Rehan's P.O.V

"Rehan?" Mahi whispered softly almost afraid of me as I stumbled through the front door drunk out of my mind. "You drank out again?"

"So what?" I snapped at her, "You won't let me drink at home."

I threw my stuff on the sofa as I slumped down too tired to do anything else. "You have been drinking and driving every night Rehan that is not safe." She argued.

"And?" I questioned her, "Why should I fucking listen to you when you won't fucking listen to me!"

Mahi took a step back astonished by my choice of language. "Do not speak to me that way."

"Or fucking what?"

"Rehan," She said shaking her head, "This ain't you." 

"Yeah?" I asked annoyed with her behaviour. "Well, this is what you made of me."

"Please." She said almost beggingly "Rehan, stop."

"Fuck of Mahinoor," I said angrily before storming towards my room.

"Rehan!" Mahi called after me demanding to talk more. "Rehan!" I slam the door shut wanting to drown out her cries.  "Rehan!" She screamed in agony as the pain got too much.

Gasping awake I look around the empty room. My forehead is covered in sweat from the terrible dream that I had every night, but in reality was not a dream but a horrible memory.  Throwing my covers off of my body, I walk over to the large window in our- I mean my apartment. I grab. the pack of cigarettes and light one up, inhaling the lethal smoke, I feel my muscles and heart begin to relax.  The same re-recurring dream. . .expect in reality it wasnt really a dream, it was a small part of my past, that I had begun to regret. 

I know that I had treated Mahi with a lot of ignorance, but the reasoning behind the ignorance was also her. There was a lot she and I needed to talk about last night, but it seemed like both of us didn't know where to start. 

We both were not equipped for the trauma that we went through, the trauma that could have been easily avoided if she just fucking. listened to me, but it seemed she had never learned to do that. Looking over at the time, 4:00 flashed on my alarm clock. . it has been over a year since. I have had proper sleep. . . I always. wake up around. this. time and it has begun to feel like my brain is getting revenge on me. 

Lighting another cigarette as I burn through the first one I push open the window walking out on the balcony, there were so many memories in this fucken apartment, I had thought I would be able to shake them away. . .

Especially this balcony, every time I would come out to smoke, she would follow me out and- 

"Hey,"  Mahi said pulling the cigarette out of my mouth and throwing it. over the balcony, "What have I said about those Rehan?"  I blink my eyes trying to wake myself as if I didnt want to be imagining this. "Rehan?"

"Mhm?" I say stunned as she crosses her arms, "Sorry, I just. . .what are you doing here?" 

"Ha, Ha, Ha."  She replied monotonously, "What do you mean? what am I doing here Rehan? I live here." Live here? "Stop trying to change the topic, and tell me what you are so stressed about that you need to kill your lungs?"

"I-I" I stutter, "You."

"Me?" She asked shocked, "What about me?" 

"Mahi," I say softly as reality begins to sit in, she really is here. I reach out to touch her, afraid that she would disappear, my hand is just about to. touch her skin when she suddenly pulls away. . .

Jumping slightly as. my alarm clock pulled me. out of my day. dream, I looked around the balcony searching for her but I was there alone. 

Fuck! 

 Graoning I walk back inside sitting down. on my bed. I lean over holding my head in my hands as a migraine began forming in the back of it. I cannot imagine her again.  I felt tears beginning to form but I put them back. . .

I did love her, a lot but after what the hell we went through.  . .I just dont know if we can ever be the same. . .

I don't. 

. . .

"Where the fuck is my coffee?" I snap at my assistant who basically began trembling in his spot, "I asked for it thirty fucking minutes ago Simon."

"S-Sorry Sir," He stuttered, "I was going to bring it but I completely forgot your order so I asked Azlaan Sir, and he said he would bring it for you." 

"Just fuck off," I said in disappointment as I slumped back down in my chair. My migraine had not gotten any better since this morning, and not having my coffee pissed me the fuck off even more.  

"Well," Azlaan said coming through the door. that I just asked to be shut, only he had the guts to walk in the room when I had been in a pissed-off mood all morning. "This is a good morning." He placed my coffee infront of me, "How was your night?"  

I glare at him, before thanking him for the coffee taking a couple of sips, "Rehan,"

"It was a shitty night." I said firmly, "I couldn't sleep, my head is killing me, and Amma won't stop fucking calling me." She has begun spamming my phone since seven o'clock in the morning. till now, when it is currently twelve o clock. I had told her to call me on the. weekends, but she never listens. Our relationship has gotten a lot better over these past years, but she still had that possessive nature to her, which still very much annoys me. 

"Then answer Rehan," Azlaan said like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "If she is calling you constantly like that, obviously there is something. important." 

I know he is right, but I am really not in the mood to speak to anyone, not even him but I cannot find any escape because he will track me. down. "Can you?" I ask him gently, "Please?"

He exhaled heavily pulled out his phone, and dialed up Amma, who immediately answered after the third ring, "Azlaan?" She asked quickly, 

"Ji," (Yes). Azlaan answered clearing his throat, "Salaam Khala,"

"Salaam Beta, tumhe pata hain Rehan kahaan hain?" (Do you know where Rehan is?) She asked him gently, "I need to talk to him." Her voice sounded so anxious, "I have been calling him since morning, and-"

"Khala," Azlaan cut her off in a calm voice, "He is sitting right in front of me, he finished his meetings that's why he wasn't answering. Here I have you on speaker." 

"Amma?" I call out her name,  "Kya hua?" (What happened?)

"Rehan," He voice wavered, my stomach began to hurt at the tone of her voice, "Rehan, your Baba's health isnt the best right now." My heart began to beat faster, "He fainted last night, after dinner."

"W-What's wrong with him?" I ask sitting up straighter, "Amma, what did the doctors say?"

"They-"  She began crying, "T-They found a large tumor in his lungs,  it's covering his heart."

No, No. . . I blinked hard as I began to see dark spots in my vision, "His heart?" I question, "Does that mean it's in its last stages Amma?"

"Third," She whispered sniffling, "It was completely undetected until yesterday night, it is a shock to them how they missed such a mass in his body, but your baba didnt display any signs or symptoms so it was hard." Her voice began to drown out as my hands began to take due to the shock of the news. "Rehan, he wants his family with him."

"B-But," I stutter, "I thought you said it's in stage three so there must be some kind of treatment, chemotherapy, or oral chemo, something!"

"They are starting the treatment from tommorow Rehan, but.  . .he still wants everyone here."  Azlaan's gaze never left me as I took his phone and began pacing around the office,  "He wants you  here Rehan,"

"I'll be there." I say without hesitation, "Let me. just.  . ." I stumbled back alittle as the pressure in the back of my head began to build up, "Let me just, figure some stuff out here, and I will be back home before you or Baba know." 

"Okay, let me know as soon as possible. I love you." 

"I love you too," I say hanging up the phone. I hold onto the wall for support, "Azlaan, my pills." 

Azlaan quickly began searching my work bag and found my pills, before handing them to me with my water bottle. "Here man," I quickly took them greedily drinking water to flush them down. "Here," He helped me sit on the couch in my office. He sat down beside me, "I can't even say don't stress too much because what Khala just told us, is that's a huge stressor but you gotta be strong for her and for the family."  Stress causes powerful migraines for me, and these migraines have caused me to lose time, or faint. 

I nodd, "I know," My bottom lip began to quiver, "My Baba," I whispered, "Baba is sick, azlaan." Tears streamed down my cheeks without my permission, as I hug Azlaan tightly wanting to gain some kind of comfort from the horrible news Amma just shared with me. 

"I. got your back," Azlaan said in a soft tone, "We are brothers remember? Go home, I got everything handled here."

"Thank you," I exhaled, "Thank you."

I am going home to my family, as soon as possible. .  . nothing is. more important than this right now. . .

Nothing.