Lost Souls: 3S - Last Part Page 18 - Page 6

Part Two

Later that day Asad had asked Ayaan to bring him some fresh clothes, after a long hot shower Asad came out feeling more alive. 'What are you laughing at?' Asad asked Ayaan who was on the verge of falling off his chair 'go and look in the mirror' Asad raised his eyebrow at him and turned to go back into the bathroom, Asad still had his pink flowery shower cap on, it was what the nurse had given him to wear as he want allowed to get his head wet. Asad came out and gave Ayaan a stern look 'ok, jokes over' he said as he sat back up on his bed. 'I will be out of here by the end of the week by then I want all the information you can get...on those...' 'Language Asad...' Came her voice again. Asad looked up to see her standing in the door 'do you really have no other patients to see...this is like the fourth visit I have had from you today...and I am telling you I am fine...and one more thing I use whatever language I want...got that'.

Zoya walked towards him 'you need to control that raging temper of yours...it's really not good for you...' 'Will you stop lecturing me...' Zoya raised her hands up 'ok, no more lectures...I just came to see if you were ok and if you had taken your medicine' Asad let out an exasperated sigh 'yes, happy now?' 'Much...I will leave you to continue your macho talk now'. As Zoya left the room Asad looked towards Ayaan 'and why are you looking at me like that, she is irritating...and you can hold off on any lectures too' Ayaan looked back towards towards the door then at Asad 'I never said anything...you can talk to whoever you want and however you want...I mean you're Asad'.

Ayaan stayed for a few more hours before he left Asad to rest 'I'll see you tomorrow...take care man' he said as he shook his hand. Asad who was tired if being in the same room decided to venture out, their was still time before sunset so he decided to go and sit in the hospital gardens. As he walked through the doors he heard her call after him, Asad stood still and rolled his eyes in 'bloody perfect' he whispered to himself. 'Hi...you want some company?' 'If I said no will you get lost?' Zoya started laughing 'you really do have a way with words...probably not...so shall we' she said holding her arm out gesturing for them to continue.

Asad and Zoya sat down on a bench 'so Asad tell me more about yourself' 'there really isn't anything to tell and even if there was what makes you think I would tell you anything' 'are you always this arrogant and rude or you making a special exception for me' Zoya asked still smiling at him 'does nothing piss you off...I mean why are you always smiling like that?' 'Because I don't believe in being miserable, life is so short, anything can happen at any time why waste it on such negativity, it is much easier to smile and be happy than to be so angry and bitter all the time...seriously you should try it doesn't take up half the energy'.

As Zoya continued to talk Asad found himself uncontrollably losing himself in her, her voice, her expressions, the way her hair flowed everything was drawing him in deeper and deeper, if he hadn't noticed before he was really noticing now, this girl was truly beautiful. 'Does the hospital pay you for lecturing patients too?' Zoya started laughing 'no, not really' 'then quit...how about I do the asking and you do the telling...you seem to want to know so much about me you tell me about you'. 'Ok...shoot, what do you want to know?'

'How old are you?'

'20'

'Isn't that a little young to be a doctor?'

'Yes it is, I am still training'

'Where do you live?'

'Here...I mean in the hospital vicinity'

'Why doctor?'

'Something that I like about being around and helping others?'

'Why you bugging me?'

'From the moment you came in I have been by your side, so I guess I have formed an attachment'

Asad looked at her intently

'Forming an attachment with your patient...isn't that against the rules...or even dangerous?'

'Hmmm...I guess rules are there to be broken and it's no less dangerous than what you get involved in'

'You have a boyfriend?'

Zoya started to laugh

'No...it always a little hard from where I am, why are you offering'

Asad chocked on the air that he had just taken in

'Excu...excuse me' he said in between his coughs

'Seriously Asad no need to kill yourself over it, I was joking...' Zoya said trying to suppress her laugh 'you should get going it's getting dark' as she started to walk off Zoya turned around 'Asad, if you ever do decide to offer...all you have to do is holler'

Asad watched her retreating back not being able to control the smile that was creeping on to his perfectly shaped lips.

Over the next two days, Zoya made more than just a few visits to see Asad, who unlike before welcomed them, he had started to let his guard down a little. For someone who just about smiled Zoya had Asad laughing, she had accomplished what no one could in the last 7 years could. 'You should do that more often, it suits you?' She said as she admired him 'do what?' 'Laugh, smile, enjoy life...something tells me that life hasn't bee easy sailing for you...I know you are a man of few words but what you don't realise is that your eyes do a lot of the talking for you' 'really and exactly what are they saying?' 'You already know, you don't need me to repeat it...but I will say one thing, you need to make peace with your past, and until you do you will continue to feel lost' Asad looked up at her, her words hit hard against his chest, he felt a dull pain take over, he was just about to question her when the nurse came in 'sir, I need to change your dressing, do you mind jumping on the bed' Asad nodded and sat on the edge of his bed as the nurse changed his dressing, the whole time he kept his eyes fixated on Zoya who stood a few feet behind the nurse.

'Is that why you stare at me so much, because you are trying to read my eyes?' The nurse stopped and looked at him 'I'm sorry sir...what do you mean?' Zoya started laughing which made Asad grin 'no not you I was taking to doctor Zoya' the nurse continued to wrap the bandaged around his head 'why are your hands shaking again...I am not even being rude to you?' The nurse quickly finished what she came to do and ran out 'what is with that girl?' He said as he looked towards Zoya 'have no idea...you must just have that affect on her'.

A few hours later Zoya returned with he nurse and doctor Akram. 'How are you feeling young man?' The doctor asked as he picked up his file 'good...fit enough to be discharged' 'hmm...good good...' Dr Akram came round and checked Asad over 'your vitals seem to be spot on and you don't seem to have experienced any side affects of the medication...I guess you can go home, but not today tomorrow morning I will come to formally discharge you' Asad looked at Zoya who gave him a heart warming smile 'nurse can you please get me a blood sample' Asad looked at doctor Akram then at the nurse 'no way' he said 'excuse me' 'you must be joking the woman doesn't know how to do anything without shaking like a hurricane, she is not coming near me with a needle...doctor Zoya can do it'. The nurse hid behind doctor Akram looking rather scared. 'Doctor Zoya...you want doctor Zoya to do it?' Asad nodded his head 'ok...I will be back shortly'.

Zoya walked towards Asad with the tray 'give me your hand' Asad pulled up his sleeve and held his arm out in front of her 'just a little prick' she said as she held the needle, Asad kept his eyes fixated on her face as she injected the needle. 'There, all done...wasn't so bad was it' before Asad knew what he was doing he found his hand reaching up for face, he pushed back the lock of hair that obstructed his view and then held the side of her face in his palm.

Zoya smiled at him 'you need to be careful Asad, forming an attachment with your doctor can be dangerous' Asad withdrew his hand 'that scared?' She said letting out a giggle, Asad shook his head he stood up and stepped closer to her, every step he took forward Zoya took back until she could no more. Standing against the wall Zoya found herself trapped between his arms that rested on either side of her 'what is it about you...there is something I can't figure out' 'I am not sure I can help you in that department...' 'You asked me to make peace with my past...what did you mean?' 'Asad you have me entrapped against a wall...you really want me to talk to you like this?' Asad moved back 'no...I am leaving tomorrow...but I want to see you again...outside of here...just as Zoya and not my doctor...will you...I mean meet me?' Zoya stepped forward coming close to him as her face inched towards him Asad hitched a breath, lightly brushing her cheek against his Zoya whispered in his ear 'of course I will'.

Asad finally let out the breath he was hold as Zoya walked out the door 'she is one weird woman..'

Doctor Akram returned to see Asad 'I have come to take your bloods myself' he said, Asad looked at him not understanding 'again...doctor Zoya already too blood samples...actually she didn't take them with her they are over there on the table' doctor Akram walked over to the table to find his blood samples 'doctor Zoya took these?' 'Yes, not so long ago...why?' 'Oh...nothing, it's just that she didn't sign her name against the form that's all...I will see you tomorrow morning'.

Asad spend a good hour talking to Ayaan, Najma and Dadda 'I am sorry Asad I was not able to come and see you my son' 'Dadda, please you never apologise for anything...you think I would let you risk coming out to see me...I am home tomorrow and Dadda the day after that...' 'Asad...don't worry son...take it easy, I will see you tomorrow'. It took Asad a long time to relax himself, although feared by others Asad wasn't violent but when it came to the crunch there was no escaping him. 'Why is getting your own back so important?' Asad looked up to see Zoya standing in front of him 'it's not about me...it's about my family...if I hadn't come in between it would have been Ayaan her instead of me...I will cut any hand that dares point towards my family...' Asad walked past Zoya and went stand by the window, his insides were raging 'you should go...I need to be alone' 'ok...but just one thing before I do go...if family is so important to you why did you leave your father...didn't he deserve to be protected by his son?' Asad turned around stunned at what she had just said he was about to ask her how the hell she knew anything about his father but she had gone, all had saw was the door closing.

Asad walked out of his room in search for her his head started to spin, how did she know, what did she know about his past 'doctor Zoya...where is she...where did she go?' He asked the nurses in the corridor 'I'm sorry sir, I don't know...sir you need to go back to your room'. 'No, I need to find her' Asad tried to walk off but was held back by the nurses 'plans sir, you need to go back to your room'

That evening Asad waited for Zoya to come but she didn't 'where the hell are you?' He said to himself as he looked at the time, it was now ten o clock and there still was no sign of her. That night Asad tossed and turned as he dreamt of his Ammi and Abu, he went back to that happy place, a place that was filled with peace and nothing but love, a place that was soon over taken by a dark bitter cold. Asad lost his Ammi to a tragic road accident after which his father took a turn for the worse. To overcome his own sorrows he turned to the bottle, being drunk on a regular basis meant that he totally neglected Asad, his only son. In his drunken state Rashid was easily influenced and hoaxed into marrying a woman who for the sake of money was prepared to do anything. The mental torture, the verbal and physical abuse Asad suffered was something he was never going to forget, alcohol took over Rashid and Asad ceased to exist and it was at that point Asad decided to run away, leave the house that he was born into, the house that he had beautiful memories of his Ammi in.

Asad shot up in a cold sweat his heart was pounding, hitting hard against his rib cage, he tried to scream out but couldn't he stood up and stared to feel the room spin around him as he tried to step forward he lost his balance but before he could fall any further he found himself in her arms. As soon as Asad realised who it was he wrapped his arms around her tightly 'Zoya..where did you go...why didn't you come...' Zoya raked her fingers through his hair as she held the back of his head 'I'm sorry...shhh it's ok I am here'. Asad pulled away from her as he did Zoya cupped his face and wiped away a few stray tears that had escaped his eyes. 'You ok...here come and lie back down, I'll get you some water' Zoya took his hand into hers and tried to get him to follow but Asad didn't move he stood rooted 'Asad, what's wrong?' As Zoya came to stand in front of him Asad impulsively grabbed her face and without really knowing what he was doing and why he placed his lips over hers and kissed her as if his life depended it on it. Zoya who maybe should have fought him off let him kiss her. A kiss that was raw and full of fear and aggression turned into a passionate embrace that was filled with tender love and care.

Asad pulled back and looked at her, he expected a slap at least but all he got was a smile 'now are you ready to lie down?' She said as if nothing had happened as if what he had just done hadn't affected her. Asad looked at her he was more than just confused 'Zoya, I just kissed you' 'I know...so we shared our first kiss...but you still need to lie down, I'll get you some water'.