Cocooned Dumbass

Gauhar's POV

I silently nodded as I got up, my feet feeling detached from my body as I walked towards the room. I could hear heated voices coming from within which caused me to furrow my brows in confusion.

The sound of heated voices sounded even more alarming against the stark silence of the hospital filling me with a sense of foreboding that roiled in my stomach and made me feel slightly sick.

I slowly pushed the door open, the agitated voices growing significantly louder upon every inch of the door I pushed. I noticed that Muqeet and Uncle were seated on chairs placed beside father's bed. The evening sun filled the room with an orange glow, the curtains were pulled up causing the sunshine to shine like a halo behind them.

Muqeet's face was contorted in rage, his usually warm eyes burning with a cold fire "Baba, this is the last fuc- god damned time I'm telling you, I am NOT going to take care of your company. I don't want to, how difficult is that to understand?"

I took in a sharp breath, his words causing me to wince. Although his words were cutting, I was secretly glad that he at least had the decency to remember not to curse in front of Baba.

Though I guess it wasn't of any benefit at this point. He could have all but plundered a sword through father's chest and the effect would have been the same. I clenched my fists as I felt anxiety wrap it's suffocating fingers around me, father was supposed to be protected from all sorts of stress and here these men were doing the exact opposite.

His harsh words seemed to physically hit father as he sank down into the pillows. His shoulders slumping and his face turning paler than it was before. I noticed that Uncle had placed a firm hand on Muqeet's shoulder, his dark eyes filled with warning as he silently urged him to stop.

I wish he had slapped him instead for being such a god forsaken moron.

Seeing how hurt father was, I wanted to hit some sense into Muqeet, preferably with a blunt knife right through his intestines. But I doubted even that would hurt him as much as he had hurt our fragile and bedridden father.

I willed myself to clear my head of all murderous plans as I dug my fingernails into my palms, hoping that the pain would help me stop myself. I forced a smile on my face as I walked into the room, pushing myself to act as if I hadn't heard anything no matter how I wanted to behave otherwise.

The way Muqeet looked at me made me feel certain of the fact that he'd heard me come in even if his gaze had been focused on our father. I gave him my best 'sugar syrup filled with some sort of deadly poison' smile that caused him to lean a bit farther against the back of his chair.

His reaction filled me with satisfaction. But only momentarily.

He was really making it increasingly difficult for me to stop myself from being a criminal convicted for homicide and inhumane torture.

Taking a deep breath as I turned my eyes towards father as I walked towards him, noticing his eyes shine when they beheld me, all traces of pain hidden away from my sight. Even in this state, he was acting strong to protect my feelings. To prevent me from feeling sad. The thought sent a searing pain across my chest but I continued to beam at him, mirroring his technique of masking my feelings.

I felt my heart brim with emotion as I saw his beautiful smile that brightened up the entire room and made being at this dreary hospital a bit more bearable. Although I understood where my brother was coming from and why he preferred to stay away from responsibility, I still felt a twinge of resentment within me.

"Ah my Gauhar is here." He silently noted.

"In flesh, had to escape from work to get to my Baba-jaani."

"I hope you didn't put your job in danger for me." He looked at me worriedly

"I'm still keeping an eye out for my boss who might have come following me with her sharpest kitchen knife but I have you here so I know I'm safe." I winked at him.

"Of course, I can't let them take away my one and only Gauhar from me now can I, a little sickness can't deter me from protecting my children." He looked at both of us fondly, even at Muqeet who had just shot directly at his heart with his words.

The way he said that made it feel as if I were a blessing sent to him by god, and the knowledge of how awfully false that notion was caused a tear to bead on the corner of my eye. I fervently wished to be the perfect child he thought me to be instead of the bundle of mistakes and inadequacies that I was.

His happiness and relief upon seeing me was palpable and acted as balm to my rioting emotions. He stretched an arm out towards me, beckoning me to come closer.

"What are you standing in that corner for kiddo? I'm disappointed you even need an invitation, come right here."

I all but ran into his arms, carefully wrapping my arms around him I placed my head on his chest. I ignored the numerous IV pipes that surrounded me, and the discomfort caused by sitting precariously on the edge of the hospital bed as I focussed on breathing in the calming familiar smell of my father.

The steady thumping of his heart against my cheek silently filling me with reassurance. For the first time in this entire week everything felt right again.

"Baba" I breathed into his chest, feeling tears of contentment prick the back of my eyelids. He gently rubbed my back "Yes my jaan I'm here." He cooed in my, causing a smile to spread across my lips.

It made me feel like I was a child all over again, running back home from school into the waiting arms of my father. After spending another lonely day at school finding the familiar gaze of my brother, and forgetting everything bad that had happened throughout the day.

The smile on Muqeet's face reminded me of that contentment I felt as a kid. He looked relieved, as of happy that I had come here to soothe away the sting of his words. I wished I could tell him that he could be the one who soothed this hurt as well, that he could share his own share of hurt with father.

But that would take time, so I just focussed on counting the steady pumps of my father's heart.

I don't know how long we stayed that way, the silence in the room was absolute except for the constant beep of the ECG.

I felt a hand gently pat the top of my head causing me to lift my head and break the little bubble of contentment that I had cocooned myself in. A pair of dark eyes that were similar to my father's looked down at me, the corners of them crinkling as a kind smile graced his features.

"Are you alright kid?"my uncle asked in his gruff voice causing a smile forming on my lips at his way of addressing me.

I felt safe here between them, these two men who would protect me from everything bad. Although they had grown old, they would never grow any weaker for me. At that very moment in time I wasn't a twenty two year old adult woman who knew how to be independent, I was a five year old little girl enjoying the company of her heroes.

In my eyes they were forever invincible.

I smiled back at him as I nodded my head, pulling myself away from my father, I felt cold all over again. As I attempted to vacate my precarious seat beside father, I was stopped as he placed his hand on mine, silently urging me to stay where I was.

"I am perfectly good Uncle, you're here Baba is here and even that moron is here" I pointed towards Muqeet "there's nothing for me to not feel good about."

I saw Muqeet smiling at me and I stuck my tongue out at him playfully, feeling surprised with myself as I realised that I no longer felt angry with him. Though I still resented him for hurting father that way, I knew he had his reasons.

"Aaaand we have our childish dumbass back." Muqeet announced rolling his eyes exaggeratedly and leaning back into his chair in what I'm sure he thought was a cool way. And I guess a lot of the young nurses outside would agree with him on that delusion.

I on the other hand wished that the chair was uncomfortable as it looked and that the wood cut into his back.

I widened my eyes at him in mock surprise "Oh Lord, I never expected to see this character development in you Muqeet, who knew you'd admit to being not only childish but a dumbass as well."

"Oh you little-" Muqeet began as he clenched his teeth, but we never found out what little thing I reminded him of as father pointedly glared at him. I grinned at him triumphantly making his chocolate brown eyes flare up, his expression promising redemption.

Ah how amazing it felt to see him having to censor himself. It was a refreshing change from his usual speech that caused my ears to bleed.

"You're dead" he mouthed, causing me to chuckle. Oh game on I challenged him with my eyes, knowing that he had a record of constant failure for the past twenty-two years.

As we grew silent, I noticed how dark it had gotten outside. I could see the entire city light up, under the dark clouds that were looming above. The moving cars appeared like tiny fireflies as they zoomed past each other, causing me to marvel at how insignificant we were.

"I want to go back." those five words suddenly caused a chill to fall around the room, the warmth disappearing like a puff of smoke.