Zubair

"Mom! I am going out! Shahid is back from Switzerland. He wants to meet me for lunch. I will be back by evening." I shouted. "Mom!" Mom didn't respond back. I called out again "Mom!".

I went to the kitchen to search for her. But she wasn't there. But Zaira was there. She was cutting some vegetables.

When I entered, she looked up, and said "Mother's not here. She is taking a nap."

"And you are telling that now? After all this time? After I shouted out my throat?" I asked annoyed.
She looked at me smirking, "I wanted to see for how long you were gonna sing like a donkey. Personally, I think a donkey would have been better." She pretended to think.
I looked at her unbelievably and said "At least have an ounce of humanity."

"But wait. Is it the Shahid? From uni? What is he doing, now? Are you still his sidekick?" She asked smirking.
I took a step forward, threateningly, "Stop it, Zaira. And yes, he is the Shahid." I said, anger bubbling inside me. How could she talk to me like that? Talk about Shahid like that?
"Tell mom that I went." I said curtly.

Before turning away, I saw that she was a little surprised.

***

I met Shahid at ButterCup. We talked over lunch.
"So? How's everyone? Fine? What about Zaira Zaky?" He laughed. " Very funny. " I fake laughed.
"Okay, but seriously? Everyone doing okay?" He asked.
"Yeah. Aisha and Khalid came back. Ayra is completing her degree. Dad is going to retire. Mom is still working to her maximum. I am the same." I said.

"Yeah......and Zaira.Z ?" He inquired.
Sighing, I said, "Father gave her a Co-director position. We both are currently sharing it. And we just returned from Czech, yesterday."

"Oh! Seriously? Wow! When did you guys go on your Honeymoon! Nobody even told me! And now you share the same position? I have to say, Uncle Khan did a good job in choosing Zaira.Z for the position. She would do a good job.
              Auntie sent me the photos of your wedding. And, I have to say, you two look as if you guys are going to the battlefield! I mean, it was like the Cold War was almost tangible! Here, look!" He said laughing his heart out, and took his phone out, selected the photo and showed him.

It was in a way, true. We were gritting our teeth. I still remember how I had been so shocked at seeing her in-front of me in a bride's dress. He still could feel the goosebumps that e had felt at the time. And he would never forget the stunned expression of hers that night. How horror had taken over her features.

But I still couldn't figure out, why I was feeling a weird emotion whenever we were in close proximity. Whenever she uttered my name. Whenever her name rolled off my tongue. It was inexplicable. He had definitely thought that it was negative. Wasnt it hatred?But now wasn't sure anymore.

"But, Zubair. It's seriously a miracle, man." Shahid said breaking him away from his thoughts. I looked up, and he was sporting a serious look. It was unusual for Shahid to be serious. So it took him by surprise.

I looked quizzically at him.

He elaborated, " I mean, look at this, did you EVER imagine that you would be sleeping with Zaira, spending time with her in another country, holding her hand during your wedding? In fact, did you ever think that you would be meeting her? After uni? After your past with her?"
I felt weird. I felt hot. I felt.........embarrassed.......? Did he just say sleep? Hold hands? Wait. But I already did them. So, why am I feeling like this. What the hell? Allah! I couldn't think properly. I couldn't talk. I looked at him, unable to talk.

"See? Your face tells it all. I didn't believe it either, when I heard it in Switzerland. I put hold my work, for half an hour. And thought. Thought about what had happened. Thought about what would happen. I mean why it had even happened. Then I realized that, surely, Only Allah knows everything. And no one can defy him. Even if you too had a past, after all you two were supposed to end up together. Even if the whole world opposed, nobody except Him could stop it. And he had planned this all along. So forget everything, and think anew." He said seriousness clouding his features.

I looked at him, at a loss of for words. After my initial surprise wore off, I nervously laughed, "Shahid, What has happened to you? Are you alright? You've become weird. Why are you so serious? And.....why are you telling me this, man?"

"I just wanted to tell you, to give her a chance. You don't know her completely. What was in the past, was the past. We might have only seen her negative side. Now you've gotten an opportunity to look at her inside out. Besides everyone is not perfect. Only Allah is. Masha Allah!"

I considered what he said. But, how can I forget everything? How can I forge a new future when I don't trust her? How can I think anew without a good base?  She doesn't even listen to me! Always jumps onto conclusions on her own. Doesn't get the whole story. She stole my position. I lost my position. I could go on for a day, listing.

"Anyway, you didn't tell me how you got this situation with your arm. What happened?" He distracted me from my thoughts. "Oh this? I got into a stocky position in Czech. Don tell anyone in the family. They don't know." And I elaborated the story to him.
After I finished he asked, " So....Zaira helped you? Well, it's a bit shocking, but see? She has a plus point. I'm glad that she was able to drag you to the hospital, or else you would have probably come back, without caring."

"No. Who said I was dragged by her? I went on my own will. She didn't have to convince me! Are you crazy? I would not have even listened to her." I said stubbornly.

He chuckled, " Oh puh-lease! Everybody is aware of your relationship with hospitals! You wouldn't even have taken a step inside!"

"Whatever, man." I said nonchalantly.

We finished our lunch, and parted our ways after another hour of talking. I took my car back home.

While driving I was thinking back to Shahid's words.

Actually, Zaira was the one who helped me with my cast. Who cleaned my wound. Who held my hand when I was in pain. It wasn't enough to cover up her negative facts, but still, I should accept that she has a good side to her. I thought.

***

"Zubair! I want you to go to the IngredientPal and buy me some things. There are offers there right now. Hurry, the stock might finish. Here is the list. We need things for dinner." Mom shouted as soon as I kept my foot inside the threshold.

Sighing, I took my keys back from my pocket and turned when, mom shouted again, "Take Zaira with you! She is upstairs getting ready. Call her!"

"Mom! Why? I can very well go myself. Why should I bother taking her along? Besides, use her help in the kitchen. Don't waste human resource." I tried to convince her.

"Why don't you use your Human Resource well? You can have some quality time with her, brother! Come on! Don't be shy!" Ayra quipped.

"Ayra! Shut it, or next time you will feel sorry!" I said, annoyed at how she finds this situation amusing.

"Zubair, stop it! Hurry up. Go on." Mom warned.

Huffing in annoyance, I made it upstairs, and entered our room. She was putting her hijab on. "Come on. Let's go soon. Don't make this even more worse." I said annoyed.
Rolling her eyes, she grabbed her phone and we both made it downstairs.

***

We were on the road still, when Zaira decided to break the silence by talking. "You know what?"

"What? Has the queen bee finally realized that her stinger is not sharp enough?" I asked sarcastically.

"Hahahahaha. Very funny. Not. I am trying to be serious here, Zubair? And what the hell? You just joked? Can you even crack a real joke?" She replied sarcastically.

"Cut to the case, Mom!" I said.

Huffing, she said, "Well, Genius, listen up. I am thinking of selling my car. What do you think?"

"What!" I said turning towards completely, in my seat.

She quickly turned me, grabbing my shoulder, "Focus on driving, you idiot! What's wrong with you!" She shouted, frantic.

After the surprise wore off, I asked her again. "What do you mean? Selling? Why?"

"It's just a waste. It's already been a month since I used it. Besides, I always use your vehicle, right? I could save the money and use it for another purpose. Right?" She asked, doubtful.

I thought over the thing. Well, her reasonings were okay. And it would be useful.

"You're right." And I continued to voice my thoughts. We both agreed to discuss this with father, later.

Then her phone suddenly rang. She accepted the call, "Assalamu Alaikum! Mom. Yeah we are fine, Alhamdhulillah! Yes. Oh us?" She looked at me and turned back. "We are going to buy some groceries for mother." Then she waited until Mother finished talking, before replying, "Mom. You're jumping into wild conclusions again! No!" And she turned pink.

Wait. What? Is she blushing? What happened? What did mother tell? I thought.

"Hey. Are you blushing?" I asked.

"No!" She shouted, at me.

"Mom, no. He's just kidding around. Yeah. I'll call you more often. Allah hafiz!" And she hung up. She sighed.

I burst into laughter.

"Please? Would you shut up and stop interrupting me when I am in a call, Genius?" She said frustrated.

***
We both bought all the vegetables and things mom had listed. Zaira was choosing the good ones, while I just chose randomly. She chided me for not doing things properly.
I realized then, that good thing mom sent her with me. Or else, I would have gotten a good scolding from her itself.

We returned home at about, 5.00pm. The traffic had been high today.

***
After dinner, I returned back to our room. I prayed Salaat Al-Isha. Then I checked the report given by the doctor from Czech. He had told to change the bandage Once in four days. I calculated and determined that today was the the fourth day. It would get messy if I applied the medicine, with my sweatshirt on. I would need to remove it, I thought. But I can't do it by myself. I can't ask Zaira. It would be too awkward. Not to mention, the weird feelings I'd get.

So I went to Ayra's room. It was opened Half way. I knocked a few times and entered. She was on her phone. "Ayra, can you help me out of this sweatshirt?" I asked. She put away her phone and and got up from the bed. She gently, Unbuckled the cast and gave it to me. Then she pulled the sweatshirt over my hands and just when she was going to tug it off my head, she paused. "Wait. Come on."

"What? Where are you going? Come back! Ayra!" I shouted frantic. "Don't worry like a chicken. Come out." She said. My shirt was still over my head, preventing me from seeing anything. So she guided me out. She guided me to my room. She said to wait and that she'd come back.

I waited for her. Then suddenly the sweatshirt was pulled off my head. "What took you so long! Do you kn-" when the shirt was completely pulled off and I could see, I saw Zaira.

I felt hot again. I felt something weird in my stomach. But then I looked at her eyes. The green eyes. A mix of dark green. The green orbs had no end. I felt as if I could dive into it and find no end. There were silver flecks in the corner. It added more beauty to it. What the? What am I doing! I brushed off my thoughts and quickly looked away.

Before I looked away, I noticed that she had a light pink color to her cheeks. It was so subtle that if you didn't look closely, you'd never notice. I didn't know why. She was a person who never blushed. That time when she helped me change, she didn't feel embarrassed. All the embarrassing was done me. I still remember it. But it made me feel a little happy that she felt embarrassed. I seriously couldn't figure why?

I cleared my throat. "Thanks." She nodded her head slightly. "Come on. Sit. Today you need to put the medicine right?" She said.
"I.....yeah....yes. I can't exactly refuse your help. Right?" I asked trying not to make the situation even awkward.

"Sadly, yes." she replied.

While I sat down, she brought the medicine and the first aid kit. The doctor had specifically instructed her on how to do it.

She held my injured hand and unwrapped the bandage. Then she took a cotton wool and dipped it in a colorless fluid and rubbed it over my arm.
Whenever her hand grazed on mine, an electric shock went through my whole body. Then she rubbed the other medicine on top of different wounds.

I was determined on not looking at her. But, by an urgent need, I looked up. She was concentrated on her work, burrowing her brows. She had a pink tinge on her cheeks. Her hijab sat on her head, carefully wrapped. She looked beautiful. My heart skipped a beat. But I saw something odd. I saw her eyes glazing over. She quickly got up, mumbling something about bringing a cotton wool, but she already had plenty of wool, in the kit. I could'nt help but wonder, what had happened.

Wait. Gosh. Did I just call her beautiful? Okay, there is something wrong with me for 'real. Zubair. You have to stop doing what you're doing.

She quickly wrapped my wounds and cuts in a bandage. Then helped me put on my, Pajama shirt.
Then she left the room, in a hurry. I put away my disturbing thoughts and feelings aside and took it as a cue to changed in to my PJ bottom.

***

I was still lying awake, trying to sort out my feelings when it was 11.20 pm. It had been 30 minutes since Zaira had joined me in the bed.
And I could see that she was having a hard time sleeping too, what with the tossing and turning around.

She quietly turned her face around and peered over me. I was pretending to sleep. She flopped back onto the bed.

And suddenly, she talked.

"I am sorry, Zubair. You got your arm injured because of me. And I didn't even say sorry or thanks. I never in my life thought, that you would ever help me. Well, who would. When we were like that, in the past?"

Then suddenly, I felt her shake beside me. and I heard sobs.

I froze. What in the world is happening? Is Zaira Zaky crying? Why!? I mean, she never cries! She didn't even cry on her wedding! No. She can't cry. I have known her from high school to university. And she never cried even once. I am not a fool, to believe that she never feels sad. But I knew that, however much she felt sad, depressed and upset, she never showed it on outside. I knew it well, because that was the only thing we both had a similarity in. That was the only thing we both had agreed on.

We never let our weakness show outside.

I knew I hated her. I knew I despised her for her stubborness and ignorance. I knew I shouldn't be feeling anything towards her. But, at that moment all I wanted to do was hug her. Lock her in an embrace and calm her. But I knew I couldn't do it.

So I did what I could. I moved my left hand and held her hand tightly. The electric shock went again. My heart ran a marathon. My body felt hot. My stomach was wrecking havoc. And I didn't care.

I held her hand tightly and squeezed it, telling her that it was okay. That everythingwas okay.

After 30 minutes, Her sobs stopped. and she fell onto slumber. I still held her hand and fell into my own slumber.

Jazakallah! This is my longest chapter yet with 2833 words!!!!! Hope you enjoy and tell me ur opinions!!!

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JAZAKALLAH!