part 23...contd
PLEASE READ PAGE 39 FOR FIRST HALF OF THIS UPDATE. IT'S AN IMPORTANT PART AS A LOT OF NEW CHARACTERS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED
HOSPITAL:
In the short time that they had been there, Zoya had befriended all the nurses and staff that took care of Dilshaad. She knew that the best way to ensure good care for a patient was to appreciate and make friends with the ancillary staff at the hospital. Doctors generally disappeared after their rounds and unless the nurses were our allies, your loved ones could be easily neglected.
Zoya purchased samosas and pastries for the staff. She even ordered special coffee from the near by Barista brewery. No wonder, Dilshaad became the most sought after patient on the floor. The best nurses and technicians were assigned to her case.
"Wow Zoya! You are amazing." Najma complimented her as they nibbled on their cold hospital sandwiches in the family lounge, "I am amazed at the quality of care ammi is getting this time. I remember last time when she was hospitalized after her initial diagnoses; they just treated us like no bodies. Bas kabhie kabhie bhaijaan jab uniform mein aate the, tho saari nurses unhein impress karne mein lag jaati thi."
Zoya chuckled, "aur tumhare bhaijaan ko koi nurse impress kar paati thi?"
Najma elbowed Zoya, "of course not! Bhaijaan ko tho sirf maine ek ladki se impress hote dekha hai."
"Really?" Zoya asked facetiously, "kaun hai wo?"
"Meri fake bhabhi se!" Najma laughed out loud.
Zoya's smile faded; she turned around to pour herself a drink. It was an irony that while Najma had sensed their vibes, Asad continued to be in denial mode and push her away from his life.
"Kya hua Zoya?" Najma walked up to her, "everything okay?"
"Kuch nahin Najma. I think I am just exhausted."
"I am not." Najma shrugged her shoulder and smiled, "I was so tense earlier but now that ammi is better and bhaijaan se bhi baat ho gayi hai, I am so relieved. Aisa lag raha hai jaise joi wajan uth gaya ho mere seene se."
"Ya Allah!" Zoya smacked her forehead, "I was supposed to have Mr. Khan chat with phoophi! Wo intezaar kar rahe honge. Najma you wait here, I will be back in a few minutes." She picked her iPad and ran to Dilshaad's room as fast as she could.
ABOARD THE NAVY SHIP:
Asad paced back and forth in the cabin. It was late at night. Zoya had promised to connect him with ammi but she had not called yet. Hope everything was well, he prayed. His captain was gracious enough to give his cabin keys to him. That was the only Internet portal in the whole ship.
Finally, he heard the familiar ringtone from the computer screen. He jumped up and rushed to the desk.
Yes, it was ZoyaCruiseGirl. He turned the video chat on.
Asad: Zoya? How's ammi?
Zoya (panting): She is much better Mr. Khan. Phoophi is awake and wants to talk to you.
Asad: Aap raat hospital mein hi hain?
Zoya: Jee nahin, discotheque mein hain. Bas abhi dance hi kar rahe the! Can't you see me panting?
Asad was bemused by her response and tried his best to suppress a smile.
Zoya: Mr. Khan. Aap fikr na karein. Najma and I have this in control. Hum dono phoophi ke room mein so jaayenge.
Asad (relieved): Ammi kahan hain?
Zoya: Here you go. Phoophi, yeh leejiye. Mr. Khan se baat kariye. He is really worried about you.
She helped raise the level of Dilshaad's bed and placed her iPad on the adjustable table in front of Dilshaad.
Asad's heart skipped a beat when he saw the thick bandage on his ammi's head and an oxygen tube close to her nose. He didn't want to worry her so decided to act unfazed by her appearance.
Dilshaad (smiled): Dekha mujhey bina baataye jaane ka anjaam?
Asad (tearful): I am sorry ammi. Pehli baar galti huyi mujhse aur dekhiye kya ho gaya?
Dilshaad (sleepily smiled): I am happy my son is not perfect.
Asad (surprised): Matlab? Aap naaraz nahin hain mujh se?
Dilshaad (smacked the iPad screen gently): I want my son to be a son, not my father. Bachche galti nahin karenge tho kaun karenge?
Asad (chuckled tearfully): Ammi, aap bhi na
Dilshaad: Poori duniya ka bojh kyun uthaana chaahte ho Asad?
Asad: nahin ammi. Aap bojh nahin hain.
Dilshaad: Don't worry about me. (Dilshaad held Zoya's hand) I have two beautiful daughters taking care of me. Tum jao aur apna kaam karo. Jab wapas aaoge, main tab tak ghar pahunch chuki hongi. Tab ghar par saari seva tum karna. The girls will go to the spa then.
Asad (laughed, relieved): Ammi, aapki dua se yeh mission jaise hi khatam hoga, main chutti lekar ghar aa jaaunga.
Dilshaad: InshaAllah! (She blew a kiss at him) Now I need rest. Zoya, yeh lo iPad. You can talk to him. I want to sleep.
Asad: Allah Hafiz ammi.
Dilshaad: Allah Hafiz beta (and drifted into sleep)
Zoya: Alright Mr. Khan. I will hang up now.
Asad: No! Not yet. I mean, can I also speak with the doctor?
Zoya: I am not sure he is here at this time
Asad: can you please check, and please don't disconnect- I 'I mean, I don't mind talking to y-you in the mean time.
Zoya (sarcastic note): What if I mind?
Asad (disheartened): Aap jaise chaahe Ms-uh-Zoya-Faaroo-ya Siddiq---
Zoya: Ya sirf Zoya?
Zoya walked out in the corridor with her iPad and was astonished to see Dr Ali walking towards her.
"Dr Ali? Aap? Itni raat ko?"
"That's my job Mrs Zoya Khan. I just came to check on your mother in law."
Zoya was stunned when the doctor addressed her as 'Mrs Zoya Khan' She held her iPad close to her chest to hide the screen from Asad but of course couldn't blur the audio connection.
The damage had been done. He had heard everything.
Asad was blown away when he heard Mrs Zoya Khan and mother in law
He placed his ear close to the computer speaker so he could overhear their conversation. "Yeh ladki bilkul pagal hai."
"Aap itni raat ko rounds karte hain?" Zoya asked the surgeon.
"Yeah, of course! My patients need my attention 24/7. Mrs. Khan aap kabhie hospital mein nahin rahi hain shayad?"
"Not really Dr Ali. I hate hospitals. Khoon dekh kar tho main behosh bhi ho jaati hoon. I am here to take care of her."
"Mr. Khan is a lucky man then. He has picked a wonderful wife who can take care of his mother in his absence."
"Picked?" Zoya felt slighted, "I am sorry Dr. Ali. He didn't pick me. I am not a fruit that he can pick me from a bunch at the grocery store."
Asad was amused to overhear their conversation. His Zoya had not lost that spunk, even in this crisis. How he wished he could be there to witness that banter.
Dr. Ali laughed, "you have a good sense of humor. Too bad, I didn't meet you before you got hitched."
Asad scowled at the comment and mumbled, 'haraamzaade doctor, flirt karte huye sharam nahin aati?"
"Dr. Ali, I am sure your charm has worked on a lot of your OR nurses. Please don't waste your time and energy on me. I am taken." Zoya quipped.
Asad was happy to hear her reply.
"But I love women like you. Not the doormat types."
Asad cringed at the doctor's statement.
"Dr. Ali, I hope you know how to honor the doctor patient boundaries." Zoya squeezed the iPad close to her chest angrily.
"Waise aap meri patient nahin hain. Aapki mother in law meri patient hain."
Asad was about to punch the screen when he heard the doctor laugh out aloud.
"Sorry Mrs. Khan. I am not really a flirt. Aapse pange le raha tha. Late night doctors have to keep themselves entertained you see. I am a happily married man and so is Mr. Khan. Forgive me for my sense of humor."
"Bahut dekhe hain aap jaise roadside Romeos Dr Ali." Zoya chuckled back, "I can handle them well."
"I am sure you can. Now, can you step into the patient room as I have to change auntie's dressing?"
"Yes Dr. Ali. My pleasure." Zoya rolled her eyes as she walked off, "what a goof ball. Bach gaya kyunki phoophi ka surgeon hai, warna Mr. Khan yahan hote tho iski khoob dhunayi karte."
Asad nodded and acknowledged her comment loudly, "yes Mrs. Khan, I would have definitely punched the daylights out of him."
Zoya was shocked out of her wits. Did she just hear Asad's voice?
"Ya Allah!" She held her iPad away from her chest and realized that her Skype window was still in session.
Asad saw her gasp with her jaw wide open.
Zoya: Mr Khan? Aapne sab- I 'I ' mean- sab sun liya?
Asad (in jest): Yeh kaise waahiyat doctor ke paas laayi ho ammi ko?
Zoya: I am sorry Mr. Khan. He is a very good neurosurgeon bas thoda sar phira hai.
Asad (trying his best to hide his smile): He has no right to flirt with Mrs. Khanthough.
Zoya: Wo-wo-tho bas-mazaak tha Mr. Khan.
Asad (serious expression): Par main mazaak nahin kar raha hoon.
Zoya (still apologetic and hyperventilating): Mr. Khan, trust me- I just had to make up that signature for the consent papers. Najma wasn't there or else she would have signed them.
Asad: Zoya! Zoya! Calm down.
Zoya: I promise I will tell Dr. Ali the truth.
Asad: Koi zaroorat nahin hai. He won't have the guts to flirt with Mrs. Khan anymore kyunki MR. KHAN USKA FALOODA BANAA DENGE.
Zoya (eyes twinkled with surprise): Are you serious? Aap mazaak kar rahe hain na?
At that moment, just as the rays of morning sun revived the glint in the ocean surrounding him, he felt a dark screen of conflicting thoughts recede from his mind.
Whether it was that brief pang of jealousy ignited by the flirtatious surgeon, or the realization that he was about to venture on a do-or-die mission or Arjun's words that she was not his enemy-her father was- made the landscape crystal clear in his mind.
Asad (husky voice): Main nahin jaanta main kya kar raha hoon ya kya soch raha hoon, lekin itna jaanta hoon ki aapse jitna door jaane ki koshish karta hoon, utna aapse judh ta chala jaata hoon.
Zoya (with an incredulous expression): I don't understand you Mr. Khan.
Asad (with a sigh): Even I don't understand me. Kya aap mera intezaar karengi?
Zoya (quizzical expression): Intezaar?
Asad (looked straight at the screen): I am not sure what will happen in the mission tomorrow. It's a risky task but when I come back (he almost choked), I want to come home to ammi, Najma and you. Aap please kahin nahin jaayengi. Aaj nahin, kal nahin, kabhie nahin.
Zoya: Of course not Mr. Khan! I told you phoophi is my responsibility.
Asad (smiled): Yes, Mrs. Khan and you are mine.
Suddenly, the screen on her iPad blacked out.
Their Skype session had terminated.
Zoya: MR. KHAN! MR. KHAN!
She tried to catch his image on the screen but it had blacked out by then. Her iPad was out of battery and she didn't have a charger.
She tried to turn the tablet on but it was dead.
"Ya Allah! What was that? Did he just propose to me?" She staggered along in the hospital corridor, confused and dazed by his statement.
Zoya collapsed on the sofa in the family lounge and shut her eyes. It was all so surreal.
A lot had happened in the past 24 hours. From a romantic carriage ride, to a heavenly first kiss, to a heartbreak, to a life threatening crisis, to shouldering a big responsibility and now to an indirect confession from the mighty, Mr. Khan? Was that a marriage proposal?
"Mr. Khan, main aapka intezaar karoongi." That's all her delirious state of mind could register at that moment. She mumbled that sentence over and over, drifting into a beautiful dream with this beautiful song from 'Tum Mile'
Tu hi haqeeqat khwaab tu
?Dariya tu hi pyaas tu?
Tu hi dil ki bekarari?
Tu sukoon tu sukoon?
Jaoon main ab jab jiss jagah?
Paoon main tujhko uss jagah
Saath hoke na ho tu hai?Rubaroo rubaroo
Tu humsafar tu humkadam tu humnawah mera?
Tu humsafar tu humkadam tu humnawah mera
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqsVnj-mGyg[/youtube]
'.to be contd'
Music Corner
Fan Fictions
Hindi TV Shows
