A/N: don't kill me for this part, too much lovey dovey ho gaya tha I had to bring some spice into their lives because if you don't want to kill your significant other some days then what are you doing with your life heheh. Hope you enjoy!
The results on an internal review at the hospital were not very good; the report from a recent emergency situation did not come out up to the mark and a recent meeting between staff and different levels of management, administration and board of directors ended up pretty disastrous. Although the outcome of the emergency incident was not fatal and the report itself praised some steps that were taken during the emergency; it did shed light on the lack of emergency preparedness in medical as well as administration staff. Asfand held a meeting with his medical and administration staff and some of the comments he made during that meeting were scathing. He was disappointed at the lack of judgement showed by some of his staff members and had questioned their ability to work there. Dr. Asifa and Dr. Haroon ended up playing the referee in the meeting and had to take charge of the situation to calm everyone down. Zubiya had missed the meeting due to attending an emergency delivery and heard the details from Dr. Asifa. She was aware of his temper and knew what he expected out of everyone, but still she was not pleased to hear some of the stuff he had said during the meeting.
Asfand was on the phone when she went to see him so she walked in and sat down in front him. She could see the frown lines on his forehead and the restlessness in his body when he was talking. She waited for him to finish the call.
A: Kaisi rahi tumhari delivery, he asked after finishing up on his call.
Z: Good, the baby may be slightly jaundiced. I have requested blood work to test bilirubin, will know by this evening.
A: Hmm, good. He said while reading something on his computer screen.
Z: Apki meeting kaisi thi - there! She finally asked and prepared herself mentally for the imminent. She saw his fingers pause on the keyboard and his jaw clench. He turned to look at her.
A: Don't act like you haven't heard from your friends
Z: What DOES that supposed to mean?
A: It means what I said. The staff here is more interested in chit-chat than actually getting the work done. No one here is interested in improving themselves. I am pretty sure kisi ney tum ko pori sob story bata di hogi. How awful your husband is and how he treats people that work here.
Z: Asfand you are making this bigger than it needs to be. Just because of one report, you cannot paint everyone with the same brush. Hum sab log yahan bahut mehnat kartey hain. Everyone wishes to provide the best service and treatment.
A: Well clearly WISHING is not good enough. I need to figure out kya karna hai so I can implement change. Whoever is not on board with that is more than welcome to leave.
Z: You don't have to take this on yourself. I am sure if we all work together to...
He cut her off - "Dr Zubiya, there is no work together. This is MY hospital and MY reputation on the line; I expect the best and am more than capable of figuring out how to resolve this issue" She could feel his volume and his temper rising. She reached out and touched his hand.
Z: Asfand yeh itna bara issue nahi hay jo ap itna worked up ho rahe hain. Discussion karney sey problems resolve hotey hain. We all care about this hospital's reputation. And if anything, your current attitude will turn staff away from you than become part of the solution.
A: This may not be a big deal to you but yeh MERA masla hai! And please don't come here advocating for your friends, you will obviously take their side because you are one of them. I know what you are trying to do and your wifely techniques are not going to work here, you think you can come here and be all "Zubiya the sweetheart" and I will melt. Let me tell you Zubiya, this is not our home...He said as he pulled his hand out of her hand. He saw the colour change on her face and immediately regretted what he said.
A: Zubiya...But she got up still looking at him in disbelief as his words sank in, she turned around and walked out. Not forgetting to slam his door on her way out
He walked out to the nurse's station as the sun was setting.
A: Dr. Hira, Zubiya kahan hai?
Hira: Sir, she went home about an hour ago.
He was surprised she didn't tell him when she was leaving. He said his good byes and left. He saw her sitting on the grass playing with Saim when he got home. She didn't turn around or acknowledge his presence when Saim ran up to him to give him a hug. His parents and bhabi were sitting inside finishing up dinner.
Usman: Ajao beta khana kha lo. His dad said as Asfand sat down on the dining chair. Asfand glanced outside to see Saim chasing Zubiya as they both ran on the grass.
Gaiti: Saim or Zubiya kha chukey hain they were really hungry. Looks like they are burning their calories now may be they will be hungry again. She said laughing.
A: Oh! It's okay, main ney bhi Dr. Shahroz ke saath sham main kuch kha liya tha. I am going to go freshen up. He went upstairs to shower and change. He waited for her to come up but she did not so he made his way down and saw her sitting on the couch with Saim reading a book.
A: Saim can you tell your chachi to make me some chai.
Z: Saim can you remind your chacho that he is more than capable of doing everything on his own,I think he can make chai for himself too. He chuckled hearing her response.
Saim: I don't know what you're saying chachi, can you say it again? Poor kid was all confused.
Z: Saim chalo let's read in your room without anyone else disrupting us. She picked up Saim and his book and walked towards the hallway.
Asfand did not see her in bed when he went upstairs that night. He went to Saim's room and saw her sleeping there. "So this is a real protest now" he smiled and thought. "I will talk to her tomorrow" he promised himself and left.
The next few days went by in the same routine. She would avoid him at the hospital and at home. She slept with Saim as much as she could or fell asleep before he came in the room. She ate before he came home and picked up extra hours and shifts at work to make sure their schedules did not meet. He was also busy in resolving the recent crisis at the hospital. Dr. Shahroz and Dr. Asifa had convinced him to form a joint committee that consisted of medical as well as the admin staff to assess the current state of their hospital's "Emergency Preparedness" and to determine what steps need to be taken to be where they would like to be. He barely had time to figure out how to approach her.
She had just come out of the shower and was drying her hair in front of the mirror with her robe on. She heard the door slam as he walked in earlier than she was expecting him.
A: What the hell is going on? He roared as he stood adjacent to her with his arms folded across his chest. She slowly brought the hairdryer down, turned it off and shook her hair with her hands before turning towards him.
Z: I am sorry; I didn't hear you over the blow-dryer. What do you want? She asked calmly.
A: Why did you refuse to be part of the joint committee at the hospital?
Z: Because I have the right to refuse. She turned away from him, picked up her lotion and started putting it on her neck and hands.
A: No you don't actually! You are one of the doctors who has been at the hospital from the beginning and I think you need to be on the committee. The way his eyes were staring at her and the way each word was coming out, she could tell he was struggling to keep his voice and anger at some reasonable level.
Z: I don't have the time to take on projects that don't really impact MY reputation. Yeh mera masla nahi hai. She said as she tried to walk way. He had her wrist in his hand in a millisecond. He pulled her back and swiftly pushed her with his body so her back was against the wall. He put both his hand on either sides of her head and leaned over her.
A: Zubiya what the hell do you think you are doing? What is with this childish behaviour, we need to talk about the issue don't walk away from me. She looked up at him and he saw the defiance in her eyes and stance.
Z: This is our home and your bossy Dr. Asfandyar rage and techniques will not work here. I have no desire to talk about work here.
A: Well then, since you don't want to talk about work, let's do what husbands and wives usually do at home. He said as he slammed his lips on hers. His one hand went to the front of her robe and undid the knot as his hand went inside. He could smell her freshly showered skin and hair and felt aroused just by breathing in her scent. She pushed him hard with both her hands and turned her face away.
Z: I have the right to refuse this as well. You cannot just come here and make me do whatever you want. I am not your employee here. He was stunned by her response. She realized the gravity of what had slipped out of her mouth but it was too late, she was too angry too proud to take it back now.
A: Theek hai, I will not lay a finger on you till the day you come to me yourself and explicitly give your consent. YOU have made this issue bigger than it needs to be and NOW I will make sure you learn that two can play this disgusting game. I refuse to you let you be the victim this time. He looked at her one last time before walking out of the room.
Zubiya stood there with tears running down her face.
😆
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