Yugh was turning forty this year. Eighteen of those years had been spent in the relentless service of his medical profession. But now, a profound weariness had begun to seep into his bones. The satisfaction that once came from saving lives, the very thing that had made him choose this path over his father's businesses, had faded. The primary reason for this hollowing-out lay in the pages of Zahra's diary. After reading her words, he could no longer ignore the true cost of his dedication. 😣
He remembered marrying Zahra when he was twenty-four and she was twenty-two. For fourteen years, they had presented a picture of a perfectly compatible couple to the outside world. The interior reality, he now knew, was a different story. By the time Zahra died at thirty-six, her love was no longer his; it belonged to Zayan. While his attention had gradually shifted away from her, she had already left his world entirely. By the time he understood this, it was far too late.
Finally, Yugh made a decision. To spend whatever remained of his life in some semblance of peace, he would let go of the profession he had once loved more than life itself. He sat down and drafted his letter of resignation. With a final, solemn resolve, he sent it to the hospital administration, believing,or perhaps desperately hoping that he was making the best decision for the shattered man he had become. The healer had decided he could no longer heal others until he first addressed his own unfathomable wounds. 😫