Possession

31. The dreaded marriage preperations

"Come in." She said and the maid entered.

 

"Madam, everyone is back from hospital." she informed and left the room.

 

Zahra immediately caught her dupatta and ran towards the lounge. She hoped everything was fine. When she reached there, she found her uncle laying on the sofa and Haseeb on another one. Haseeb's face was bandaged. Everyone was sitting on the sofas around when her eyes fell on Irtaza who was looking at her making her pale.

 

She gulped with fear as she tightly fisted her shirt. The dreadful memories of today begin to run in her mind like a tape making her eyes widened as saucers. Today, he had successfully inflicted an enormous amount of hear in her heart. She was afraid to face him again alone.

 

"Ahh....Zahra daughter" her uncle acknowledged her presence grabbing her attention.

 

"Come here. Dont be worried. Your uncle is absolutely fine. It was just a minor pain in my heart which Dua took as a heart attack." Her uncle informed her, calling her towards him and she moved towards him, sitting beside him on the sofa.

 

"I hope you're fine taya abu. (uncle)" Zahra said, as soon as she sat down.

 

"I'm absolutely fine beti (daughter). It was just a sharp pain in my heart that made me fell down on the floor. The doctor has told me that there is nothing to worry about." He smiled, trying to assure her that she's fine.

 

Tears brimmed in her eyes immediately making her throat clogged. She thought she will lose her uncle today like her father

 

"Mje laga.....aap...ko..bhi... kuch...hogya....meray baba....ki tarah" She stuttered in her shaky voice. Her tears at bay.

 

(I thought something happened to you like my father)

 

"Nahi mera bacha. Mje kuch nahi huwa. Ap k baba ney apki zimeydaari mje di thi tw mein apni beti ko kesay chor kar.....ja.. sak...ta hun." He answered, his voice shaking at the end of his sentence remembering the last call he had with his younger brother, Mujtaba. His words words still linger in his ears.

 

'Haider Bhai if I'll go away somewhere far then please protect Ammara and Zahra. I'll be leaving there responsibility on you.' His brother had said to him

 

(No my daughter. Nothing happened to me. Your father entrusted me, your responsibility then how can I leave my daughter like that)

 

"Do you promise me you'll not leave me?" Zahra asked innocently, her tears flowing. She felt as if she's talking to her father.

 

"I promise. Now stop crying else I'll also cry with you." He promised making her smile and then laugh. She laughed like a 5 year old child unaware of the eye keenly observing her.

 

"Thankyou taya abu" She replied clearing her tears.

 

"Now please stop being emotional everyone, otherwise I'll also cry. Just look at this young boy who's been brutally beaten." Haya said, averting everyone's eyes towards Haseeb, who was yawning like a cat.