaviyar who was still droopy.

"Jee, naaz nakhray uthanay parein gay thoray."

"Jab ye theek ho jayein to aap apna badla zaroor lejiye ga. Khair, Allah ne bara reham kiya hai aap ke shohar pe. In ka sadqa zaroor de dijiye ga. Mein ab nikalta hoon, kuch bhi issue ho to aap mujhe call kar lejiya ga."

"Thank you so much!"

Once the doctor was out, Zaira sat next to Zaviyar on the bed, holding his hand in hers.

"Shukar hai tum ne aankhein to kholi hein. Bas ankhon tak hi raho filhaal, munn zyada abhi kholnay ki zaroorat nahi hai."

Zaviyar mustered a faint smile at her comment. Not that he had the strength to speak much anyway. Zaira kept looking at his hand as she traced patterns on the back of it with her finger.

"Jaan nikaal di thi tum ne meri, Zaviyar. Tumhein andaza bhi hai ke kal ka pura din mene kesay kaata hai? Har lamha bhaari tha mujh pe."

A tear fell from her eye down to Zaviyar's palm making his face softened up. He took his hand out of her hold and ran his thumb across her cheek, wiping the tears.

"I'm sorry."

His voice was low, barely above a whisper as he struggled to talk. Zaira looked up at him, her bloodshot red eyes staring right into his. Zaviyar had never seen such fierceness in her eyes, it was almost as if she was willing to fight wars. But behind the blazing fire was a vulnerability that didn't escape him. There was an innocent girl scared of losing her most prized possession. There was a desperate need in her to save him. Zaviyar felt his heart beating faster owing to the look in her eyes.