Zayne

Since my last visit, Naina had opened up to me more. She would send me pictures of herself or message me about random things throughout the day. Little by little, she started to resemble the Naina I had fallen in love with.

As I wrapped up some orders, my phone buzzed with Naina's call. I smiled at the sight of her name on the screen.

"Zayne, you won't believe what happened today," her voice was animated, and I chuckled.

"Tell me," I said, hanging my white coat on my arm as I made my way to the parking lot.

"My patient was telling me about how she had abdominal pain every time her husband came into the room and gave her some ayurvedic medicine to increase their chances of having children."

I got into my car, listening to her story.

"So I thought maybe he was poisoning her  or that she was having an allergic reaction to the medication, right?" she continued.

"Yeah," I answered, eager to hear more.

"She then told me she had blood in her stools and vomiting, along with significant weight loss," Naina explained. "Her labs showed severe iron deficiency anemia."

"Okay," I responded, not entirely sure where she was leading with this. I turned the ignition and headed towards my apartment.

"Maya saw me taking her for an endoscopy and told me that this was actually her patient who was suffering from paranoid delusions. Her husband's passing had triggered her schizophrenia, leading to her extreme paranoia and her refusal to eat."

I found myself smiling. She was so cute when she was excited!

Naina concluded her tale, "So her weight loss was from her refusal to eat, and her anemia was from malnutrition rather than blood loss. Anyways, she got the endoscopy, and it was completely normal."

"Good you ran into Maya," I said with a chuckle.

"How was your day?" she asked me.

"It was okay. Nothing special. I did a few angiograms and observed the placement of an Impella," I replied.

Interventional cardiology had always captivated me. The ability to save a person's life when they were teetering on the brink of death - it resonated with me deeply. It wasn't about the sense of power or the adrenaline rush; rather, it was the profound feeling of closeness to God that I experienced in those moments. The trust He placed in me to carry out such important work, to safeguard human life. Despite this not being the path I might have chosen for myself, I knew without a doubt that this was the path I was meant to pursue. Just as I had always known that I was meant to marry Naina.

"That's so cool, Zayne!" Naina exclaimed. Then, she paused. "Can I come see you?"

It had been five weeks since I'd seen her. My weekends had been filled to the brim. As much as I was elated at the thought of her visit, I hesitated. I didn't want her to come to Manipal. I didn't want to jeopardize the progress we had made, and I definitely didn't want her to unexpectedly run into that asshole.

"I'll try to come visit you soon, okay?" I promised, feeling uncomfortable with my upcoming second-year exams coming up.

"Hmmm..." she hummed, and in that moment, I longed to kiss her. Maybe I could do a day trip.

Soon it was Sunday, the day I would be seeing Naina, and I was filled with excitement and nervous anticipation. I had to complete my rounds early in the morning and ensure I was available over the phone as needed. I needed to trust my intern to notify me of any significant findings. Some of the nurses had my number too, and I trusted some of them more than I did my intern.

I wasn't on call and my current patients were stable. I finally felt comfortable enough to head for Mangalore.

I arrived at Naina's apartment a little past noon. As soon as I knocked on the door, it swung open and I was greeted by the embrace of two eager arms. Maya.

"I'm so glad you're here!" she exclaimed, her smile radiating warmth.

I returned her smile but I felt a tinge of disappointment that Naina wasn't in sight.

"Where's Naina?" I inquired.

"In our room," Maya replied, her smile fading.

"Is she getting dressed or something?" I asked confused.

She shrugged. "She's been in there a while now. She's... You'll see. I'm just glad you are here."

I hesitated and then knocked at the door. There was no answer. I felt a little afraid now. I turned the handle and it opened. Naina was just sitting on her bed, wearing her pajamas - disheveled and very much unlike herself.

I closed the door behind me and took a tentative step forward. She looked at me but didn't say anything. I moved closer and sat next to her on the bed.

Studying her face, I noticed the redness around her lids, the dullness in her eyes, the pinkness of her nose, and the unusual prominence of the scar on her forehead.

I had spoken to her just yesterday; she seemed a bit quieter than the week before, but she had seemed okay. Why hadn't Maya said anything to me?

"Naina?" I said her name softly.

A tear escaped her eye, and she quickly wiped it away. "I'm sorry. I'll go get changed. I was just..."

She grabbed some clothes from her shelf and hurried into the bathroom.

As she disappeared, I scanned the room for any indication of what was happening. That's when I noticed it - a purple card with silver writing on it.

"Fathima Raheem and Raheem Arrakal cordially invite you to the wedding reception of their daughter, Dr. Raheem, and their son-in-law, Dr. Advik Chaco Kaliyankal, on Sunday, October 1st, 2023 at the Le Meridien Convention Hall."

If everything had gone according to plan, she would have graduated this month and would have been married next Sunday to the asshole.

I felt a pang of irritation. We had been married for almost six months now. How much longer would it take for her to even see me?

Quietly, I returned the wedding invitation to its place and stepped into the living room, where Maya sat on the couch, engrossed in her phone.

"I need your help," I said to her. "I'm coming back next week, and I want to do something special for her."

Maya frowned as she looked up at me, then nodded. She continued to scroll through her phone, and my device buzzed. I received a series of screen shots with lengthy text. Furrowing my brow, I began to read it slowly.

"And there he stood, dressed in a tux, holding a bouquet of flowers. He took my hand and led me to the rooftop, where a helicopter awaited us..."

I continued reading, not entirely understanding what the purpose of this message was.

"We were in Paris. He had reserved the whole restaurant just for us."

Exasperated, I looked at Maya. "I don't have that kind of money. And even if I did, we don't have visas to go to Paris on such short notice," I said, rolling my eyes in disbelief.

The next screenshot left me feeling flushed. It depicted a sex scene involving a blindfold, ropes, and a detailed description of oral sex.

"Maya!" I exclaimed, but she simply laughed openly at my reaction.

"It's just inspiration!" she managed to say between fits of laughter.

Not wanting to be outdone, I adopted a deadpan expression. "So, your professional advice is for me to have oral sex with her," I asked, holding back a smirk.

Her laughter faded, and she retorted, "Was that my professional advice? Are you my patient?" Her irritation was apparent, and I realized I had struck a nerve. Maya cherished the freedom to be lighthearted and carefree in her personal life, contrasting with the careful deliberation required in her professional interactions.

I raised my hands in surrender and then asked her in all seriousness, "Does Naina enjoy stuff like this?"

"I don't know. She enjoys reading stuff like this," she informed me.

A smile played on my lips as I made a mental note to recreate one of these dates, minus the oral sex.

Maya and I continued our conversation until Naina finally joined us.

As she approached, a small smile graced her lips. Despite knowing that she had been in tears over someone else, my heart skipped a beat at her presence.

"Lunch?" I offered, and she nodded in agreement.

"Are there any new places that you want to try out?" I asked as we got into the car. This had been our thing during her first year of PG. One of us would stumble upon a new spot and text the other. Sometimes, it would turn out to be a delightful surprise, while at other times, it proved to be quite underwhelming.

She shook her head.

"Okay, we'll go to Halo Cafe if that's okay with you."

"Sure," she said, gazing out the window.

I grappled with whether to bring up her wedding date or inquire about what was troubling her. I had six or seven hours with her today, and I sincerely hoped they wouldn't be spent listening to how much she missed the asshole and how she wished she were with him instead of me.

I realized I was being selfish and I took a deep breath. "Naina, something has changed. What happened?"

"Can we not talk about it, please? I'm just trying to..." Her voice wavered, and she quickly wiped away a tear.

"Okay, but if you do want to talk, I'm here..." I assured her, fully committed to being there for her, even if it hurt me in the process.

She continued to gaze out the window in silence, offering no response to my attempt at conversation.

As we finally arrived at the cafe, the idyllic setting took my breath away. The outdoor seating was surrounded by lush greenery, and the gentle sea breeze carried with it the tantalizing aroma of the food.

I decided on their signature Pizza Gamberi while Naina opted for a salad of some kind. As we waited for the food, I attempted to engage her in conversation.

"So, what have you been up to?" I inquired.

"Nothing new..." she murmured softly, absentmindedly fiddling with the skin around her fingernails.

"Well, guess what?" I asked her enthusiastically, but she didn't look up. "I ended up doing an actual Impella-assisted PCI." I felt a surge of pride at this achievement. The Impella was a critical device used to support the heart during procedures to address blockages in the heart's blood supply. It was a challenging procedure, even for experienced cardiologists, but I managed to execute it with steady hands and achieve a positive outcome.

"Is it hard to do?" Naina asked, finally giving me her full attention. Her expertise lay in general medicine, so the nuances of interventional cardiology were unfamiliar to her.

"The Impella itself isn't difficult to place, but it's usually used in complex cases where the interventions on the coronary arteries are particularly challenging," I explained and then proceeded to giving her with details of the procedure. Naina listened attentively, displaying her characteristic interest in understanding and learning.

I cherished these moments when I could share my work with her. I appreciated her attentive listening, her eagerness to comprehend unfamiliar topics, and her willingness to engage in meaningful conversations.

Naina would complete her course late and could come to stay with me in the end of December. Around three months. I couldn't wait!

Naina was in a better mood after lunch, and we decided to go for a short walk.

We walked through the familiar streets of Mangalore under the relentless sun. Naina pulled out her umbrella.

"I brought this one to show you," she said, smiling as she took out the umbrella and opened it, holding it over both of us. To my amusement, the umbrella had a fan attached to it.

I laughed. "Aren't you afraid that your hair might get caught up in the fan and get pulled?"

Naina rolled her eyes. "I am now!" She quickly turned the fan off.

"I'll hold it up high," I offered, taking the umbrella.

We continued our stroll in silence as the sun's rays kissed the pastel facades of colonial-era buildings, adorned with intricate wooden carvings. The air was perfumed with the aroma of spices from the nearby markets, mingling with the salty breeze of the sea.

We turned into a narrow alley flanked by vibrant bazaars, displaying textiles, handicrafts, and handmade jewelry in every hue imaginable.

The alley gave way to the shoreline, where the sea unfolded into the horizon. Traditional fishing boats with vibrantly painted hulls swayed gently in the harbor.

Naina's gaze lingered on the ocean, while my eyes remained glued to her. I noticed her swallow, then close her eyes for a few seconds, as though summoning her resolve.

I shifted the umbrella to my other hand and reached for hers. Her hands felt cold and clammy.

I made up my mind as I held her hand. I was taking the weekend off next week. I had waited long enough for her, and it was time to make her mine.

Thank you for reading.

Remember that you are amazing, and there is a reason for everything. You are going to be okay.

❤️Faiza