Love In Mountains
chapter 1
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
(driving rashly)
The car swerved recklessly through the streets of England, Faiz's foot heavy was on the pedal...
The city was alive with lights, streets shimmering with festive decorations and people out were celebrating the arrival of the New Year...
But inside the car, it was chaos...
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
(knuckles gripped the wheel)
Beside him, "Mir Zaroon Khan" sat with an unsettling calm...
His tall frame was perfectly still against the seat....
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
(looking straight with cold face)
His right shoulder was wrapped in his expensive coat, while blood was seeping through the fabric, but his face betrayed no pain...
His eyes, though, were another story... Full of darkness, cold, and burning with a rage that could kill...
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Zaroon, damn it, we need to get you to the hospital now! You're losing a lot of blood..!!
(voice was laced with fear)
Faiz's eyes were darting between the road and Zaroon, while his panic was rising as he was crossing the signals...
But Zaroon's expression didn't change..
He didn't flinch. His eyes were cold, burning with silent rage, staring out of the window at the flashing lights outside...
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
(looking outside with clenched jaw)
He was still, as if the wound didn't bother him at all. But in his mind, a war was waging...
His mind wasn't on the blood dripping from his wound or the pain in his shoulder...
It was focused on one thing. The man who had dared to shoot him...
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
I'll make him regret this, Faiz. Mark my words..!! No one touches me and gets away with it..!!
(whispered in deep voice)
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Zaroon, don't do something stupid. You're not thinking straight..!!
(glared at him)
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
You need to stay calm and get to the damn hospital before you bleed out..!!
(looked straight again)
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
(shot him a cold look)
Stay calm? When someone dares to challenge me?!!!
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
Faiz, I don't 'stay calm.'... I'll take care of this later. But right now, don't you dare tell me how to handle this...!!
(cold tone)
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
(sighed while increasing speed)
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
We'll make it to the hospital, but once I'm done with this wound, I'll hunt down the bastard who did this...!!
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
He won't have time to regret it... I'll make sure of that..!!!
Faiz stole a quick glance at him with clenched jaw while swerving to avoid another car..
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Zaroon, you're bleeding too much..!! This isn't just some damn flesh wound! You're shot..!!
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
You're in pain, and all you can think about is revenge? Seriously man??
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
Revenge? I don't think about it, Faiz. It's a given. They crossed a line, and now they'll pay the price...!!
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
You think I'm just going to let this slide? I'm not the kind of man who does that..!!
(cold tone)
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Dammit, Zaroon..!! we need a doctor, not a damn war plan right now..!!
(swerved around a corner too fast)
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
I'll get patched up, Faiz... But when I'm done with this, there won't be a corner on this earth where they'll be safe from me...
(gritting teeth)
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Just get through this, Jani. The rest can wait. Please...
(broke another signal)
Faiz broke another signal to make a sharp turn toward the hospital entrance...
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
Revenge doesn't wait. And neither do I...
(whispered)
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Yaar, don't be an idiot! You'll get yourself killed before you get to him...
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
I'm not going to die, Idiot..!! Not from this. You focus on getting me to the doctor..!!
(groaned)
Zaroon shifted in his seat, and he winced slightly as he adjusted his position, but his eyes remained steady...
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
When I'm healed, I'm going to show him what happens when you mess with the wrong Khan...!!
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Why the whole city is outside tonight..?!!
(honked aggressively)
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
I'm fine, Jani... don't Panic...
(adjusted the coat tighter around his shoulder with a chuckle)
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Don't panic? You've been shot, Zaroon..!! Right in front of my eyes..!! You know how much I'm afraid of guns, and You're also not fine! We need a surgeon, NOW..!!
Zaroon's eyes remained hard as he stared out at the neon lights of the city...
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
(looking outside with sharp, cold eyes)
His calculating mind already reached far away, already plotting his next move...
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
I will survive this... but whoever did this, they won't survive me. Not after I'm done with them...
(whispered with gritting teeth)
The city outside shimmered in gold and silver...
And new year Fireworks cracked in the distance as Faiz's car screeched to a halt outside the hospital...
Author
Hey lovely readers..! let's start a new journey, I hope you'll enjoy reading it..
Author
I'm so excited to share this new story with you all.
Author
Stay tuned for this exciting story, and this is my first Desi themed story, so let's enjoy it together 😘
chapter 2
Faiz came out his car and rushed to the passenger side...
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Come on, man! We're here..!!
Inside, Mir Zaroon Khan sat still while his back was firm and straight, the coat pressed against the bleeding gunshot wound on his shoulder...
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
He'll pay... In blood...
(growled)
His jaw was clenched, eyes were dark and distant with rage..
He didn't groan or flinch. He was planning revenge.
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Yeah yeah, kill him later. Let's keep you alive first, 'Pathan Rambo.'
(rolled eyes)
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Come on, let's go now.!
(held his arm)
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
I don't need your help...
(yanked his hand)
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Cut the crap, Zaroon. You're half-dead, not heroic..!!
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
I don't need a damn doctor to take care of me, Faiz..!! What I need is for them to pay. After this... I'll make them wish they never crossed me...
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Yaar, Kya musibat hai..!! 🤦🏻♂️
(Man, what a pain in the àss)
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
look..!! You're not invincible, Zaroon..! You're human! You need help, or you'll be dead before you get your revenge..!!
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
I'll survive. And I'll make them suffer...
(gritting teeth)
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Yar, Zaroon..! Can you just cool your Pathan blood for once? Being around you is driving me crazy..!!
(stood straight with a defeated sigh)
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
Jani, Yeh garam khoon sirf Pathanon ki virasat hota hai… Tum Jesy daal-khoron ke bas ki baat nahi..!!
(this fiery blood is exclusively a Pathan's legacy. It's not for lentil-eaters like you...!!)
Zaroon scoffed, despite the blood loss. His voice remained cold and full of anger.
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Haan haan... tum khoon ke pyaase gosht-khor, ab chalo...!! 😒
(Yeah, yeah... you bloodthirsty carnivore, now come...)
Author
PS: Pathans call Punjabis "Daal-khor" (lentil eaters) as slang.. Because they think that Punjabis eat a lot of lentils, while Pathans always prefer meat over lentils or vegetables..
Faiz tried to support Zaroon, but there was a playful edge to his tone, trying to lighten the mood despite the seriousness of the situation...
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
Tch.. I don't need your support. I can still lift you up with one arm, Jani...
(scoffed)
Zaroon chuckled darkly, even though his body was on the brink of collapse...
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
(Dragging Zaroon's towering frame out of the car)
Faiz practically hauled him into the hospital...
The glass doors slid open, revealing a chaotic emergency room, bustling even in the dead of night...
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
I hate hospitals...
(scrunched nose)
The Phenol disinfectant smell, the sterile, fluorescent lights of the emergency room were making everything feel colder and more detached..
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
I told you, I don't need... Your.. Your help...
(taking shaky breaths)
his shoulder was aching with every movement as Faiz was helping him to walk, but Zaroon being Zaroon, his ego was his uttermost priority...
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
don't worry, I won't tell anyone that I helped you walk...
(smirked)
Faiz came to the reception, but the nurse merely spared them a gaze while typing on the keyboard, and her eyes were fixed on the computer screen..
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Gunshot wound..!! it's an Emergency..!!
Nurse/Dr.
what is his name?
(calmly typing on keyboard)
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
Get me a surgeon. Now...!!
(sharp voice)
But the nurse didn't flinch, like she was used to such cold tones...
Nurse/Dr.
Sir, this is a medico-legal case. We have to inform the police...
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
What did you say?
(whispered in husky tone with clenched jaw)
Nurse/Dr.
We'll have to follow the MLC protocol, mandatory legal and medical procedure...
(calm tone)
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
(raised an eyebrow)
His patience was already thinning into rage...
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
What the hell is this MLC protocol? I need a damn surgeon, not a stack of paperwork..!!
(growled with authority)
Nurse/Dr.
(gulped as felt a chill creeping down her spine under the weight of his gaze)
This man wasn't just injured, He was terrifying..
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Zaroon, calm down, tum usay dara rahe ho...!! Ye tmhara Rohmaar nahi hai... yeh London hai...!!
(Zaroon, calm down... you're scaring her...!! This is not your Rohmaar..!! it's London..!!)
*whispered*
Nurse/Dr.
I.. I understand, Sir..
(stammered as trying to maintain composure)
Nurse/Dr.
But two surgeons are already in the OTs. It's New Year's Eve... we're short-staffed. I've paged the third—
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
I don't care who you paged..!! Call someone who knows how to stitch a bullet wound. I need to leave as fast as possible...!!
(clenched jaw)
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
(body swayed dangerously)
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Zaroon..!!
(quickly caught his arm)
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
(trying best to keep eyes open)
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Idar betho, Yaar..!!
(come, sit here, Dude)
Faiz guided him to sit on the nearest bench before he collapsed entirely...
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
I hate your sophisticated London, especially this NHS...!!
(sat on chair with a growl)
NHS= national health service(UK)
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
Tumhe puray London may bas Yehe hospital milla tha?!!
(And you got this hospital in Whole London?!!)
*leaned head back*
In Pakistan, things would have been so much different. He could imagine his grandfather, Agha Jan, making a phone call to a well renowned surgeon, and within minutes, Zaroon would be in the operating room....
But here, in this cold, bureaucratic world, it felt like time was slipping away....
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Yaar, London itna b bura ni hai..!! Han Yahan ka Medical protocol thora slow lgta hai, but organized hai...
(Man, London's really not that bad...!! Yeah, the medical protocol here is a bit slow, but it's organized)
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
Stop praising your London and get me-
(vision became blurry)
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
(collapsed on chairs)
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Nurse...!!
(panicked)
Nurse/Dr.
(pressed emergency button)
Within seconds, a team of nurses came near him, and started attaching IV lines...
Nurse/Dr.
(became worried when saw Zaroon's coat soaked with blood)
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Where the hell is the surgeon?!
(slammed hand on the counter)
Nurse/Dr.
Sir, I told you... two are in the OT, and I've paged the third—
The glass doors whooshed open again...
Author
In this story, I'll also be sharing my international experiences, along with cultural differences and the use of regional slangs to make the narrative more realistic and relatable...
chapter 3
A young woman wearing a crisp white blazer over her half-sleeved blue scrubs entered while her brown hair tied back in a ponytail..
despite the chaos, there was a calm intensity in her gaze...
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
Staff, my duty is off, here's the list–
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Oh thank God, finally a Desi..!!
(eyes lit up with relief)
He blurted, as a hope flickered across his face like the New Year's lights outside...
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
What did you just say?
(arched eyebrow)
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Are you—
nurse
Page the on-call surgeon..!! The patient's going into hypovolemic shock..!!
(voice shrill with emergency)
Faiz was about to speak, but was immediately cut off as a nurse bolted out from the emergency room...
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
(stormed back toward the A&E)
A&E= accident & emergency
Nurse/Dr.
(hurriedly dialing a number on the landline)
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
what's going on?
(turned toward the nurse at the desk)
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
No, tell me, what's the case?
Her tone shifted from confusion to clinical sharpness in seconds...
Nurse/Dr.
Firearm injury. Male, late 20s, brought in by a friend. Vitals crashing—
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
(dashed towards A&E)
Parishay didn't wait for more. She had come to hand over her shift, her duty was over for the night, but something about the chaos pulled her in...
Her instinct, her training, her sheer sense of responsibility didn't allow her to walk away...
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
(entered the A&E)
Her eyes landed on him...
A towering man, blood staining his shoulder and coat, while his face was ghost-pale but still carved in sheer arrogance...
Mir Zaroon Khan(ML)
(laying unconscious on stretcher)
His jaw was clenched even in unconsciousness. Something about him struck like a punch...
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
Get me a 16-gauge IV..! Check his BP..! Push warm fluids—fast..! And elevate his legs..!!
Her voice rang clearly in the ER commanding the nurses around...
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
Is— is he going to be alright?
(panicking)
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
(turned sharply towards him)
Sir, please wait outside...
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
(turned to a nurse)
Shift him to OT. And call Dr. Sheikh–immediately...!!
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
My friend–
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
PLEASE..!! WAIT OUTSIDE, SIR...!
(eyes scanning the vitals on the monitor)
Faiz Malik (ML's frnd)
O..Okay..
(spared a gaze at Zaroon)
then Faiz left, and Parishay took out her mobile..
and dialed the number saved as "Sheikh"..
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
Come on, Man... Pick up the call...
He picked up after a few rings, his voice tense, clearly in the middle of something...
Dr. Kabir Sheikh(FL's frnd)
📱 Pari? Please tell me this isn't another collapsed lung or bleeding trauma—
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
📱 Afraid it's worse. GSW to the shoulder. Male, late twenties, signs of hypovolemic shock. BP's dropping. Where are you?
Dr. Kabir Sheikh(FL's frnd)
📱 Still closing up the sigmoid colectomy. This guy's intestines are practically a puzzle. I need another twenty minutes at least...
Kabir was stitching while a nurse was holding his mobile, and its speaker was on...
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
📱 We don't have twenty minutes, Man. He's already tachycardic, and the exit wound's ugly. I'll stabilize him and prep for OT...
Dr. Kabir Sheikh(FL's frnd)
📱 You're supposed to be off-duty, Doctor...
(sigh of relief)
nurse
(pushing Zaroon's stretcher towards OT)
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
📱 And you're supposed to answer your pages faster, Dr. Kabir...
Dr. Kabir Sheikh(FL's frnd)
📱 Still bossy, huh?
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
📱 Still slow, huh?
(running behind the stretcher)
Dr. Kabir Sheikh(FL's frnd)
📱 Fine, fine. Hold the fort. I'll scrub out as soon as I'm done..
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
📱 I'll keep him alive till then. Just don't make me do the stitching.. he's got that "bite-your-head-off" look...
(entered OT)
Dr. Kabir Sheikh(FL's frnd)
📱Come on, You always did love a challenge...
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
📱 Kabir... he's different. And dangerous, I think...
(looked at Zaroon's face)
nurse
(shifting Zaroon on OT bed)
Dr. Kabir Sheikh(FL's frnd)
📱 Aren't they all, Pari? Just don't let him charm you mid-surgery..
(chuckled)
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
📱 Sheikh k bachay...!! Birru, Jaldi pohanch..!!
(Raju, You little brat..!! Get here fast)
Dr. Kabir Sheikh(FL's frnd)
📱 Larki, Tum–
(Girl, you–)
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
(ended call)
She ended the call with a small shake of her head, already turning back to the patient, and two nurses were attaching the monitor wires and fluids to him..
Parishay Zaman Shah (FL)
let's save this hulk...
(adjusting gloves)
Kabir was more than a colleague.. he was her class fellow from medical school. Her friend... He'd trust her to handle this until he could take over...
Pari's duty may have ended on the clock, but in that moment, her oath kicked in.. and so did fate...
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