“Get a chocolate!”
“I am fine.”
An Eclairs was pressed into her mouth.
“Chew,” Atharva commanded. “I’m fine,” she chewed, downing the water bottle in her hand. Then looked down at Atharva’s eyes. She nodded. “I am fine.”
He pulled up and took the seat beside hers. They sat in silence. There were people in the alley. She counted now. Six people. She knew them, couldn’t place their names. Her head was working but not working like that.
“Sir.” Altaf’s voice made her look up. “Call for Amaal Madam.”
When she did not take his outstretched phone immediately, Atharva took it — “Yes, Fahad… no, you can talk to me… handle it… no, she will be here… get Zafarji to do it… take over for the interim… yes.” Amaal felt his eyes on her before he ended the call and returned the phone to Altaf.
“Amaal?” Atharva asked. “Where is your mobile?”
Her eyes moved quickly, checking her lap, her hands, the seat.
“I don’t know… money!” She gasped. “The auto driver is downstairs. I need to pay him…” she started to get up. Atharva tugged her down.
“Altaf.”
“Sir.”
“What happened to Samar?” She asked the air in front of her.
“Iram’s car was wired,” Atharva explained slowly. “He jumped in at the last moment and drove it away from her and the house. He took it as far as he could but jumped out late.”
“What is happening now?”
“They are treating him inside.”
“What happened to him?”
“Burns across back, arms and calves.”
“Then why did they say about goodbye?”
He did not respond.
“Atharva.” Amaal turned her head and caught his eyes.
“He has a blast lung and burn shock. They are working to keep his airways clean and organ systems working.”
“And?”
“And, nothing else.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
“And nothing else, Amaal, seriously.”
“So he will come out just as ok as he was this morning?”
Atharva blinked.
“See?” She began to push up when his hand came to her shoulder. “Sit, don’t stand up just yet.”
“Just tell me he will be ok!”
