Dear Shumail..

Chapter 19

24th July, 2019

Eram's eyes opened and her gaze landed on the plain white ceiling of her room. She kept lying, not wanting to get out of bed and just kept staring at the plain white ceiling of her room. The bed and pillow which was once warm no more felt comfortable, probably because she had grown use to of the comfort of her husband's arms which she used to use as her pillow. On the thought of it, her eyes filled with tears and a few rolled down from the side of her eyes, disappearing in her pillow.

The shifting in bed and the sound of the blanket being removed which dropped on the floor making a crisp sound, brought her out of her trance and she was quick to wipe away her tears. She sat up in her bed and tied her hairs in a bun, as she got out of the bed, putting her dupatta on her head. She walked to the single bed in front of her, where the blanket was lying on the floor and took a hold of it as she placed it on the bed.

"Zai." She called out as she sat beside the sleeping form of her 13 year old brother. "Wake up." She said, shaking him. She couldn't help herself but make her brother lie in a comfortable position from the weird position he was sleeping in, and tried to wake him up again. "It's school time Zai. Come on! Wake up already."

She ran her hand on his hairs caressing his head with affection, and everytime she took a look at him, she felt happy that she was able to win back his custody. Everytime she was reminded of how he was taken away by the Children Welfare Association after her parent's death because she had no source of financial support, she ended up crying and the trauma that he would be given for adoption if she couldn't provide them the proof that she was financially stable and that she could support her brother's education and wellbeing, had resulted in her getting nightmares of him being snatched from her and sometimes her situation had worsened so much that she had began to get panic attacks.

She was all alone, with no one to take care of her, and to that she wasn't even helpful in getting any wellpaying jobs. The final notice from the Association that her brother would be given in adoption to have a good life ahead if she fails to give them the proof of her income within 6 months, and her brother's tears that he would be separated from her for ever, were like a torment for her, breaking her from the inside and she found herself all alone.

Maybe that's the reason she did what she did?

"Why did you lie to me?" Shumail who had his back facing her and his hands behind his back, questioned to her looking at her from his shoulder.

Eram was in shock. She couldn't believe that she was wrong all the while, and she felt stupid to even think that he was oblivious about everything while in reality he knew everything from the very start but still stayed silent. Her eyes were fixed on the floor and she was so bewildered that she didn't even know how to answer him let alone meet his eyes.

"How was I suppose to tell you!" Eram's answer rolled out of her lips in a mere whisper that it failed to reach Shumail's ears. She had a million questions to ask him. How he knew everything? Since when he knew everything? And even after knowing everything why did he stayed silent? Did he knew everything from the very start or he found the truth after their marriage? So many questions but she had no courage to speak even a word.

"Even after I asked you about it, you lied to me on my face!" He stated, his tone was totally calm and she feared the tone of his voice. Chills ran down her spine, and for the first time ever she was afraid in his presence.

"I'm sorry." She cried out finally, bursting into tears.

"Not everything can go back to normal with a sorry but yeah even though you didn't trusted me enough to tell me the truth, I can't stay silent and do nothing when an innocent life is at stake." Shumail spoke, making her look at him who still had his back facing her. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion and she tried to think what exactly he was talking about.