DESIREgfh - Page 17

chAPTER 22 B

Few minutes later...in emergency...

It is said...your eyes speaks, even when they are closed. Such was the case with Razia. Her eyes were closed but the amount of pain encircling them was enough to cater her agony to the world. She was lying still on the bed of emergency, like a lifeless soul...no string attached to the world. More than body, it was her heart that was terribly hurt. All she wanted was a long sleep that would wake her up to a new reality...new life.

Pinaz looked at the poor soul, all drenched in pain. Being a women it didn't take her much to decipher her true condition. Now she could understand what the doctor meant when he said, 'the real problem is somewhere else.' In fact she could also understand...what this girl needed was CARE, not treatment. Pinaz slowly walked up to the bed and placed her hand on Razia's head with care. She started caressing her slowly.

'Ma...'

That was the first word Razia uttered after feeling the touch of Pinaz. A word that changed their life forever. Pinaz herself was taken aback initially. The last thing she was expecting from a stranger was being called as mother! She didn't know what to say...how to respond. But a mother she was after all. It took some time but she did respond as a mother. Pinaz sat beside Razia on bed and started caressing her arm, which was filled with numerous marks; most of it appeared to be from scratches only.

Few minutes later...

'Begum Sahiba we must go home now...fir Delhi bhi toh jana hai...' Adgah Sahab's call brought Pinaz back into the present stream of time...she was almost lost into to agony of her new found daughter.

'Yes...we must leave now...' Pinaz was about to get up from bed when she suddenly felt a strong grip on her arm. It was Razia. Her eyes were still closed but all of a sudden there was a movement in her body...a strange type of though. Within no second her entire body became stiff...as if a hell amount of shock and fear raked through her nerves. Then she started trembling slowly and mumbling something in an inaudible voice. Pinaz closed in on her to listen what she was saying but it was too feeble to get deciphered. Pinaz lightly touched her forehead and asked in a low voice, 'what is it beta? Are you trying to tell me something?'

Pinaz didn't even finish when Razia jerked out of her sleep shouting, 'don't touch me...don't touch me...please...don't!!!'

Entire room freezed with her words. In front of them there was a girl, sitting on the hospital bed sweating and trembling like hell...shouting 'don't touch me'...while she was brought here for knocking down by a car!!! None of those present in the room could understand what the hell that was, except Pinaz. She quickly waved all to leave the room and again sat beside Razia.

After ensuring the privacy, she began in a low but sound voice. 'You don't need to be scared anymore. I am here with you. Nobody will dare to touch you.' This much was enough to stroke the weakest nerve of the poor soul. It opened the floodgate of emotion for Razia. She hugged Pinaz and broke into loud sobs. She spoke out her agony through her tears. And it was not much difficult for Pinaz to understand what kind of 'touch' she meant.

Few minutes later...in the car...

'Once she is discharged from the hospital, take her to my home. Take utmost care of her and most importantly keep an eye on her. Don't let her commit anything wrong. She is morally down right now. So we must handle her with care and caution. Aaa...another thing...don't need to talk to her about anything. I will, when I come back.' Pinaz conveyed her order to Adgah, who confirmed to abide by at any cost. With this the conversation ended as of now. Because Pinaz had another life to be worried about...that of her own son.

Flash back continues...

Both were in hospital bed, fighting their odds. In a way both were responsible for each other's condition. Razia was in such a torn state only because of Mirza and his torment. On the other hand Mirza's accident was directly linked with Razia.

After finishing his work in Delhi, when Mirza was gearing up for his return to Shimla, he got a call from the attendant. She informed him of Razia's going out and not returning till evening. It didn't even take a second for mirza to understand...Razia tricked the attendant to flee the place. Now the major worry he had was...where did she go! Mirza knew...health-wise she was not in a good condition...mentally...even worse.

mirza actually had planned to return to Razia and be with her for a couple of days to make her understand his feelings. Then he was supposed to take her to Mumbai and prepare for marriage.

But everything turned upside down with the news of Razia missing. This time more than his love getting away from him, what appalled Mirza more was the well being of his love. He wanted to reach the guest house as soon as possible and start looking for Razia.

It was this hurry which led Mirza to such a catastrophe. He was driving on the curvy roads of Shimla when his car rammed into another one coming from opposite direction. He was too immersed in his thoughts to even realise when the car came in front of him. His distraction caused him the biggest loss of his life.

mirza was lying in the hospital bed for weeks. By then the doctors had confirmed...he was in coma. No movement...no response. Only faint signs of breathing could be traced. Entire family gathered at the hospital to stand by Him...to pray for him. Some of them prayed for him genuinely, some acted to. But things weren't improving much. Doctors from around the world were flown in to treat mirza but none could bring him out of this vegetative state. Everything seemed useless. As a result...things were getting more critical with every passing moment. Every failed attempt by the doctors was plunging Pinaz more into the darkness of lost hope...though the worst was yet to come.

Few minutes later...In doctor's cabin...

'What is it doctor? Is there anything serious about Mirza? Woh thik to hojayega na?' asked a worried pinaz as she rushed into the doctor's cabin. She was sitting outside mirza's room when the doc called her to his cabin. This call itself was enough to give her a heart attack. She knew if things would have been less important, the doc would have talked about it in the corridor itself...just as they were doing for the last couple of weeks. They never needed to talk in private. Hence this call sent a fear down Pinaz's spine...'is everything ok with my son'.

'Is there anything to worry about doctor?' Pinaz asked again. This time a slight presence of moist could be traced in her voice.

She was slowly preparing her mind to hear something...something which may not sound good to her ears, which may not taste sweet to devour. But what finally came was much beyond her imagination. It was something she never thought she would have to bear with in her life, ever.

'Please be seated Begum Sahiba...' the doc stood up from his chair and offered pinaz. But the Begum Sahiba was hardly in a mood to even bother about these formalities. She hurled her queries again, this time on a higher pitch. 'Tell me what's wrong with my son!!!'

'Maam...aap shant ho jaiye...aap...'

'Tell me...NOW!' Pinaz delivered the ultimatum here.

'Maam...there is a problem.'

'What is it?'

'Sir...'

'Kya hua mere beteko?'

'Maam...actually unhe kuch hua nehi hai...but there is a complication.'

'Kya baat hai, jaldi bataiye...'

'Maam...actually Sir's scrotum has been badly damaged in the accident. I fear he won't be able to become father...ever.' With this the doc paused to gauge the reaction of the listener. And just as he thought...she was completely lost.

'You are kidding right?' Pinaz couldn't trust her own ears. How can she! Mirza was not even married...so there was no question of him having any child. And if he can't have any kid in future also...that means... That was something pinaz never wanted to happen. Though she had many issues against this family, their lifestyle...but she could never imagine something so bad for this lineage. After all she herself was a part of it.

pinaz couldn't realise when she lost her strength and sat on the chair. She was a strong lady all the way but things were getting way too difficult for her weak heart now. She could feel her mind giving up slowly...making her senses too pale to notice. After giving some moment to her much stressed mind she finally asked the doctor in a faint voice, 'mera beta bach toh jayega na?'

'We will try our best Maam...rest is with the Almighty.'

Pinaz got her reply. She got the message the doc gave her under the wrap of formal tones. Pinaz gathered her strength somehow and slowly stood up from the chair. Without looking at anybody she started strolling towards the door.

Few days later...In the hospital...

'Maam...there is a call from Dehradun, Adgah Sahab wants to talk to you. He says it's urgent.' With this the lady handed over the phone to Pinaz who reluctantly took it to her ears. 'Yes Adgah Sahab.'

For next 5 minutes Pinaz motionlessly listened to the caller. She absorbed everything without uttering a single word. What the caller was conveying to Pinaz was not audible but the changing colour of her face clearly showed...something was wrong!!!

'Alright I am coming...I will be there by today evening.' pinaz ends the call...a deep sigh escaped her body.

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