It's All In The Mind √

Chapter Sixteen

Sakina opened the door to her room, with hair sticking up and kohl spread across the face making her look like a witch.

" Allah! Who's this? " , Shaahid exclaimed. But before he could do a thing, Sakina came forward and grabbed him by the collar.

" You nasty morone, because of your stupid predicictions, Salman did not come this evening. I warn you, stop playing with my life you fool!! " , she pushed him and he almost fell on the ground, but balanced himself.

And grinned.

" Oh Sakina ji! Weren't you the one who had no faith on willfulness and the magic it can cause? How do you now blame me that I brought about this?

Don't worry. He might be sick, or out of town. He'll return.
Till then you keep playing 'Faded' on your violin.

Like it says,
'Where are you now?
Was it all in my fantasy?
Where are you now?
Were you only imaginary? ' "

Shaahid swayed towards his room, smirking. The incidents of him rightly predicting the future had impacted her brain cells, at least upto the level that it did not imagine against them.

Sakina stood at her door, fuming.

____

The early morning garden looked different without Murshid sitting and digging in a particular corner.

Different because, now in that very corner sat Sophia. Digging.

Wondering how deep these house dwellers could dig actually, and also if Murshid could find his wife still, Shaahid walked towards Sophia.

She saw him and made faces.

" Don't do that. You face is already displaced to a side. " , Shaahid folded his arms across his chest and smirked.

" Shut up. I know I'm beautiful. You don't need to lie. "

" I'm not a liar. You are.
Like you lied that Salman and Sakina had a beautiful relationship because Salman was a terrific personality. "

Sophia jumped up.
" Why do you think it's a lie?
Salman teacher was really charismatic! And he and Sakina aapa were good together. "

" But Rubina said he hurt her. "

" Rubina???

Ooooo..... That 'churail' got you already. I should have thought earlier as to why there's this changing demeanor of yours towards me. "

Shaahid grinned again, unable to gather what change she witnessed in him.

" Whatever.
You mean to say Sakina was never hurt by Salman? " , he said.

Sophia swayed her single braid and squeezed her brows.

" Fights did occur between them.
I mean, we don't exactly know what happened behind the closed door when he came to teach her.

But sometimes he would leave shouting and Sakina aapa screaming and running behind. At others he left smiling. And Sakina aapa blushing behind.

He would not come for days together sometime.
Then he would appear suddenly one day with flowers.

Once Sakina aapa ate tablets when he did not come. "

" Tablets? As in, sleeping pills? " , Shaahid was startled.

" I don't know. But she did not wake up for one whole day. Doctors came and checked. Idiot Saajid was crying. "

" Do you usually call people names this way? Idiot Saajid, impotent Shaahid, ghoststruck Sakina... "