Saira Malik
I am welcomed by the blinding white lights of the ceilings as I open my eyes that only felt like lifting 100 pounds each. Blinking slowly, I glance around to where I am. Suddenly, I feel the panic rush through me when I find myself in a hospital room. My blurry vision turning clearer as I try to sit up. My hand flew to my throbbing temples making me groan in pain. Shuffling emerged from somewhere in the room and when I peep in its way, I see Hitler rising to his feet.
"Tum?"
Narrowing my eyes at the relief washing over his expression, the events from the day slowly cloud my mind. His raised voice at me, his death grip around my shoulder, the harsh yank on my elbow, the scary vein popping out of his temple like he could explode anytime. And he did. On me.
My hands ball into fists and my teeth clench with rage. He opened his mouth, ready to spew rubbish but I cut him short.
"Don't," I warn him, raising a finger.
"Saira," He called.
"Don't, Fahad. Don't even try." I grit.
"I didn't---"
"I didn't mean it! I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you that way. Mein sharminda hoon bohot. . .and? What else?" I cross my arms, challenging him. The needle injected on my right hand hurting lightly.
"Listen, I know you're mad. But hear me out--"
"I said don't even try explaining yourself to me. 'Cuz, I don't wanna know, you get it?" I regard him with a hard glare, my jaw beginning to hurt from all the clenching. "You're very welcome for not leaving me alone there and bringing me to a hospital. I'll pay the bill, thank you very much. You can leave, aapka kaam hogaya." I finish.
"Saira--"
"F🤡cking leave!" I roar, surprising both him and me not only by yelling but cursing in front of him too.
He opened his mouth once again but before he could say anything, the door flew open, and in came Pho, Mom, and Emad.
"Saira," Pho exhaled, rushing towards me and taking me in a warm hug. "Mere Allah tera shukar!" She exclaimed glancing at the ceiling briefly.
"Theek hu main, Pho." I say lightly.
"Aysich daradeti ine. Ek second me poora ghar sar pe uthaleti." Mom said, shaking her head at me while I pass her a cheeky smile.
"Kiya hua tha?" Emad inquired, looking at Hitler. I watched him gulp and peek a look at me before answering.
"Beech road pe chalre the inu, truck aari thi peeche se but dekhe nahi aur hit hote hote bachgaye."
"All thanks to him," I say bitterly, earning a glare from him.
"Alhamdulillah." He adds along with the others. His mouth pressed into a thin line. No one noticed the staring battle we had going for a good five minutes until he looked away first.
"Chaliyea Aunty. Ijazat dijiyea meku. Aapki amaanat aapke paas hai sahi salamat."
'Stop controlling me, like you fucking own me!'
'Amaanat hai tum meri. I don't own you just yet.'
In one piece." He adds receiving chuckles from the trio.
Itna bhi kiya funny tha, bhai? I glance at the lot of people, clearly dumbfounded.
Mom ambled towards him, grabbing his face in her palms lovingly, and kissed his forehead. "Allah humesha khush rakhe aapku. Duniya jahan ki daulat se nawazein. Aapke saare murad pure kare mera Malik." She praised him, placing her hand on his head. His eyes flickered over to me on the last part, a foreign emotion floating in them as he uttered 'Ameen' His dark-colored orbs fixated on me all the while.
With a last glance at me, he twirled around on his heel and walked out of the room, bidding all of us farewell. I heaved a sigh of relief, slumping back on the stretcher.
"Thakgai meri bachi?" Pho asked, running a hand through my hair. I nod, not finding the energy to reply, and shut my eyes.
"Don't worry, we'll take you home after the drip is over." She says, patting my head.
. .
Coming home was a whole different scene than what it was back at the hospital. Every other minute someone would stop by and ask me if I had anything. If the answer is yes, then all is well. But if I say no, all hell breaks loose. The person elder or younger would lecture me starting with;
'Nai khaye khana? Very good. Bohot acha hai, mat khao khana. Haddiyan dekho apne, skeleton pe skin hai bus! Aur uske upper karpe. Kiya farakh hai tum aur biology lab ke bony skeleton mein? Kuch bhi nahi! Une lab mein hai aur tum room mein. Compare karlo aur taras khalo tum khud pe! Ek ghante ke ander agar meku ye plate khali nahi dikhi, to merese bura koi nahi hunga. Samjhe?!'
Another one;
"Nahi finish kare nai doodh tum! I knew it! Mumma! (Mumma is a universal mom for all the kids of the family) Mumma! Saira doodh finish nahi kare jo main aadha ghanta pehle lai thi." Maryam yelled, carrying yet another glass of juice in her hand.
"Maryam, tum meri team mein hain na yaaro. Mumma ku mat bolo, bohot daantre meku sablog." I plead.
"Kaam hi aysa kare aap. Ghussa nahi karna to shabaashi dena? Gabbar bhi nahi diya tha shabaashi uske admiyon ku, tum kiya cheez hai? Ye baat to mumma ke paas jaake hi rahingi."
"Maryam, nahi please! Maryam! Mar--- URGHHH!!!" I groan into the pillow, falling back on the bed.
Kiya museebat hai sab se? Kyun itna haath dho ke peeche pardgaye mere?
Instantly raising my hands towards the sky, I start rambling.
Allah! Meku bachalo mumma ki daant se, please! I promise, koi namaaz miss nahi karungi, koi bad word use nahi karungi, koi cheez ke baare mein complain nahi karungi, bus, get them off my back! Please! Please! Please!
"Saira!" I jump in my place, on hearing my beloved ammijaan's voice boom in the house. "I want you here, this instant!"
I sat there frozen, making up all possible scenarios in my mind. From the least to most.
"Saira!" She bellowed again.
The next instant I yelled 'ji' in response, gulping loudly. I felt the fear of five-year-old coursing through my veins, who was being summoned on stealing chocolates from the fridge at night. But my case was the exact opposite.
Uss five-year-old ku chocolate churake khaane ki maar pardti aur ye 22-year-old ku na khaane ki maar pardi. Nonetheless, khauf utna hi hai.
"Allah miya, bachalo mumma ki daant ya maar pardne se! Kaisa bhi karke bachalo! Send papa or someone to save me, to help me, please!" I whisper, clasping my hands together and beginning my list of promises that somehow seem to vanish every time after the work is done. "I won't---"
Ding dong
The doorbell sounded, as I stepped before her in the living room. A rush of hope flooded through me as I glanced at the door and then back at her.
"This is not over." She said before the door flew open. Familiar voices saying Salam resonated, making me knit my brows in confusion.
"Aao bete, ander aao. Aap bhi aayein bhabi." Mumma ushered them inside, trying to get hold of the bag they had with them.
"Aunty mein leke jaatu andar, pehli baar thodi aaya ghar main."
My insides froze at the sound of his voice. It was only when I say his face smiling at me, I felt my blood boil. "What the f---"
"Saira bache, you scared us all!" His mother said, taking me in a bear hug. "Fahad bole meku aake kiya hua so, mein toh jab hi aane wali thi. But phir Maqsood bole ki kal chale jao, Ayaan ka malum hai meku, pareshaan hojata une Saira ku liyea. Let's not scare them more, to thoda khamush hogai mein, achaa, let's go tomorrow bolke. Lekin subha hue jab se Fahad ke peeche lagi hui hoon, chalo baba jainge Ayaan bhai ke paas . Miyan ab sune baat humari." She babbled non-stop narrating her story. Her hands around my waist, holding me firm.
"Theek hai bache aap?" She turned to ask me. "Sit! Why are you standing?" She exclaimed, pushing me down on the couch by the shoulders.
"Fruits lai bhabi mein thode, aur drinks bhi hai energy ke isku pasand hunge sonchke." She said gently, caressing my cheek. "Doodh pilare hunge sab aapku nai?" She asked, a glint of mischief twinkling in her eyes, despite the gagging expression she had pulled.
I nod at her, smiling for the first time in these two days. Koi toh mera dard samjhe!
Itni khushi, itni khushi! Somebody wipe my imaginary tears away!
"Don't worry, bache. I got you all flavorings of Gatorade and citric flavored vitamin water." She beamed.
"Bhabi aapku koi zaroorat nahi this itni sab karne ki. Kuch bhi nahi khari madam."
"Aaplog doodh dere bolke nahi khari kuch. Drinks peeke she'll feel better." Mumma shook her head at us, a hint of a smile playing at her lips.
"Lao Fahad! Udhar kiya karre tum?"
"Abhi?" I ask perplexed.
"Of course, I have to watch you drink or eat something. Jab milinga sukoon meku."
Oh, Lord!
I managed to smile back as she handed me the bottle of lime flavoured vitamin water, which honestly I didn't think even existed here. Slowly twisting the cap open, I halted, glancing around at the pairs of eyes that were watching me in silence.
"Aap log ayse kyu dekhre mujhe?" I try and playtime.
"Drink," Hitler said, motioning me with his head.
Very good way of torturing! I thoughtfully applaud, gazing at him.
"Chalo," Mumma said.
Chal, Sai, meri jaan, on the count of three. Ek saath finish karli toh not a big deal. I school myself mentally.
Placing it against my mouth, I start gulping it down slowly then pick up speed until I felt the bottle emptied.
"Woah! Siara, itni pyaas lagri thi? Bolna nahi yaaro, I could've got you some paani." Said Maryam. Panting, I wipe my mouth dry with the back of my hand.
"Bhabi aap aayein andar, sukoon se baithke baat karinge apan. Maryam chai banao sab ke liyea."
"Ji,"
The trio scurried away leaving the two of us alone. As much I hate to admit it, I felt his gaze on me, watching me, like warm sunshine. Only I was in no mood of basking in the sun today and awaited for the clouds to appear. Too full to move an inch of my body, I had to wait for him or his gaze to move instead.
Lekin, nai. Aysa kaisa?
"Saira," He called softly.
"Farmaiye? Kiya laun mein aapke liyea? Chai Maryam banari abhi. Jab tak paani theek hai?" I ask bitterness laced in my voice.
"Kuch mat lao. Bus baat suno."
"Fahad," I sigh, running a hand through my face. "I really don't want to hear anything." I say exhausted.
"But, you have to hear me out at least to know I didn't do it on purpose and that I am sorry." He reasoned, taking a step closer to where I was sitting.
"You want my sorry? Fine. There you have it. You're forgiven. Ab please jao yaha se."
"Ehsaan ka sorry nahi hona meku. Bolna hai dil se bolo, otherwise nai."
"Dil hai ke maanta nahi. Kiya karsakte ab?" I click my tongue, shaking my head.
I watch him shut his eyes and exhale heavily. "I didn't do it on purpose and you know it."
"What I know, Mr Abdullah is that you are a hothead, who also has anger issues. Ye meri ghalti nahi hai, ke aap kisi aur ka ghussa mujhpe nikaal diyea." I bellow, jumping to my feet and standing against him. My temper shooting to maximum, having enough of his sad tale.
"Mein sorry--"
"No one has ever yelled at me that way, and I don't know aap kiya samjhe apne aapko and began barking at me. I know I can be annoying, but that's really not how things are done. You calling me names in the middle of a street, blaming me for wasting your precious time, for ruining your oh-so-perfect day, is just not fair. We talked about not calling you a driver, we talked about dropping the tour altogether. Agar itna hi tha aapko, to kyun? Kyu agree kare aap? Main boli thi jainge? Haan? Mein boli thi meku aapke saath jaana hai? Answer me!" I sniff, feeling hot all of a sudden.
"Acha, ghussa karlo lekin rona toh band karo." He said quietly.
"I'm not--" Touching my cheek, he captures the tear on his thumb showing it to me.
Wow! Yehi baaki tha! I mock my emotion self. Never lets me argue without tears!
"Junglee Billi doesn't look good crying."
"Mar gai Junglee Billi." I snap, shoving his hand away. "Tell me something, would you leave me there like that? If I hadn't called your name and you hadn't turned around just in time to scold me some more, and if the truck had hit me, would you leave me there all bloodied on the street?" I glanced at his jaw hung open, and shocked eyes, waiting for a reply but didn't get any.
"Thought so. Jo insaan ghusse mein itna blind ho sakta ke kisi aur ka ghussa kisi aur pe nikalke, beech road pe chorde marne ke liyea, usse aur kiya umeed karsakte?" I mock with a smile. Heavy silence befell us before footsteps were heard approaching us from behind.
"Kal kahan jaare bete aaplog?" Aunty asks, excitement heavy in her voice.
"Nowhere aunty," I answer flatly, crushing her excitement while looking Fahad in the eye. "Aapke bete ko office mein ek new project pe work karna hai, so he's busy. Waise bhi meku jo dekhna tha mein dekhli. Dil bhar gaya." Giving him a final look, I twirl around smiling at her.
Aunty furrows her brows at the sight of me, glancing between us. "Acha." She says in a slightly uncertain tone.
"Theek hai bhabi, milinge phir inshallah. Ayaan bhai ko salam boliyea mera." Making her way towards me, she takes me in a hug again. "Take good care of yourself, bacha." She whispered in my ear. I nod against her chest, and pull away managing to smile at her.
She kissed my forehead lovingly, and let me go not before giving me a final squeeze as if saying it's going to be okay, don't worry. Bidding their farewell, both Fahad and her turn around to leave.
As the front door shut behind them, I heaved a sigh of relief.
"Haan bete," Mumma started, turning to look at me. "Doodh finish kyu nahi hua ab tak?"
I let out a nervous laugh, and waved my hand. "Aap bhi na mumma, bade mazaki ho, bade mazaki ho." I try but the stern look on her face told me otherwise.
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~𝓓𝓲𝓱𝓪