Zayne

I had never experienced happiness quite like this in my life. It wasn't just the relief of finishing my exams; it was something deeper. Everything I had endured—the pain, the confusion, the strain with my family—it was all worth it. Because Naina was the most beautiful part of my existence. She was my life.

I missed her terribly, but I was determined to give her space, careful not to overwhelm her or scare her away. Naina on the other hand, texted me frequently and called me every night. Our conversations weren't marathon sessions, but we flirted effortlessly and talking to her left me feeling buoyant throughout the day.

While I walked towards the parking lot after work, my phone buzzed in my pocket, and I smiled involuntarily. But when I pulled it out, I saw that it was my mother calling.

"Asalaamu alaikum!" my mother greeted me as I answered the call.

"Alaikum Asalaam," I responded, turning the ignition on in my car.

"When are you coming home?" she asked, her tone implying that this was a question I should have already considered.

I frowned, realizing I hadn't made any plans to go home just yet. As if sensing my confusion, she chided me gently, "Offo, you forgot? You are a doctor, but you don't remember about your own mother?"

I thought hard, trying to grasp what she was referring to, but nothing clicked.

"I am having my knee replacement surgery this week," she stated, as though it were common knowledge.

"Umma, I didn't know about this!" I exclaimed, my heart sinking.

"You forgot. I told you during our last call that I need to have my knee replaced, and you said you would come home after your exams," she replied, her voice tinged with disappointment.

Had I really forgotten something so significant? I had a week of vacation coming up after which I would be starting my third year of PG. I had been planning to spend that time with Naina. I had even booked a hotel close to her campus, and we were both looking forward to being together again.

"Umma, I'm so sorry," I said, trying to piece together the fragmented memories. I vaguely recalled her mentioning the advice from her orthopedic surgeon about the surgery.

"It's okay if you forgot. I know you have a lot on your mind with your marriage. But now that you know, you can come home," she urged. There was a hint of sadness in her voice that unsettled me.

I hesitated, torn between my desire to be there for my mother during her surgery and my longing to see Naina again.

"Okay, Umma, when is your surgery exactly? I'll come on that day and stay for two days," I decided. I convinced myself that I could still manage to carve out four days with Naina afterward.

"I want you here," her voice trembled with emotion. "This is my first surgery since your birth. I am so scared, Mone. The doctor wants me to check my heart before general anesthesia, and I've been waiting for you to come..."

Hearing her distress made my heart ache.

"Umma," I began gently, trying to tread carefully so as not to raise her ire against Naina, "it's just that I told Naina I would go to her. I even booked a hotel. You should have told me earlier, Umma." I aimed to keep my tone as soft and understanding as possible.

There was a heavy silence that hung between us for a few moments.

"Umma?" I called out softly, breaking the stillness.

"She can also come," my mother replied in a clipped tone.

"She has to work..." I began, but my mother cut me off.

"Anyway, she has failed this year, so she can take leave whenever she wants."

"Umma!" I exclaimed, shocked by her dismissive words about Naina. "Naina didn't fail. She..."

Once again, she interrupted me, her voice hardening. "Whatever. She can come if you need her to. But it would be better if it was just you."

Her words stung, and I felt the urge to defend Naina, but I remained silent, unwilling to add more fuel to the fire.

"I'll talk to Naina and see what we can do," I said. "You message me the date of your surgery. And it's Dr. Kurian who will operate on you?" I asked, recalling that he was the leading orthopedic surgeon at our hospital.

"Yeah, Dr. Kurian only," she replied, and then there was a pause. "It makes me very sad that I have to beg my only son to come and see me when I'm getting surgery."

A pang of guilt struck me. She was right; I needed to be there for her.

"But I guess after marriage, some sons forget all about their mothers," she finished and my heart went out to her.

"Umma, I'll be there..." I said softly, determined to make this work. I would find a way to be present for her, with or without Naina by my side. After discussing a few more details, I hung up, ending the call on a good note.

I felt a knot of worry tighten in my stomach at the thought of breaking the news to Naina about not being able to see her. She had been so excited, and I hated the idea of disappointing her even more than I was already disappointed myself.

After reaching home and taking a shower, I noticed that Naina had called me. I quickly heated up my dinner and dialed her number.

"Hi sweetheart!" I greeted her as her face lit up on my screen. My heartfluttered in my chest as I saw her smile widen. I used to laugh at couples who called each other "baby," "honey," or "sweetheart," but here I was, wanting to use those endearments when I addressed Naina.

"Guess what I am doing?" she asked smiling in excitement. I didn't need to guess; I could see that she was in her kitchen. She wore an apron, her glasses slightly askew, and her hair was in the messiest bun I had ever seen.

"Cooking?" I chuckled, recalling how she had made some some meal at my house after our wedding.

"I'm trying out a new recipe! I'm following Mia's Kitchen on YouTube, and she has these amazing recipes!" she said, wiping the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand.

"What are you making?" I asked, starting to eat my dinner.

"I'm making kappa, meen, and ullichammandi for you," she replied, her excitement making my heart swell. The thought of her cooking for me felt incredibly special."I won't have much time tomorrow, so I thought I would just make the kappa and meen curry today and make the chutney when you get here."

My smile faded and I swallowed. I took a bite and waited to collect myself before speaking.

"And..." she said brightly, stirring the curry and closing the lid with a flourish. "I made a list of all the places we need to try out—you will love, love, love Sabeena thattukada..."

"Naina," I interrupted, and her smile vanished in an instant as her eyebrows knitted together. I could feel my words get stuck in my throat

"You're not coming..." she said softly, her gaze dropping away from the screen as she blinked.

My heart clenched at the sight of the sadness that passed through her face, and I felt a pang of guilt for the disappointment I was about to cause.

"I'm sorry, Naina..." I said, my voice full of remorse.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, the sadness quickly morphing into worry.

"Yes, everything is fine," I reassured her, though I felt anything but. "Umma is getting knee surgery, and I have to be there. I'm so sorry, Naina..."

"Zayne, go be there for your mom," she said, surprising me with a warm smile. "She'd be so thrilled that you're going home!"

Her smile calmed me, grounding me in the moment. "Yeah..." I replied, taking another bite of my food.

"Maya has been eyeing the food. She'll be happy that she can eat it now," she laughed. I missed her with all of my being, and the longing to be with her intensified.

"Naina, can you come with me to Kollam?" I asked, knowing it was a lot to ask. It wasn't fair to put that on her, but the thought of being without her felt unbearable.

She paused for a moment, but then shook her head, her expression turning sad. "I can't, Zayne. A lot of PGs are taking vacation after their exams, so I have to cover..."

She had mentioned this before when I had talked about visiting her. She had explained that she would be busier than usual because she needed to fill in for her co-PG.

"It's okay..." I replied, trying to mask my disappointment.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, until suddenly she jumped up from her kitchen stool.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed, rushing toward the stove. The lid flew open, releasing a cloud of steam that enveloped her momentarily. I laughed as I watched her frantically scrape the pot.

I saw her pour the curry into a separate bowl and then place the pot in the sink.

"What a mess!" she said, finally turning her attention back to me. "Everything has stuck to the bottom, and I'll have to scrub the pot. I hate cooking!"

I laughed heartily and she rolled her eyes.

"I have to go. I need to clean the kitchen a little, or the maid will quit," she pouted, looking utterly adorable. My heart swelled with affection for her. I had loved her before, but what I felt now was something entirely different—something so intense that I had never experienced anything like it.

"Love you, darling..." I said, letting the words slip out. I was being cheesy as hell, but honestly, who cared?

The next day, I made the decision to cancel my reservations in Mangalore, keeping only the last night intact. I had booked a round trip to fly to Thiruvananthapuram from the Mangalore airport and back, allowing me to spend at least one precious night with Naina before heading back to Manipal.

It would be okay, right? With Advik graduating, Naina could start coming to visit me on her time off. We would be able to see each other more often. I was still apprehensive about her returning to Manipal; I couldn't shake the memory of how deeply she had broken down the last time she had been here.

After a long and unnecessarily winding journey, I finally reached my house.

"Mone!" my mother exclaimed, her arms enveloping me in a warm hug as I stepped out of the car. The driver gathered my luggage and carried it to my room

My father was inside the house, and when he saw me, he gestured for me to take a seat opposite him in the family room.

"Your travel was okay?" he asked, his eyes searching mine. I nodded in response.

"Okay, so we are changing the third floor in the hospital. We're removing pediatrics and dental, and we'll convert that space into two cath labs. We're also turning two of the regular rooms on the second floor into the CCU (Cardiac Care Unit) and making the whole floor dedicated to cardiology patients." My father's voice was steady, but I felt a rush of blood to my ears as he laid out the plans. I forced myself to stay calm; this had always been the plan, the reason I had chosen this path. I was good at what I did, and I enjoyed it. Yet, something felt off, like a whisper of unease shadowing my thoughts.

My mother handed me a steaming cup of tea, before turning to my father. "He just got here. Let him settle in, and then you can talk business," she advised, glaring at him.

Then she turned back to me, her eyes sparkling with love. "I made some unnakaya for you," she announced proudly.

"Umma, you keep feeding me rich food whenever I come home..." I protested, though the enticing aroma of the sweet treat made my mouth water.

"Look at you! You look so lean. Are you starving over there? You're married now; your wife should be doing these things for you..." she replied, a sad smile on her face.

I didn't take the bait, instead choosing to enjoy the warm unnakaya, savoring the flavor of home.

"You know, there was a nice alliance who had come for you," she began. I let out a frustrated sigh and I rubbed my temples. Not this again! I was already married—why were we revisiting this topic?

"She just graduated from Yenepoya Medical College. She doesn't plan to work—homely girl," my mother continued and I gritted my teeth.

"Why is she a doctor if she doesn't want to practice?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me despite my annoyance.

"To marry a doctor," my mother replied matter-of-factly. "Why did I pursue a BBA? I wasn't planning to start a business; I married a businessman. Husbands and wives need to be able to talk to each other and fully understand..."

"Umma, Naina really understands me, and I understand her," I stated firmly, hoping to put an end to the conversation.

My mother pursed her lips, a frown of displeasure forming on her face as she processed my response. I knew she meant well, but it was exhausting not to mention unfair to my wife, to navigate this territory over and over again.

"Umma, why don't you sit down, and we'll talk about your surgery?" I suggested, eager to shift the focus and ease the tension between us.

The rest of the week passed in a blur. I reviewed my mother's medications and collaborated with her cardiologist, ensuring everything was in order for her upcoming surgery. She underwent a stress test to assess her heart's condition prior to the procedure and the results were reassuring.

The surgery itself went smoothly. Afterward, we arranged for a physical therapist to work with her at home for the initial month. Once she was stable, she would transition to the hospital for further therapy sessions.

After ensuring that everything was in place for my mother's recovery, I made my way back to Mangalore. It felt surreal to be returning, especially since Naina had no idea I was coming. I had asked Maya to make sure she would be home, hoping to surprise her.

As I approached her apartment, my heart raced, excitement coursing through me. I stood in front of the door, my palms slightly sweaty, and took a deep breath to steady myself. And then, I rang the bell.

In a few seconds, the door swung open, Naina's arms draped around my neck and her lips crashed into mine, leaving me completely breathless.

Asalaamu alaikum/ wa alaikum asalaam: muslim greeting: peace be on you/ on you too

kappa, meen, and ullichammandi: tapioca, fish and smallonion paste

Unnakaya: deep fried ripe banana filled with coconut and jaggery

Thank you for reading.

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

❤️Faiza