-Open Your Eyes, Remember Me- A ZaYa FF *Hiatus* (Note: Pg 56, 6/1) - Page 3

Originally posted by: -ZaYalicious-

^^Aww okay! I think i'll keep refreshing the page till you don't update. Anways, araam se likho, no jaldi 😛 We don't want you to give us crap , isliye think and write 😆

Originally posted by: SabrinaMalik

Dude! Jakar kuch productive kaam kar lo, 'refreshing the page' se accha kuch.

Update itni jaldi nahin milne waali.

Aur maine bola na tere liye RES karungi, toh tu jaa na, kuch kaam kar le, iftaar bana le jakar 😆

Originally posted by: -ZaYalicious-

Haahha okay 😛 Lekin mai tere exclusive res ko unres kese karungi? 😆

LOOL! Don't worry i'm not wasting my time. Writing three articles on another tab 😃

Iftaar banaun gi, tou bhook lagay gi 😛

Originally posted by: SabrinaMalik

Tum mujhe comment PM karna..mein UNRES karungi 😉 I know thoda weird hai, but hey, we toh are weird na 😛

Happy to know kuch productive kar rahi ho tum.

Bechari tumhari mummy. Sab kaam akele karna padta hoga.

Tune mere siggy update karne waale steps try nahin kiye kya? Still tumhara dabba suna-suna hai 😛😆

Originally posted by: SabrinaMalik

Tum mujhe comment PM karna..mein UNRES karungi 😉 I know thoda weird hai, but hey, we toh are weird na 😛

Happy to know kuch productive kar rahi ho tum.

Bechari tumhari mummy. Sab kaam akele karna padta hoga.

Tune mere siggy update karne waale steps try nahin kiye kya? Still tumhara dabba suna-suna hai 😛😆

Lovely comments ke liye, Thank You So much. ❤️ You have NO idea what your comments do to me. 😳

Hope you've read my replies. If not then go back and read!

This chapter is just setting up of the background. Just a filler, kinda. Except for the last part maybe 😉

Sorry if I bored you with this chapter.

Open Your Eyes, Remember Me

Chapter 1

Same day, 11:30 AM

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhopal

Outside the Operation Theatre

"Doctor Saheb! Aaliya theek toh ho jayegi na? Meri beti ko kuch nahin hoga na? Boliye na doctor sahib! Boliye!" Shabana Haider begged, her lips trembling.

"Dekhiye aap Upar Wale par bharosa kariye. Hausla mat haariye. Ham operation shuru karne waale hain. Side, please." Dr. Armaan Malik said as he made his way into the operation theatre.

Ghulam pulled his wife to a nearby bench and seated her there.

"Begum, kuch nahin hoga hamari bacchi ko. Doctor ne kaha na, Allah par bharosa rakhiye. Umeed mat haariye. Hamari itni nek, paak danam ladki jisne hamesha sab ka bhala chaha hai uska Khuda kuch bura kaise hone de sakta hai? Allah ki ladli hai, bilkul theek ho jayegi...bilkul theek..." He stopped, unable to speak anymore.

"Hmm..." Shabana murmured through her tears. "Aur Zain? Kaisa hai who ab? Aap dekh kar aaye use?"

"Hosh toh abhi nahi aaya hai use. Lekin who khatre se bilkul baahar hai. Doctors keh rahe the bahot accha recover kar raha hai woh, kuch din mein bilkul theek-thaak ho jayega. Mil ke aaya tha usse." Ghulam said.

"Aur jab hosh aa jayega use tab? Uthte hi sabse pehle Aaliya ke bare mein poochhega, kya kahenge use?" she asked.

"Nahin nahin Begum. Ham Zain se kuch bhi nahi kahenge. Varna woh apni tabiyat aur kharaab kar lega. Use kuch nahin batana hai. Filhaal who behosh hai, hosh mein aayega toh dekhenge." Ghulam concluded.

"Ji, shayad aap sahi keh rahe hain." Shabana nodded in agreement.

***

12:15 PM

45 minutes had passed. And the bulb above the operation theatre was still glowing. These were probably the longest 45 minutes of his life.

Or probably the second longest.

He remembered the first time he had been this restless.

May 29, 1993. Oh, how could he forget that day?

The way Shabana was screaming, he smiled, he would've turned deaf. He remembered his fear, his restlessness as she was taken into the maternity ward.

He remembered asking Allah to give him an angelic baby girl. A girl whom he could pamper, a girl who would light up his dwelling with her laughter, a girl who would love him as he would love her.

And his prayers had not gone in vain.

He remembered his sigh of relief and his quick 'Alhamdulillah' (Praise Be To God) as he heard the first cries of a child, his child.

And then the doctor congratulating him on becoming a father of a baby girl.

He remembered his heart pacing in his ribcage and he remembered that he was crying.

He was crying then. He was crying now.

They were tears of happiness then. And tears of utter, utter sadness now.

He shook out of his thoughts as he heard a lady's voice. "Sir?" said Mrs. Rodriguez.

"Ji Nurse? Kya hua? Aaliya..Aaliya theek toh hai na?" Ghulam started.

"Sir. Aap patience rakho. Abhi wait karna padegi. Aaliya is losing blood. We need blood. Uski blood group A+ hai. Aap log kisi ko jaanta hai, with same blood group?" The nurse inquired.

"Haan haan. Mein hoon na. Mera blood group hai A+. Chaliye, kahan chalna hai khoon dene ke liye?" Ghulam got up.

"Haan, lekin sir aapka age kya hai? How old are you?" Mrs. Rodriguez asked.

"Ji, 55 saal. Pachpan saal hai meri umar." Ghulam replied.

"Oh no sir. We do not take blood of people under 20 and above 50. We are so sorry. Aap apni wife se poochho, unka Blood group kya hai?" the nurse said.

"Nahin, mera blood group toh B+ hai. Ya Allah! Yeh kya musibat hai. Kahan se laye khoon ab?" Shabanana cried.

"Dekho aap log--" Mrs. Rodriguez started.

"Mein doonga khoon." A voice boomed from behind them.

The trio turned to look at the source of the voice.

"Zain!" Shabana ran towards her son in law who was sitting on a wheelchair driven by a ward boy.

"Zain! Kaisa hai tu? Yeh kya kar raha hai? Yahan kyu aaya tu? Haalat dekhi hai apni?" Shabana looked at him, frantic.

"Aap...ap ise yahaan kyu laye?" she questioned the ward boy who looked white as chalk.

"Woh...ma'am..I'm...matlab...woh--" He mumbled, unable to find his voice.

"Kya woh woh laga rakha hai? Bolo kuch! Zain ko yahan kyu lekar aaye?" She literally scremed at him.

"Phoops! Arey chillaiye mat, hospital hai. Is bechare ki ki galti nahi hai. Yeh toh bahot mana kar raha tha. Meine hi ise dhamki di thi." Zain said, trying to sound calm and composed. When he was everything but calm and composed. His whole body ached. And his heart, it was breaking. Breaking, knowing that somewhere at the end of this corridor was his Aaliya fighting between life and death.

Mrs. Rodriguez walked over to them.

"Wardboy, is patient ke reports dikhana, please." Mrs. Rodriguez asked. The wardboy handed over the reports.

Mrs. Rodriguez took it and scanned through the reports, her eyes widening by each passing page.

"Jesus! 3 ribs cracked, hair-line fracture in forearm, major fracture in leg: bone nearly in two pieces, neck sprain, cuts and bruises uncountable. Seriously boy! NO." Mrs. Rodriguez moved towards him. "You can't do this. Tumhare ko bahot injuries aayi hain. We cannot take your blood."

"Mujhe injuries hain lekin mera inta blood loss nahin hua hai! Meri platelet count bhi acchi hai! Report mein dekhi hongi na appne? Aap bas please mera khoon lijiye aur Aaliya ka operation jaldi resume kariye!" Zain burst out he was losing his temper now.

"No! We're sorry Mr. Abdullah. We cannot take your blood." Mrs. Rodriguez shook her head.

"Then what the shit are you doing here?! Aur why have you opened up a hospital when you freakin' don't have blood supply?! Go and get someone else's blood whosoever freakin' pleases you! Why the hell are you standing here and making speeches about Medical Sciences and Blood Groups. Wahaan meri biwi zindagi aur maut ke beech mein lad rahi hain aur aap logon ko yahaan mazak sooj raha hai! And let me tell you for a fact that in hours mein aapko koi donor nahin milne waala! Toh chup chaap mera khoon lijiye aur Aaliya ka operation resume kariye! I'm totally fine. And I need this blood donation done. NOW."

Silence was all what followed, Zain Abdullah rarely lost his cool, but when he did there was no one, no freaking person, who could dare to go against him. Except maybe for his Mamu Ki Bhaanji. The girl had taken an oath that she'd do the exact opposite of what he asked her to and derive pleasure out of it. But right now, she was scaring the living daylights out of him and all he wanted from her was to open her eyes.

Mrs. Rodriguez, without any further argument, wheeled him towards the AIIMS Labs.

***

1:00 PM

Zain's head jerked as he noticed the operation theatre bulb fading.

"Doctor Saheb?" Ghulam rushed towards Dr. Malik as he exited the operation theatre.

"Mr. Haider, operation was successful b--" Dr. Malik started.

"Kya? Toh ab hum use mil sakte henge Doctor? Kaisi hai meri bachh--" But Shabana was interrupted by the doctor.

"Dekhiye, please let me finish. Operation toh successful tha but patient ko hosh nahin aa raha hai. Anesthesia ka impact kaafi time pehle chala gaya tha. But she's not coming into consciousness. Hum agle 12 ghante wait karenge. Agar agle 12 hours mein unhe hosh nahin aata hai toh the situation can become very serious." Dr. Malik finished with a sigh.

"Serious? Kya matlab hai aapka doctor?" Zain said, his forehead creased with worry.

"Serious as in...Agar unhe 12 ghante mein hosh nahin aaya toh...she may fall into coma."

She may fall into coma.

May fall into coma.

Coma.

Dr. Malik's words hung in the air as he made his way towards the exit.

The weather suddenly seemed colder. Shabana fell on the bench wailing, Ghulam Saheb supporting her though his condition was no good either.

Zain froze.

Coma.

The word pierced his heart more than ever now.

Coma.

Wasn't it the same condition his dad was in?

Coma.

What ugly game was destiny playing with him yet again?

Coma.

That was his last thought as the world around him seemed to dim and then blacked out completely.

***

1:15 PM

General Ward, AIIMS, Bhopal

"Jesus help him! Kitna love karta hai apna wife ko! Itna injured hai phir bhi OT ke bahar wait kar raha tha!" Mrs. Rodriguez shook her head.

"Sister Zain ko kya hua hai? Theek toh ho jayega na?" A distraught Shabana asked. Her world was coming apart bit by bit, and all she could do was watch.

"Nahin, tension mat lo aap please. Isne blood donate kiya, and stubbornness mein glucose lene se mana kar diya. Isliye yeh haal hai. Weakness hai, that's all. Glucose chadhaya hai meine. Hosh aa jayega thodi der mein." The nurse said motioning towards the needle inserted in his hand which led to a drip.

Suddenly a phone was ringing.

Shabana picked up the phone, which happened to be Zain's, and her eyes widened.

"Ji suniye! Suraiyya bhabhi ka phone hai! Kya kahenge unse ham?" She panicked.

"Arey begum ghabraiye nahin. Mein...mein baat karta hoon...batana toh hai hi na unhe..laiye phone." Ghulam said, trying to shake the nervousness off his voice.

"Phone mujhe dijiye, Phoops." Zain opened his eyes.

"Zain? Beta tu..." Shabana started.

"Mein theek hoon. Laiye phone dijiye. Mein mom se baat karta hoon." He said as Shabana handed him he cell phone.

"Hey Mom!" Zain said, trying to sound as chirpy as possible.

"Haan! I'm fantastic, aap bataiye sab kaise hain? Aur Dad?" He asked.

"Meri awaaz? Nahin toh, meri awaaz ko kya hoga? I'm fine mom, aap bilkul bhi tension mat lijiye. Bhopal suites me." He said, trying to hide the pain in his voice.

"Kab waapis aa raha hoon? Kaisi baate kar rahi hain? Aapko toh pata hai na...one and a half months ki business trip aur baaki aadha mahina holiday manaunga. Deal hui thi na hamari, toh 2 months baad hi aayunga na. Accha mom, Phoops lunch ke liye bula rahi hain. Phone rakhta hoon. Bye. Take care." He said as he cancelled the call.

"Zain, tune kuch bataya kyu nahin Bhabhi ko? Tu--" Shabana asked.

"Phoops nahin. Mein mom ko kuch nahin batana chaahta, please. Already dad ki tabiyat theek nahin hai. Apni haalat bata kar mein unhe aur burden nahin karna chaahta. Please Phoops." Zain pleaded.

"Theek hai. Jaisi teri marzi. Lekin--" "Lekin wekin kuch nahin. 2 mahine hain hamare paas. 2 mahine mein mein aur Aaliya dono bilkul theek ho jayenge. Mumbai mein kisi ko kuch nahin pata chalega." Zain concluded.

"Aaliya? Kahan hai woh?" He asked.

Shabana motioned to the bed beside him. "Nurse bhi samajh gayi thi ki tum uske bina chain se nahin rahoge, toh wardboy se keh kar tumhare bagal ke bed par shift kar diya ise. Zain beta mein ghar jaa kar tumhare liye kuch khaane ko laati hoon. Hospital ka khaana mat khana, theek hai? Khayaal rakhna. Ghulam Saheb yahin baahar hain." She smiled at him. But he could see directly through her fake smile. She turned before her tears could fall.

Zain turned to look at Aaliya, wincing as pain shot up his ribs.

Her bed was near to him. Very near infact. He saw her hand dangling from the bed and took it in his bruised one, intertwining their fingers.

"Mamu Ki Bhaanji..." He whispered.

"Aaliya..." He said her name as tears made their way back into his eyes.

"Zain! Is waqt Mamu ko dawa se zyada dua ki zaroorat hai. Allah se maango. Wahi Dene Wala hai." He remembered her wordsfrom the night of Usman's accident.

He closed his eyes and silently prayed.

"Ya Allah! Mein nahin jaanta tha ibaadat kaise karte hain, usne mujhe sikhaaya.

Mein nahin jaanta tha deen ki raah par kaise chalte hain, usne mujhe chalaya.

Mein zindagi jeene ka tareeqa nahin jaanta tha, usne mujhe samjhaaya.

Gunaah toh maine kiye hain Allah, toh saza Aaliya ko kya de rahe hain?

Dad ke accident ke time par Aaliya ne mujhse kaha tha ki Allah apne bando ko pareshaani mein isliye daalte hain taaki unke gunaah dhul sake.

Par Aaliya se toh kabhi koi gunaah saadir hi nahin hua hai, uske toh gunaah hi nahin hain dhulne ke liye...phir uski yeh haalat kyu?

Please, Allah, woh toh aapki laadli hai na, use please bacha lijiye. Aaliya ko theek kar dijiye.

Aaliya ne mujhe bataya tha ki agar iss duniya ke first insaan se lekar last insaan tak, agar saare aadmi ek saath jamaa ho aur sab ke sab, ek saath, aapse kuch maange, toh aap har ek ki muraad poori farmayenge aur aapke khazaano mein zarra bhar ki bhi kami nahin hogi.

Allah, aap Qaadir hain. Meri Aaliya ko mujhe waapis kar dijiye.

Agar zindagi bhar mein meine koi neki ki hai, toh please, Aaliya mujhe waapis de dijiye...Ya Allah...Aaliya ko theek kar dijiye...Uske bina mein adhoora hoon...mein kuch nahin hoon uske bina...use theek kar dijiye...please..." He choked, as his tears flowed unstoppably. The pain was immense and intense. It was unbearable. He couldn't go a second longer without her. He shut his eyes and let the tears fall.

***

March 1st, 2014, 1:30 AM

Dr. Malik's Office, AIIMS, Bhopal

"12 ghante ho chuke hain. And I'm sorry to say lekin jis baat ka darr tha, wahi hua. Mr. Haider, maaf kariyega lekin Mrs. Abdullah has already fallen into coma. We're sorry." Dr. Malik said.

"Doctor! Aap aisa kaise keh sakte hain? Aapne koshish bhi nahi ki? Aap--" Shabana asked, her face going white.

"Please, Ma'am. Sambhaliye apne aap ko. Hamne apni taraf se poori koshish ki, but ham unhe revive nahin kar paye. She had stopped responding to any treatment, ma'am. We are sorry." Dr. Malik said sadly.

"Ghulam Saheb! Hamari bacchi!!! Kya hoga ab?? Ya Allah! Yeh kaisa imtehaan hai?!!" Shabana cried.

"Mr. Haider, kal subah aap Mrs. Abdullah ko ghar le jaa sakte hain." Dr. Malik said as he left the office.

Ghulam just sat there, gripping the armrest, his knuckles white.

"Aur Zain??!" Shabana said."Zain se kya kahenge? Woh toot jayega, Ghulam Saheb, bikhar jayega woh..." Shabana said as she sobbed into her husband's shoulder.

***

April 2nd, 2014, 11:30 AM

The Ghulam Residence, Bhopal

"La ilaha illa anta, Subhanaka, Inni kuntu minaz-zalimin."

(There is none worthy of Worship besides You, You are far exalted and above all weaknesses, Surely, I' am from among the wrongdoers)

Zain read the duaa and blew it on Aaliya.

One month had passed now.

One month of sorrow.

One month of grief.

One month of pain.

One month of tears.

He'd cried a lot in the past month, uncontrollably, unstoppably. Tears had altogether stopped coming now. Now, whenever he looked at Aaliya he just felt this hole in his chest. This void which was expanding day by day, eating him from within.

"Malika-e-Zain, Masjid jaa raha hoon. Friday hai na, Jumme ki Namaz padhni hai. See you in an hour. Don't miss me too much, okay?" He whishpered.

"And ya, I love you SO" He kissed her forehead, "So" He kissed her nose, "Much" He said finally, giving a peck on her lips, however, failing to see the twitching of her fingers as his lips touched hers.

***

It's time.

"Time for what?"

Time for you wake up, you've slept enough.

"Oh, so I'm sleeping? I thought I was dead."

Ahh, death...No, you still have a lot to live and definitely a lot to live for. Wake up Aaliya...your loved ones await you...Wake up...

"Wait! Who are you? Apna naam toh batati jao..Hellooo??"

But suddenly she felt a tug, a sort of pull. And then there was light, a slight shimmer in the darkness. A force was pulling her, pulling her towards the light, and then she was floating. Floating towards life, floating towards a world which had been awaiting her arrival.

***

Zain stood in a trance under the shower, remembering the ganne ka juice he had had with Aaliya. He liked to think about the times they had had together. It gave him happiness, some smiles.

His train of thought was broken by the screams he heard from outside.

And he panicked.

Aaliya.

That was the first thing which came into his mind. Did something happened to her? Was she okay? Why was everyone screaming outside?

"Jeeju! Jeeju! Aaliya Baaji! Woh--" Zainab's voice came from outside.

"Woh kya? Kya hua Aaliya ko? Theek hai na woh? Tum log--" Zain yelled.

"Jeeju! Arey Aaliya Baaji ko hosh aa gaya hai! Jaldi aaiye!" Zainab yelled back.

His hands seemed to have a mind of their own as they reached towards the towel and wrapped it around his waist. He couldn't even comprehend what was happening as he unlocked the door and rushed towards Aaliya's room. His heart was racing, threatening to come out of his ribcage. And there was only one world going round and round in his mind: Aaliya.

***

Aaliya had just stood up from the bed, her vision blurred, when a pair of strong arms enveloped her and her face came to rest on a bare chest.

She did not resist though, she should have, but she didn't. It was comforting and warm there in his arms. She felt secure and strangely...complete. As if she'd been united with a missing part of her. The arms tightened around her and though she could hear him whispering something, she couldn't make out the words. He smelled of happiness and home and uh...strongly of shampoo.

Aaliya moved back, to get a clear look of his face.

She blinked her eyes, trying to clear her vision and then a face came into view.

A handsome face, a pair deep brown eyes, a straight nose, perfectly arched eyebrows, high cheekbones, full lips. A face so familiar...yet so different.

Who was he? She tried to recall. Her head pounded. She closed her eyes and an image flashed. His image. Him. Zain, she remembered. Zain Usman Abdullah.

"Zain tumharaa..." She started.

"Kya? Kya hua? Batao." He said promptly, relief washing his features instantly as she utter her first words after a month.

"Sar." "Mera Sar?" "Shampoo bhara hua hai." She burst into laughter, pointing towards his head which was indeed full of white shampoo foam. He'd forgot to wash it off in his excitement to meet Aaliya. "Aur yeh kya towel pehen ke ghoom rahe ho? Kapde kam pad gaye hain?"

"Ha. MKB, acting toh aise kar rahi ho jaise pehle kabhi shirtless dekha hi nahin hai." He smirked.

Her eyebrows scrunched together. "Kya? Meine tumhe pehl--" But she could never finish as her mother rushed towards her, taking her face in her hands.

"Aaliya! Aaliya! Meri bacchi! Tu uth gayi! Ya Allah! Kitna intezaar kiya--" Shabana said in a rush.

"Uth gayi? Mein bahot der se so rahi thi kya Ammi?" Aaliya asked confused. Then she glanced at the clock and her eyes widened. "Ya Allah! 12 baj gaye hain! Mein itni der tak soti rahi thi? Kisi ne mujhe uthaya kyu nahin? Baap re bahot kaam hai!." She started to go.

Shabana held her hand. "Aaliya?" she said, her voice filled with dread. "Kaun sa kaam hai, beta?"

"Ammi aap bhi na." Aaliya smiled. "Shaadi ke ghar mein kaam toh hota hi hai na."

Shabana was hyperventilating now. "Shaadi ka ghar? Aaliya tu--"

"Ammi! Zeeshan aane waale honge, woh bhi apne Ammi Abbu ke saath. Bhool gayi aap?" Aaliya chirped.

Shabana's face was white. Zain stood frozen in the corner. And silence prevailed.

"Zee--Zeeshan?" Shabana croaked.

"Ji Ammi Zeeshan. Aapka hone waala damaad aur mere hone waale shauhar." Aaliya blushed. "Parson nikaah hai hamara, yaad aya?"

Parson nikaah hai haamara.

***

No Romance here I know. Next chapter mein thoda sa dalungi, pakka!

Boring tha I know, but I have only one advice for you.

Love you SO SO much.

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