"Dr.Tariq, what's wrong? Apne kaha tha ka yeh theek hai? Aaj teesra din hona ko hai lekin isse hosh nahi aya hai," asked Rohail the doctor. It has been three days since the accident but there is still no indication of consciousness from her. "Aap please itna tension mat le," said Dr.Tariq for the nth time. "Meina apko kaha haina ka mein kuch nahi kar sakta." said a tired doctor. It has been a long night and this person wouldn't go home. Gosh. He has been here for the last two days straight since he woke from the accident, thought Dr. Tariq. "What kind of doctor are you? You can't even do this." growled an angry Rohail as he towered over the Doctor. The doctor took some steps back. "Aapke yeh sab karna sa kuch nahi hoga," whispered the Doctor nervously.
Rohail just stare at him for a moment. Dr.Tariq stare back. He couldn't help feel pity for him. His condition somehow seems much more worse than the patient unconscious in the door behind him. His hair looked like a bird's nest because he kept running his hand through his hair. His face has tear stains that he seems to have forgotten to wipe and he really needed to shave. Then there was the bandage at his forehead reminding the doctor that he had also also been in the accident and was also injured. His once iron white shirt was crumpled up like a tissue with blood stains of his wife's and his blood. There was another bandage at his right arm. "Please, aap chaliye mera saath aapka bandage change karna ka wakt hogaya hai," said the Dr.Tariq gently, as he touched Rohail's left arm to take him.
But Rohail didn't budge. He just stared at the Dr.Tariq. Slowly, with his right hand, he removed the doctor's hand from his arm. "Sorry," he mumbled as he looked away and steps back and turns away. The doctor looks at him and shakes his head.
Suddenly the door in front opened and the nurse run out. "Dr.Tariq, shukar hai aap mujhe yahi mil gaye... woh patient ko hosh agaya?" said the nurse panting. Hearing this dejected Rohail turn around. His face was expressionless. He looked from Doctor to Nurse and dashed into the room. The nurse and the Doctor followed.
Rohail stopped by the bed. He couldn't believe it. There she was, his Seher, wide awake looking around the room. He felt like crying and laughing at the same time. He slowly walked towards her. She looks at him but with a very weird expression. However Rohail doesn't think much about it. He sits on the stool beside the bed. He looks at lovingly. "Tum theek ho?!" even though he meant it as a question it came out as a statement, his voice broke. She gives him a blank expression. He raises his hand to caress her forehead but as he was about to touch her she moved back. Rohail frown. "Seher?" he questions unsure what happened. "Ji. Aap kaun?" asked Seher with a puzzled expression.
All the colors drained from Rohail's face. "Yeh tum kya keh rahi ho Seher?" choked Rohail as he suddenly felt a knot typing in his stomach and a lump formed in his throat. "Aek second Rohail. Let me see. Tum bahar wait kar sakta ho," the Dr.Tariq asked Rohail looking at him but Rohail was busy looking at Seher who doesn't seem to recognize him. He doesn't get it. "Please, Rohail," the doctor requested as made Rohail look at him. After one last glance at Seher,who was not even looking at him now, he nodded and walked out of the door.
After good fifteen minutes, the nurse came out of the room, seeing her Rohail got up, expectantly. "Aapko doctor nay apna cabin mein bolaya hai." she informed and went back. He peaked inside the room from the glass door. There she was talking to the nurse but why didn't she recognize me. He shakes his head as negative thoughts came in his mind. With a last look at her, he walked to the Dr.Tariq cabin.
He went inside and sat down. After five minutes, the Doctor came and sat down. "Rohail ab jo mein tumhe batana wala hoon tumhe usse apna dil mazboot karka suna paraga." started the Doctor. Rohail could feel something bad was coming. He braced himself and nodded encouraging him to continue.
"Jaisa tumne abhi dheka. Usne tumhe nahi pehchana tha," the Dr.Tariq said. Rohail felt like somebody pierced his heart with a dagger slowly and painfully. He kept his face expressionless. "Yeh sach hai. She doesn't know you." Rohail looked downwards and then again looked at the Dr.Tariq. That somebody keeps on stabbing him again and again slowly and mercilessly. "Actually usse partial memory loss howa hai because of hitting something hard." Rohail has the flashes of the accident. He blinked them away and focused on the Dr. Tariq.
"Usse apni shaadi shudha life ka bare mein, tumhare bare mein, tum logo ka pyar ka bare mein kuch bhi yaad nahi hai," the Dr.Tariq continued. Okay, now its not just one dagger but millions of them are practicing their stabbing skills on his heart, he thought. He looks down holding his head. "Dheko Rohail. I know its hard but you need to be strong for Seher and yourself. Yeh sirf temporary hai," said the Doctor. Rohail looks up with some hope. Some of the daggers have disappeared making the pain a little less.
"Lekin aek aur problem hai," the Doctor slowly continued. Rohail gives What-now-? expression. "Lekin usse apni purani zindagi yaad hai. jaisa uska aami aur abbu aur..." he pauses, almost stopping Rohail's breath in anticipation," aur uska purana mangetar, Aahil. Aur woh yeh ka woh uska mangetar hai. She doesnt know ka uski mangni toot gaye thi. usse abhi bhi lagta hai ka use mangni hoi hai Aahil Malik se." said Dr. Tariq a little loudly emphasizing his point. Rohail sat their frozen. This was worse. Those dagger that went away came back and this time, they were quadruple in number.
Fifteen minutes later, Rohail got up and walked out of the cabin. Dr. Tariq kept calling but his voice seem so far away to Rohail that he didn't pay any heed. He felt like a zombie, though died but still alive. He look around himself. He was in the hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. He has been in this same exact hospital for the last two days, 14 hour and some minutes. He stop in front of her room.
The person who he consider his wife but she doesn't remember him nor their relationship, these were thoughts as he walked into the room. She was asleep, again."But it's ok," told Rohail to himself. He is not ready to face her not after what Dr. Tariq told her about him. As he sat on the stool beside her and gazed at her, he remembered his words, "Meina usse bola hai ka woh karachi visit kar rahi hai aur woh tumhare ghar pay thari hoi hai. Tum uska Dad ka dost ka beta ho."
Realization that his Seher doesn't remember him or their relationship, broke Rohail. Tears brim his eyes but he blinked them away. He needs to be strong for Seher and himself, he told himself. He looked at her and smiled. "Koi baat nahi agar isse nahi yaad mujhe tu yaad haina," he whispered as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. She turned towards him and nuzzled herself in her blanket. He shakes his head and smile.
"Koi baat nahi. Tum theek ho aur sahi salat ho aur mujhe kuch nahi chahiye. Baaki sab mein khud theek kar dago aur yeh tumhare Rohail ka waada hai." he whispered again with his killer smile as he carefully took her hand in his. He just sat there gazing at her face while holding her hand. He moved his gaze from her face to her hand in his hand. Her left hand was in his left hand. She was still wearing her marriage ring and he was wearing his. Seeing the rings, Rohail remember their wedding vow,"Rohail Malik kya aapko Sehr Begh kay saath nikaah qubool hai?" asked the Imam. "Qubool Hai," said Rohail Malik".