Part 3
Asfandyar hurried towards Dr. Asifa when he saw her.
"Actually Dr. Asifa, I just got a call from a village nearby. A lady doctor is required for an emergency case. We don't have time to send the ambulance and bring the patient back. So we must go with the ambulance along with the supplies."
Asifa: "I am sorry, Asfand I can't come. I am on my way to the operation theatre. They just brought in an emergency delivery. You probably should look for someone else. I think Dr. Zubia may go with you."
Asfandyar went to the reception and asked about the other two lady doctors. One was on leave and the other was busy with Dr. Sharoze which left only Zubia.
He was purposefully trying to avoid her. He couldn't understand her. He was pretty sure she was not indifferent to him. May be something was holding her back. Or maybe, he was wrong and she genuinely was not interested as she put it. After all, his luck at the matters of the heart had not been good. He couldn't blame her of betraying him. There had been no promises which she had broken. She was under no obligation to reciprocate his feelings. But she did reciprocate, his heart protested. The more he thought about it, the more he became confused. Her demeanor, her tone; everything was so unlike her the day she so out rightly rejected him. The past few days had been so busy that he hadn't gotten time to dwell over everything that had happened. His brain told him to let her be, her life her choices. His heart protested, the broken heart she had mended and then shattered so mercilessly only wanted her.
Zubia interrupted his train of thoughts as she called out to him.
"Sir you called me?"
"Dr. Zubia get ready. We are leaving for Keran right now. It's about an hour long drive. There is an emergency..."
He continued speaking while Zubia's brain got struck at "hour long". How could she stay aloof and distant in a cramped up space of his car. The man had this knack of seeing through her. It was one thing to barge in his office, give a thoroughly rehearsed speech and move out while sitting with him alone for an hour was no mean feat.
"Dr. Zubia we are getting late. Can you please hurry up?"
Asfand spoke coldly while she made no move to accompany him.
"Dr. Asfandyar, actually I... umm Dr. Sharoze asked me to..."
Asfand looked at her agitated.
"I have already talked to him. Hurry up, time is running out."
With that he walked out towards the parking lot. She had no choice but to follow him. When she reached there, she saw Rustom taking out the ambulance. She turned to him and spoke meekly.
"I'll make sure everything is in order in the ambulance."
Asfand passed her a knowing look and replied.
"For God's sake, Dr. Zubia, don't act so foolishly. We'd be able to reach faster by the jeep. You can do better than this. A good doctor must never let his or her personal life cloud the professional one. Now please get in."
The first few minutes passed quietly but then the silence started to get to her. Normally, he used to make small talk and it didn't get so awkward. Nothing was the same anymore. She only had herself to blame. She waited for some time for him to say something. When she couldn't take it anymore, she spoke, taking care not to tread into unsafe waters.
"Can you please brief me about the case?"
Asfandyar looked at her for a moment and started telling her about the patient. When he was done, he went into his no talking mode again.
"How far is it?
She tried again.
"20 more minutes max.
Part 4
The two men who were pulling him earlier hurriedly left and made a run towards their car. Asfandyar felt the world go dark around him as Zubia fell into his arms. Somebody pulled both of them behind the police mobile. Asfand carefully laid her on the ground to examine her wound while gunshots continued to be fired. He tore her dupatta and tied it tightly around her arm to limit the amount of bleeding. Then he picked her up to take her to the jeep. The policeman who had pulled them behind the mobile spoke.
"I don't think you should drive in this state. Also if there are any more of those men, they may attack you again. Come I will take you to the hospital."
He got into the back of the mobile, with Zubiya in his arms while the policeman took hold of the driving seat. Asfand saw Bahadur's dead body lying on the road along with another man while the rest of them had fled.
He looked at unconscious Zubia in his lap. With tears in his eyes he went on repeating.
"Zubi please stay with me. Everything will be fine."
Asfandyar fished his pockets to look for his cell in order to call the hospital to alert them. He had forgotten his cell in the jeep.
Dr. Sharoze was coming out of the hospital when he saw a distraught Asfandyar carrying Zubia hurriedly moving towards the hospital entrance. He immediately alerted the emergency staff and rushed to Asfandyar.
Lubna sat down next to Usman and said.
"Dekhen na Usman mai kab se Asfi ko call kr rahi hoon wo mera phone nai utha raha. Ap try karen."
Usman smiled a little and replied.
"Agar tumhara phone nai utha raha to mera kia kisi special connection ki through lagay ga? Koi emergency hogi. Farig ho k kr le ga call. Fikr nai karo."
L: "Kesay fikr nai krun. Wo yahan se door kisi gaon mai gya huwa hai. Zubia sath hai uskay. Vo ghair zimaidar nai hai. Maine to Zubia ko bhi kai baar call ki hai. Uska number bhi no reply hai. Mera dil boht ghabra raha hai."
One of the servants came running and said.
"Vo gaon walay bol rahay hain Bahadur ne Dr Saab pe hamla kr diya. Vo to police pohanch gayi moqay pe. Unko haspataal vohi poncha ke gaye en. Ek goli lagi e doctor saab ko."
L: "Driver ko bolo gaari nikalay. Hm abhi hospital jaenge."
As soon as she reached the hospital, Lubna rushed to the reception and asked.
"Asfi kahan hai? Dr. Asfandyar."
"Ma'am he is in the operation theatre with Dr. Zubia. Dr. Sheroze is also there."
The nurse replied.
Right then Lubna saw Gaiti, visibly shaken with tears in her eyes. She moved forward and hugged her.
"Ye kya ho gya Gaiti!"
Gaiti: "Mama dua kren bas. Dr. Sharoze said sb theek ojae ga. Goli baazu mai lagi e. Umeed hai sab theek ojae ga."
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