Chapter-6
Zubiya twisted in the bed at the break of the morning. She could hear calls for the morning prayers, Fajr. With a tired body she moved out of the bed that wasn't hers. Last night she had a cold war with her husband and she decided to shift in this room. Gloomily she walked out of the room, her mother in law and father in law were about to be up, lights in their rooms switched on. She hurried to the washroom attached to her bedroom, before they saw her. To have fight with the husband and shifting to another room was one thing, and letting the news of their conjugal issues out to everyone at home was another. She didn't want to impart the details to anyone... Not right now. It is hers and her husband's matter, and they will deal with it. Obviously, it wasn't really that decent talks to let her in laws know as to why she left the room.
Fleetingly she looked around the room, he wasn't there. He must have already left for his run. Duvet unfold, the bed full of creases, a clear indication that he had a good night sleep without her. A deep scowl appeared on her face. The audacities of this man that neither he intended an apology nor did he even wait for her to wake up, and here he slept like a log? Now you just wait and watch Mr. Asfandyar Ali Khan! I would let you know what am I up to now... Zubiya walked away haughtily.
"Assalaam-o-alaikum!" Asfi wished in common to everyone as he joined the breakfast table. His parents chorused a "Walaikum as salaam! to him, neither noticing that Zubiya was quiet.
"Kya bana hai naashte mein?" Asfi struck a conversation trying to look peeping in what Zubiya was doing on the dinner table.
"Tumhari pasand ka Parantha aur chai banaayi hai maine Asfi... Khaake bataao..." Lubna, his mother said.
"Zubiya, beta tum kyu sandwiches kha rahi ho? Tum bhi parantha khaa lo. Sandwiches se kya sahi pet bharega." Usman, her father in law spoke.
"Thank you Baba, par chai peene ka mera mann nahi hai aur paranthe heavy ho jaayenge. Kal dinner kaafi late ho gaya tha."Zubiya tried distracting her in laws.
Asfi's face clouded with a lot more remorse than he had thought he was already feeling. In his stint of tiredness and careless words, he had just forgot to inform Zubiya that he will have his dinner at the hospital only, and she must have been waiting till 2 am, after which she had stormed into another room. He could hear her stomach grumbling sitting next to him. A lot more regret cemented over his heart. He looked apologetically towards her only to notice that she didn't even glance at him all through the bare minimum breakfast she took.
"Zubiya, aaj duty kitne baje hai tumhari? Asfi ke saath hi hospital chali jaao tum bhi..." Lubna struck another conversation into a relatively quiet room except for a few sounds of the cutlery against the plates.
"Ummm... Maama, wo, Dr. Haroon ka text aaya tha, he needed to exchange the duty with me. Unhe Saim ke saath school jaana hai meeting mein toh, he wanted me to cover him up at the afternoon. Toh main driver ke saath hi late jaaungi hospital." Zubiya explained.
Disappointment painted all over Asfi's face that he tried to hide very hard. He had wanted to utilize their drive to the hospital to apologize to her. But sigh! This couldn't have been possible. Later he'd come to know that it wasn't Haroon who asked for an exchange, but Zubiya instead.
That had set the trend for the next two weeks. Asfi being the core people of the hospital could not really always put a change on his schedule. That being tight, it was Zubiya's benefit that she altered all her roster accordingly. If he had a night duty, she took all the day duties. If it was his evening ER, she would take morning OPD. If in any surgery he needed an assistant, she made sure any other doctor would assist him, but her. She wouldn't stay up for him in their room, she conveniently slipped into Gaiti's empty room as soon as her in laws went to sleep. Though her sleeps had become very disturbed, she wouldn't sleep anytime before his car deposited into the porch, but she never came out of the room to let him know that she was waiting.
Frustration levels rising at both the ends, though for different reasons; both had started getting at their wit's end. Zubiya being all the more notorious troubling Asfi in every manner she could and Asfi getting a lot angrier and frustrated. The major anger was sustained by paper folders, paper weights, pen holders, laptop bags, new interns, office staff, and co doctors. He wanted to thrash Zubiya left right and centre for giving him such pains, emotionally, mentally and well... Physically. Unabashed to admit, he couldn't sleep properly after that first night separately. He tried his level best to come home early to catch up with Zubiya, but every time something or the other caught up with him, and she would dodge him like an eel. He could never get a hold over her, and every God damn night he found his room, his bed and his life empty, devoid of Zubiya. The door to Gaiti's room closed and locked. He couldn't bang at her door at 2 am. He would bang his fist in sheer anger.
Third week he slowly started slipping out of the hospital bit early, delegating the duties appropriately, with the wing construction fully over, and finishing work happening. His disappointments left no bounds, until the Saturday night he managed to reach home on an appropriate time, well before dinner, enthusiastically participating in the family get together amongst his family and Dr. Haroon, Gaiti and Saim. His parents were heavily relieved to see him back on track, which they appreciated also. Asfi looked up at his wife, who was totally nonchalant to his presence, instead choosing to play with Saim rather look at him. It was enough for him. He needed to talk. LET'S MAKE IT A DEAL Mrs. Zubiya Khan! Deal with me!
Not later than when the guests dispersed to their home, and his parents retired to their room, when Asfi held on to her arm, and pulled her inside their room. Locking it effectively. Closing on to her with predating eyes. Clear the air within them, he will.
"Kya zabardasti hai ye?" Zubiya tried getting his hold on her armloose.
"Kyu? Shauhar hoon tumhara, Biwi ho tum meri. Haath toh pakadhi sakta hoon... Haq hai mera." He tried arguing with utmost authoritive love.
She couldn't help hold on to her sarcastic giggle- "Haq? Come on Dr. Asfandyar. Look logically... Don't behave like a Hormone struck Teenager or a Sex- Starved-Really-Busy-Husband!"
His grip on her loosens by her words made her take the perfect opportunity to flee away from the room again!
~~THANKS FOR READING~~
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