☀︎︎ two o'clock ☀︎︎

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"I'm going to kill him!" Zuha punched the table, anger evident in her voice, words and action. The laptop's screen shook due to the impact as the person on the video call flinched.

The weekend had arrived, it was already over actually. It was 1:00 AM, Monday had started. He did not fulfil his promise to her. She had been so excited, counting days till the weekend to go visit her parents with him as per his word.

And no, it wasn't because of the argument they had. In fact, they had made up the very next morning with his apology if that's what we could call it. "You can do whatever you wish to do. My reaction wasn't right, I admit." They were at the breakfast table, and when Zuha continued giving him a silent treatment, he continued talking. "To give a proper justification, I was just stressed out about the work and sleep deprived which made me overly sensitive. It still wasn't my place to, you know, dismiss your idea like that."

She was glad he admitted it out loud and didn't let his ego stop him. When Zuha gave him a light smile, he offered to ask about the depths of her plan and they spent the time eating breakfast while she talked about different ideas she had searched up and him nodding with small 'hmm's.

Although the next two days till the weekend had almost been the very same. Him going after breakfast, coming late at night and going to sleep. She had made a routine now too. She was adjusting and getting used to it.

She thought he'd remember. On saturday, just for a reminder, she had put up a sticky note on the dressing table where he usually stands going through his files when getting ready. Though, it was him who offered and promised to take her, she expected him to remember and bring it up himself. Did he not see the note?

What should she make out of this behaviour? Carelessness. If he was busy, the least he could do was tell her. She had been spamming him with messages and he could not even bother to respond for a second? Even a one word reply could do!

She was so mad. So so mad. Her brain felt like exploding. And there was nobody in the house she could complain to. So now, here she was on a video call with her best friend, Eshal.

"Oh-no. Calm down, Zuha. That's the last stage, remember. First we slap, punch, or kick. To be less violent, maybe act civilised, you know. Talk it out. Attack with words. They hit straight to the gut. Trust me." Eshal acted out each word coming out of her mouth, flapping her hands in every direction in the screen's view, trying to lighten the heavy mood.

"Right." Zuha exhaled a huge breath.

"Communication is the key." Eshal nodded with a pointing finger.

"He's giving me anger issues I didn't know I could ever have." Zuha's nostrils flared in anger, her face still in a frown.

"My thirteenth reason to never get married." Eshal exclaimed with a blow to her fallen hair strand.

"Too bad. I already have a match for you." Zuha's frown turned into a teasing smile, her mind clicking.

"Tum rishtay wali aunty mat bano." It was Eshal's turn to roll her eyes with a flushed frown on her face.

"I wanna squish your cheeks, idher aao." Zuha held the laptop higher, talking in a baby voice to tease Eshal.

"By the way, I've been wanting to tell you that," Eshal chuckled, "I'm coming for a tour the upcoming weekend & it happens to be right near you so we can meet!"

Zuha blinked as it took her a moment to register her words before she let out a huge gasp. "OH MY GOD!"

Meanwhile, at the hospital Momin entered his office after freshening up. He had the hardest and longest of two surgeries today and he was ready to pass out from fatigue any minute now. Dropping himself on the spinning chair, he opened his drawer to pull out his phone.

16 missed calls.

44 messaged.

What the actual hell happened?

Zuha:

Hey!

Did you go to the hospital early before the sun even rose ?

cause i heard the birds chirping but you missing

you're great at sneaking

anyways when will you be back? defo as early as you left

right?

2:05 PM

you're still at the hospital?

are you too busy today as well?

3:32 PM

hi there ??

where you @ ?

5:45 PM

you're alive right?

i'm starting to think you're ignoring me on purpose!

7:05 PM

HELLO ??

8:25 PM

He let out a tensed sigh, further scrolling down to her endless texts. There were a few emojis and stickers. He shouldn't have kept his phone on silent. He hadn't even bothered to check it since the morning.

Zuha:

I'M GOING TO MURDER YOU!

I'LL STAB YOU IN A WAY NO SURGERY WILL BE ABLE TO SAVE YOU FROM A TERRIBLE DEATH

YOU STUPID PIECE OF ROTTEN MUSCLES !!!!

11:56 PM

"What's wrong with your face? Did you receive a death threat or something?" A voice interrupted and his eyes left the phone screen to his friend, a little widened and still in shock.

"Wait. Really? Like actually? Like for real?" Aneel raised a brow rounding the table to glance at the phone screen in Momin's hand. He read through the last message as Momin remained statued in his position.

"Well, I understand. Happens. It's quite normal among married couples. I'll give you the best advice, my friend." He suppressed a laugh, placing a hand on Momin's shoulder. "Act like a mature buddy and take a few hits and kicks silently. If she chooses the butter knife, you'll survive. But if its the sharp butcher knife, I'd send you my goodbyes, it was pleasant knowing you and working with you. Dil sy."

Why was his best friend the craziest person among so many normal ones? He chose the wrong company for sure. Momin shrugged off his hand with a violent shoulder move now glaring at him.

"Hey! Don't give me that 'are you crazy' look. It pains me like a cut to the jugular vein." He grabbed the front of his neck, pretending to choke.

"You need to stop making these jokes." Momin ran a hand through his hair dismissing the urge to kick him in the part it would pain worse for his liking.

"I thought you liked them." Aneel poked at his arm.

"Khush fehmi hai tumhari."

"Ghalat fehmi tou nai hai na."

He wriggled his brows and all Momin could do was roll his eyes. He had to take the patients' rounds now and he'd be free to go home. But sleeping at the hospital for tonight seemed like a safe and better option. "You're doing the rounds with me, my friend."

"Oh no! Is that the voice of revenge I hear? I'd prefer death sentence, your honor." Aneel dramatically held his head as Momin walked out ignoring him. Dropping his hands and head, he followed behind with a pouty face.

//❀❀❀//

"Can we talk?" Her voice sounded so small, so unsure. She internally face palmed at herself. She had pretended to sleep at night when he returned, avoiding any sort of confrontations. She woke up early and prepared breakfast while mentally preparing herself to talk to him.

Aaj aar ya paar! She had told herself before entering the room. He was standing by the dressing table, almost ready to leave, going through some files. His attention quickly turned towards her, his posture stiffened. "Sure. I-"

"I mean I hope you won't mind if I borrow some of the precious time from your extremely busy schedule?" Her voice held anger and sarcasm, her lips curled upwards in a very fake smile.

"Zuha." He stepped towards her. "I'd always take out time for you. Yesterday was j-"

"Lies." She dropped her face into a scowl, her hands in a fist.

"I'm sorry?"

"Empty words and fake promises. You're also that kind of a man, aren't you? You had promised me we'll go to visit my parents this weekend. But look at you, ditching on me and bailing out on all my calls and messages the whole day, and showing up so late." She felt her insides burn with emotions as she formed every word she spat at him.

"Listen, Zuha. I understand you're upset with me right now. You have every right to be. I'm really sorry about that. I just-" He closed his eyes, rubbing a hand over his mouth, then opened them to look at her again. "I should've been more mindful of this. I'm deeply ashamed-"

"Oh please, keep the shame to yourself for now and let me finish." She put her hand up to stop him. She was not going to hold back today. He got it upon himself. He deserved this. The anger she felt needed to be out now. She had held it inside her for enough and it was time for an explosion now.

"You're never there when I need you. You're not even home often, it's actually shocking to see you in this room right now because I had started to think it belonged to only me. You're rarely even available to pick up my calls or respond to my messages. If we ever do find time you're always receiving calls or mentally somewhere else. Where is the time you always have for me which you're talking about?" She breathed out, her voice had grown loud and shaky. Her large eyes gawked at him as he gulped, his adam's apple bopped up then down.

"Zuha. I didn't do it on purpose, I really had a very hectic day, performing surgeries-" She let out a huge huff at his words. So he was going to ignore everything else she said and look for excuses for his yesterday's behaviour.

"Bloody surgeries! I'm gonna surgerize your brain, Dr.Momin." She took large steps reaching near him. He took a step back, holding onto the dressing table behind him, protecting his personal space.

"It's been two weeks since our wedding, and I was trying my best to make this arranged marriage work, to try to get to know you better. But nai. Yahan tou log itny busy hein to even realize they recently got married to a jeeti jaagti insaan ki bachi." She continued, breathing heavily. "God, I might end up at the hospital because of you-"

"That's enough." He straightened up, their height difference more obvious now as Zuha kept looking up at his eyes. "What do you think? I purposely stay back at the hospital to spend a free, luxurious time?" It wasn't a question for her to answer because he didn't pause. "I told you, the hospital faced a huge financial loss and we are short of doctors right now. I'm the only surgeon available for emergency patients and if I become irresponsible to ignore any call from the hospital which can be about life or death of a person, I'd never forgive myself." Zuha looked away, folding her arms.

"Do you even know how many accidents, emergency situations occur everyday? How many patients, filled with blood, some on their last breaths do I have to witness everyday?" He continued, an edge to his voice.

"It's scary to think how being one second late could cause a person to lose their life. Those are life and death situations which can't be ignored or put on hold. Hearing cries of their loved ones, begging me to save the wounded even though their death time has already been decided by Allah and I can just try what's in my hand. Do you think it's easy for me?" His voice grew heavy and Zuha looked up at his face, and for this first time ever since she had known him, she saw something on his face. A raw emotion. Something deep. She didn't know how to name it. A mixture of sadness and hope to be understood? "It's so devastating. But I continue doing this for Allah's sake, to be a hope for those people who have faith in humanity."

"Acha itna emotional karny ki zaroorat tou nai thi." She cleared her throat, pursing her lips. "Why do you always have to win every single argument?" She muttered slowly, moving away.

"Breakfast's ready." She glanced back at him, but he had turned away as if embarrassed. "Mhm," was all she heard, so she left the room closing the door, giving him space and time to join her.

Nibbling onto her lower lip, as she stabbed the fork into the pancake which had several holes in it now, she finally saw him making his way out. He settled on the head seat. There was silence for a while. It felt awkward this time and she couldn't take it so she had to say something.

"I'm sorry. This time, I was the rude one. So I'll take back all my words." She spoke, her voice came out a little too loud than she wanted. She moved her leg left and then right, but her foot hit his leg under the table. He gave her a look. Then his foot moved her leg away too, but in a lighter movement. She grinned. "And I am so proud of you Dr.Momin. You're so......" Her hand went up to her face, finger tapping the chin in a thoughtful manner, "strong. It must be so emotionally draining. I'm glad, doctors like you exist. Who're actually doing the job for people's lives and not for the money. Unlike those surgeons who left the job when the hospital faced a financial crises, leaving all the surgeries on my," she blinked staring at him and suddenly feeling sheepish as her foot hit his leg again, "responsible husband's broad shoulders." She prolonged her arm to reach him, her hand tapping his shoulder. I can't believe I called these huge muscles rotten.

She knew she was rambling now but there was no stopping or going back. She felt the need to further lighten the mood. "Not gonna lie, I feel so proud to have the title of your wife. Makes me wanna brag about having a husband who is passionate about his profession and has a smart brain which needs a surgery performed by his wife, which she will-" Her words dropped midways, her breath stopped momentarily with her body jerking forward as he pulled her through the elbow of her arm towards himself, causing her hand which was placed on his shoulder to slide onto the nape of his neck lightly.

"You're cute when you ramble on like this." He smoothly moved his hand from her elbow to wrist, gently holding her hand which slipped down his neck. He was holding it close to the side of his face, not touching it. Though Zuha's finger itched to caress the side. He brought his lips close to the area between her wrist and palm, placing a soft lingering kiss there, his eyes holding her wide ones. "Thank you." He whispered with his lips still there. Her breath hitched and she felt all giddy on the inside with the rush of adrenaline.

//❀❀❀//

"A critical emergency patient. It's a car accident." Two nurses and three interns hurried in through the main door of the hospital, dragging the stature.

"Do your job properly. Stop the bleeding." The intern screamed at the other who was covering and pressing on the injured areas, the cloth already wet with blood.

"I AM! You do your job, check her pulses." He shouted back. Her breathing was slow, barely there. The nurse attached the oxygen mask on her pale face which had a few bleeding cuts from the broken car mirror. The accident was so severe, the car had twisted upside down.

However, the crying girl with the patient kept running with the stature, holding onto her hand, covered in blood. Her cries were loud. She seemed to be in a frenzy who could see nothing else but the lying unconscious girl.

"She needs to undergo surgery. Get surgeon Momin." The intern roared out, as the blood from the abdominal injury flowed non-stop.

"Dr. Momin, critical emergency patient to undergo DCS." The ER ward made the announcement and it didn't take long for the doors to fly open as he moved with urgent haste.

"Patient's information?" He asked the intern rushing him to the stature.

"A female. She seems to have a ruptured organ. Several cuts over the arm and face due to-"

He reached the area and the moment his eyes landed on the person lying there, he felt his whole world shutting down. Everything blanked out. The time stopped.

"Z-Zuha.." His lips quivered. His eyes wavered. Was this a dream? A terrible prank? He wasn't blinking, he wasn't breathing. He moved to touch her cheek, his heart refraining him from doing it, scared that she might be real.

"Do we have another emergency patient?" Aneel came running inside, breathless and panting. "Oh, shit!" He stepped closer to take a look and make sure his eyes didn't fool him. He quickly glanced at Momin, unsure what to do.

"The accompany has filled in the form. Should we transfer her to the surgical center? We're running out of time." Another intern came in a haste with a form in his hand.

"Who was accompanying her?" Momin spoke through clenched teeth, breathing too hard. He got his answer when his eyes fell on the girl following behind in small steps.

Eshal sniffed, holding back tears. She had no idea this was how her tour was going to end. They were so excited to meet. They had been planning for a whole week. They met this morning, smiling and laughing. She insisted on going out to a cafe for lunch.

She wanted to give Zuha a treat since she had recently gotten her driver's license. She had driven here herself and surprised her. She wasn't an expert, but she wasn't bad either. Driving in a new city wouldn't be any different, she had thought. Zuha was on the passenger seat and they were vibing to songs.

A small puppy sprung in the middle of the road, and she couldn't stop the car with the speed they were going in so she turned the steering wheel to the side, crashing into the car on the other lane, hard. The car jolted, upside down, onto the other side of the road, then back up.

The next thing she knew, she reached out to an unmoving Zuha, shaking her and holding onto her until her eyes got blurry and her hands felt wet. Broken glass everywhere. Destroyed car. Motionless Zuha. Blood everywhere. Soon people surrounded them and she gave in to her loud cries as the reality sunk in.

Momin paced around in the small space outside the ward. He had never been this terrified in his whole life. Her smiling face from the morning kept replaying in his head.

The past week had been so good. They were communicating well. He made sure to respond to her messages. They joked around more. She bid him away every morning with 'good day at work' or 'bloody surgeries are counting on you!' How did she end up like this?

"Bro, I don't think you're in the condition to perform this surgery." Aneel's eyeballs followed him left to right until he decided to break the silence. "Let's-"

"No, no. I have to do it. I should do it. I must perform the surgery. She has to be fine. I just....I just need a moment. I need to....God." His steps got faster, he kept rubbing his sweaty palms together, then over his red face, rubbing his bloodshot eyes.

Aneel stepped in his way, grabbing him by the shoulders tightly. "Get yourself together, stop acting like a lovesick donkey!" Momin clenched his jaw, he had to remind himself of his profession. He should not let his emotions come in his way right now.

"You know we don't have time to waste. She's already lost a lot of blood." Aneel stated as a matter of fact, and Momin nodded. With one final look at each other, he smacked Momin's shoulder in a motivating manner. They were ready to treat the patient.

Eshal stood outside the surgery room, facing the wall. A billion thoughts surrounded her head as she slid her head against the wall, not paying attention to any other thing in the world. There was blood on her clothes and hand. She felt sick inside out.

Was it her fault? If she wouldn't have planned to take Zuha out, they could've been inside the house, Zuha would've been safe and okay. If she wouldn't have been the one driving. It wasn't the time to self-blame but she couldn't help but think of the ifs'.

She hadn't even called Zuha's family to inform them. She had never been in such a situation before and she had no idea what to do. Momin said he'd take care of all the formalities himself, she didn't have to worry about anything. Aneel had assured her that everything is going to be okay, before they went in for the surgery.

She was so out of it to even hear the words properly or form some to respond to them. All she did was nod. A nurse was there to fetch her but she refused to leave until she was sure the surgery went well and Zuha was fine.

It had been 2 hours but to Eshal, it felt like the time was ticking in slow motion. She recited prayers under her breath, kept standing facing the wall, unknown to the rest of the world.

"Miss Eshal?" A voice called out from behind causing her to flinch and turn around. It was Aneel. She squirmed a little as his eyes glanced down at the blood on her clothes, stopping at her arm.

"How is she?" She quickly asked, panic in her voice.

"Thankfully, she is out of danger. But we need to wait and see if she'll gain consciousness within the next 24 hours. We're hoping she will." She was out of danger, Eshal repeated in her brain. "We shifted her to the room just now while you were," he pointed at the wall's direction suppressing back a smile. It felt like she had fallen asleep with her head pressed against the wall.

"Allah, shukar hai. She will wake up, in sha Allah. She will." She brought both her palms together, feeling a bolt of pain in her right arm due to the movement.

"You're hurt too. You should get your wound treated-"

"Uh, no. I'm fine. It's alright." She cut him off, her voice still shaky.

"What do you mean? You're not fine and it's not alright. Your arm has a cut, it's bleeding all over the sleeve. We need to check how deep the wound is." He sounded so concerned. She felt a warm feeling surround her heart at the worry in his voice. For her. "You might need stitches. And look at all this blood on your-"

"That's not mine." She again cut him off, as there was silence after that between them for a moment. It was almost a miracle how she only got a cut on her arm by a piece of broken mirror, there was no other serious injuries to her.

"Oh." He blinked. Silence again. Their eyes still staring.

"And it's not that deep, really. I don't think I need stitches or-" She spoke moving her arm upwards but mistakenly touched the wound midways and winced slightly.

"I'd still appreciate if you get it checked and bandaged. Please follow me." Aneel ordered with a finality in his voice and there was no room for her to refuse so she followed behind him silently.

//♥︎♥︎♥︎//

/Author's Note\

me after giving y'all an emotional scare and an immediate fluff make-up & then another emotional scare:

(not the make-up make-up shes doing but the make-up wala make-up-)

*cute*

Anyways, comments on the chapter?🤲

i have no idea if what i wrote makes sense or not tbh 🧍‍♀️

also should we j send off Zuha to heaven & let momin know " time makes sense when you're at a loss for the right one " what say ? 😋

and omg eshal and aneel ? unexpected but they j happened & now i ship them too 🧍‍♀️ do y'all want more of them ??

also i realized i be posting one chap a month & its not funny anymore 😭 i'll TRY to update soon fr now & end this story this month 😤 bss bohut ho gaya !!

i've made a cute lil edit on the story so imma post it on my insta ehe 😫

Anyways, until I come back with the next update;

Take care, stay healthy, keep eating good food!❤️

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