6th Mar, 2021
Writer.
The tensed environment grew even more worried as the surrounding echoed with his loud cries yelling out of his lungs. Everyone roamed around waiting for his consoler, but she yet didn't return.
Shahveer felt so unsuccessful being a father, he doesn't have the ability to calm his son, he failed in it. His son is crying for so long that made his head ache, heart clench.
Nahiaan stood on Shahveer's Chachi's lap. Wiping his nose, wailing, he felt as if he lost someone, just in a day, in few hours. His throat dried but eyes continued shedding tears in grief and most probably anger too.
He had a nightmare that awaked him in shivering and crying state. Shahveer tried consoling him but he only asked for Thanzia, who unfortunately was with Tanveer in their new house till they informed her about Nahiaan.
"MUMMUMMMMM....... aaaaaaaa...eeeee..mmm.."
"Allah! Iaan Mummum is coming baby please don't cry. Ya Allah this boy will lose his voice."
Shahveer's Chachi walked right and left trying her best to calm Nahiaan but he as if swore to only stop in Thanzia's lap.
He's crying from around half and hour and they called Tanveer before 15 minutes. They rushed out worriedly but as the new Villa is little far from here, still they are in their way.
"Shahveer call her again."
"They...are in their way." He said scratching his eyebrows in anger and tension. His heart ached so much, again somewhere it felt peace happy to believe that his son found a mother, unaware that she loves his son for his sake.
"My jaan please have patience, your mum is coming soon."
Shahveer's Chachi said holding his face as she wiped his tears, he stared at her helplessly as a muffled sob escaped his lips.
Shahveer's father and other sat quiet, unable to help in anything as they know that they need to wait till Thanzia arrives.
And finally she did!
"My son!"
With two words, she stepped in and stood at the door. Tanveer came running near her, their expressions tensed and full of guilt.
"Zia!!! Finally!"
Nahiaan's eyes travelled to Thanzia who stood many steps far from him, frozen to move, as if her legs disallowed to run to him.
As soon as he believed that it's her, his voice downed except for his hiccups. His eyes lessened raining as he looked at her helplessly, saying nothing.
Shahveer breathed in relaxation looking at Tanveer who gave him a sorry look and forwarded near them.
Thanzia slowly made her way towards Nahiaan who is looking at her with the best ever helpless expression, his cheeks swollen as eyes turned deeper with redness.
Everyone looked at their way as Thanzia stood few steps away from him and made the gap of her Niqaab bigger to show her eyes to Nahiaan.
She gulped down and looked around making Nahiaan jump in his state.
She looked back at him but didn't forward to take him.
Maybe she waited for him to take that step.
A minute passed after which he extended his hands to her.
"Maa."
And with that word suddenly he again begin crying loudly.
Without speaking anything, Thanzia took him in her arms and immediately found him the closest to her as he encircled his hands around her neck and cried in her chest.
Thanzia looked at her right finding both the brothers already having their gazes in her.
"I'm sorry, Veer. He'll be fine."
She said and walked away with Nahiaan.
"Sorry Veer, she wanted to return sooner, I stopped." Tanveer patted his back apologizing.
Shahveer only returned him a smile and left to his room having tears urge to fill his eyes.
How could a stranger be so close to his son wheres his own mother abandoned him? He couldn't get his thoughts away from this question.
He was so hurt to ever be happy again.
"He's not my son Shahveer, he's just my mistake."
He remembered her words.
"Why Thanzia? I tried to love you even after I loved another girl....even you were my mistake...why did you do this to me..."
He voiced out in an whispered as his eyes begged to cry but he disallowed.
He closed his eyes having a view of his unknown love, her, who is near him all the time, but he never knows so.
•••
"Maaaaaaa..."
Nahiaan yelled with the loudest of his voice when Thanzia kept him down on the bed to remove her Abaya.
"Just a minute baby, please." She hurried with that and immediately took him back in her lap. He cried but his happiness of having her engulfed his grief.
"Maaa..maaa...."
He sobbed holding her face with his tiny hands, complaining everything with his painful sobs and tears.
Thanzia made a helpless face and held him tighter to her chest, patting his back as she kissed his head.
"Maa...."
This word made her even more helpless that he calls her only when he's in pain.
"Maa won't ever leave you again. Don't cry please my jaan. Calm downnn.........." Thanzia looked behind seeing Tanveer closing the door back as he entered with a guilty stare at her.
"Muummmuuumm."
He wrapped his legs around her stomach and held her face gently.
Moving her gaze from Tanveer, she looked down at him with the motherly love that every mother gives to her baby in their grief.
He now is not crying anymore but his hiccups are still troubling him.
Thanzia kissed his eyes wiping his tears away.
"Water....." She looked at Tanveer and he immediately went near their bed side table and poured water in a glass.
"Mummum." He rested his head in her shoulder as his gaze walked to Tanveer who stood close to them with a glass of water for him.
He held his chin and took the glass near his lips. Nahiaan immediately parted his lips as he craved for water since long.
He made them shocked drinking almost the whole glass of water, signing how tired and thirsty he was.
Thanzia's expression worsened as she looked at Tanveer with fear.
"He cried so much... for me..."
She gulped down pulling Nahiaan back to her chest.
"He stopped crying...for you.." Tanveer whispered back as he first kissed her forehead and then bowed down to kiss Nahiaan.
"Dadda..."
"Hmm Dadda....."
"Mummum...oooo..mummum....Maa..maa..maa..." His painful expression changed to joyous as he tried to talk and explain Tanveer something but failed.
Tanveer extended his hands to take him but immediately Nahiaan turned his head away hugging Thanzia tightly.
"Owwhh Mummum's boy."
"Veer must be tensed. Take Nahiaan to him." Thanzia said.
"Hmm......."
"Niiiiii naaaa" Nahiaan shook his head at Tanveer as he held him. He understood that Tanveer wants to take him from her.
"Let's go to Dadda?" He asked with questioning eyes at which Nahiaan looked at Thanzia giving it a thought.
"Go....mummum is here." She rubbed his fluffy cheek.
Immediately Nahiaan jumped on Tanveer's lap assured that he'll have Thanzia beside him unlike he misunderstood at the morning.
As they left the room, Thanzia ran to the door and locked it. She didn't had the courage to walk anymore as she fell down on the floor leaning over the door.
Her hand touched the left side of her chest finding it beating so fast, battling with pain.
Her eyes negotiated making her cry to lessen the pain she is feeling. She felt herself suffocating as her eyes shut off with a pain unconditionally spreading inside her body.
Flashback.
"Please ..please don't..don't abort it....please Thanzia...it's your baby...don't do this..."
Thanzia begged falling in her knees.
She couldn't control her emotions. She felt herself getting drowned in the ocean of pain when Shahveer's wife and the to be mother of his baby said that....she wants to abort the baby.
"Wallahi Zia! That's JUST an abortion. Please now don't act like it's your baby."
Thanzia irritatedly spoke.
"Please Thanzia....you're it's mother. What will you say to Shahveer? How can you do this to him?"
"You love him, don't you? Do you think I don't understand anything? I kn...."
"Don't change the topic. Please listen to me once. Don....."
"I don't want this baby. Just because I shared my problems with you I don't give you the right to say all these to me."
They argued for more few minutes, and then Thanzia was compelled to say something which she never imagined to.
"I...will...will pay you in return."
"And I'll say the amount. If you deny.... you better know."
"Ok..okk...but Shahveer or anyone else shouldn't know about this...
She bought Nahiaan from his mother,
in return of money.
She didn't bear the physical pain,
Yet gave birth to him.
She loves Nahiaan, because he is her son!
[Note: Well there are mothers who actually aren't mothers. That's real to so many lives, Astagfirullah]
•••••
"What's Mumma's name?"
Tanveer asked as he walked towards Shahveer's room.
Nahiaan gave him a glare with red cirlced eyes and held Tanveer's beard in his grip with anger.
"Mummum."
He literally corrected him, like the most rude teacher ever.
Tanveer turned his head down as his eyes widened rolling at his choice of voice.
"My baby's Mummum yes."
"Iaaaaaaaa."
"Say Zia."
"Iaaaaa."
"It's Zia."
"Iaaaaa."
Tanveer laughed and before he could kiss him, Nahiaan jumped and attached his lips to his nose.
"Dadda Dadda! Mmmmm."
Just with a middle teeth in his mouth, he bit Tanveer's lip and tightly pulled his beard as Tanveer yelled in pain.
"Dangerous creature."
Tanveer changed his position in his lap and walked forward.
As they entered, his eyes fell on Shahveer who was studying till now.
"Bhai...."
He stood up and turned, looking at Nahiaan with no expression but his eyes so deep that Tanveer recognized all the emotions hidden there.
"He stopped crying within minutes."
Tanveer walked towards him.
"Dadda!"
Nahiaan screamed extending his hands asking Shahveer to take him.
As he jumped in his father's lap, he rested his head in his chest and took his beard in his tiny grip.
"He's so happy...now..."
Shahveer said looking down at him as he's busy in singing 'aaaaaa ooooo eeee oooo aaaa!'
Hours passed as both the brothers spent time with each other having their little angel sitting in the floor behind them, playing with his toys, a nutella jar and two hershey's spreads jars.
Shahveer and Tanveer are too occupied with their chats to look back at the condition of their son.
In fact it can be said that they actually have forgotten having a baby between them in here.
Nahiaan, the chocolate boy, sat down on the floor with three jars of chocolate syrups standing ahead of him, half of them empty as he showered himself with chocolate.
His fathers are so good and caring that they have kept him shirtless for his comfort in the hotness of the day.
And thanks to them, their son has applied chocolate in his whole body and is also eating that.
He looked cute, his legs spread like wings as his one hand held the jar of Hershey's Spreads and one inside it, taking chocolate in his hand to eat.
To their regret, Thanzia came running towards the room and finding it open, immediately peeked in as her eyes fell on the brothers laughing their lungs out at something sitting in the couch.
They didn't notice her as she stood near the door finding for Nahiaan. Fortunately or unfortunately her eyes travelled to the right side behind them, down in the floor, to her son's condition.
Her eyes widened as her hand walked to her mouth in shock. She couldn't believe him in his state having his fathers present in the same place, totally unaware of his situation.
"Yuummm...."
Nahiaan expressed as he brought the whole Hershey's Spreads Jar near his mouth to drink chocolate like water.
"Na...hiy..aan" His name uttered out as an whisper from her mouth before she yelled the next name so loudly making three of them jump.
"W A R S I."
"YES?"
"Aaa! Yes?"
"Mum mum!"
Nahiaan sounded excited as his eyes looked up to his mother.
Tanveer and Shahveer stared at her with fear written in their expressions as they really felt shocked hearing her overly loud voice.
She looked at both the boys with a murderous glare that they both learnt seeing her dangerous eyes.
" I Called That Little Warsi, not you both."
"Ohh...my......... Astagfirullah! Bhabi at least show some respect while uttering our surname."
Shahveer joked with seriousness as he kept his hand in his chest trying to calm his sudden state of shock.
Tanveer nodded agreeing with Shahveer as he looked at Thanzia with puppy face.
But her expression is still filled with pure anger and hatred.
"Mummum. Yuuummyyy."
At this, both the boys turned their heads back, finding the real culprit sitting down there covered in chocolate.
Their mouth opened full as eyes widened in shock.
"That little Warsi!"
Tanveer whispered in disbelief as he gulped down blinking his eyes for couple of times to believe what he sees.
"Nahiaan Warsi."
Shahveer muttered in fear, he knows that they are to be blamed for his condition right now.
Nahiaan kicked the jar and begin crawling making his way to Thanzia.
"Don't You Dare Take A Single Step From Here. Don't Move Nahiaan Warsi."
Thanzia warned as Nahiaan stopped crawling and sat on that place, looking at her with confusion and innocence.
"Bhai didn't you notice what he was doing?" Shahveer asked in a whisper. Tanveer shook his head as stress lines formed in his forehead fearing his wife.
He would choose to dig his orbs deep inside his eyes than see the wrath of his wife visible in her eyes, Allah knows how much he fears seeing her whole face then.
"I have no words to throw at you both. Enjoy in peace." She now softly said.
Both the brothers sighted as she didn't choose to yell at them.
She walked near the bed and grabbed Shahveer's towel.
Walking to Nahiaan, who is still sitting in the right place following his mother's command, Thanzia bowed down and took him in her lap not before covering his chocolate-body with the towel.
She silently walked to the door as the boys looked at her back, praying her to vanish as soon as possible. Unfortunately she turned around and looked at them.
"He doesn't like water, he doesn't agree to shower. He cries as if I beat him when I take him for bath. And so I do my job as early as I can.
Can you kindly tell me how to clean this angel now?"
She spoke, wrath engulfing the fake sweetness of her words.
She felt so angry that she made up her mind to surely punish her husband once she gets him in her hold.
"Bhabi.......sorry." Shahveer whispered looking down at his feet.
Tanveer nodded.
"Stupid group of Warsi."
She threw the sentence at their faces and walked out with Nahiaan.
"Astagfirullah Shahveer! This little Warsi needs to behave."
"Please tell that to your wife."
•••••
"Veer try a bite at least. You will love it."
Tanveer now said in a scolding tone but got a straight no in answer from Shahveer.
"I don't like Biriyani Bhai."
He pouted.
"Let it be na...he never eats."
Thanzia glared at Tanveer.
"But Veer....."
"Bhai! I eat every other thing made by your wife. It's just Biriany right, I don't eat that you know. Please now don't behave like a mother. I'm late. Allah Hafiz."
Shahveer hurried to the door and vanished the next minute.
"It's so yummy. If he had tired once only......"
Tanveer whispered as he continued eating.
"What does she add in it? Why's it soooo.....yuummmmm..."
Shahveer took another spoonful of Biriany and blessed his mouth with it's unique taste.
The old lady pouted and slapped his arm.
"Didn't you hate Biriany before? Say that it's cooked by her that's why you find it so yuuuummmmm!'
She spoke taunting him.
"It's really yummmm my Queenie. You see if I'm given to choose the Biriany made by her amongst thousand others, I can do that in the first morsel of it."
"Can you make a looooottttt oooof ittt for me to take it there? I can forever eat this."
Tanveer looked at her with puppy eyes chewing the rice.
Thanzia giggled and nodded at him.
••••
Thanzia slowly entered taking Nahiaan in her lap as he's sleeping peacefully drown in her warmth.
She made her way towards the bed with her eyes roaming around it seeing Shahveer again sleeping in an uncomfortable position.
She found space for Nahiaan and then walked closer towards the bed.
Giving a last kiss to Nahiaan's pouted lips, she held him tight to her chest and closed her eyes for a minute.
She slowly put him down on the bed beside Shahveer's chest and kept few pillows around him for security.
Her gaze fell on the same expression like Nahiaan that Shahveer displayed. Tiredness written over their faces, Shahveer's for the pressure of works and studies while Nahiaan's for the naughtiness he does all the day.
Both their lips are pouted out cutely. Thanzia couldn't control chuckling at this as she moved her gaze away and turned around to leave his room.
Her head aching unbearably, eyes tired of crying, she suffered to breathe.
Making her way back to her room, she took off her Jilbab and sat up on the bed.
Tanveer laid on the middle of the bed, his legs spread, both hands together in his stomach, face showing the same expression like Shahveer's.
Thanzia sat near him and took his hand in her lap, admiring his every feature. His lips aren't now twitched in smile unlike they are when he's awaken.
Still she found him the cutest with the slight pout in his lips.
She watched him for long, loving that.
"I love you."
His words rang in her ears. She gulped in and leaned down to rest her forehead against his.
"Tanveer....."
"I will love you more."
She muttered breathing heavily.
Trying not to disturb, she laid on top of him and was adjusting to her comfort, which unfortunately broke his sleep.
"Ummm...Ziaaaa....."
He looked at her sleepily.
"Sorry....sorry.."
"It's ok."
He whispered and rolled themselves around bringing her under him.
Resting his head in her chest, he closed his eyes and slept again within minutes.
But she didn't, tired of asking for a drop of sleep in her eyes. She kept running her fingers through his hair as her other hand sat on his arm. Her eyes stayed open as she continued thinking about the puzzles she needs to solve in her life.
Little did she know, once she reaches to what she wills, it'll cost her to sacrifice the other.
•••••