“You know it then,” he remarked, standing at the head of her bed.
“Whe… what are you doing here?”
“You fainted.”
“I know.”
“On the pavement.”
She frowned, confused.
“You fainted outside Shah-Irani café, beside our party headquarters. I was down when I saw you hit the ground.”
“You brought me home?”
“With a little help from your security.”
Her forehead broke out into a sweat. Samar reached down to check for another incoming faint and she reared back. He stilled, staring quietly at her. And her head relaxed. He checked her forehead. It hadn’t gone cold or hot.
“You are not feverish, that is good.”
He straightened and pointed to the glass by her bedside that Shiva had kept ready. She picked it up and brought it to her mouth. Then stopped. Suspicion was clear in her eyes. He couldn’t fault her.
“Shiva made it. I had nothing to do with it. Here.” He plucked it from her hand and poured a sip into his mouth before handing it back. She held it steady, still in shock, looking… scared. For the first time, Samar did not draw pleasure from her fear.
He sat down and took her wrist between his fingers. Her pulse was still going strong and fast. Definitely pregnant.
“Where is Atharva?”
“On his way.” He glanced up — “Do you still feel faint?”
She shook her head.
“Nausea?”
“No.”
“Does Atharva know?”
She frowned. He pointed to her stomach with his eyes.
“How do you know?”
“I am a doctor, Iram.” He set her wrist down. “The first thing I checked when you fainted was your pulse.”
It hadn’t dropped like a regular faint. It had been doubling down. A body preparing for motherhood. Samar stared at her wrist. And for the first time, did not see Aamir Haider.
“Did you tell Atharva?” She asked.
“No.”
“Iram! Iram?!” Atharva’s yells were deafening as he tore up the house and entered the room.
Samar got to his feet, stepping back. His eyes met Atharva’s and he saw relief. As if Atharva hadn’t expected to find his wife safe and sound here under his care. But then, Samar could not take offence to that reaction either.
“She fainted,” he said. “But her vitals are stable now.”
Atharva didn’t even spare him another glance as his eyes went straight to his wife. Samar turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. With a jerk, he realised that Atharva was living such big milestones of his life and he wasn’t in them anymore. In another reality, it would have been different.
