Doodle

Thud...

Thud... 

Thud.

Ghazal could hear the jerk of her heartbeats hitting her eardrums as her chivalrous husband made his way to the exit of the hospital. Nothing was wrong in it except that she was in his arms.

"Haaris put me down."

Ghazal's voice wavered at the end, unable to identify whether it was due to her slight anger or the shyness as the people of the hospital were looking at them with a telltale smile on their faces. After the monotonous life, today she finally got leave from the hospital. The doctor was somewhat assured about the medicines and treatment, the discharge was given on only one condition that Ghazal had to take rest properly.

Didn't know what her husband think? She just tried to hide her face in his chest as they were swarmed by more people at the entrance. After some time she felt herself settling in the seat and opening her eyes Ghazal found Haaris amusingly staring at her.

"Stop smiling."

She punched his arm and moved her face away from him only to be forced to look at him with a soft touch on her chin.

"Why are you so upset? "

The question was asked by her husband who had grabbed the driver's seat and was waiting for her response. Was he so dumb or just faking it to irritate her some more?

"Are you serious Mr. husband? You just carried me from all the way of the hospital to your car and you are asking me why I am upset? People were staring at us."

Ghazal hid her face in the bowl of her palms to veil her blushing face as she remembered the ladies on their way who were whispering to each other looking at them. Her cheeks were heating with every passing minute and still, her heartbeats were erratic.

"I had seen you weren't happy seeing that wheelchair."

Haaris removed her hands from her face and Ghazal kept her gaze lowered, unable to look at her better half who was habitual of noting her every single gesture. Her fingers fidget with each other as his slender finger grazed her scarf-clad neck. Due to her knee fracture walking was definitely not the option for her though she wanted to. Seeing the wheelchair which the nurse had placed for her, she had felt the tinge of her helplessness. Yes, Allah was testing her and she knew it. She had to depend on everybody for every task but it was only known to her family, her doctor and her nurse, not the whole world and that mere thought were heartwrenching for her. Never in her whole life Ghazal had felt so much bind by her circumstances like at that moment.

"You have been always a pillar of strength for me, tigress and I don't like to see those shades of inferiority on your face."

"But like this?"

Ghazal stuck her questioning orbs on his face who was smiling at her. He moved a little closer so that his lips were touching her ear, the thin material of her scarf slowly sending his warm breaths to her.

"A husband can carry his wife anytime he wants without any need of situation."

"What will people think?"

"That how caring her husband is."

It felt like Haaris had prepared perfect answers for her every single query. She just shook her head chuckling to herself at his instant replies, those had made her somewhat relaxed after the whole ordeal.

"Am I forgiven, Mrs. Wife?"

Haaris asked mocking her name like earlier as she had done it in her anger. Ghazal put her index finger on her chin, faking a thought then looked at him.

"I will have to think about it."

"Really, I have many ways to take your forgiveness. "

"Like?"

Haaris raised his eyebrows in surprise, with a lopsided grin shining on his lips, making her blush all over again. He moved his lips on her forehead, just a few inches away.

"I am sorry..." and then she felt a soft touch on her forehead. Now his serene breath slowly hit her nose bridge, "I am sorry..." a gentle kiss following his words. His lips were near her cheek and Ghazal held his shoulder to calm down herself seeing her husband's balmy way of seeking her forgiveness, "I am sor-"

"I forgive you."

Ghazal covered his lips with her cold hands instantly and a teasing smile would be forming on his lips as its effect was visible in his brown orbs.

"So quick forgiveness."

Ghazal groaned and pushed him back with shaking and sweaty hands. The way towards Nanna's house was full of his teasings and laughter while she was just enjoying the company of her spouse.

***

Haaris winked at his lady before carrying her in his arms from the front seat, her hand gently coiling around his neck and her faint gasp vanished in the air around him. If Nanna hadn't insisted on him, he should have taken Ghazal directly to his house but destiny had other plans. Adam who was playing in the garden quickly came towards them, an excited smile plastered on his cute face.

"Dad! Ma ish not too heavy?"

"No, she is light as a feather."

Haaris looked at his wife, enjoying the way her cheeks got tainted with the soft shade of red. How much he loved seeing her blush!

"Can I carry her then?"

"O shut up you both."

Ghazal's groan made the father-son burst into amused laughs as he made his way with Ghazal and Adam to the main door where Nanna and Batool Khala were waiting for them.

"My children."

Nanna kissed their forehead, her eyes slightly moistening looking at Ghazal. At some point in time when Ghazal was fighting with her death, everyone had lost some kind of hope of seeing her again and hence it was all blissful with Ghazal in it.

"See you soon, lady."

Haaris kissed her forehead after carefully putting up in her bed, he felt Ghazal's fingers gently grazing his hand and then her soft hold.

"Just stay here."

"I can't tigress. Besides if I will be here, you won't be able to rest properly... " his sentence made Ghazal look at him in bewilderment that's why he added mischievously, "due to my nightmares and all."

Ghazal quickly lowered her gaze hiding her heated face from him. Haaris tugged the loose strand of hair behind her ear and touched their foreheads.

"You will come tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Very early?"

"Very early else Nanna will serve me as the dinner dish."

Ghazal lowly giggled at his remark. Nanna had decided to have a small family get together dinner tomorrow as her daughter had come home safely. He wanted to stay with Ghazal but being in Nanna's house was the most difficult task for him as it only brought those dark memories of his childhood. His heart was having two opinions and he was just choosing the second option as Haaris was somewhat satisfied with Ghazal being with his grandmother.

"Should I go then?"

Ghazal only hummed in response, loosening her hold on him. Her eyes were moistened as she did her best to hide her tears.

Her eyes have tears, for me!

Haaris was unable to put those feelings in words looking in her eyes which was showing her sadness and pain of separation from him. His heart just swelled with happiness. It was so wrong of him to be happy seeing her tears but those were for him and when did he so used to of seeing so much adoration from any woman.

"I am going to miss you, Haaris."

"Me too tigress. Just call me whenever you want."

Placing quick kisses on her cheeks, he moved outside else he would never be able to leave her. Haaris tiredly pressed his head on the steering wheel, trying to calm his overwhelming heart which felt bursting from the happiness of prior moments. He shoved out his phone, typed a message and moved his vehicle towards his house.

I want to meet you Yawar.

***

Her husband would never know the meaning of fulfilling the promise. Ghazal's mind was fuming with anger and that anger was only for her liar husband who didn't show up in the morning nor at the noon. The meeting was a great deed for him, he was not giving a reply to her messages or picking up her calls.

"Ma, why your nosh ish red?"

"I don't know, baby."

Ghazal shrugged her son's innocent query, she perfectly knew why her nose was red leave that why her whole face was red? Because she was burning in anger and irritation. Didn't he know she was waiting for him? Didn't he have any idea how much she was missing him? No, he definitely hadn't else he would never forget his wife.

Irresponsible husband of mine!

How Haaris was showering his love on her the other day and today it felt like he had forgotten that he had any wife back home who needed some kind of attention from him, who was waiting for him to look at her as she had gotten ready for him. Ghazal was happy with her dress but Nanna had forcefully applied makeup on her which was making her more than nervous, else everything was fine.

Yesterday when he was leaving her, the first time in her life Ghazal had felt a hollow pit of emptiness forming inside her just by thinking of the time when Haaris would not be with her. That two weeks had made her so habitual of seeing him, talking to him, being with him like he was her shadow, a soothing presence.

"Ma, do you want thish?"

Adam gave her a spoonful of dessert, tiramisu, Nanna's specialty and she took it in order to move her mind away from her husband. It was delicious and made her agitated senses relaxed. She grabbed her notebook from the bedside table and as she began to read it, Ghazal heard a thud sound at her room's door. Ignoring it thinking it of as Adam's ministrations, she engrossed herself in reading but was forced to look up as it changed into a soft knock.

Adam was absent from the room while her husband was standing at the threshold with a pure smile and a bouquet of red roses.

"You were really planning to serve yourself at dinner, weren't you?"

Ghazal haughtily said showing herself more than busy in reading. But her interest was long gone from the book as she heard his ascending steps towards her and sat just in front of her.

"My, my, someone is really in a bad mood."

Haaris chuckled and she looked up with furrowed brows to find him already staring at her intently. Ghazal tried to hide behind the book only to pry it away from her grasp. Her only shield was gone! Didn't know it was the side effect of her medicines or he was really looking at her with intense gaze especially his eyes which were flickering from her eyes to lips. Ghazal's hands felt sweaty as she tried to look at everything in the room but him.

"Why are you hiding, tigress?"

"I am not."

"Then what is this?"

Haaris asked moving her hand away from her mouth, "You are staring at my lips."

"Who said you to look so beautiful? "

His undecipherable whisper made the bead of her earring swing giddily just like her dancing heartbeats. Haaris's lips touched her jaw softly as she felt his breath on her lips. He was gently cupping her face, his thumb moving in a slow pace on her blushed cheekbone. His thumb stopped its movements and with that Haaris placed a chaste kiss on her lips, veiling her gasp of surprise within himself. Her heart moved into a whole new erratic rhythm as his other hand put a hold her cold ones.

Haaris tilted his head a little back and bored his brown orbs on her not willing to let her go or move an inch. How she was going to face him now? Crap, she was angry with him and he made her forget everything. Ghazal clearly knew her cheeks would be totally maroon by now with the amount of shyness she was feeling to face her own husband just because of his act of adoration.

"Lipstick does look good on you, tigress."

In reply Ghazal slapped his arm, "Shut up", forcing out an amused laugh from him. Surely he was taking pleasure in her embarrassed state, "I was angry on you."

"Was?"

Haaris peeked in her quivering orbs questioningly, the teasing smile on his lips was enough to push back Ghazal's gut into somersaults.

"Am!"

Ghazal groaned and tiredly placed her head on his shoulder, "You messed up everything. ", her words with another playful slap on his arm making Haaris burst into laughter once again.

***

"Dad, pleash shtay. We will shee moviesh. Pleash."

Those puppy eyes, Haaris could never reject them ever. He picked his son in his arms and ruffled his hair.

"Which movie are we going to watch?"

"Big Hero sish."

Haaris chuckled and made his way towards Ghazal's room. The dinner was great as usual as he was with his wife. He instantly remembered her flushed face at his little dauntlessness but he couldn't help himself seeing her who was looking so pretty in that royal blue dress and that dark red lipstick which was enhancing her beauty to some more extent. Ghazal was sitting on her bed, boringly going through the channels of the television. Her eyes were slightly dilated showing her tediousness.

"I have never seen anyone so much happy watching tv."

Ghazal huffed in annoyance switching off the tv. After preparing the television for the movie, he and Adam took their seats either side of Ghazal and Haaris soothingly spread his arm over her shoulders.

"Just a few more days, tigress. Then you can run behind me with a stick as earlier."

"Yes, as if I am so cruel."

She rolled her eyes at him, her lips lifting up in a small smile forcing him to smile too.

"Shh... Movie ish going to shtart."

Adam shushed them and they began to look at the screen which was showing some pre sponsors logo.

"Which movie is this?"

Haaris heard her whisper, "Big Hero 6."

"No way."

"What happened? "

They were talking in hushed whispers as their son was getting easily disturbed with every single word. "It's maybe the twenty-first time I am going to watch it."

"Really?"

Ghazal nodded. Adam's excitement was at a peak as if he was going to watch it for the first time.

"You thought it's a new movie for him."

"Yes."

"His excitement is quite misguiding. "

They laughed lowly looking at Adam who was so engrossed in the movie, his lips slowly moving as he tried to mimic the dialogues. Soon Adam began to swing back and forth as his eyes shut slowly due to the slumber. Haaris made him lie properly on Ghazal's side.

"Haaris, can we go outside for some time? I am really craving it."

Haaris simply nodded, he was also missing those moments of his vulnerability when they used to be engrossed in each other's silence. Carefully wounding the woolen shawl around Ghazal, he gently picked her up in his arms and made his way towards the garden.

"Are you comfortable? "

"Yes, thanks."

Ghazal shifted a little back in her chair as Haaris gingerly put her leg with the fractured knee on the wooden table near them. His wife wrapped her shawl around him as he sat beside her enjoying their silence with the long wintery night.

"Hey what's that poem you were teaching Adam?"

"Which one?"

Haaris tried to remember the words of the poem, a blurred image of Ghazal who was enacting the poem, looking so beautiful at that moment.

"Dimple chin and something like that..."

Ghazal giggled, "It's Chubby cheeks. It was Adam's exam the other day so I was reciting it for him. "

"You were looking super cute that day."

Haaris confessed putting his hand on his heart mocking the eighteenth-century heroes resulting in an amused laugh from her.

"You were staring at me so shamelessly. But can I tell you one thing?"

Haaris nodded fixing his gaze on her eyes which seemed to be shining more due to the dim lights of the stars and moon.

"I feel good when you look at me, I feel like I am the most beautiful lady on earth."

"You are the most beautiful lady-"

His speech stopped with his ringing phone which was showing Yawar's caller id. Haaris groaned and looked at Ghazal who questioningly watching him with confused expressions on her face.