Wabasta | Complete ✔

Chapter 2

Almost twelve years ago when she re-married, four years after she got an official divorce from her estranged husband, Firdaus's biological father, Shagufta knew she was making a decision for the betterment of her daughter's future. But it was only after they were deeply committed into the marriage that she realized that nobody could've been a better father to Firdaus than Dawood.

*****

He scrolled through pages after pages on the computer screen. It was baffling, the amount of information that was being thrown around. Aman was usually an organized person but this was getting way beyond his control. He couldn't keep track of all the things that were compulsory, the things that were recommended and the things that were preferred for the applications.

Medical school was tough. Point. Blank. Period.

Even for a straight A* student like him, getting accepted at a good school wasn't going to be child's play. In fact on the contrary, the absurd amount of competition he was going to face was a little bit daunting. And in a place like the UK, it was going to get even tougher.

"Bhai?" Adil knocked on the door, which was slightly ajar. "Aap free hai? Mujhe zara yeh physics ki assignment karwa dein, ho hi nahi raha mujhse."

Aman smiled. "Ajaa, baith idher." He knew it must've been some important assignment for him that he actually put his ego aside and came to his brother for help. Adil wasn't the kind that went out looking for help, especially not from him.

"Yeh? Yeh toh kaafi asaan-" Aman stopped before he blurted out the rest when he saw the change in his face. "I mean, yeh zara mushkil hai, par hum dono mil kar solve karlenge." He slid out of the chair and sat on the bed in front of Adil.

"Ek baat bata, aaj baba se kis baat par larai huyi teri?"

"Kuch khaas nahi. Unhone mere last semester ke results dekha, aur phir baras pare hamesha ki tarah. Unka toh kaam hi hogaya hai, mujhe baat baat par daantna. Aapke jaisa nahi hoon na."

"Areh mere bhai, aisi baat nahi hai. Woh tumhari fikar karte hain, isilye daant dete hai kabhi kabhi. Baba tumse bauhat pyaar karte hai Adil. Haan unka pyaar jatane ka tareeka shayad thoda alag hai, par iska matlab yeh nahi hai ke woh tumhari parwah nahi karte." He placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Aapke liye kehna asaan hai, aap ko toh kabhi kuch nahi kehte. Unhone hamesha apki tarafdari ki hai bhai, chahe woh parhai mein ho ya kuch aur. Main koshish karta hoon, ke main kuch aisa karoon ke woh mujh par bhi fakar kar sake. Trust me I really do. Par nahi ho pata mujhse."

"Baba thode sakht mizaj ke hai, lekin itne bhi patthar dil nahi ke woh tumhare efforts na dekh payein. You just don't stop trying. Aur tumhe pata hai, woh tumse mujhse zyaada pyar karte hai?"

Adil chuckled and closed his book.

"Rehne dein bhai, aveiyn kuch bhi mat phenke. Chhota hoon, lekin itna bhi nahi okay?" His remark made Aman laugh nervously. "Chalein khair, help ke liye thank you. Main baaki ka kaam khatam karta hoon."

"You're welcome, koi aur problem ho toh aa jana."

After Adil left, he went back to his computer. To an extent, he wasn't wrong. Since childhood he had been the star student. Not only in academics, but also athletics. Which is why the pressure of superior achievements was building on, and he was desperate to find a way before he caved in to the pressure.

*****

"Ugh, khala! Pardey band karein please!"

Firdaus squeezed her eyes shut as the bright rays of sunlight fell on them. The curtains were the only thing in her room that were not white because she wasn't exactly fond of being woken early in the morning by the sun.

"Uth jao beta, kaafi deir hogayi hai."

"Bas paanch minute aur..."

"Paanch minute toh tumhara do ghante baad poore honge."

"Paanch minute..."

Zaitoon bano walked over to her bed and pulled the covers down from over her face.

"Uth jao bacha, shabash. Dekho main tumhare liye nashta bhi lekar ayi hoon. Ab yeh pare pare thanda ho raha hai."

After a lot of nudging, she finally gave in and sat up, groggy but awake. She could not win when it was her beloved Zaitoon khala she was up against.

"Kya khala, thodi deir hi toh sona chahti thi. Woh bhi nahi karne diya aapne."

"Beta jitni marzi chahe so lena, lekin chuttiyon mein. Abhi college jane ka waqt ho raha hai. Zara waqt toh dekho, 7:30 baj gaye."

"Ek din college nahi gayi toh kaunsi qayamat aa jayegi?" Firdaus cribbed and lay down her head on Zaitoon bano's lap and closed her eyes again. She couldn't help but laugh at her silliness.

"Qayamat toh nahi ayegi par tumhari parhai par asar hoga, aur agar parhai par asar hoga toh tumhari amma zaroor qayamat khari kar degi."

"Unko chhore, unhe toh aadat hai har choti choti baat par qayamat khari kar deni ki. Dekha nahi, kal raat ko kya kia unhone? Aisi hi hain woh."

"Buri baat hai beta, aisa nahi kehte. Maa hain woh tumhari. Waise kal raat jo tumne kiya woh bhi theek nahi tha beta. Tumhe aise baat nahi karni chahiye thi unse."

"Pata hai, badtameezi ki hai maine. Aur afsos bhi hai." She got up and sat straight. "Lekin woh kyun aisi baatein karti hai jis se meri dil ko thais pahunchti hai?"

"Gussa insan ki sochne samajh ne ki salahiyat ko kam kardeta hai. Isi liye na chahte hue bhi hum samne wale ko kuch aisa bol dete hai jo hum bolna nahi chahte."

Her words made Firdaus fall silent for a while. She pondered over her actions the night before.

"Main koshish karti hoon khala, ke gusse ko apne upar havi na hone doon. Par hota hi nahi."

"Jab jab gussa aye na, toh apni aankhein band karke 'Audhu billahiminash shaytaanir rajeem' parhte rehna, aur Allah se dua karna ke woh tumhe sabr dein. In Sha Allah, dekhna tumhara saara gussa gayab ho jayega."

Firdaus listened to her carefully, and ingrained it in her mind. She often wondered what her life would be like without her guidance. She would be so lost, so miserable. But when Allah takes something from you, He also gives back in plentiful. She didn't always have the guidance of her mother when she needed it, but her father and Zaitoon khala never let her feel the lack of it in her life.

"Achha beta ab tum please nashta karlo. Raat ko bhi bina kuch khaye hi so gayi."

"Baba ne raat ko dinner kiya tha?"

"Haan kiya tha. Woh tumhe bulane bhi aye the par tum tab tak so chuki thi."

"Aur Mallika-e-Jahan ne?"

Zaitoon chuckled. "Nahi kiya, woh bhi aise hi so gayi. Agar tum ziddi ho toh woh bhi tumhari amma hai."

"Hmmm," she dropped her gaze to the floor. "Aap jaye unko bhi nashta de dein. Main tab tak kuch khaa kar taiyyar ho jati hoon."

She threw the other end of the dupatta over her shoulder and took a one last look in the mirror before stepping out the door. Coming into the hall at a hurried pace, she saw Dawood waiting for her near the main door.

"Good morning baba! Aap yahan kyun khare hain?"

He replied with a smile, "Tumhara intezaar kar raha tha beta. Socha tumhe college drop kardoon, phir wohi se office chala jaunga."

The excitement could be seen on her face, but it soon died down when she realized what might be coming her way.

"Baba, kya aap kal raat ke bare mein-"

"Nahi beta, kal raat ke bare mein hum koi baat nahi karenge. Main toh bas tumhare saath thoda waqt guzaarna chahta tha. Socha we could catch up on a few things."

Firdaus smiled at him, feeling a little guilty over her behavior.

"Thank you. And raat ke liye I'm sorry."

Dawood laughed and patted her on the head. He knew her enough to know that she wasn't late to realize where she went wrong. It was an attribute he had always tried to instill in her since childhood. And he succeeded well. No matter what the world said, it was a fact that he was her father and he was way absolutely proud of it.