His heart is stopping. Sinking to the lowest...As he sees his daughter so pale and burning with fever.

He looks outside. Weather is really bad...and Nobody is in house too. There is no other option...

He picks lying keys..and adjusts saira. He moves towards door..

No matter what Saira was and is his priority and will be..No one can change that. No one...His life resides in her body. His heart beats with her...

He rushes outside only to be stopped by a snow covered Naina...

He looks at her...and sees her eys flickering..And then horror emerges in them.

'what happe ed to Saira? Aap kaha le ja rahe ho usko?'

His parched lips are unable to form words. He tries to convey that his jaan is not good...at all.

'Saira....Ko bahut tej..Bukhar he.'

And She checks her forehead..Then her pulse.

soon she asks him to give Saira to her..

'Nahi...' He denies..

'Dekhiye..Mausam bahut kharab he. I am too a doctor. Aur us se pahle Me is ki Ma hu. Let me check her. Please..'

Reluctantly He hands her over..burning form of Saira.

He watches her taking Saira to his bedroom. He is still at door...

his heart has not begun beating yet.

He follows her to his bedroom. Where she has lied Saira down and is now checking her fever..

'Wo lukewarm water aur ek saaf kapda la dijiye.. '

He rushes to kitchen. And brings water bowl along a fresh clothe.

She wipes her body clean. Gives her an injection. Then she looks at him...

He is still there...a soul less fluttering bird...whose life is stuck to his heart. and with its slow beating he is going to give up soon.

'Halka sa infection he. Dont worry. She is sensitive kid. Thats why usko itna tej fever aaya..Within one hour she will be up. Dont panic.'

But he is still...the same.

This is the same moment...He has felt same years ago...When his Arwa left him.

He loved Arwa. Moon and back. He was living with his heart beating in three places..One in saira and second in Arwa' body. Third being his own..The moment second part dissociated it from him...He lost so much. And got so much pain..too..

Right now seeing his daughter so pale and silent he has been going through the same phase...

Naina is treating his daughter. and he is standing at door..like a doe who has lost everything...He is scared to go and touch Saira...fearing if his touch is good for her or not..

Naina is putting wet strips on her forehead. now and then checking her temperature..

And he...is so rigid where he has been standing for minutes.

He watches Naina and Saira...His daughter and her mother.

After much time Saira wiggles under the covers..and comforters and quilts..

'nainaa..'

And Suddenly he is alive..looking at his heart beating like a living organ..

He leaps to saira and pepps her  face with his kisses. Hugging her tightly...and murmuring how he almost lost himself for a moment..

meanwhile naina watches all this tearfully.

__________

Saira is lying. Naina is changing her clothes.

'Aapne kya khaya tha Saira? Mene mana kiya tha na...Aap kuch thanda nahi khaoge!' 

girl is bit scared..

'wo..Saira ne kuch thanda ni khaya ..wo...'

'kya wo? Aap ko malum he na ki aapko ye sab mana he. Agar aapko kuch thanda khana hi he....to mere ko bolte me kych alternative laa kar deti..Is tarah se agar aap beemar padoge to Aapke abbu ko kitna tension hoga! aur phir wo aapko kahi bahar lekar nahi jayenge..sath me dher sari medicine bhi leni hogi....Ye sab galat he na..Aapne wada kiya tha..Aap bhool gaye?'

She pouts...And then...tells her..

'Hum to bas titliya pakad rahe the...bahar...'

'Iska matlab Aap bahar thandi hawa me ghoom rahe the...'

and she nods...hesitantly..

'Agar aapke abbu ko pata chala ye to aapko room me lock karwa denge. Samjhi..saira madam. Itna bahr ghumogi thand me to aapke overprotective abbu apko ghar me hi band kar denge.'

'lekin saira ko bahar ghumna he!'

'aur bimar padna he? Bilkul nahi..No.'

'Saira aapse bat nahi karti..'

'Abhi bolu aapke abbu ko ki aap Subah subah Baago ko sair kar rhi thi..Bolu kya?'

'Naina...'

'kya Naina. Chalo...pahle ye souo piyo aur ohir medicine lo aur so jaao...Warna..'

'saira aapse baat nahi karegi!'

'accha beta! Saira humse baat nahi karegi! Koi nahi..Me jaakar apni stories kosi aur ko sunaungi..'

'nahiii...Saira aapse baat nahi karegi lekin aapki kahani to sunegi na..'

'waah beta! Diplomacy...Wo bhi ghar me. Chalo soup piyo...Phir kal mere sath market chalna...Colour book lekar aayenge. Colour karna psand he na?'

And suddenly fever ill Saira jumps on bed...Causing naina to stumble a bit..

'areee...Mummy doctor he iska matlab ye nahi ki pahli dose me hi nachne lago. Soup piyo...'

and she makes her have soup...to which saira has too many complains...

'Saira ko ye soup nahi pasand.'

'saira ko ye chammach nahi pasand..'

'saira ko ye pyaala nahi Pasand..'

She plates soup down...and stares at her..intently.

'Ruko tum..Tumhe me Karela khilati hu...Phir dekhti hu ki kya nahi pasand! Such a melodramatic baby I have!'

She giggles and snuggles into soft covers more giving Naina a warm smile and fluttering many more tiny joyous fires inside her heart.

Soon she is asleep with a slight smile on her ajar lips and letting drool flow through that space.

Naina kisses her forehead and looks at her for long.

From a loner with no one in world, she has become a mother to a cute daughter.

Good or bad, Naushad deserves credit.

And then it strikes...Naushad has been in his room all the time since she had sent him to take rest after assuring him about Saira. She leaps to door. He is also on her list...to nurse...Today..and tonight.

_______________

Shock!

This is what she gets the moment she enters study.

He is sitting besides sofa on the floor. Carpet is not there. Not to forget its a hilly area and floor is ice cold.

Naina jumps to him. And tries to alarm him about his position.

'Its..Its too cold to sit. Sofa par baithiye na. Aapko bhi thand lag jaayegi. Uthiye. come on..Get up.'

He never buzzes...And Hesitantly Naina has to hold his hand to make him stand..

This is when he comes out from his zone and lets Naina see into his eyes..

she holds his forearm tightly and pulls up. he stands up and absent mindedly sits on sofa...leaving Naina surprised and emotional at the same time.

She is surprised to see absence of iceberg he used to be..and she is feeling emotional as small incident made him so vulnerable, so feeble.

Who would say this is same Naushad who is feared in army?

She sees his eyes clouded with so much water but not ready to spill out. She holds him close to her. assures her by snuggling closer ..telling him its ok. saira is ok. She is sleeping. But its not done the deed. She tries one more time. She holds his face and makes him look into her eyes...

and she never gets the time to take the cue but it happens and his eyes lets the damn broke.

He is crying..

and her own heart has also clenched. She engulfs him tightly leaving no space between them.

'I am....I..I am.not a good father. She was passed out cold...and...I...I..I never was there for her.....I....I...I dont deserve her..Arwa was right. I dont deserve love...I am not the worthy...I am not..'

and Unknown to her her own eyes has deceived her. She is crying too..

'Nahi Naushad. Its not like that. You deserve love. doesnt Saira love you? didnt Naveen love you? He even let you take care of me. It was extent of his belief. Was it out of thin air? He loved you. And Saira...She is little child. How much you mean to her, who would understand it better than me?'

He hiccups like a child..telling her she is wrong.

'No..She cant. All I have done is isolate her. Secluded her..and close her within these walls. I...I feel like a monster father. No..I..Dont.'

'shh..You know very well why Saira is behind these walls! You know na. Your protecting her without letting your affection and care come across. who would do it? Your not a monster. Your protective father...one of the best.'

he stands up abruptly making her almost fall back.

'meri tassali ke liye jooth mat bolo..Naina. I know what type of person I am! And...I cant..help it.'

last words though were whisper but her heart heard them and made her leap to him. hold his hands and pull him back to her.

'Naushad. Look at me..Please.'

he doesnt.

but she makes him. Then wipes his cheek. eyes..cups his face..

'We are humans...arent we? Arent we supposed to feel emotional? Arent we supposed to learn from experience? And aren't we suppose to do mistakes and learn? How can you blame yourself? Haven't I been rude to you?'

He shook his head..

'I deserved that though.'

'No..You didnt..and you dont. You were protecting the ones you love. Didnt I do the same? didnt I stop myself from getting familiar with this place? Naushad...dont blame yourself. Saira is ok. It was just cold. she went out and caught cold. She will be ok soon. why are you blaming yourself and exhausting yourself?'

He almost shouted...

'your not getting it Naina..your not getting it. Dont you see she went out behind my back! She hides things. She never shares her happiness with me. and top of that I fail her. I am not able to make her happy as I used to. I am not taking care of her. And its all because of my...past.'

'Naushad...'

'You dont know Naina How it feels when the one whom you have given your everything just shatters your world. Your love is thrown away like anything, degraded like it never mattered. and you....you cant even ask why.'

He holds her hands which were holding his cheeks before.

'I was left behind...because I was not able to cope up with fast changing world. I was not good lover because I kept Arwa to myself. I could not get along with her ambitions. I failed her. My love came out as nothing. My emotions...my feelings..my heart...She crushed everything. Kabhi mud kar nahi dekha usne..Kabhi koi wajah nahi batayi...and I like a crazy pathetic lover kept on pegging on her. I waited for her. Every damn night! Every damn day..Every damn moment. But she never came back.'

'I feel like meri mohbbat me hi kuch kami rah gayi thi..And I wanted to improve this badly. I was ready to accept all her conditions..But she never looked back.'

He cries now...like real.

'Mujhe samajh nahi aata...Ki Meri nakam mohbbat mera picha kyu nahi chhodti. I want to forget every damn thing...but then again every damn thing reminds me of my failed relation! Saira does herself. She reminds me I could have stopped Arwa if I had agreed to her earlier. My daughter would not be without a mother for a long if I had let Arwa do what she wanted. I see myself guilty yet broken.'

'Arwa found my love shackle in her wings. She cut them open'

'Mujhe uske shauk se koi shikayat ni thi. But my daughter needed her..And it just made her leave us..'

'why, Naina? Was it much I asked her? Meri beti se uska koi rishta nahi tha? Achanak se uske khwab itne bade ho gaye ki usko meri nanhi si jaan dikhai ni di? Kyu Naina? Why Me? Why my daughter?'

He holds onto her...tightly. His cheeks stained with tears and still rivolutes are flowing down..

Naina has no reply. She has no idea how to console this very big and mature man. Not when she herself has seen fair share of betrayals..

But then She has something in her heart. at least she is not grieved as him. And this makes her eligible to hold him tightly, Engulf him and take him to her own shed. Under her own shadow she pulls him in.

'You cant mend things alone Naushad. And You deserve love. Saira loves you...the most. Not even I can take your place..Its just she is scared to show her love. But she loves you. Your her hero...her everything.'

'your lying...She doesnt love me as much as she does to you.'

'She loves you the most. Even when she talks me, its you..always.'

'Really?'

'Hmm..And she understands you too. Daughter always are understanding. She is too...pretty much.'

he wipes his eyes.

'she is my daughter after all.'

'mine too.'

'Hmm'

And his head dips to her neck while her hands are patting his back...trying to soothe him. Soon he is asleep...making Naina to fall back on sofa..His whole weight on her....

Today she doesn't seem to mind this bitter weight. Because she knows He has a heart. And with his broken heart he deserves a chance..and most of care as he has become cynical. Its not his fault that he loved wrong person....

....But it will be Naina' fault if she let him rot himself like this. If she lets him burn himself alone in grief, she will be at fault.

She holds strong yet vulnerable Captain and adjust both of them on sofa...Giving things a try. Sleeping soon in process.

Happy belated bday Ashi. sainiashi14 Its my style to wish late because its the way to be the last and memorable one..😂😂😂.