Book I - Husband, I Love You (Completed)

Part 12

Rk's eyes sprung open hearing a loud scream. He turned to his side to see his wife withering and screaming in her sleep.

"Madhu wake up!" Rk shook her uninjured shoulder.

"Madhu..." he stroked her cheek gently wiping her tears and brought her out of her bad dream.

Madhu looked disoriented. Her eyes were wide and scared. She kept staring at him with her tear brimming eyes. She looked so confused.

"It's okay. It's just a dream." Rk reassured her and kissed her forehead. "I am here with you. I have got you." Rk whispered softly and hugged her not too tightly but tight enough to give her the much needed comfort. He could feel her slowly relaxing & her breathing and heart beat turning to normal. Then he pulled himself away from her & sat up on the bed. He then helped her up too. Switching on the bed side lamp, he poured her glass of water and helped her to drink it.

"You alright?" Rk asked gently, worry edging on his eyes. She nodded and clung to him. He can say she had it bad.

"This is not the first time you getting nightmare." it wasn't a question. He stated the fact softly. For the fourth time he was waking up to the loud scream of his wife. Every time when some frightening incident happens she get night terrors. He witnessed that on the very first night they spend together, on their wedding night or to be exact next day early morning, when he returned home after investigating the fake bomb explosion threat in the five star hotel. Then the night she got kidnapped by Sultan and his men and then in hospital, the day she got shot... Oh that time she really went out of control and the doctors had to sedate her. And now again she was screaming and crying. What's wrong with her? What could be the reason for her night terrors? I should try and ask her. I can't see her like this. So frightened! Rk thoughts.

"Madhu, baby, what's wrong?" Rk held her closer to his chest and combed her hair with his fingers soothing her.

"Baby, talk to me, please." His voice was so soft fearing he would scare her if he raised his voice a little high.

"Rishab, I... I have..." she breathed nervously. He took the corner of the satin sheet which was draped over them and wiped off the sweat beats from her forehead and kissed her cheek.

"It's okay. Tell me. I can help you." he encouraged her.

"Rishab, I have Parasomnia." She said in a meek tone after a huge pause.

"Parasomnia? You mean to say you frequently get nightmares and night terrors?" Rk asked.

"Yes!"

"Oh!" he said rubbing her back. "Do you have Somnambulism, Bruxism, Sexsomnia?" Rk asked. She lifted her head off his chest and looked at him confused.

"Whoa! Whoa! What are all they? How do you know all these medical terms? You surely aren't a doctor right?"

"No, I am not but I have done researches in various disorders."

"Why?"

"Just to gain knowledge and also few of my researched were useful for my cases."

"Oh. Well, so what do they mean?"

"Somnambulism means sleepwalking" He hadn't noticed her walking around in the night in her sleep but still he wanted to check with her because sleep walking is also symptom of parasomnia.

"No, I don't do sleep walking."

"Bruxism means teeth grinding during sleep." Rk explained.

"Um... I guess I don't. Was I grinding my teeth when you woke me up?" She asked him.