My heart is right here. Short story.

"...Ya Allah, give me strength...give him strength" These words uttered from Henna's mouth as she made her way out of her house on a Tuesday morning. It was a pleasant day with an embracing breeze of wind that made her hair flutter, a faint smile formed on her soft fuchsia lips.Her eyes opened in a slow progress; she took a deep breath hoping her day would continue to be calm and turned her car on.

"Congratulations Ma'am!" Maha says in a booming voice. She was the receptionist at the Insurance company Henna worked.

"Umm what happened that I don't know?" Henna asked her soft soap voice.

Maha chuckled. "Sir is definitely going to win today!"

"The match is yet to start, Maha" Henna said in dismay and walked away to her cabin.

His thought shook her mind for a while, she decided to get some water and dash everything from her mind until she leaves the office.

"Henna!" said Ajay in a delighted voice. He was her senior collegue, over the time they had formed a close bond of friendship.

"Oh hey..Hi Ajay" Henna replied him with the same tone.

"So, planning for an early leave eh?" He took a seat opposite to her.

"Oh no no...no thought like that..I'll be here until 4 as usual"

"Doesn't it start at 3?" Ajay sounding baffled.

"Umm yeah, but it's okay..I mean"

"Yeah I understand Henna, but don't you think you should be there for him?"

"He won't be able to concentrate properly if I'm there..and besides I'm just trying to find reasons not to see him in that condition..I just can't"

Henna managed to leave her office even more late than expected.Her hands trembled as she drove the car. She hated that feeling, she hated him for giving her this feeling everytime.Though she secretely prayed nothing worse will happen and he will acquire victory. A silent voice in her convinced her to take a U-turn and reach the auditorium.

***************************************************

"MALIK! MALIK! MALIK!" she heard random people howling the name. As much as those growling voices disturbed her, her inside glowed as she saw his face. "Ahh" she sighed.

"See, I'm perfectly fine" his teeth flashed. "Ouch" then he said.

"Yeah, you always say that..when will you understand that those fake smiles don't work on me?" she continued applying anticeptic on his wounds. They weren't that deep but terribly visible. He had won the boxing match against Khafid at the last moment when his energy suddenly awoke for the fear of loosing arose in him.

"I don't like them calling you Malik" she said while examining a small brouise on his shoulder.

He smiled. "My dad isn't that bad"

"I didn't mean that, Arsh" she said in a low voice. It always left him amazed how she spoke in her honey-dwelled tone given at any instant.

"I know I know...but it doesn't matter...when I hear you say my name, nothing matters" He looked at her and they found themselves lost in a moment.

They came back to their senses as Henna's phone rang. "Maa" her cellphone read.

"Yes Ma," she smiled.

"It's been late, where are you till?"

"Uh..I'm here..I mean I'm with Arsh right now"

"Oops" Arsh let out a slight squeak.

"Come back home now and btw congratulate him from my and Baa's side..just come now"

"Okay..I'm coming...in a while" She kept the phone.

"Umm what did she say?" Arsh asked.

"She and Baa were congratulating you for the match..and I guess I should be leaving now"

"sure.."

"I've done the band-aids needed..now you just go and rest well..if it pains more, just put ice on it...I'll call at night, tell me if you need anything"

"Yes Mam" he winked at her.

"Bye Arsh" she left him.

It had been seven months since they were engaged and marriage wasn't soon to be in their cards. She was just 22 and he, 23. Engagement was just confirmation for both the families, while they both had always known they wanted to spend their lives with each other forever, they wanted to grow old with each other. As beautiful and pious she was, he complimented her with his handsome and innocent look. Arsh and Henna.Forever.

He might look like an angry young man inside the ring, he was even more soft and childlike inside.

"Another match against him? Hasn't he had enough of me already?" Arsh spoke in a louder tone than usual.

"Yeah but there's a huge demand for you and Khafid...and we can't possibly let that down" Ali hissed.

"Okay, I don't mind..not all..when's the deal?"

"Next Saturday"

**************************************

It was 7 in the morning and Henna's phone vibrated under her pillow.

"mmhmm" Henna made a quiet voice when she picked up the phone.

Arsh laughed. "You make my day!"

"look at the time Arsh, what now" she finally spoke up.

"Oh...umm I wanted to tell you I have a match today at 3; against that Khafid again"

"WHAT?!" she got up straight on her bed.

"Chill chill"

"How cum all of a sudden??" her eyes wide open.

"Not exactly sudden..umm...i didnt tell you before..uhh Henna I have to keep now..I hope to meet you tonight..you can sleep now"

'It's not right..something definitely didn't feel right' she thought. It was like a pin had throbbed right at her chest leaving behind a deep hole. She unexpectedly felt her breath rising 'Why do you do this to me..why Arsh..............Arsh!' she shouted.

Yet another morning, she decided not to do much makeup except a littl bit of foundation and clear lip gloss. Her lips were erect and sealed perfectly. Her eyes hardly opened completely, as if not wanting to see what was coming next.

"What's up Henna?" Ajay questioned her.

"Henna?" He asked yet again.

"Nothing..Just a normal day I guess" Henna started to look through random documents.

"Are things fine with Arsh?" he looked at her with warm eyes.

"Ofcourse! I'm just not in the mood today, don't know what's wrong..I'm okay though" she smiled. Even Ajay adored her soft voice.

*************************************

She took a deep breath and attached a fake smile on her face. She went on driving the car smoothly and her favourite song on thr radio had somewhat cheered her up. Suddenly her phone rang and she stopped her car at a nearby taxi stand to attend it. The unknown number puzzled her.

"Hello?"

"Is this Henna?" The person sounded as if he just ran a 4km marathon.

"Umm yes?"

"Mam, this is Ali speaking..Arsh's manager"

"Aaa.." she shivered

"Please come to Al Shafiq hospital as soon as possible..He needs you"

Henna froze. 'Why..do you..' she stopped her mind from making unnecessary assumptions.

"Mam can you?"

"Ya..ya..yes I'm coming..on my way" she shivered.

She took a turn towards the hospital as fast as she could. Her inside was cluttering up, she was breathing heavily. She made a straight face and just drove as fast as she could.The horns and noises left her unaffected. She wished her car would fly when she was waiting for the signal to open. She got out of the car and gave her keys for valet parking and rushed in the hospital. She dialed the last received number

"What floor do I come?"

"Um..6th mam..room 3" he sounded unsure.

"I'm coming"

She ran on the marble tiles of the hospital and got into room number 3 without knocking.Her breath stuck in her throat, she froze and found herself coughing the next second. Arsh was surrounded by two doctors and 3 nurses. She could hardly see his face, she just stood there not knowing what to do. A nurse rushed out of the room leaving Henna moving a bit.

"Ma'm we need to go out for some time" Ali stood next to her.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?" Henna shouted in anger. This made the senior doctor turn.

"Miss were examining now, please wait outside for some time" the doctor assured her.

Henna walked out of the room gracefully along with Ali. They took a seat outside the room.

"What happened today?" Henna asked him.

"It was a sudden..i mean"

"What exactly happened?" she had managed to keep her tone soft and supple yet again.

"Arsh failed to use one of his defense techniques and stood stiff for a second. Khafid took his chance and hit him hard with a sudden outburst"

Henna kept silent.

"That made Arsh unconcious..he wasn't able to move"

Henna and Ali shared a silent for almost half an hour until the doctor came out and called them both inside her cabin.

"I really don't know how to start..but I guess I'll have to...I'm supposing he was hurt really bad voluntarily?"

"You can say that" Ali answered.

"Yes, and unfortunately the sudden attack left a deep effect in his brain forming clots. Due to these clots...his left side from his head to toe...is paralysed"

Henna took a deep breath without her eyes even closing for a bit.

"I can't be sure completely if this is permanant or temporarily..only time will tell...please don't loose hope"

"Can I see him?" Henna came out with that question as if she didn't hear whatever the doctor had said.

"He's on injection right now..I guess you can look at him after some time"

********************************************

"See I told you never loose hope" the doctor chuckled.

"Eh" Arsh looked at her. She hit him a bit hard.

Almost six years since the incident, Arsh had been ongoing a physiotherapy almost daily and by God's grace the result was finally seen. It took him unusually long but they both were glad that things would finally turn normal. Even if they didn't, they both never let each other know that something was missing between them.

"My heart is right here..and my life is infront of me" Arsh used to say. This one line made Henna survive all these years. They got married a year back and made their way out of the hospital hoping for a new begining...