YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO LOVE YET

"And, he said that he thinks he doesn't have much time."

"It's okay. He probably saw a nightmare and ended up

believing it." Daniyal stroked my head.

"Why would he say things like that?" I slumped on my bed

and clenched my eyes shut.

"He had a nightmare and he ended up believing it. Look, when

a person is sick, he gets all of these thoughts. We need to bring

some positivity in his life. Perhaps counselling sessions could

help." he began to think.

"Counselling sessions?" I got up.

"Yes, therapy sessions can help you get rid of all those

negative thoughts that come to you when you're sick."

"Alright."

"Should I contact one? Or you want to take help from one at

the hospital?" he raised his brow.

"No, contact the person you know. The best one."

"Alright." he took out his phone and got up.

We heard yelling from outside.

Daniyal casted me a worried glance before we both rushed

out.

"How could you?" Daddy pushed Hamza with so much force

that he fell down.

"Hamza." I rushed to him and crouched down. I tried to touch

his arm but he leaned away from me.

"What's wrong, Daddy?" Daniyal inquired him with a frown.

"This is why I didn't trust him. I didn't want to. I knew he

would ruin things." he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What's wrong? What happened? Hamza? Oh, Hamza."

Mama walked in looking frantic, she was sleeping.

She crouched down in front of Hamza.

Me and Daniyal just stood there obviously shocked.

Mom had always been aloof when it came to Hamza.

Hamza looked like he was a child. He encircled his arm

around Mama and closed his eyes.

"What happened, Ali? You need to stop using your hands to

express your anger." she hissed at Daddy.

Daddy looked like he had faced a huge loss.

"Ask your son? And, what do you mean by stop raising your

hands? When did I do that?" he yelled.

We all flinched at his tone.

"Once you slapped me." Daniyal whispered quietly; Daddy

looked at him furiously.

"He has agreed to merge the company with Mr., Hashim. He

is doofus. He did it even though I had warned him that this

wouldn't turn out well." he yelled and sat down.

"This is for our betterment, Daddy." Hamza muttered weakly.

"You know I've never wanted this. I don't wish to share our

assets. Mr. Hashim is clearly more well off than we are. If he is

to buy our shares, our position in the company won't be the

same." he cried out worriedly.

"Daddy." I began to get up.

"Let it be." he got up and left the room.

Silence enveloped us. Mama was gently stroking Hamza's

head.

"I didn't ask for this, Mama. And, if he gave me the

opportunity to manage the company he might as well as trust

me a little."

Mama nodded.

I sighed deeply.

Just when I thought we could get rid of it.

Family drama.

"Daddy." I pushed the sliding doors of his study.

"I thought a coffee would help you." I kept the mug on his

desk.

He didn't say anything.

"Daddy, if you've offered Hamza to conduct the affairs of the

company might as well as trust him a little. The final say

would be yours after all." I smiled and hopped on the table.

"I allowed him to work with his friend. I offered to finance his

project but, I'll never allow him to sell our shares." he spoke

calmly.

"Yeah. But, maybe there's a better way to get it through his

thick skull."

"Better way?" he raised his brow.

"Like presenting him the demerits of merging companies and

selling shares." I smiled.

"A presentation?"

"Yeah. If you wish. I can help. Just give me a vague idea of the

demerits of selling our shares and I can make a presentation. I

can even conduct it for you."

"You know my boss always praises me for my presentations." I

flipped my hair. He chuckled.

"When did my little girl turned so sensible?" he smiled.

"Oh please. I am a woman now and I was born sensible." I

grinned.

His smile faded away and he turned serious.

"So, you okay with that boy not sharing your feelings?"

My smile faded away too.

"I know he doesn't share my feelings. Why is everyone

rubbing it in my face?" I snapped.

"I wasn't rubbing it in your face, Romi. I am concerned." his

voice turned soft.

I didn't say anything and left the room.

"This is Dr. Zachary. Counselling the sick is what he has

mastered." Daniyal introduced me to him.

"Pleased to meet you, Doctor." I shook his hand.

"Oh, please. It's Zachary." he smiled, his blue eyes shining

under the lights of the hospital.

"I have a friend. He's sick and he has been having all these

thoughts." I muttered sadly.

"Huh. Friend. "Daniyal scoffed.

I glared at him before turning back to Dr. Zachary.

"I understand. Don't you worry, baby girl." he smiled and

started walking towards his ward. Me and Daniyal trailed

behind him.

"Baby girl? What was that about? Is he a pervert or

something?" I whispered to Daniyal.

"You don't seem to mind when Azaan calls you sweetheart."

"That's different." I blushed.

"Just do one thing. Stay away from this doctor. Be careful."

"Won't you be there?" I turned to him.

He thought for a second before nodding.

"I will."

I pushed the door of the ward allowing Dr. Zachary and

Daniyal to walk in.

I smiled at Azaan. He just looked at me. I guess my smile

faded away. I walked to stand by his side.

Malik was sitting with him. He got up and shook hands with

Daniyal.

I cleared my throat.

"Azaan. This is Dr. Zachary. He's a therapist." I smiled widely.

He looked unfazed.

Dr. Zachary extended his hand towards him. He eyed it but

didn't shake hands with him.

Rude much? Aftermath of a deadly fever? Negativity? Yes, it is

negativity.

Dr. Zachary retreated his back quietly.

"So, baby girl here told me that you've been surrounded by a

little too much negativity. Let's turn it into positivity, shall

we?"

"Baby girl?" Azaan raised his eyebrow.

"Yeah, like sweetheart." Daniyal grinned.

I stifled a laugh.

"Does your brother hate me or something?" Azaan whispered

to me.

"He's very protective of his baby girl." I whispered and

laughed.

"I am known for wiping out negativity from people's life." Dr.

Zachary grinned.

"But you couldn't wipe out yourself. That's your job, right?

Wiping out negativity." Azaan stretched the syllables of the

word negativity specifically.

Daniyal stifled a laugh and I felt astonished upon his sarcastic

lines.

Dr. Zachary pretended that he didn't hear Azaan's comment.

He cleared his throat.

"I am quite famous around Los Angeles. I met Daniyal at a

doctor's gathering." he grinned and I casted Daniyal a worried

and weird glance, he shook his head.

"Yeah, quite famous for being so full of yourself." Azaan

scoffed.

I rubbed his forearm in an attempt to calm him down.

"So, what happened to you?" Dr. Zachary took out a notebook.

"I had Pneumonia. Aspiration Pneumonia to be precise. The

surgery was successful. Now, I have started the course of

antibiotics to stop the disease development."

I mentally thanked him for giving a straight answer for once.

"Right. Aspiration Pneumonia." the doctor nodded.

"Now, tell me about your relationship with your family."

"What?" Azaan snapped.

I rubbed his forearm.

"Dr. Zachary." I smiled politely.

"Just Zachary, baby girl." he grinned.

"Right. Zachary." I nodded.

"What does his relationship with his family has to do with

this?"

His smiled faded away.

"Are you the therapist here or me, baby girl?" his tone turned

cold.

"I... You, of course." I stammered.

"Then?" he smiled again.

"I am sorry." I looked away.

Creepy much? Yeah.

"So, where were we?"

"In the Islands of the Caribbean." Azaan sang.

I casted a worried look to Daniyal. He seemed to be thinking

the same thing.

Has the fever affected his sanity.

"No, we were talking. We were just here." Dr. gasped.

"Do you see something else? Oh, is this what I think this is?

Schizotypal personality disorder. A person has unusual

thinking patterns and says things that is odd and peculiar." he

began to think.

Azaan facepalmed himself and took deep breaths. I continued

to rub his arm.

"So, do you have any odd beliefs like associated with fantasy

and magical thinking?" he looked at Azaan.

My eyes widened on involuntarily.

"Yeah. He mentioned about a dragon once. He said he wanted

one and that it exists." I stated worriedly.

"What? When did I say that?" Azaan cried out.

"You don't remember?" I asked him worriedly.

"Is this a symptom of that disorder. Dr? To not remember

stuff?" I turned to him.

He looked away thoughtfully.

"I am not sure but I think so."

"Have you guys lost it or something? I don't believe in dragons

nor am I forgetting stuff. I don't have a personality disorder."

he snapped.

Silence enveloped us for a while.

"I am sorry. "I looked down.

He sighed and clasped my hand. I smiled and my gaze landed

on Daniyal who seemed a little bothered. I tugged my hand

back. Azaan frowned and looked at me then he glanced at

Daniyal. He rolled his eyes and left my hand.

"So, how are you feeling today?" the doctor smiled.

"Like I am stuck in the middle of nowhere with two faces on

either side of me."

He briefly glanced at Daniyal who was standing to his left.

"First face being that of a Grim Reaper who seems ready to

snatch my dear soul."

Then he turned to me with a soft smile.

My heart pounded heavily. Desperately wanting to hear him

say something about me. Something nice and beautiful.

Something that would make me fall in love with him a little

more.

"And the second one being that of a bully who keeps a sweet

smile on her face and goes around forcing her suggestions on

people." Azaan snapped.

My smile faded away.

"I..." I fumbled for words.

"Save it." he snapped again.

"Did I tell you that I am in need of help? A therapist?" he

snapped yet again.

I shook my head.

"Then?" he snapped again.

I shook my head.

"Dr. Zachary." I turned to him.

"We need a moment." I smiled politely.

"Sure." he got up.

"Can I have your number then, baby girl?" he smiled at me.

"Baby girl my foot. You old pervert."

I saw a bottle of Covonia chesty cough medicine flash before

me and charge towards Dr. Zachary. Thankfully he ducked it

and scurried away like a mouse. The bottle landed on the floor

with a loud thud. I turned to Daniyal. He came to stand near

me. We both briefly watched Azaan as he took deep breaths,

his eyes closed.

"He doesn't seem to be in a right state of mind, Romi. Let's

leave." he whispered.

"It's just an aftermath of a deadly fever or it's the muchcollected negativity." I defended him.

"Stop, please." he rolled his eyes.

"I'll stay."

"Suit yourself." he walked out.

"Azaan." I called out, my voice coming out extra sweetly than

it has ever been.

"Can we have a food adventure here? I'll get us something. Do

you have any suggestions?"

He just eyed me unfazed. I sighed.

"Come on. I was just trying to help. You are surrounded by so

much negativity. We need to get it out of your system." I sat

down by his feet.

"Why are you doing this?" he muttered angrily.

Anger clouded my mind.

"Because, I have feelings for you. Believe it or not I am doing

this for my own selfish reasons. You may never be able to

understand or even see my feelings but, they are real." I

snapped.

"You don't the meaning of love. You don't know how to love

yet." he snapped.

That hurt.

I was gob smacked.

"I don't know what love is. I don't know how to love?" I got up.

"Then who knows? Huh? All those women that have confessed

their feelings for you? Or Asmara? Or is it you who knows

what love is and how to love?"

He didn't say anything. But it seemed as if he wanted to.

"I..." I began but stopped.

"You should be okay if he doesn't like you back, Romi." I

remembered Daddy's advice.

"Love doesn't make you selfish, Romi. It makes you selfless. If

it doesn't you probably don't know how to love." Daniyal's

advice rang in my ears.

Suddenly everything felt wrong. My anger when he couldn't

understand my feelings. My anger when he told me he had

only considered me as a friend. My anger when he had talked

about those women. My anger when I had stopped talking to

him. Just, because what? Because he didn't understand my

feelings? Or because, he didn't share them? Or because of my

jealousy when he had mentioned about those women?

Suddenly I realized that I was wrong all along. Sure, he didn't

understand my feelings or maybe he did. Sure, he didn't share

my feelings. Sure, he had thought of me as he had thought

about the other women. But, did that give me the right to be

angry with him, to criticize him, to call him a womanizer?

Even if it did, should I have done that despite the fact that I

loved him.

No, it didn't. But I did. Simply because I couldn't accept the

fact that he didn't share my feelings. And, because I was over

confident about him sharing it. Because I was always so

optimistic and positive about everything. Because I was used

to everything turning out positive in the end. No matter how

badly things were messed up, they had always turned out

positive for me at least. That's why I was angry when I found

out that he didn't share my feelings.

I was hurt. I felt guilty. My anger faded away. My heart

softened a little.

I sat down by his side facing him. I took his hand in mine.

"Teach me then." I smiled.

"Yes, I probably don't know how to love. I was selfish. All this

time, I didn't know how to love. It's because no one taught

me."

"Sounds a little cliché but, you are the first man towards

whom I have all these sweet feelings." I laughed lightly.

"I've never experienced these feelings before. All of this is

foreign to me. You are the first man to plant flowers in my

heart. No one ever has and no one ever will."

"Teach me what love is. Teach me how to love." I smiled, he

gazed at me warmly without an expression.