Zara.
"She doesn't want to meet you, " my mother snarled at him.
"She is my wife. My legally wedded wife. Do you get it. Nobody can stop me from meeting her. Zara.... Zara... " He kept on growling. His distinctive manly voice echoed outside the cabin. He was behaving like an unhinged animal.
In the past I never got to witness this kind of unrestrained behaviour from him. He was sweet and caring until he got me completely in his mercy and only then he showed me his true colours. His ugly face.
"I will stop you. Wait, let me call the police commissioner. Two days in the lock will teach you a good lesson." My mother retorted to which he scoffed.
"Do you think he can stop me?” My heartbeat increased drastically hearing him. “No power in this world can stop me.”
My whole body shivered in fear. I refuse to get dragged into that hell. His voice and the way he declared war felt like whips against my ears.
I don't want to hear these voices. Mostly I don't want to hear him. I inserted both my index fingers inside my ears and squeezed my eyes tightly, blocking everything out. I tried to recall something to divert my mind from all the noises. Something which will lock their unbearable voices. Few seconds or may be minutes passed when my mind flashed with memories filled with him. I tried to divert my mind but nothing worked.
I don't know how long I stayed in the same position. When I felt my mother embracing me only then I realize that she entered the room and was very close to me. Gradually I unblocked my ears feeling the tender care of her body. She always stood against my marriage with him. She never liked his presence anywhere near me.
"My baby, he is gone. Shhhhhhhh...... Don't worry. Soon you will be free from his clutch. I will make sure of that. And after that, you will go to America and start afresh. You have me and I will make everything alright for you." Her warm lips pressed on my forehead cooed my leaping heart to beat normally. I was like my father who takes decisions from the heart. And heart plays with your life. I peered at her with uncertainty when she was looking at me with motherly concern.
"Are you okay?” She asked in tender tone, after defying her yet she was being so
"Yes, Mumma. " I whispered staring at the door blankly.
"If you had paid attention to my saying before then . These low-class people have no emotion. You sheltered a monster in this house. Daughter, he never loved you. These people can never be someone's own. Their habit is to ditch. He didn't allow me to meet you for the whole month. How cleverly he planned everything. How he manipulated you. Not anymore. This marriage needs to get an end. What if he has millions in the pocket now but these won't change the fact that he belongs to that gutter. His family members disowned him. He has forgotten his limits. Bloody slumdog millionaire. Everyone knows how he has reached such height. And look at the way he talks to me, at least show some decency towards your mother- in law. But no. A rough will never know what is manner. The way he walks charging the doctors as if he owns the hospital. " She keeps on blabbering and my mind wants some peace.
"Mumma, I want to sleep. " I mumbled.
"Fine, I'm leaving. But don't stress yourself." She said as I laid down on the bed eventually closing my eyes. She left.
As soon as I heard the door close, I opened my eyes. A lone tear slides down making a patch on the pillow.
Where did I go wrong with him? A sob escapes my lips. The ache in my heart won’t go no matter how much I cry.
I’m the foolish one for laying my heart on the ground for him just so he can stomp all over it for another woman.
If it wasn’t the dose of medicines, I won’t have fallen asleep with all the tensions going in my head.
Next day when I woke up, I spotted my dad. He was sleeping on the couch available inside the room. He is constantly by my side. Although his head was facing the celling yet I can see the lines of distress marred his forehead.
I have no more courage to bother him, so I tried to sit up by myself. As I was weak, with great difficulty, I laid my back against the pillow in a half sitting position. After gathering all my bearings my breathing turned laboured. I relaxed back inhaling.
Just then the sound of knocking got my attention and my eyes flit to the door. My father made shifting sounds and when I turned to face him, his sleep was broken and he his eyes were wide open. Then he lowered his head and looked around the room. When his eyes landed on me, he exhaled a sigh of relief. He opened his mouth to asked me something when he was stopped by the sound coming from the door.
“I will go and check.” He signalled with his hand for me to rest as he got up from his position and strides to the door. In response I simply nodded my head. He swung the door open and was out of my sight. I can hear some murmur before he returns back with a huge bouquet of flowers that hides his entire chest and his face leaving his eyes with its enormous size.
It consists of white lilies and yellow combined with red roses. Few colourful ribbons flying out of it.
Covering the distance, he rested the bouquet beside the table near my bed. Its sweet smell hits my nostrils.
“Who gave it?”
Dad shrugged then spoke, “I forgot to ask about it. Then he drew closer taking a step near it and peeped into the bouquet. He guessed right when he pulled out a small card. He was about to read the card when the door flung open and he swivelled behind. My gaze also shifted to the door and saw my mother walking through it. She was with our head maid who was carrying tiffin bags on each side of her shoulders. The moment her eyes fell on me, a smile break on her face.
“How are you, beti? (daughter)” She asked in her warm voice.
“Better.” I lied and she being my mother, she bought my lie. I was anything but better.
“Good to hear. Look, I brought your breakfast and lunch.” Then she reach me when her gaze fell on the huge bouquet. It was big enough to get noticed by anyone who would walk inside.
“Its beautiful.” She murmured slowly tracing her fingers over some roses and lift her head.
“Did you get it for her?” She asked dad and before he answers her eyes moves to the card he was holding. Her smile fall a bit as she pulls the card from his finger and took in between hers. She flipped the card. Her eyes read what’s written and each passing seconds her facial expression changed from calm to a raging storm.
“Who send it?” Dad enquired studying her keenly.
But the moment she ended reading in the next instance she tore the card into multiple pieces.
“Bloody scoundrel.” She gritted her teeth and looked over her shoulder and yelled. “Rukaiya, throw this bouquet in the garbage, right now. I would have done it myself but I don’t want to dirty my hands.” She pointed her index finger as she fumed in rage. The maid nodded her head as she dropped the tiffin bag on the side table and scurried towards us. She picked the bouquet with her both hands and carried it out of the room.
Dad stared back at me. Our eyes met and witnessing the fate of the bouquet of flowers, it didn’t took us enough time to understand who send it. I broke our eye contact and looked anywhere avoiding him.
She has such hostility towards only one person in this world.
Her burning eyes roamed around for something. As soon as she spotted, to throw the pieces of the card she moved towards the dustbin and roughly dumped it. Returning back she spoke.
“Nawab Sahab, we need an immediate restrained order against that bastard from the court.”
'That's it.' I closed my eyes to run away from my current situation. I have no interest to know what length my mother and my husband will go before they rip each other’s head.
If he thinks that he can make me fool with those flowers then this time he is highly mistaken.
My broken heart won't fix forever.
_____
*Meeting *It's been two weeks after my discharge from the hospital. I didn’t return back to him as per my mother’s decision. It wasn’t only her decision but mine too, but she is been more vocalized in this matter when I was in emotions and pain. I was like take me anywhere but nowhere near him.Since then, I’m living with my parents. Both of them were taking good care of me. More than my dad it was mom who would run to attend me not waiting for the nurse whenever she heard a single sound of pain from my mouth. It was like her whole earth revolves around me.They tried their best to make me feel comfortable and I put an act to smile when I can feel the sense of void inside me. I can’t talk about it to anyone, not even to my parents. They will be in pain to know that I’m broken beyond repair.I stuck in a deep breath.With god’s grace my health has recovered speedily. Now I can freely move around the house without any assistance of my dad and mom. But still, I keep my movement slow.A
"How are you? " His fake caring voice echoed after some time and my eyes lifts on its own accord. After everything he did to me, he has the audacity to enquire about my wellbeing. "She is fine." Before I answer him, my mother did rather sternly. She has always lacked kindness for him. He clenches his jaw squeezing his eyes shut for some seconds and I know how hard he’s trying to stay calm. The moment he opened his eyes they measured me from head to toe and then back to my face meeting my eyes. His burning stare heating my skin. How much he hates to see me with Rihan. But I tried to remain unaffected. I looked at the lying papers on the table. The one side of the blank space holds my signature which I did two days back. The other side is still empty. I kept staring at the empty space. "Zara, come back home," he said with longingness. Home? Which home? That hell of a kind. Why? To punish me Force himself on me. Tie me up. My mind recalled all the bitter moment spend with him. “I’
*Secret talk *Zara Five more days passed after meeting him. These days I kept myself confined mostly inside the bedroom. Even this room reminds me of his essence. Sometimes dad use to visit me in the evening and recite some verse from the Holy book. He never inquired about what happened between us. Mayhap he wants me to heal my wounded heart without scraping. I want to flee away from all the memories which I have with him. Those bitter-sweet moments we shared in our childhood days.Whenever he saw me with Rihan, he goes insane whereas he is the one who has been cheating me. He can do whatever he wants and I have no right even to befriend with my childhood best friend. Double standard mentality. My trance of thought halted when I heard the knock on the door.“Come inside.”" Madam, dinner is ready, " the maid spoke after she closed the door behind her back. Nervously she walked towards my bed. I noticed how she was fidgeting holding her cell phone in her hands. "Madam, here is a ca
Aslan. My eyes travelled through the interior of the A-segment car. In my 11 years of age, I had never travelled in cars with my parents. We were not rich. We led a middle-class life until my mother felt sick. All the income of my father were mostly spent on her treatment. Although I had huge interest in cars but our condition didn’t permit us to afford a simple car. And today I’m sitting inside a lavish Mercedes Benz car. My body was stiff and my mind waited with an air of expectancy. The desire to own such cars buzzed inside my body. Maybe one day.The girl behind me who is sitting with her father was constantly chatting something. From her conversation it was clear that she was apple of her parents. Which is why her father agreed at her persuasion to bring me.Though I had agreed to live with them but my mind was anxious. Actually, it was difficult to manage the basic requirement of daily life. My days passed with only a one-time meal mostly which I get to eat in the hotel. So,
Aslan.I combed my hair placing them neatly. With the amount of coconut oil I put on my hair, it looks shiny and properly tucked. From the mirror, I saw Abdul chacha (uncle )wearing his cap. "Abdul chacha (uncle), is Zara ready? " I asked through the mirror. "Not yet... Big madam is asking for you. Hurry up." He took the car keys from the table and left. Looking at the mirror for the last time, I took my school bag and quit the quarter.On the way my mind was repeating the mugged-up answers from chemistry as today we are going to have a minor exam. Baba (dad) use to say that a man can only progress if he is learned. It’s been a day stepping in this mansion and seeing everything luxury and wealth I was thrilled and want to own such a lavish lifestyle. And that can only be possible if I study well. It was like I was in a pond for years and now exposed to the sea. That's all I knew with my age. As I entered the mansion, I saw Zara’s father engrossed in reading newspaper in the
Aslan."Boy, what are you doing here? "At first, I was startled and yanked my head up to find Nawab sir at a few distance from me. I was so engrossed that I didn’t hear his approaching footsteps. He had a cigarette between his fingers. Seeing my reaction, he studied me carefully. "Boy, what are you doing here at this time of night?” He asked once more. I gulped. "Sir, I'm preparing for upcoming test." I replied.His lips curled into a smile but he didn't say anything. He dragged a long pull of the cigarette and released the smoke in the air calming his nerves. Taking amble steps, he rests on the empty space beside me. He was wearing casual off white tee-shirt and black sweatpants. He was sitting beside me with calm and deep thought. His one leg rested on the other as he kept enjoying the burning sensation of the cigarette. He has grace of power and aura of dominance which can even make a king bow down on his knees. His well-sculpted body and the strong muscles of his biceps were
Aslan My vision adjusted with the light of the room. The room looked familiar as I blinked my eyes several times. The faded wall of the room reminds the recent place where I took shelter. My mind tried to ruminate how I reached the quarter but nothing could be recalled.Only remembered that I dive under the water to save her. I looked around the bed and saw the tiny creature for whom I jumped in the pool was resting her head beside my body. She was sitting on a tool. I looked at her face carefully. Her mouth agape drifting in a beautiful slumber. Carefully I got up and sat on the bed without making any sound. My stomach felt empty. "She is sitting here from the moment you were brought. Poor girl...she was so worried... Madam asked for her several times but she didn't budge from here. Even sir came to take her but nobody had the ability to make her leave this place. And now look ...how she is fast asleep waiting for you to wake up. If you don't know how to swim then why did yo
Aslan.10 years later."Aslan......Aslan.... Aslan... " Everyone in the hall started chanting my name. I climbed the stairs and once I reach the ring, my head lowers entering inside the ring. Flexing my muscles, I stood infront of my rival who was standing beside the referee. I scanned the crowd who were waiting for this match with utmost excitement. Eshan was standing by the side of Mehmood bhai. He was sitting on the sofa with two flings on both his sides. Both the girls were sitting glued to him. One to his right side was wearing a red dress reaching till her mid-thigh and the another one was in a purple with the same amount of length Mehmood bhai gave a smug look towards us."The one who wins will get this beauty tonight ... " Mehmood bhai rose the hand of the girl in his right side. Men around him were eyeing the beauty with dream and desire. I averted my gaze at my opponent who was checking her with lustful eyes as he smirked like a low goon. Bloody pervert.... Soon the r