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*
Tara
"999. What's your emergency?" The operator asked me.
"The police..." I couldn't form words properly. "There are unknown people in our back garden, threatening my husband. They're going to kill him!"
"Okay, ma'am, just tell me you address." The operator spoke calming and reassuringly.
I gave her the address and she advised me to stay indoors and make sure all the doors and windows were locked. She ended the call by telling me that the police will be around shortly.
I had decided to call the police before waking Zain up, because I knew that when I woke him up, he would want to go outside because he would be worried about his parents. I was worried about them too, but I think they were probably safer in there because those people probably didn't expect anyone to be living in the annexe.
"Zain." I got onto the bed on my knees and leaned over him.
He was in a seriously deep sleep because I had to tap him a few times, as well as loudly repeat his name before he finally woke up. "Tara? What's going on? Are you okay?"
"T-There are some people in the back garden, yelling out for you."
"What?" He sat up quickly, frowning. "S**t. Mum and Dad!"
"Zain, I've called the police. Just have some patience, okay? They'll be here soon." I put my hand on his arm.
"I'm not risking my parents' safety." As I'd thought, he jumped out of bed and headed to the window.
"Your parents wouldn't want you to risk your own safety!" I protested. "They're actually safer in the annexe!"
"Tara, I can't hide like a coward. Let me go and see what..."
"No!" I yelled, getting up and grabbing his arm. "You're not going anywhere! The police will be here soon. Let them handle this!"
Suddenly, we heard a glass shatter downstairs, and Zain immediately pulled me into his arms, protectively. "They're breaking in, Tara. I can't let them hurt you or my parents. Let me go. I can deal with them."
"Zain, no! Stop! This isn't an action film!" I was in tears. "You can't go and try and fight them! You have no idea what weapons they have. The safest thing to do is to stay in this room."
"Zain!" We heard Uncle's voice from the back garden.
Oh no! Now Zain was definitely not going to stay.
"Dad..." He looked down at me. "Tara, listen. Stay in here. Stay hidden. God, if necessary, hide in the bathroom. Stay safe."
"Zain, please don't..."
"It's Dad, Trouble. I have to be there for him." He kissed my forehead. "Please don't come after me. Stay in here." He turned and ran out of the room, grabbing a shirt along the way.
I may be overconfident, but I'm not stupid. I knew that if I went after Zain, it would risk his life further because he would be too worried about me and Uncle. But he was my husband and I loved him and I didn't want anything happening to him.
Ya Allah, protect us. You are the Ultimate Protector, but you send help through humans sometimes, so please send the police soon.
I began to recite Ayat-ul-Kursi and wished that I had done so on Zain.
I glanced towards the door. No. I wasn't going to stay here like a useless damsel-in-distress. Zain was going to kill me, but it was better than him being hurt or worse.
I went to the wardrobe and bent down to grab Zain's cricket bat from his cricket kit. It was pretty heavy and could possibly knock someone out. The only issue was that because of its weight, I wasn't sure if I could swing it high enough to hit someone in the face/head.
I put on my night-suit trousers and grabbed the bat before walking towards the door.
I had no idea what I was going to do, but I hated the idea of hiding while my husband and family were in danger.
I opened the door of the hallway and peered out. It was quiet, too quiet. I stepped out, dragging the bat along with me. I ran down the hall, as fast as I could, and it was hilarious because with the bat it felt like I was running to make runs and avoid a run-out.
Zain, please be okay.
The idea of anything happening to him almost made my heart explode with fear.
I made my way downstairs, but still, it was too quiet. I kept reciting Ayat-ul-Kursi. Those who Allah protects cannot be harmed. I reminded myself repeatedly.
Suddenly, a hand covered my mouth while that person's other arm wrapped around my waist.
"This is her." I heard an unfamiliar whisper. "This is the girl who took Sana's place."
"Take her." Another voice, more authoritative, ordered.
Zain, where are you?
"Mr Faisal will be pleased with us."
Mr Faisal? Sana's dad?!
The useless bat slipped from my hand as the person holding me began to shove me towards the front door.
I was squirming and trying to free myself, hating his filthy, non-mehram hands holding me.
"Let go of her." A quiet, threatening voice made the intruders stop.
The next thing I knew, the guy holding me cried out in pain, and I was free. I shuddered and moved away from him as fast as possible and turned to see Zain and my parents-in-law. Zain had knocked the guy out with the bat that I'd brought downstairs.
"Tara!" Aunty gasped in horror, as the other guy reached for me.
Zain tossed the bat aside and rushed forward to step between me and the intruder, protectively. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." He punched the guy straight in the jaw.
What kind of amateurs did Mr Faisal send?
"Tara, come here." Aunty called out to me and I rushed over to her and Uncle. Aunty held onto my arm. "Are you okay, dear?"
I nodded weakly.
At the right time, we saw the blue lights of the police car outside and I almost collapsed with relief.
It was over. Thank you, Allah!
****
Zain and Uncle explained everything to the police officers, as the two intruders were taken away. I told the police that they had mentioned that 'Mr Faisal will be pleased with' them, which led to us explaining to them the entire situation of how Sana was Zain's ex, etc.
"We should all offer Shukranay ke Nafl." Aunty said, after the police had left.
*Reminder: Non-mandatory prayer offered to especially thank Allah.
"We need to stick some tarp around the broken window downstairs first." Uncle replied.
Zain was silent, looking thoughtful, with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Tara, beta, you go and get some rest." Aunty told me. "You must be stressed by the almost kidnapping."
"Just an everyday drama." I shrugged, trying to lighten the mood.
"You think this is funny?" Zain snapped at me.
"Zain..." I was startled by his harsh tone.
"What if something had happened to you?!" His voice rose.
"Zain!" Aunty looked as surprised as I felt.
"It would have been all my fault if anything had happened to any of you." His jaw clenched and he turned away from us all.
"No, Zain. It's Sana's father's fault, not yours." I put my hand on his arm.
"I'm dropping you off at your parents' house tomorrow." He said. "You're not safe with me."
"Zain, you're making no sense!" I argued. "Bad things happen! But you can't push me away!"
"Zain, we're all exhausted and stressed. Go get some sleep and think about it with a cool mind." Uncle said, firmly.
Zain headed upstairs without another word.
"Good night, Aunty, Uncle." I sighed, and headed upstairs after my angry husband.
I entered our suite, and he was pacing in the bedroom area, looking furious. "Zain, stop blaming yourself!"
"If anything had happened to you, Tara..."
"But it didn't! Stop this, Zain!" I was getting frustrated as well. "Unless we're directly or recklessly responsible for something, we can't blame ourselves for it!"
"I am recklessly responsible for this!" He looked at me. "My history, my past almost harmed you today! My parents were in danger as well, but you were almost kidnapped, Tara!"
"Well, in that case, I'm at fault as well as I came after you even though you told me not to!" I cautiously walked up to, as if I was worried that he would run away from me. "Zain, I don't blame you and neither do your parents." I shook my head. "I just can't believe that Sana's father sent people after you like he's the Mafia or something."
"I need to talk to Sana about this. This is ridiculous." He sat down on the bed, leaning his forearms on his knees.
"Don't." I whispered, softly, sitting down beside him. "Let the police handle it."
"He's a powerful man. I don't think he's going to back down just because of this incident."
"Zain, I don't like the idea of you talking to Sana again." I put my hand on his.
"And I don't like my family being risked."
"Zain, please. Don't talk to her. The police will..."
"What will the police do when that f***er can pay off someone high up?!" He stood up again, frustrated, as he ran his hands through his hair. "Listen, Tara, I don't want to go behind your back, so I'm going to tell you now. I'm going to speak to Sana directly."
"Zain, please don't..." I shook my head.
"I love you and I respect you, but this has to be done." He headed out of the room.
When he didn't come back, I went to look for him and found him asleep in the guest room.
****
Zain
My parents weren't due to fly out till tomorrow, but in the morning, I changed their tickets for the flight this evening. As for Tara, I asked her to drive to her parents' house indefinitely.
I hated it, but it was for her own safety. Until I spoke to Sana, I didn't want her to be here.
Last night, I let her down by leaving her alone, after putting my entire family in danger in the first place. And I wasn't going to be in peace until I solved this issue.
"Tara, please try and understand me." I said as she loaded her luggage into her car. She had refused to even help me with that. "I'm doing this for you."
She refused to even look at me, but she was sniffing and her eyes were red. Till the last minute, she had been crying and convincing me to let her stay, but if it hadn't been about her safety, I wouldn't have asked her to go.
I blocked her way as she began to head to the driving seat.
"Zain." She finally spoke when I kept stepping in front of her.
"I love you, Trouble. Just let me sort this out, and I'll ask you to come back." I whispered.
She walked past me and open the door of the car. "Allah Hafiz."
"Allah Hafiz." I replied.
I knew that she insecure, as well as worried about me. I knew that she was not just scared about me getting hurt, but also about what would happen when I contacted Sana.
"Wait." I stepped towards her, and grabbed her wrist, tugging her closer. She looked almost startled by my action, but before she could react, I leaned down and pressed my mouth against hers. It was a slow, but incredibly romantic kiss and I imagined transferring all the love that I felt for her through that one kiss, hoping that she would realise what she meant to me and that she had nothing to be insecure about.
To my relief, she kissed me back, tangling her fingers through my hair. "I'm kissing you," She muttered between kisses. "Doesn't mean that I'm not angry anymore."
"Okay, talk to me." I held her in my arms. "Tell me exactly why you're mad at me. I know why you are, but I just want to hear it from you."
"You're making me leave, when you're in danger too." She was sulking as she said that.
"Tara, I can handle myself much better when I know that you or my parents are not around. If you're here, I'll be distracted, which increases my chances of getting hurt. So technically, you should feel better leaving knowing that I would be able to focus properly if things go wrong."
"Which they won't. In Sha Allah." She whispered.
"In Sha Allah." I kissed her forehead. "Why else are you angry?"
"Sana." That was all she needed to say. She dropped her gaze, playing with the buttons of my shirt.
"You think I'm going to contact her and fall for her again?" I asked.
She nodded. "People don't forget their first love."
"That's true. And I won't forget her. But, not in that sense." I immediately added the last part as her eyes widened. "She played an important part of my life, but only because I started my journey of repentance after dating her. How can I forget that? But if it's about love, then no, I can never be in love with her again because I love you completely and unconditionally."
"I'm scared, Zain." She whispered. "I don't get scared about much, but this scares me. The thought of losing you in any way scares me a lot."
"Well, that's why I am sending you away. Because the thought of losing you scares me." I admitted, honestly. "If I had been a few minutes too late last night..." I took a deep breath. "Anyway, go. Go to your parents house with a smile. You're not going there because you had a fight with your husband, but because you missed them and wanted to stay there for a few days, as I had initially promised your parents after the last trip."
"I love you, Zain." I snuggled up in his arms.
"I love you too." I kissed the top of her head. "Drive safely, okay?"
After watching her drive off, I got my phone and unblocked Sana's number. My thumb hovered over the call button for a few seconds.
There was a time where I excitedly called Sana for everything. If I got back from an international trip, I would call her the minute I landed back in London. If I had some exciting news to share regarding work, while Bhai called our parents, I called Sana. Sana had once been one of the most important people in my life, and we often used to chat on the phone for hours when we couldn't meet up.
And now dialling her number seemed hard, but I did.
"Zain?" She answered almost immediately and sounded surprised.
"We need to talk, Sana." I spoke grimly.
****
"Zain, I'm so sorry." On the video call, Sana seemed genuinely shocked.
Being in different cities, it was hard to meet up in person, so we decided to talk over video call.
"Are you sure that you knew nothing about this?" I asked, dubiously.
"I swear, I didn't." She looked sheepish. "But I think I know why Dad did this."
"Because he is avenging his daughter? Yeah, I got it." I was in our bedroom suite, lounging on the sofa. I really should have been heading to work, but it could wait.
"No, Zain...I'm..." She cleared her throat. "I'm actually seeing someone, and Dad doesn't approve of him. He liked you, as you know, and he thinks I'm destroying my life, so he's making you pay because he thinks that you are the reason I'm rebelling or whatever."
"You're seeing someone?" I repeated, sounding more curious than I should be.
"Yeah, he's on a managerial position in a different company." She replied. "He thinks I should be with someone of my standards...like you."
"So, he's going to come and threaten my family just because he's bitter that we broke up?" My jaw clenched.
"I'm sorry. I'll talk to him. I promise." She looked annoyed. "I hate it when parents interfere in their children's relationships."
"Isn't it like a desi rule basically?"
She laughed. "Yeah, it is."
"Okay, well, talk some sense into him." I said. "For old times' sake, I wouldn't want to take legal action against him, but I will if he ever puts my family at risk again."
"You mean Tara?" She asked.
"I mean everyone, but yeah, since they almost kidnapped her, I'm going to put an emphasis on that. Tara's my everything, Sana, and I won't tolerate anyone hurting her."
"I remember that overprotective nature of yours." She smiled sadly.
"Anyway, I have to go." I said. "I have to be at work."
"Zain, can we at least be friends?"
"I'm sorry, Sana, but I don't think that's a good idea." I shook my head. "It's not fair on her. And it's not right."
"I understand." She sighed. "I'll handle Dad. Don't worry about a thing, okay? I love you even now and I won't let him do anything that will hurt you or anyone that you love. Even if it is the girl who took my place."
"Thanks...I guess."
I didn't tell her what I really thought about her statement. Tara hadn't taken Sana's place, because Allah had destined Tara to be my wife, so this was always Tara's place, not Sana's. And since she had been destined to be my wife, my heart and soul had always belonged to my Trouble, and she is the only one with a right over me.
But Sana had been through enough, and there was no point in causing her further pain unnecessarily.
****
Sana
"Leave him alone." I spoke into the phone, my eyes filled with tears.
"He hurt you, Sana!" Dad snapped. "And I can't tolerate that!"
"Well, I can't tolerate seeing him in pain!" I yelled out. "I genuinely love him, Dad, and if he's happy with her, I'm happy for him. Leave Zain alone or consider me dead to you."
"Sana!" He sounded shocked.
I ended the call, and sobbed silently. When you're in love with someone, you act selflessly. You sacrifice your own happiness for them, even if you're left with a lifetime of heartbreak yourself.
I admit, I often felt bitterness and jealousy towards Tara, but I would never hurt her because he loved her.
The truth was that I wasn't seeing anyone. I knew that Dad had sent men over to hurt Zain because of the pain I was going through. But I couldn't let Zain know that. I didn't want him to feel guilty, not after he had happily moved on.
If we were characters in a TV show or a film, people would expect me to be the villain, but I wasn't. I would never hurt Zain, and therefore I would never hurt Tara.
I was just a heartbroken girl, trying to heal from the pain of losing the love of her life.
Yes, I chose my business over him, and for that I was never ever going to forgive myself. I was too stupid to realise then that Zain meant more to me than any materialistic thing in the universe.
I wiped away the tears from my eyes. I need to focus on work. I need to get over Zain somehow.
Yeah, it's not easy to comfort a broken heart.
****
Tara
Mama was staring at me suspiciously.
"I didn't have a fight with him!" I told her for the millionth time. "I swear. Ask him!"
"Jamila, leave our daughter alone." Papa told her. "Believe her and let her be relaxed at her parents' house."
"Why do I always feel like Tara's up to no good?" Mama sighed.
Because I'm Trouble.
"Mama, you're too much sometimes." Misha rolled her eyes as she sat on the living room sofa, watching an old episode of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? It was a Hamid family tradition to watch gameshows together, while shouting out the answers.
"Whose car is that?" Mama peered out of the window.
"Mine." I said, sheepishly. "My birthday gift from Zain."
"No!" Misha jumped up excitedly and rushed to the window. "Tara, let's go for a drive!"
"Misha, leave her alone! She just got here!" Mama told her off.
"Please, Mama!" Misha begged her. "Pretty please! That's such a cool car!"
"No."
"Jamila, it's okay. Let the girls go out for dinner, and we can have a dinner date of our own." Papa winked at Mama, who blushed.
Misha whistled and I laughed. Our parents had their cute moments.
"Fine, go!" Mama smiled, her cheeks still pink. "But Misha, behave. Tara, don't listen to her unreasonable requests, okay?"
"That's a sister matter!" Misha hugged Papa. "Thank you, Papa! Love you!"
This is a normal day for the Hamid family. Alhumdulillah, we had a good environment here in general.
****
"I think Zoha Appi's being pressured by her family to have a baby now." Misha told me as we drove around the city.
"Misha, this is bad habit to gossip like this!" I told her off. "This is her family matter."
"She was crying to Mama though! She says that her mother-in-law keeps saying that she had her first child within one year of marriage. Appi's barely been married seven months!"
"Misha, stop!" I turned to give her a quick glare. "You should not be talking about these things! It's her choice to discuss this with Mama, and if she did, that's different anyway because she's talking to her mother! You and I have no right to discuss her life, even if she's our sister! Once your siblings get married, their personal lives are completely separated from you."
"I just don't want my sisters to cry because of unfair pressure!" She looked hurt by my words.
"Meesh, I know." My tone softened. "But, if Zoha has serious issues that she's worried about, she first and foremost discusses it with Abdul Rehman Bhai, and if things are too bad, she can talk to our parents. You and I shouldn't interfere."
"That's what Mama told me."
"And Mama's right." I said. "Look, Meesh, you'll understand when you're married, In Sha Allah. I know you have good intentions, but sometimes our good intentions can harm our siblings' married lives, okay?"
"I'm just worried about her. You know how sensitive Appi is."
"I know, but have some faith in her, okay?" I ruffled her hair, lovingly. "Our Appi is more mature than the two of us combined. She'll handle her problems sensibly. In Sha Allah."
"In Sha Allah!"
"Now...forget all that. What do you want to eat?" I grinned at her.
****
Misha had visited an Indian restaurant with her friends a few months ago, and she took me there.
"You have to try the masala dosa and dhoklas here." She gushed. "I loved it so much!"
So those are the two things we ordered, along with a portion of samosa chaat.
*Masala Dosa: crepes stuffed with potato and onions, and is served with chutneys.
~Dhokla: cube shaped Indian food, made from rice and split chickpeas. I feel hungry just writing about them.
~Samosa chaat: a yoghurt mix with crushed samosa.
***Although India and Pakistan have a lot of similar dishes, I have only tried a small amount of specifically Indian dishes, but the first two are my two personal favourites.
"Allah! I was so hungry!" I bit into the dhokla and moaned. "Amazing."
We ate in silence for a while.
"Tara..." Misha looked hesitant. "Are you happy?"
"Yes, this food is amazing."
"I meant...with Zain Bhai."
I looked up and saw her looking genuinely worried. She was clearly already very worried about Zoha, and now she must be worrying about me as well, considering what she knew about Zain's history.
"Alhumdulillah, Zain and I are both happy together." I gave her a reassuring smile. "Stop worrying about these things, Meesh. You should be chilling and enjoying your summer holidays, not worried about your elder sisters' married lives."
"Tara?" She dropped her gaze, looking unsure again.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for stopping me the other day." She looked at me. "I was going to make a huge mistake at the funfair the other day."
"You already did. You smoked...but if you learned from it, that's awesome."
She shook her head. "Not that."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
She again avoided my gaze. "I was going to a club with them after the funfair."
My eyes widened. "You what?!"
"They were pressuring me!" She cried. "But, when I got home, I was shaking with the thought of what I almost did, and as soon as it was time, I prayed Isha that night."
"Meesh..."
She was in tears now. "I could have really messed up, Tara."
"But you didn't, babe."
"Only because you caught me!"
I got up and slid into the booth beside her, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. "Meesh, it doesn't matter who or what stops us from doing something wrong. What matters is that we learn from it."
"I've learnt my lesson." She nodded. "I've stop contacting those friends. I don't need friends who don't respect my beliefs! Even when I told them about what I believed, or what my culture or religion says, they kept saying that it doesn't matter and that I should loosen up a little."
"That's why we're encouraged to choose our friends carefully." I squeezed her shoulders. "Some guide us to the right path, while others lead us astray. If we feel like someone is leading us astray and away from our beliefs, we should let them go. It might be hard, but the rewards in the future will be worth it."
And that was exactly what my Zain had done. And Allah knows how proud I was of him.
"I'm sorry, Tara. I'll never do anything like that again."
"Good. Mama and Papa trust us all so much. Don't let them down." I said. "And if there's ever any issue that's bothering you, you can always turn to me, okay? I may be married, but I'll still always have your back."
"Thanks, Tara." She smiled at me.
****
Zain
An hour before Mum and Dad were meant to leave for the airport, Bhai and Bhabi showed up.
"Now that you've made this decision," Bhai told our parents. "I would like to tell you what Lamisa and I felt was best for the family."
My parent actually looked nervous hearing that.
"You and Mum will be going to Lahore permanently, Dad." Bhai spoke sadly. "So, it doesn't make sense for Zain and Tara to live in this huge house by themselves. I think it's best for us if we sell this place and divide up the money between me and Zain."
"You want to sell our home now?!" Mum gasped, horrified.
"Lamisa's pregnant, and with a baby on the way, that money could come to good use." Bhai looked at his wife briefly.
"You're a billionaire, Talha!" Dad shook his head. "What are you talking about?"
"Dad, this house is rightfully mine and Zain's." Bhai shrugged. "So, it's kind of unfair that only Zain lives here with his wife, while I'm not even here. Isn't it better to sell and divide up the money?"
We all knew that it wasn't Bhai talking, it was Bhabi talking through him.
"I'm going to speak to an estate agent as soon as possible." Bhai said, with finality. "I just need you to sign some documents, Dad."
My parents looked absolutely devastated.
****
So Sana turned out unexpected, right? She genuinely loves him!
We shouldn't judge people by the way they dress or behave, because we have no right of doing that. Just because a person dresses or behaves a certain way, doesn't mean that they are a bad person, and Sana is that example.
Do you think Misha will remain on the right path?
Thoughts and comments?
Thank you for reading and don't forget to vote!