The Bias

Chapter 29

He stepped ouside and moved to her side of the car, opening the door.Shehnaaz stepped out looking at him and then her mother.For a second she forgot to breathe.

"Hello Mrs Gill!", he spoke looking at her mother.His words and body language held held the confidence. He was doing no wrong.

"Dr Gill.", she replied, looking at her daughter and then passing a glance at him.The first man, she had spotted around Shehnaaz.

"Mom!", Shehnaaz said looking at her mother . She didn't know what reply she awaited.

"Go upstairs and change into something appropriate,  hum log already late hai.",the woman spoke,  not changing an expression. She was a determined and strong headed woman, Sidharth noted.

"Amma he just came to drop.me."

"Hmm....now that you have  dropped her, you can leave."

"Really Shehnaaz! Ki tamasha paya tu eithe?" ( what scene have you created.) Her mother spoke, shutting the door .

Shehnaaz looked at her and didn't answer.

"We are getting late. Chalo!" She answered back, not bothering to answer the question, moving ahead towards the door.Her body covered from top to bottom.

The way Shehnaaz spoke, irked her mother. She held her arm and strongly pulled her back.

"Amma chhado!"( mom leave)

"Pta uhnu tere baare chh! Tere hathha chh lage khoon da.( does he know of you, the blood in your hands!) She spoke looking into the eyes of her daughter.

"There is nothing to know. ", she separated herself away. Yelling.

"Galat Sana! Tu apne sach toh kive bachegi!"( wrong sana ! How would you escape your truth. ), the mother spoke pushing her away, as Shehnaaz fell to the sofa.

"What is his age. You won't stop with fondness for older men!"

Shehnaaz looked back." You can't talk like that!"

"Then don't behave like that!" The woaman replied." You don't want people to talk trash,  then don't act trash.",she added picking up the tab and scanning through it.

Shehnaaz looked at her mother. The way she picked up the phone and carried on with her business. She didn't bother to care about what she had said. Maybe she meant the words, maybe not. Maybe it was taunt maybe a warning.

Shehnaaz got up, there was no point of fighting over this.It was a chapter long closed, convincing them. She opened the fridge, taking out a bottle of water, walking to her room.

"We can do this all life long! For now wear something appropriate and come outside.  " the woman spoke movinv to the kitchen, opening a drawer.
"Where is tea?", she asked, not botfering fir Shehnaaz to answer the first sentence. The same act of denying Shehnaaz her basic rights to react, or to understand her own self.

"Why do you do this?", Shehnaaz asked walkihg over to her mother.

"Ki?"

"This ..Amma this.Pretend like nothing is happening. Deny me the right to react."

"Reaction to what darling?", she walked to Shehnazz, lokking into her eyes. Shehnaaz haf changed into a white and deep blue salwar suit,with miniature plants printed into it. "Your reactions come at expensive prices, isliye.", spoke the woman while she used both of her hands to set Shehnaaz's hair and dupatta, patting at her shoulder."Kyuki the last time you reacted, we lost everything including the right to your freedom.Kyuki like always you would react on impulse!'