Zoya picked up the call but the line was breaking due to network problem. She was trying to hear the person on other side but to no avail. That's when she saw the door , leading to the backside of the house. In hope of getting a better network, she went to the back veranda. It was evident that it had been remained abandoned since many years as many wild trees were surrounding the whole area and some of them have spread their strong branches in the house also. The place was dark but Zoya's whole attention was on the call which finally got network and to her utter frustration, she found out that it was a call from some bank for home-loan. Irritated, she was about to come back when she suddenly felt a sharp bite on her ankle which immediately numbed her whole body with pain. In a blink of an eye, her body felt paralyzed and a scream left her throat as she collapsed on the floor.
As soon as Asad heard her scream, his mind stopped working as it sent signals to his whole body that something terribly wrong has happened. He ran towards the backside , from where the scream came with the care-taker on his tow. He reached there as fast as his legs could carry him and on reaching there, the sight which greeted him, drained all the colors from his face. There in front of him laid Zoya, almost lifelessly. Asad hurried towards her and placed her head on his lap, sitting beside her. Her body was becoming cold and pale and she was barely conscious. Asad wasn't understanding what was happening and her state was inviting all the negative thoughts to his mind. He gently slapped her cheeks to bring her to consciousness while calling out her name but she was only able to open her eyes slightly. She was trying to speak but her troubled breathing wasn't allow her to do so. Asad's heart was breaking into a million pieces seeing her like this and his mind was going numb for not being able to heal her pain. While Asad was going crazy with worry , the old man caught the sight of her ankle and as soon as his experienced eyes saw the marks there, he understood the situation. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and spoke-
- My son, I guess I know what is the problem. You see I told you not to go the backside. It was because of this. This place is completely surrounded by dark jungle and whenever it rains , it becomes the home of snakes. It is dangerous to come to this side as snakes can attack you anytime. I was fearing that something like this might happen, so I came to warn you but I became late. He ended with a sigh.
- So you..mean she..is ...bitten by a...snake? Asad asked stuttering, fearing the answer which he already knew.
- Yes my son and I fear that it is very poisonous one. The old man said, sadly shaking her head.
Unable to believe the situation , Asad looked at the girl in his arms who was struggling to keep her eyes open. Tears of helplessness escaped his eyes as the words left his lips-
- Why didn't you tell this before ? What should we do now? I can't let anything happen to her. She have to be ok. I won't be able to forgive myself if something happens to her.
- Nothing will happen to her my boy. It is my fault that I didn't warn you before but I haven't seen these snakes in recent times, so just thought that may be they have left this place. The old man said with a sigh, guilt was visible on his face. But he continued the next moment-
- We have to a cloth tightly, two inches above her wounds, so the poison can't spread in her body. Do you have something?
Not being able to trust his throat which was blocked with a huge lump as he stared at her limp body, Asad just forwarded him his handkerchief mutely. The old man took it quickly and tied it on her leg.
- Now that we have done this, we just have to take her to the hospital immediately , this blockage won't be able to prevent the poison from spreading for a long time. I am fearing the snake to be a really poisonous one and if we don't rush her to the doctors quickly, this might cost her life. The old man expressed the gravity of the situation seriously.
Asad just looked at him blankly. His face was expressionless but his soulful orbs easily gave away the storm that was going inside him. The light drizzle of the evening now has given way to a full blown storm. And their car was also out of working order. It was almost impossible to get her to the hospital in this situation. The more Asad's mind tried to make him understand this unfortunate situation, the more his heart bleed with pain. He felt like he was getting robbed of life and this thought shook his soul to the core. His trance was broken when he felt the caretaker placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. He gave him a reassuring nod , as if understanding his thoughts.
- Don't worry son. She will be alright. Keep your faith on Allah. He won't let anything happen to her. I will try my best to find something to take her to the hospital quickly and I am sure I will find one soon. You just don't loose hope and keep her awake. Don't let her fall unconscious. It will be bad for her health.
With that the caretaker left in search of some transport, leaving Asad with a barely conscious Zoya. Asad looked at his lap where her head was kept to find her struggling really hard to keep her eyes open he could make it out from her face that she was really tired and it was draining out the last ounce of her energy to stay conscious but still she was fighting. A tear drop escaped from Asad's eyes and landed on her cheek. He gently cupped her face and murmured in the most soothing and concerned voice-
- This is all my fault. I should have stopped you from going there. I should have taken care of you. Just because of me you are in so much pain now. I am sorry Zoya. I am really sorry. I know you are hurting but please few more minutes. Stay awake for few more minutes Sunshine and I promise you that I won't let anything happen to you. Just stay awake.
Not being able to talk, Zoya just blinked her eyes tiredly at him. Asad hugged her small frame to his chest . he dropped a soft kiss in her hair and just kept murmuring 'stay awake' like a mantra.
It had been ten minutes that the caretaker has gone and Asad was still trying his level best to keep her awake by talking to her without a single break. But Zoya was still slowly losing her last strands of consciousness when the caretaker arrived , announcing that he had found a car. As soon as this new piece of information reached his ears, it looked like a new was born in Asad. He picked her up in his arms in a swift motion and ran towards the car, behind the old man. Asad sat in the backseat with Zoya's head rested in his lap while the man sat in the passenger seat, beside the driver. Once the car started to run along the road, he came to know that the driver was none other than his son and this car belonged to the person for whom he worked. When the caretaker called him, fortunatel he was close to the area, so he readily agreed to help them. Asad was more than thankful to them for all their help. He just closed his eyes and sent a silent prayer to Allah to keep his Zoya safe, all this while his hand never left hers.
They reached the hospital in 15 minutes, thanks to the extreme speed at which Raju, the caretakers son, drove. As soon as he entered with Zoya in his arms, a ward-boy came to their aid and Asad placed her on the stretcher. As the ward-boy was taking away the stretcher, Asad felt a tug at his hand. He looked down to find Zoya's hand still in his grip. He gently freed her hand and the ward-boy wheeled her away. As she was taken inside the emergency ward, Asad fell on the nearby chair. His mind was flooded with the images of past. He could see the six year old Zoya in front of his eyes. All their childhood memories coming in front of his eyes like a movie. And then he remembered meeting this Zoya for the first time and all their moments together till now. For him, they both were two different persons but in that moment of time they felt just time. He was living the same nightmare which he was forced to live many years back and this time it is ten times more painful than the time when he came to know about her 'death'. They came in his life when it was completely drowned in darkness and filled it with light and colors . He had lost his best friend once and now he wasn't left with the strength to face it again. He knew Zoya had become a very huge part of his small world which consisted only his family and he couldn't afford to loose her. He couldn't let anything happen to her. All her laughs , tears and antics along with the small Zoya's flashed before his eyes. His past and present were clashing with such intensity that it made his breathing difficult. He dropped his head on his palms, when he felt someone keeping his hand on his head. He looked up to find that old man beside him.
- Son, there is nothing more powerful than love and when she has such a loving husband like you , nothing will happen to her. Your love will protect her from all the dangers. The old man said with a small smile playing on his lips. Asad was about to protest but the doctor came out at the exact moment. Forgetting other things, he rushed towards him to enquire about her health.
- Doctor, how is she? Asad asked breathlessly, worry was evident in his voice.
- She is fine and sleeping. We have removed the poison from his body. She will wake up soon. You brought her here at the correct time and also did the primary things that should be done in such situations, otherwise the situation have been worse. Oh! And by the way you can meet her now. The doctor smiled at his concern and also answered his unasked question. Asad closed his eyes and thanked his Allah for his mercy. He felt like someone has again installed his soul in his body after sucking it few hours ago. Tears of happiness were flowing his eyes. He thanked the caretaker and his son whole-heartedly and with honest gratitude for their help. After this he finally entered her cabin to find her sleeping. His heart clenched seeing her fragile state. He slowly went towards her and saw her mumbling something in her sleep. Seeing the crease of uneasiness on her forehead, he understood that she was having a bad dream. He bent his slightly abve her face to hear what she was saying and what he heard, made his heart clench more painfully.
- Please...someone save..me. this darkness will engulf me. It..will..kill me. Asad help. Zoya pleaded in broken whispers.
- Shh... You are safe now sunshine. Everything will be alright. I am here. I won't let anything happen to you. Asad whispered in a soothing voice, trying to calm her down and it did worked like magic. Zoya calmed down and went into a deep slumber but this time with a slight but peaceful smile on her lips. Asad kissed the back of her hand and sat on her bed beside her while holding her palm softly in his own. While was staring at her, he didn't know when the sleep-fairy finally embraced him and he rested his tired eyes with a promise in his heart to always keep her safe.
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Sorry for the late and short update guys. Actually my school has announced the annual projects and I am also having exams. So couldn't manage a longer one. Hit the lie button and tell me how do you find this chapter. Thank you😊