شرر Sharar

Seventy-Nine

Ek umr bitayi hai tum bin
Ek umr beetani hai sath tumhare...

•••

"Hanan? Kya hua tumhe?" Khushnuma almost screeched when saw Hanan coming downstairs. His eyes were bloodshot red, dark circles around his eyes and hair messy.

(Hanan? What happened to you?)

Hanan, who was climbing down the stairs, got startled and looked behind, then again at Khushnuma with raised eyebrow.

"Ankhein itni surkh kyu hain? Aur chehra... fever hai kya." Going to him, she put her hand on his forehead, she was right, he is burning in fever.

(Why your eyes are red? And face... do you have fever?)

"Tum aisi halat mein niche kaise agaye? Idhar aao." First, she scolded him, then hold his arm to lead him to the sofa.

(How could you come downstairs if you weren't feeling well? Come here.)

"Mummy, I am fine." Hanan protested but she didn't hear.

"Baithe raho." She made him sit on the sofa, but he was about to get up, Khushnuma hold his shoulders and glare at him.

(Sit down.)

"Main Ayla ko bulati hoon, check up kar de tumhara." Telling him this, she left.

(I will call Ayla, she will do your check up.)

"Par main theek hoon." Hanan tried to stop her.

(But I am fine.)

•••

"Assalam-Alaikum, Chachi." Khushnuma met Ayat in on the entrance of Azlan's house, Ayat greeted her happily, she was holding a bowl of chicken gravy.

"Walekum-Assalam, tum college nahi gayi?"

(Are you not going to college?)

"Thori derr baad jayenge, pehle yeh barfi ko de dein." Ayat was saying, showing Khushnuma the bowl which she was holding, then she noticed Khushnuma's apprehensive face. "Kya hua, chachi?"

(I will leave after some time. First I have to feed Barfi.)

(What happened?)

"Ayla hai ghar pe?"

(Is Ayla at home?)

"Nahi, woh toh hospital gayi. Kyu?"

(No, she left for hospital, why?)

"Hanan ki tabiyat theek nahi." Worriedly, Khushnuma said. "Main kisi aur doctor ko bula leti hoon." She was about to leave but stopped on Ayat's voice.

(Hanan is sick.)
(I will call another doctor for him.)

"Kya hua unhe? Kal toh theek the."

(What happened to him? He was fine yesterday.)

"Fever hai." Telling her this, Khushnuma again left for her house. Hanan hardly gets sick, and whenever he does, it scares Khushnuma and she over worries for him. Ayat quickly followed after her, forgetting that Barfi is waiting for breakfast.

(He have fever.)

Like an obedient son, he was sitting in the same position as Khushnuma left him. But with a frown, which quickly vanishes away when he saw Ayat.

"Kitna temperature hai?" Ayat asked, but Khushnuma told her they haven't checked.

(What's his temperature?)