Keep Your Enemies Closer

~ can we always be this close?~

The night was entering into its darkest moments, yet Zaira had never felt lighter. In those few quiet hours, everything in her life seemed to be sorted despite her awareness of the impending storm. As she sat with her notepad on her knees, under the dim light of the lap, all she could do was write words of gratitude, words of spring, words of contentment. She didn't know what she was writing - was it poetry or prose? She had no clue. But she was enjoying herself in doing so.

She was silently humming as she wrote, when she heard shifting from the bed. Looking over, she saw Zaviyar trying to sit up. Throwing her notepad aside, she rushed towards him, helping him..

"Uth kyun gaye?"

"Tum kyun jaag rahi ho abhi tak?"

"Neend nahi aa rahi thi, to bas aisay hi."

Zaviyar smiled softly, slightly grimacing at the pain emerging from his shoulder.

"Kya likh rahi thi?"

"Kuch khaas nahi, aisay hi bas - Zaviyar? Kya hua dard ho raha hai?"

She got up when she saw his face, betraying his efforts of not letting her know that he was hurting.

"Nahi, bas aisay hi thori si."

"Rukko, is ko is tarah rakho. Doctor ne kaha tha ke kuch angles pe nahi karna,"

She set his arm and fixed his immobiliser to restrict movement, and all Zaviyar could do was admire her and wonder what he did to deserve such concern from her.

Using his other hand, he grabbed her wrist and sat her down next to him.

"Zaira, mein theek hoon. Pareshan nahi ho."

"Par wo -"

"Wo kuch arsa to dard karay ga na ab. Choro ussay, tum yahan betho mere paas."

Zaira raised an eyebrow at him.

"Beth gayi. Ab?"

"Ab kuch nahi. Tum bolti raho, mein sunoon ga."

"Acha? Aur mein kya bolon?"

"Kuch bhi. Tumhari awaaz sun'nay ka dil kar raha hai bas, jo bhi bolo gi, acha hi lagay ga."

A slight blush emerged on Zaira's cheeks as she looked down at her hands, making Zaviyar chuckle.

"Jahan tak mujhe yaad hai, mein mushkil se aik din hosh mein nahi tha. Peeche se meri biwi ki jagah ye sharmeeli haseena kon aa gayi?"

Zaira looked at him, narrowing her eyes.

"Aur jahan tak mujhe yaad hai, goli aap ke sir pe to nahi lagi thi. To ye hosh mein aanay ke baad se aap ke dimaaghi tawazun ko kya ho gaya hai?"

Zaviyar laughed at her statement.

"Bas pichlay buhat se din buhat tension mein guzar rahay thay, aagay aanay walay din bhi aisay hi hon gay. Wo shayir ne kya khoob kaha ha, waqt ki qaid mein zindagi hai magar, chand ghariyan yehi hein jo azaad hein."

Suddenly the environment of the room changed from playful to sombre as Zaira sat up straighter.

"Ab aagay kya ho ga, Zaviyar? Kuch socha hai tum ne?"

The expressions on Zaviyar's face changed too as he shrugged a shoulder.

"Pata nahi. Case chalay ga, us ke ilawa mujhe nahi kuch nahi pata honestly."

"Case to chalay ga hi, par tum yahan ke adaalti nizaam se to waaqif hi ho. Aur tum to MNA se takkar le rahay ho."

"Zaira tum na-umeed kyun ho rahi ho? Buhat acha lawyer hire kiya hai."