Khamosh Mohabbat

Part 32

Maya tiptoed into the room; glanced at the sofa and saw Hamza sprawled there, dozing, a light grimace on his face can be seen, maybe the effects of pain. Carefully, she approached, concern etched on her features.

Hamza's eyes were closed, as Maya neared him, she saw a mixture of exhaustion and pain evident on his face. Maya leaned in closer and touched his forehead to check the fever and assess his condition.

Just as she was about to pull away, Hamza's hand shot out, gently grasping hers. Maya froze, startled by the unexpected touch. Their eyes met, and in that shared moment, a wave of emotions passed between them.

"Maya," Hamza murmured, his voice raspy from sleep,

"Jee" she tried to pull her hand without causing him any pain.

"Are you upset?" He did not leave her hand.

Maya didn't look at him, just looked at his chest, and shook her head. "No, I'm not upset," she reassured him, her voice gentle but lacking conviction.

"Then why do I feel that you are upset?" He pulled her hand and made her sit with him.

"Nahi aisee tau koi baat nahi hai," she denied in a low voice.

"Ayesha ki wajah se upset ho?" He wanted her to show her emotions.

"Mera koi haq nahi hai, ye aap ka aur un ka personal matter hai." Her voice did not falter but neither did she look at him.

"Haq tau hai!" He tried to sound lighter and chirpy.

"Kagaz ke rishtay ka koi Haq nahi hota." She turned and smiled at him and got up from the sofa.

He kept looking at her, and she left the room. "Main bhi ye hee samajhta tha .. magar Mujhe nahi pata tha kagaz ka rishta itna mazboot hota hai." He thought to himself smiling.

Maya came out of his room and stood against the wall calming herself. A lone tear escaped her eye, "Main kis rishtay se naraaaz hongee, mera aap pe haq hee kya hai?"

"Koi Haq nahi hai, tau us ne Mera haath pakra tau tau dil be qabu kion ho raha hai"

She kept talking to herself pasted to the wall, breathing heavily.
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Maya calmed herself and scolded herself too, she could not make Hamza worried, he was already depressed with his condition.

So when she went to his room a little while later with lunch, she had a smile on her face and the morning grimace was gone.

He was busy talking on the phone at work, as she placed the food on the table, he looked at her to see her mood, but she smiled in return and quietly sat next to him.

He was on a conference call, holding the phone with his left hand while his right hand was already in cast, talking on speaker. Maya picked a plate, made a bed of rice and poured chicken karahi on it, made a spoonful of food.

Hamza was watching her while talking, she raised the spoon to his mouth, and with surprised eyes, he opened it to take a bite. And then to his astonishment, he kept talking ( more listening) while she kept feeding him until he finished the whole plate. Feeding him was so natural for her now, after feeding him for so many days at the hospital.

When the food was finished on the plate, she moved to put more but he nudged her, she looked back at him and he shook his head in a no. She smiled and put the plate back.

Then she picked up the bowl of custard and started feeding him that. He didn't argue, consumed some of it and then refused to have more by turning his head in a no, indicating that he was done.