Chapter 2:
He pushed her room door open roughly, surprising the two people talking inside. Aahil wasted no time. Glad that she hadn't left yet, he tore into her.
"Sanam ! What are you playing at now! How dare you attempt to run away again!"
"Aahil bhai... wait.." Rehan tried to interrupt, but Aahil was beyond listening, he grabbed Sunehri by the shoulders and shook her.
"Why damn it ! Why are things so complicated?? WHY??"
"Aahil bhai... Stop !! Please listen! " Rehan tried to stop him.
Sunehri looked at both men desperately, quickly reaching the limit of her silence. Suddenly, it didn't make sense to keep secrets anymore. Not from Aahil and Rehan.
Choosing between Revenge or Love... hardly a choice.
"Aahil... I'm not Sanam..." a calm detached voice pierced through the haze of angry desperation around Aahil. He looked at her ,going abruptly silent, assessing.
"What nonsense Sanam! What are you playing at now?" snorted Aahil incredulously.
"My name is Sunehri ... I am Sanam's twin sister. We were separated at the time our parents died.."
Aahil took two steps back in surprised shock. He watched as Rehan stepped forward and stood by her side closely, almost possessively. Aahil laughed derisively, I could only want for this now! My life is a freaking joke ! Twin!? Identical too?!
"Aahil bhai... I know you are very angry and upset. Believe me, I just found out. I met Sunehri before at the Kohinoor site, I know her. But I didn't know they were twins..." Rehan offered placatingly.
A recent memory resurfaced...
"So tell me now ?? Who's this mysterious girl who made my little brother speak sweet words of love?"
"It's gonna sound strange Aahil bhai, she's just like Sanam, but not Sanam of course..."
"That's ridiculous Rehan, NO ONE can be like my Sanam...okay.."
"Of course Aahil bhai, but when I introduce you to her, you'll understand..."
Aahil coughed and choked...
"You..."
"But you're here in my house... What are you doing in my house !? "
A sudden fear cropped up in him, "Where's Sanam??! She left??" He suddenly lurched forward and grabbed Sunehri again, shaking her in worry, his mind whirring with this curveball revelation.
Suddenly this person didn't look like his Sanam at all, her eyes were different, her manner completely different, the disconnect he felt being near her was strange. Things began to fall into place.
"You took Sanam's place here... You pretended to be her...didn't you!!" Aahil whispered,horrified. Oh my God ! What have I done ! Where is Sanam?
Suddenly he understood why Sanam was detached the past few weeks. Moving bedrooms, refusing his company, stone walling his affection...
It wasn't her at all...
Aahil backed Sunehri to the wall, while Rehan tried pulling him back "Where is Sanam!? Why are you here? Money? What do you want? Huh?! Give me Sanam back !! Tell me !! "
Rehan pulled him off from Sunehri and lodged himself in between them. The younger man was protecting his girl but intent on getting Aahil to listen.
"Sanam is here too Aahil bhai... I'll get her, and we'll talk about this, calmly, alright? Sanam is fine. She's right here, I'll go get her, okay? " Peacekeeper Rehan,stood with hands outstretched, sensing Aahil is holding back for now, just desperate for Sanam and answers.
He rushed out to find Sanam, and Aahil was left there, staring at Sunehri in disbelief. Each breath harsh and accusatory.
"So you pretended to be Sanam with me? Since when? Who sent you? HAVE YOU NO SHAME?! You made a fool of me !"
Sunehri looked down, she knew this time would come; even unknowingly, she did do something terrible to Aahil and Sanam. Sanam was big hearted and forgave her, but Aahil wouldn't feel obliged to.
"I was paid by Razia Bi, to impersonate Sanam, to get her half of the Nawab properties..."
"Razia Bi !? That old woman perpetually stuck at Ammi's feet? Why in the world? What is it with the women in this house and that damned property?? " Aahil spat in disgust .
"She had some score to settle with Begum Sahiba and used me for it. I didn't know Sanam was my twin! I only found out when Badi Ammi told me. Razia Bi even kept Badi Ammi hidden here!"
"Badi Ammi , here !? What the HELL is going on in this house? People can commit horrible crimes right in front of me? Oh God !! The veiled woman in the wheel chair ! She tried to talk to me !" Aahil sat abruptly, horrified at how blind he was at the happenings in his own house.
"Aahil bhai ! I can't find Sanam anywhere! I looked everywhere!" Rehan came back, breathless.
Aahil stood up, alarmed. She left! I'm too late... !
"You stay here Rehan, I'm going out to look for Sanam. .."
"But where will you look, Aahil bhai?"
"I saw her outside few minutes ago. She can't have gone far... Stay here anddon't tell Ammi anything, get it !!" Aahil severely warned Rehan. Big brother has come back, he'll handle things his way now. Enough with the wily games of manipulative women.
Aahil drove out in his car, searching nearby stops for rickshaws and taxis... He drove around in circles, worrying that he may have just missed her. He weaved his car through a large crowd of people watching something, wondering if she may be in the hidden in the crowd somewhere.
Where are you Sanam? Where are you going?
Why didn't you stay back and make me see the truth, Sanam?
Why didn't YOU trust me with the truth?
Did you think I wouldn't believe you?
I would have listened, Sanam. I may not have believed you, but I would have listened...
You should have tried harder Sanam...
Were you testing me? Testing my love ?
Multiple calls to Rehan revealed she definitely was not at home. She out here somewhere, heartbroken and alone, thinking he had abandoned her, with his new wife.
After hours of searching, his hope was diminishing. He had no idea where to look. Rahat's house was locked up, even Haya was not available. Did they all take Sanam somewhere?
What's the use of a multifunctional smart phone when the person you want to speak to so badly won't pick up ??He looked at his latest and most fancy phone and found it useless it his plight.
Suddenly it rang, and he jolted in surprise.
"Mr. Aahil Raza Ibrahim ...? We got this number from your office. I am calling from the emergency department of City hospital. This is going to sound weird, but is your wife missing? We have an unidentified female patient with us, whom one of our staff identified as your wife. We're calling to check, because we have no way of contacting her family..."
Utter silence...
"Mr. Aahil...? Are you there?"
Aahil's nerveless fingers could only hold on to the phone, as he grappled with forming a verbal response.
"Is she... she... ?"
"Mr. Aahil..? The patient is unconscious because she had a hard knock to her head in a hit and run accident. She has no other injuries and is stable for now. Could you come and identify her, if she is really your wife?"
"Y... yes..." Aahil stammered and drove himself there in a state of numbness.
He wandered into the red zone of the emergency department, looking for her familiar form amidst the chaotic scene of room filled with injured and bleeding people. He couldn't find her anywhere.. Oh God... I'm too late...
"Excuse me...? Are you looking for someone..?" a kind voice interrupted his panicky search. He was led to the counter where the nurse took him to a separate room, where the unidentified patient was warded.
Sanam's head was bandaged severely, her face blotchy and bruised, but it was her. He turned traumatized eyes at the nurse, who assured him.
"She looks worse than she actually is. She has a bad concussion but no haemorrhages. We have done a CT scan and she appears out of danger. We have to keep her for observation for 12 hours, but we'll know more when she wakes up. Otherwise she has no other injuries. Apparently a drunk driver crashed into a bus stand and injured many people waiting there. What is the patient's name, and who is she to you?"
"Sanam.. my wife..." Aahil stuttered helplessly. He didn't budge from her side onwards, forcing nurses to come to him for registration purposes. A few calls later, Sanam was moved to the first class ward, where Aahil continued his vigil.
Phone calls went unanswered, no one at home knew where he was, where Sanam was. He wanted it this way. He didn't want any intrusion, he wanted Sanam to himself. No one to tell him what to do, that he should go and rest, or eat or leave her side. He had failed her miserably and he was accepting his punishment.
"Sanam..? Open your eyes, Sanam... It's me, Aahil. Please open your eyes... "he sat by her bed, stroking her cheek, seeing her sleep deeply. He realized all his anger felt petty compared to this, the threat of losing her completely. Come back Sanam... I need you.
Aahil had dozens of things to tell her, apologies, promises, praises , words of love; planned many more surprises for her, to fight everyone for her. Overwhelming love forced back into a confined space, awaited its recipient.
Sanam continued to sleep for hours. Physicians came and examined her, with reassuring news, Just wait it out...She's okay for now..., her bandages were removed and she looked more herself again. He stared at her for hours, memorizing her face.
He fell asleep like that, slouched over her bed, her hand in his. This was how he noticed she woke up. It was 4.45 a.m. and her hand moved. A sharp indrawn breath and a moan of pain, and she opened her eyes. Aahil jumped up, his eyes lighting up with happiness, wanting to gather her into his embrace.
Sanam looked at him, confused and disoriented.
"Where am I? What happened?"
"Sanam.. You were in an accident. You are at a hospital. Don't worry, you're okay you have some concussion but you'll be okay...Can I get you a drink?"
Sanam frowned, sipped some water and tried to sit up but nausea made her lie down again.
"I don't know what I'm doing here... Accident? What accident?"
"Relax, Sanam. You've been unconscious for almost 12 hours. Just rest for now. I'll get the nurse, okay?"
"Thank you Dr...?"
Aahil was stunned, looking at her in blank shock.
"Sanam? It's me ... Aahil..." His heart was breaking into pieces.
"Aahil... " Sanam repeated, tested the sound for a memory, and became more agitated,"I don't remember anything !! Why don't I know you? Are you my brother? A friend?"
Aahil couldn't imagine a worse punishment. "I'm your husband, Sanam..."
Sanam raked her eyes all over him feverishly, desperate for a hint of recognition, the lack of which was upsetting her. She started coughing and crying simultaneously, as she discovered large holes in her memory, and fear of the unknown distressing. The physicians and staff arrived, and he was moved aside as they examined her. Her distress clawed at him, pleading cries to why she can't remember anything.
The doctors explained to him that she had some amnesia due to the concussion, they thought it not severe because she still had some memories of who she was , only patchy areas of her memories were missing.
Easy for you to say Doc. Forgetting me may not be severe to you...but I beg to differ.
Aahil walked into her room warily, afraid of upsetting her again. She turned as he walked in, eyes still eagerly trying to match him with any memories she had. The disappointment in her face was making him feel like weeping. He truly didn't know what to say.
"I'm sorry Aahil... I'm sorry I don't remember you. But you are my husband, right? You look like you care for me a lot... Do you?"
Aahil could only nod, not trusting himself with words.
"Then will you help me?"
Aahil looked into her clear and honest eyes; she must be petrified with her loss of memory, and here she was feeling bad for the devastated husband she doesn't remember...
"Help me remember?"
Aahil nodded. And she smiled. How that smile warmed his heart, with the bruises and blotches on her face, it was still the most genuine smile he'd ever seen. His Sanam, already brave, was picking herself up from pieces confidently.
They sat watching television for a while, giving her mind some rest. While she napped, Aahil went to speak with her doctors again. She was going to be discharged home into his care.
Home? I can't take her back there? Not in this state!
1001 problems are awaiting us there...
Ammi's intense distrust of Sanam, that new Sanam , and now with that twin of hers around too, the mansion was a minefield of impending disasters. He wanted Sanam to rest, and he wanted to take care of her exclusively, with no interference. No, not back at the mansion. It seemed easy suddenly, Sanam became his highest priority.
He made a few phone calls and made preparations. He was going to take her somewhere else.
Just me and Sanam.
To be continued...
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