Wabasta | Complete ✔

Chapter 12

Shagufta was the first one to open the door and enter, followed by Zaitoon. Aman stopped in his tracks outside the door when he saw her. She was on the floor beside her bed, screaming and scratching her arms. They were flared up and red, so were her eyes from which tears were flowing constantly.

"Maama! Sab kuch jal raha hai maama! Sab kuch jal raha hai! Mujhe bacha lein please, mujhe bacha lein!" Her voice was broken but loud.

"Zaitoon bi thanda paani leke aye jaldi!"

Shagufta held on tightly to her and tried her best to console her. Zaitoon ran towards the kitchen to get some water. When she came back, she immediately sat down beside Firdaus and made her drink the water. It helped calm her down a little but she was still crying relentlessly.

Aman stood at the door and watched in horror. The scene playing out infront of him was nothing less than a nightmare. He didn't realise until much later that his cheeks were wet with tears flowing down his eyes continuously. How was he going to save her from this hell?

A while later when Firdaus calmed down Shagufta came out of the room. Aman was stlll standing there trying to process everything.

"Her withdrawal symptoms are getting worse with time. Ab toh kabhi kabhi darr lagta hai ke kahin usey kuch ho na jaye."

Aman regained his posture and looked at Shagufta.

"Usey kuch nahi hoga aunty." He turned his gaze towards Firdaus and then back to her. "Hum usey kuch hone nahi denge. Ab tak yeh larai aap akeli larr rahi thi. Ab main aapke saath hoon. I will make sure she recovers."

Shagufta had nothing to say to him. She just looked down teary eyed and nodded.

*****

When he came back home he faound Adil waiting for him in the living room.

"Aap lo itni der hogayi bhai? Sab khairiyat toh hai? And...what happened to your clothes?"

Aman placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll tell you everything, just give me a minute, I'll go and change."

He returned to the living room and sat down on one of the couches. Adil handed him a cup of coffee for which Aman thanked him. He gradually narrated everything to him while Adil sat there and listened carefully.

After he finshed, both of them sat in silence for a few miunutes before Adil spoke up.

"So what is your plan now?"

"I don't have a plan. Not as of yet. I just know that I want to help her come out of all this, aur uske liye mera yahan Lahore mein rehna bohat zaroori hai."

"Ammi aur baba sey kya kahenge aap?"

"Koi bahana bana dunga, aur waise bhi main agar tumhare saath yahan rahunga toh mujhe nahi lagta unhe koi masla hoga. Lekin iss waqt main unhe sacchayi nahi bata sakta. Mujhe pata nahi woh kaise react karenge."

"Agar aapko yeh theek lagta hai toh sahi hai. Mujhe bhi lagta hai aapko uski madad karni chahiye. Gosh, I don't even know what to say. Losing a parent is hard enough, she's dealing with addiction on top of that."

Aman nodded.

"Aaj Usman bhai ki shaadi nahi hai? Aap nahi jaa rahe?"

Suddenly it dawned upon him.

"Oh haan, I completely forgot."

"Toh kya aap nahi jayenge?"

"Jaane ka mann toh nahi hai, lekin nahi gaya toh woh hazaron sawaal karenge, jiska jawaab main unhe nahi dena chahta. Firdaus ke bare mein kisi ko pata nahi chalna chahiye. Atleast not yet." He let out a deep sigh. "I really don't know what I can do to help her."