Sadqay Tumhare

22.

But I had left him a text message. He's my father, Zaydaan. He's my father and he doesn't deserve to be in jail.

That's all I had texted. Did my father deserve jail? Ofcourse he did. He had used illegal ways to earn money, he had offshore companies too. But he was my father, no matter what.

I cared about him. Even if he didn't care about me.

"Something like that." I mumbled, Ahad frowning at me.

"Typical bhai. He'd yell and make one feel so pathetic but then do the exact same thing." He remarked.

This time, I frowned.

"What?" I questioned, surprised.

Do what exactly?

"What? You don't know?" He exclaimed, surprised.

"About?"

"The fact that he told NAB to get off Imran Uncle's back. He also removed his name from ECL but the news is controversial so zip it."

A sudden relief coursed through my veins. Did he do that? Did he do that for me?

He cares about you Aaina. He just said all of that to hurt you so you wouldn't bug him. He cares.

A part of my heart told me, but a part of my mind just cursed at me for being so damn naive.

"He did that?" I enquired from Ahad anyway, he was a part of the cabinet, he knew things. He wasn't just my playful brother in law anymore.

"Yeah,"

"But why?"

"Why not? He must have realised that you were hurting." He said it like it was the easiest thing ever.

If only he cared about hurting me or making me feel bad. He didn't.

"I don't understand him, Ahad. I truly don't." I honestly said, my heart couldn't take this pain.

His words, every time I thought about those terrible words, it pierced right through me. And it hurt. It hurt so much.

"Sometimes, neither do I." He responded.

While Zaydaan had been appreciating all the other members of his cabinet, he had been way too firm with Ahad. And I knew it was taking a toll on him.

"Oh look, it's you." He suddenly said, glancing at the television screen. I looked at myself, in a white dress, with too much concealer and a fake smile.

"Yeah,"

"Mere liye asaan nahi hai ye sab, main jaanti hoon ke Mujh se behtar log maujood hain yahan, mujhe is baat ka ilm bhi hai ke mujhe zyaada nahi pata, lekin main ye baat jaanti hoon ke Mujh par aaj se aap sab ki zimedaari hai."

Knowing that I was the one, talking, speaking, being looked at, it was so nerve wracking.

I shivered, remembering yesterday.

"Meri Umer shayd aap sab se choti hai, magar shayd yehi baat waja ban jaye, ke main kuch bauhat Acha kar sakun, aap sab ke liye."

I had met with so many orphans there, so many widows, so many old people, and it had ached. I had lived all my life, shadowed.

And seeing their suffering, their pain, it had made mine feel like nothing for a while.

"I have met with Afshan bibi, who claims to know so much about life and philosophy, who gave me this dress that I'm wearing right now, who told me words of wisdom. Would it not be great if we could join the orphanages and the old age homes? Personally, I think that children learn the best from old poeple. You all can guide them, can love them like parents. Spend time with them."