One more time : Where Oblivion meets Obsession

#34 – YOU'RE DRUNK?

The doctor examined her and Shahmeer cursed himself for coming back home. "It would have been better if I stayed in that hospital until I was completely alright. I should have never listened to you. I could have saved Nani Maa from this."

The doctor walked out and said, "please try not to say or do anything that stresses her out. I have prescribed some antidepressants which will help."

"Thank You doctor. Would it happen again?"

"Can't say. It's the age factor. Her heart and mind is weak. Mr Khan people require a lot of care at this age. Just take care of her." She said and walked out.

Shahmeer was about to enter Nani Maa's room but then he remembered the doctor's words. He had to save her from stress. With that thought, he turned around and walked away to his room.

Nani opened her eyes and saw Rajat standing in front of her. There were still tears in her eyes as Shahmeer's condition flashed in front of her. "I knew something was wrong. I knew my heart wasn't lying. And you knew it too. You lying brat! How could you hide it from me?" She scolded him trying to get up. "Where is my Sham? I want to see him."

"He went to his room." Rajat said, trying to stop her. "Please try to understand Nani." He had to handle the situation cleverly. "Boss should not be stressed right now. When he's worried, sharp headaches trigger and his injuries hurt a lot more. Do you want that?"

"What?"

"Yes. Please calm down and behave normally in front of him. If he is too stressed, it will hurt a lot more. And that is exactly why he didn't come to see you. Because he was worried about you."

Nani looked at him. "Now if this turns out to be a lie, you will see."

***

A few days passed and Shahmeer was getting worried about Myra. He had not seen her for so many days and neither had she called.

After waiting for almost twelve days, he finally called Myra, losing his patience.

"Hello Love? Where have you been? Why didn't you call me?" He asked worriedly.

"I-I was busy." She replied half-heartedly and he could see the dullness in her tone.

"So busy that you couldn't make a single call?"

"Why should I inform you about my movements Shahmeer?" She snapped in anger and Shahmeer couldn't understand the reason for her sudden outburst. "And why are you showing so much rights on me? I'm not your wife yet." She asked.

Even after seeing her tone, he asked calmly. "Love, what is wrong. I'm not showing rights on you. I was worried about you."

"I'm fine. How are you? And did you come home?" She asked just the same way.

"Yes. I'm home."

"How did it go?"

"Don't ask." He said with a heavy sigh. "Nani fainted seeing my condition."

"Really?" She asked in a daze.

"Yes. She loves me so much and she was worried about me. And I was saying-"

As he was about to continue, the phone was snatched from his hand. He turned around to see who could dare to do such a thing and there was Nani standing with an angry expression on her face.

"Hello Myra?" She asked flatly and Myra was shocked.

"Mrs. Khan? How's your health now?" She asked.

"Dear, relationships cannot be built over the phone. And that is not how you show your affection to someone. When a person is this sick, even faraway relatives come to ask about health. And you are my Sham's fianće. His condition is not good. You should be here with him. But it's been almost ten to twelve days and you haven't had a single visit. I don't know if you both had a fight or he didn't tell you about it but you should have come here. Anyways I was about to ask Sham to call you. I have made a decision."

"What decision?" Myra asked, confused.

"There have been so many problems and it has been such a tough time for all of us. I want some happiness in my son's life. So I have decided that after 5 days it's your and Sham's wedding."

"What?" Myra asked in shock.

"Nani stop!" Shahmeer tried to take away the phone but she didn't let him.

"No Sham. I have to see if she loves you as much as you love her so I don't think it should be a problem. Myra, we will arrange a simple function with just family members. I only want you by my son's side whenever he needs you. That's the test of love."

"Mrs. Khan, I really respect you. But only I take my life's decisions and no one else. And I'm not ready yet. We'll decide later on."

"Myra, I've waited long enough to see this day. And I won't anymore. After 5 days, the hall will be set, Quazi Sahab will be here, my Sham will be the groom and you decide if you will be the bride or someone else. But his wedding is happening that very day." She handed over the phone to Shahmeer who looked on with shock as Nani walked away.

He gathered himself from the shock and said "Love? You don't need to take that seriously. She's just-"

"Shahmeer! Was she threatening me? Ok then. Go ahead and marry the girl of her choice!" Myra hissed angrily and hung up.

***

Shahmeer couldn't understand Nani's outburst. What has she done? He knew Myra well. Now even if she was ready, she would say no out of stubbornness. How hard was it to convince her? His lioness.

He walked to Nani and said, "Nani-"

"Don't you dare tell me that I did wrong. It's been 12 days and she didn't come to visit, nor made a call to ask about you. Is this how you behave with the person your fiance? Forget fianće, even faraway relatives are cared about in such a condition."

"She is busy. I tried to reason."

"So this is how she is going to be after your marriage?"

"Nani, I have loved and accepted her the way she is. I am not asking her to change."

"Ya Allah Sham! How will your life be if you are so bending and compromising all the time? Can you tell me a single instance when she gave up what she wanted for you?"

"Nani I will be extremely happy because I will be the woman I love. You didn't have to-"

"I wasn't bluffing Sham. I have decided. You had enough of your stubbornness. If she wants to marry you she'll come. If not, I'm not short of girls who want to marry you."

She said and left while Shahmeer stood there in shock. He had so many fears and worries in his mind. What if she wanted to go through the wedding and backed off because of this? He still didn't know how many hurdles were standing between them.

He could see how difficult it was for her to make this decision and he prayed that it does not change because of anything or anyone.

Even though she could never forget his First Love, she could never keep him above her friends or work and everything in between but he couldn't stop himself from loving her. That's who he fell in love with. He loved everything about her, her cleverness, her bravery, her courage, her commitment towards her work and she would be incomplete without any of these.

He walked to his cupboard and opened his drawer and took out a photo of him and his best friend. "Yara! Why so many problems? She was finally coming to me. I was so hoping she would come. I hope we get married. And I wish you were here to see this day. It all seems incomplete without you. All my happiness seems incomplete without you."

***

It was the eve of their wedding. After all the problems they faced, after how difficult Myra was, he couldn't help but keep thinking about it.

'What would happen if anything goes wrong tomorrow? Hope is all I have now. I did whatever I had to, pulled all the strings that could bring it to this, now it's time to sit back and watch it happen. Her reciprocation to my love is the only thing that can save us now.

Will my love be mine? Or will this dream break? How will I be able to gather myself?'

Just then his phone rang and Myra's name flashed on the screen. He picked it up quickly. "My love. Is everything alright? At this time? Look I'm sorry-"

"I am waiting outside your house. Come fast."

He was shocked. "Love, is everything alright? You're scaring me now."

"Just come out." She replied

Shahmeer placed his g*n and phone with him and walked outside without any more questions. He was worried about Myra's safety. The few guards joined him saying it's not right for him to go alone. It was Rajat's strict orders. When they didn't budge, he ordered them to follow from a safe distance and not even let him know that they were there.

Myra was waiting in the car. He walked to her and asked her, "what happened? Let's go inside and talk."

"No. You get inside." She gestured to him to sit in the car.

He did and they drove away. Myra wouldn't give away anything. She kept looking in front and driving carefully with a stern face.

After 40 minutes of driving in the dark of the night, They reached a secluded spot. Myra got out of the car and said, "ask them to leave."

He pretended he didn't know what she was talking about but then gave in. He pulled out his phone and called the guards and argued with them for about 4 minutes after which they left.

"Now?" He asked.

"Come with me."

She said and he silently followed her on the rough path. After a few minutes of walking, he stopped in shock as he saw where they were standing.

Vaidehi Waterfall?

"Yes. A waterfall. The start of our complications. One such waterfall in Malaysia started all this havoc in our lives remember. Sit." She asked and they sat on a rock on the riverbank.

Without caring about anything, she took out a cigarette and started smoking. He patiently waited to discover the point of all this.

"How rude of me." She offered him one and he refused.

"You don't smoke?" She asked unbelievably.

"I'm not a chain smoker. I just smoke when I'm tense. I really miss the woman you were before."

"What woman?"

He shook his head remembering the injured, innocent Myra captured in his eyes, which he had brought to his Mansion. "The way you shied on compliments, looked down and raised your eyes only for me, smiled all the time. It was beautiful."

"Nothing about that was real." She replied flatly and again they both went silent.

***

"It's okay, Love. Take your time." Shahmeer said after 20 minutes of comfortable silence. He was enjoying the ambiance.

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" He asked, confused.

"Don't act innocent now. I was happy with my half dead, busy, boring, grey self. Totally content. Satisfied with the fact that I have lived my life to its fullest with someone I loved deeply. And we promised to always love each other. I was abiding by that promise and it was never as hard as it became when you stepped into my life.

I mean really... Just one fine day, you come and make me see what it's like to be alive, have colors, be free. I had totally accepted that the world is a horrible place. But then you come and remind me of the purity and goodness in the world. But... I do know I don't deserve this. I won't be able to keep it. I'll mess this up or someone else will. I've so many enemies. I've just come here to say... for one last time, if you're sane enough, go as far away from me as you can. Leave me. I'm good for spending a little time, helping out, killing people, saving them, clearing mess, having a fling but certainly not the person you can spend the rest of your life with. This is the place where it started and this is the place where it ends. Overwrite the memories of that evening with this one and forget everything that happened in between." She completed puffing another smoke from the cigarette and he looked on. How easily she said it?