The guard did not move, but he turned to give him enough space at the glass window. Samar stepped up, his eyes falling on Adil, awake. He was laughing at Atharva. Samar breathed a sigh of relief. If he was awake and laughing, everything was ok inside him. Hopefully.
You found it?
Samar read Adil’s lips.
The next few words were jumbled as a nurse came in to give him water. And then Atharva moved, covering what little he could see of Adil’s face. They talked. Samar could not catch anything. For long minutes, he couldn’t make out anything.
He began to move towards the door when Adil moved. His eyes rolled back. Was he pretending? Samar wouldn’t put it past him if he were fully conscious. But right now…
Samar pushed at the door but the guard beat him to it.
“Ask them!” Samar bit out. “Ask for permission and let me in!”
“Sir?” The guard pushed the door ajar.
“Yes?”
“Samar sahab wants to come in.”
Atharva didn’t respond.
“Atharva,” Samar called in from the slit of the half-open door. “What happened to Adil? Let me see… please.”Where was his nurse?
He couldn’t see much but the door was pushed open for him. Samar steamrolled inside, taking in the monitors all at once. Pulse, BP, heart rate under control. Adil was groggy. He still took Adil’s wrist, needing reassurance as Adil’s eyes stared glassily up at him.
“Where is your nurse?” He eyed his chart. “They have reduced your morphine, and also started you on liquids. Do you feel nauseous?”
Adil did not answer.
“Adil?” Samar pulled his under eyes. “Adil…” he called out. “Are you ok.”
“Ye…” he slurred. “Sleepy.”
Samar stared at him. He had been through a tough few days, no thanks to him. Samar hated it. He hated what he had done, what he was reduced to doing.
“You have been through a major surgery. It’s expected.”
“Why are you here?”
Samar swallowed. “Adil…” he touched his shoulder. It was warm. “I don’t know what Atharva has told you, but it wasn’t my intention to…”
His eyes opened wide — “They told me you resuscitated me.”
“Yes.”
The room fell into an awkward silence.
“I want you both to know that I am with you.” Samar broke it. “Whatever you have found out about Haider, I want to help. I had to do this because my passion took the better of my patience. I am sorry, Adil, I never meant for this to happen. My men… they lost control… I wasn’t aware that…”
“Why the hell are you squirming like a teenage girl?”
Samar blinked, taken aback.
“Let’s be men and get this done with,” Adil asserted, even in that weak position. “You went rogue. You took me down because there were eight of your men against one of me. Don’t be a coward. Next time you fight me alone and I will show you who lies in a hospital bed.”
Samar could see this was not it. Adil didn’t hold grudges but he wouldn’t let it go so easily. Nobody could. Nobody should.
He still managed a smile, checking his heart rate. It was up.
