REMARKABLE

14

'Mrs Sabeeha Zain.'

The Nurse called out for her when Armineh turned to look at her mother, 'Should I come with you, mom?'

Sabeeha shook her head, rising to her feet from the plush sofa she had been sitting on, 'No, sit. They are only calling on me to check my vitals.'

Armineh nodded, her eyes following her mother as she walked to the nurse desk. She bit her lip, praying for everything to be alright with her. She had fainted twice in a week's time. Alizeh and Armineh were both loosing their minds thinking what could possibly go wrong.

The shrill ringtone of her phone, brought her out of her thoughts as she picked the phone lying on her lap to check the caller ID.

'Hello Ma'am. It's Sahir. Where are you, the clients from Emerson Global are here.' She heard Sahir's frantic voice and blew out a long breath.

'It's... I am not coming, I called in sick and took half day off.' Armineh said, rubbing her forehead, trying to relieve some stress.

'If I may ask is everything alright, Ma'am? You sound disturbed.' Sahir questioned, he could hear the worry in her voice and Armineh rarely became upset.

'I hope so too, Sahir. I am at the hospital, right now. Something came up with my mother. Just please do what I am asking of you. The Emerson's are crucial, see that Kabeer chairs the meeting and keep me updated. The details on my table, nothing should be amiss. I'll drop by in the evening.' Armineh told him, before cutting the call and powered off her phone. She was in no mood to entertain her office, it was only eleven in the morning and she had received multiple calls, already.

Armineh bowed her head, her thoughts drifting back to her mother. She had only just closed her eyes when her ears picked up her husband's name and her eyes teared, he had stayed true to his words. It's been precisely ten days since they last talked and he had made no efforts to reconcile, no messages, no calls. It was like before, like she wasn't married. Armineh wanted to call him but she really didn't have it in her to get herself involved in another pointless argument with him and over the phone. Armineh blinked a few times and swallowed. She didn't want to eavesdrop but she couldn't just refrain herself.

'...I'll go to Ardashir, then.' The man had said as he cradled a fussing toddler to his chest.

'Do you know he's married?' Armineh's eyes furrowed at the woman's words as she told the beside her. It wasn't even a big deal. Oh! How much she wanted to tell her that she was his wife.

'Ofcourse, I know. I have met her, his wife, he invited me over for a congratulatory dinner when I won the best evolving man of the sector.' Unfortunately, for Armineh she could count the number of times she and Ardashir had pleasant interactions and surely, she didn't remember this happening ever. Armineh's lips curled in a frown, he was talking about some other Ardashir.

'Oh God! Asad. Let that go, it was two years go.' His wife reprimanded him with a smile dancing on her lips. Armineh couldn't help but mirror their smile, she couldn't quite recall where she had heard that name before.

'What? No. I won it again just a few months ago... I am still basking in the glory.' The man she presumed to be Asad puffed his chest.

'Why didn't you tell me, before?' His wife complained when Asad neared her.

'Forgive me but you were in labor. I didn't think it was a suitable time.' Asad whispered, near her wife's ear and she jerked away from him, her cheeka flushed which made him laugh and then sober up as quickly when he found all his fixed on him, judging him. Armineh thought that they might have forgotten they were in a hospital.