05| Stranded
Eleven hours.
Life changed in eleven hours.
With a mere television address, billions of people in the country were left locked-in, stranded, alone and confused.
It only took eleven hours for the split between people who live in penthouses, in skyscrapers looking over the sea and the ones who live in huts in the suburbs near garbage dump to accentuate and become unrecoverable.
Sithara woke up with a jerk as her phone rang violently somewhere under her pillow. Her eyes burnt as she rushed to silence it but Arryn groaned in sleep before she could. "Nothing Jaan." She tapped his forehead to comfort him again, regretting not muting her mobile.
But to her misery, the caller rang again and her husband's irritated groggy voice followed.
"I'm sorry." She muttered, pressing the red button. A sharp pain ran across her head too making her feel nauseous. Her mouth tasted bitter and her stomach churned as she tried to get up. She had hardly slept for an hour in two days now. She could literally feel her body slowly give up.
"Who is it????" Arsalan enquired with displeasure evident in his voice. Last night was hard for him as well.
"Kabir." She answered reluctantly, knowing well it would only annoy him further. Hundreds & hundreds of messages and pictures propped up on her screen every second as she tried to dial his number.
"Ask him to have a life beyond you." Arsalan remarked not being able to mince his dismay. He did not want Sithara to entertain the call.
"You sleep." Sithara was fazed out herself and the last thing that she wanted right now was to pick an argument with him.
"It must be urgent." She justified her best-friend and got up from the bed, scrolling through WhatsApp.
Her mind was too numb to read and comprehend the texts. She couldn't understand what was happening but she gasped as her eyes almost popped out of her sockets when the images began to download one after the other.
"Sithara."
"Arsalan please." She walked into the balcony, connecting to Kabir once again.
The abrupt closure of inter-city, and inter-state borders especially in the background of ceased operations at offices & workplaces had engulfed people, especially the poor and the laborers who had come to the city in search of work with panic.
Sithara's heart broke at the photos she had received as Kabir filled her up with the new crisis building in the country in the backdrop of the Coronavirus. They were images of people from across India who were now ready to walk home on foot for hundreds of miles in the absence of any plan to evacuate them by the government.
There was a sea of people on the railway stations pushing against one and other just to be able to put their foot on the last trains heading towards their village. There were people sitting on the edges of the roof of the busses, and others dangerously hung out through the windows and the doors.
"Sithara Arsalan is an acquaintance of the food security officer right??? Could you ask him to get our NGO officially listed to access the grains for distribution under the public distribution scheme han?? It's an emergency. There is no food." Kabir explained the situation to her.
Sithara couldn't help but contrast their lives with those of the rich, including hers, whose money buys privileges and whose attitudes lead directly to oppression of the poor.
Supermarkets and grocery shops were looted last night by those who could afford to buy & hoard ration, leaving the shelves empty for the rest. Ironically, most often the rich are oblivious to the effects of their actions, just like how they are so unaware of the privileges they enjoy.
The system ensures that there is inequality and poverty to ensure cheap labour available for the wealthy and the same system turns blind and acts incapable when it comes to catering the deprivation that it itself created.
She peeked back in the room and noticed Arsalan had woken up too. He was pacing the room speaking over the call. She was sure it was about the same thing.
India had woken up to deserted cities, crashed markets & millions of migrant labourers on foot in utter crisis heading home due to loss of livlihood.
"Delhi is the epicentre of it." Sithara sighed hearing his words. She felt guilty. She didn't intend to leave her NGO unattended in a catastrophe like this. She really didn't want to burden him with all responsibility as if it wasn't her dream initiative too.
Kabir's voice sounded worked up and anxious. She could realise his stress because the NGO hadn't dealt with something this disastrous and big before. He seemed just as tired as her and she hated that she could not be there with him to support because Arsalan chose to come to Indore but at the same time her selfish self couldn't imagine herself anywhere but with her family at the moment.
"I'll figure out. Keep me in loop." Sithara assured before running to the basin to puke. Her body could no longer function in a horrendous routine.
She retched. Arsalan walked in and looked at her through the mirror in disappointment before putting off his phone and patting her back to relax her.
He held onto the towel before she could and gently cleaned her face as she stood like a baby against the wall. He gave her orange candy to better her taste and instructed her to go to sleep again. She hummed with a nod which meant denial.
"Sithara." Arsalan spoke when she neared her laptop.
"Arsalan Kabir.."
"Ask him to man up for once in life." He interrupted before she could complete. He knew that he was the last person Sithara had ranted to before dozing off yet he disturbed her.
"I have seen no man this obnoxious Arsalan." She straight up defended.
"Then you really need to develop a better understanding of the world Sithara. I'm sure there's a lot out there for you to realise." Nobody offended Arsalan like she did.
"Arsalan. Subha subha."
"Do whatever the fuck you want. Just don't complain to me." Her husband warned. He could see her face pale, her eyes strained, her limbs lacking strength but how else could he help her out if not ask her to rest. She needed to take care of herself before going out for others but Sithara never liked a piece of advice when it came from Arsalan.
"Yes, why would I complain to my husband? But he can ruin my day." Sithara emphasised.
@Sithara quick hii before i drown myself in work
"Daniya!" Sithara's mother-in-law's face contorted as she tried to stifle her giggle at the rude remark of her beloved daughter on their miser and arrogant relatives. The women were in the kitchen, gossiping to lift up their moods.
It had almost become a routine for them to sneak in some time to chit chat about most random things in the world. Sithara enjoyed their company as it diverted her from stress that came from the outside world.
"Ammi it's been so many years since my marriage to Arsalan, I am raising three children with him yet she'll always ask me if I'm able to cope up with the Islamic way of life??" She complained to her. "How else does she think we are rising and shining?"
"Honestly, that's not just her. It's everybody. Nobody likes you as Arsalan Bhai's wife." Her dearest sister-in-law piped in and Sithara pouted.
"This is such a sweet thing to tell me Daniya." She commented, not sadly, but definitely aware. Hamza, her own husband, always looked at her as the second wife, the woman Arsalan cheated on his cousin with, a charity mother to Aadya & what not.
Sithara didn't want to bother but it was not the same as not noticing it. It was humiliating to some extent, how Hamza behaved with her even when so much time had passed. It was simply sad that nobody spoke about it in the family ever.
She shook her head, clicking off her thoughts. Indeed it was difficult to live a life where you always have a point to prove, where you have to fight judgment thrown at your face for that one mistake you committed in your life but Sithara surely did not have time to waste on such low lives.
"It's not true." Ammi corrected her. "Allah destined them together who are these people to question hm??"
"Like Allah destined Maryam Aunty's son to be gay???" Daniya laughed out loud. It was horrible to joke about his misery but Sithara couldn't help too. His parents were sick to her just as they were to him. Poor Farhan.
"Ammi coffee!!!" Arsalan stood at the door with his phone in hand. He couldn't believe the women had time to talk rubbish. He literally looked at all of them with critical eyes but he would never know how refreshing it was.
"Ammi, I will." Sithara spoke to her, picking up the cup and putting two spoons of coffee and water to make the froth. "Sure hn, your husband." Sithara laughed like a cute teen girl hearing her reply.
Sithara finally felt well almost after three days today. Arsalan was right, she could not go over and above her body's boundaries to reach out to others. Even though she fought him over this in the morning it was not too late when she realised that she needed to sleep to function even at bare minimum . Her vision blurred, her brain numbed and she had no option but to go off and take a break.
So all she had done today was take rest and eat healthy. It came with a pinch of guilt but she was glad that Arsalan had helped Kabir out and they had come up with a solution until the government announced its policies to help. She knew ad-hoc solutions weren't enough, the chaos was massive but she made herself understand that she could take only one step at a time.
She did ignore her office duty calls too but her boss didn't seem to care then why would she tense over it.
@Sithara ☕🧇
Arsalan was in the gallery, typing off on his laptop. His legs were on the table, eyes fixed to the screen. He'd sermon her but never take a step to bring balance into his own life.
Sithara bad barely spotted him not working. He hadn't interacted with anyone except at the lunch table. It
was venomous what Arsalan did to himself.
"Sithara." Arsalan snapped at her for abruptly pulling away the laptop and keeping it on the table but he stopped when his eyes bore into hers. He saw the intent in her raised eyes and he knew it was stupid to mess on this.
"There's a chair right here." He pointed out when Sithara sat on his lap in a disinterested voice.
"So??" She pecked his lips and he rolled his eyes. After quarreling with him for absolutely no fine reason very early in the morning she wanted to romance now. So wifey.
Arsalan looked down to the other side deliberately, scrolling emails through his phone. "Arsalan." She whined catching onto his move but he did not respond.
"Okay!" She snatched his phone from him. "No. Not this."
Arsalan wheezed at her sudden action. "Now you wanna spill coffee over us?" He took the mug from her and kept it aside, subduing a taunt.
"Okay Arsalan don't play hard to get?" She held his face and tilted it towards her. "You know I win, I'm the wife." He did not argue there.
Sithara put her warm hands over his face, rubbing under his eyes to soothe and relax him. She kissed his forehead, massaging his cheek bones with the pad of her thumbs. Arsalan simply gazed at her still it turned her on, fluttering her heart.
She lowered herself to plant a kiss near his jaw and then another and another and one more. "You need to take me more seriously." She softly whispered in his ears.
He chuckled at it, holding her hand. "We better not go there."
She moaned, upset at his words. She knew what her dear husband meant. But she simply nuzzled her face in his neck, sucking his sweet spot, unbuttoning his shirt. "Come on, you love me."
"Yeah, but you love him." He curtly answered. Arsalan loathed Sithara choosing Kabir over him. It could never ever make sense to him. Just never. It only embittered him.
She paused at the accusation. "You get me as your wedded wife." She stared at him.
"I get to kiss the mouth that he gets to make puke." She could not help but laugh at it, hitting his shoulder. It was embarrassing, rude, funny, cute and everything at the same time.
"This is so..." She lightly slapped his cheek with the smile not wiping her face.
Arsalan didn't react. He just smugly watched her titter as if he was not lying but only spitting facts.
"Don't look at me like that." She complained.
"You.." Sithara wanted to remind him that he had done the same just a day before but before she could say Arsalan cut her off as if he read her argumentative eyes.
"Maine Nikah kiya hai.."
"Yeah, whatever. He is so gentle to me."
"Gentle?" Arsalan repeated and she giggled.
"But you know I don't like gentle." She spoke, kissing him again.
Arsalan noticed she was wearing bangles. He put the hair falling on her face behind her ear and in that moment he fell in love with her face all over again. She was indeed the most beautiful woman he had put his eyes on.
Arsalan observed her kohled eyes, her larger than usual earrings, her naturally pink cheeks, her always glistening lips, the mangalsutra around her sharp color bones, the dupatta around her shoulders. He liked how she carried herself in the traditionals.
It was rare Arsalan witnessed her in a desi-wife avatar. She preferred western formals to office & always changed into loose dresses and shorts at home in Delhi but here, in Indore, she was always in Indian attire.
"Did it work out??" He rather asked about the NGO.
"Hmm." She put her head on his shoulder and intertwined their hands. "Do you really wanna have coffee right now???? It's already twelve. Let's go sleep."
"Coffee or sugar syrup?" Arsalan confronted her. The mere thought of the taste made him shudder.
She looked up at him shyly, with a guilty smile. "You said Ammi coffee toh maine Ammi jaisi coffee bana di." (You said you wanted Ammi to make you coffee so I followed her steps.) She shrugged, justifying.
Arsalan chuckled. "You are such an attention seeker."
"Main naraz hun aur mujhe he attitude milega toh phir yahi hoga."
He shook his head at her words. She was so childish around him. Sometimes he couldn't believe it's the same Sithara who has three young children of her own.
"Difficult."
"Really?" She retorted. "How difficult?" She captured her face with her palms and nipped on his lips. "Hm?"
"I have plenty of work Sithara." He teased her, not giving in.
"And you'll prioritize work over me?"
"Learning from wife." He replied.
"Arsalan. Don't irritate me."
"I'm not baby, I got things to do. Get up." He patted her stomach.
"Maine attention dena hai toh lena nahi hai phir jab nahi dena hai toh pura din muh banakar phirna hai."
(When I give you my time you don't take it but when I have none to spare you dislike it.)
"Han toh mere mood ke hisab se raha kariye." (Yes, so why don't you function as per my wishes?). He suggested.
Before Sithara could respond, she heard a loud cheer from Arryn. "Amma, Abba." He sounded super happy.
"Abba." He pounced on Sithara, pressing her further in Arsalan's lap. His hand tighted around her waist to maintain balance.
"You know Abba Zyaan and Zaeem are older than me yet I have won all PS games against them. I think I can even beat you now???"
"Now this is scary." He looked at his father's face at the encouragement, showing his teeth, already feeling proud at the thought.
"I think I like this better. No school, no home work. Only play. I am loving it." Arryn commented.
"No Jaan, you are highly mistaken. You are going to sit with Amma to study from tomorrow."
"No, not at all Amma." He whined. "I like Daniya Phuppo. She is so fun. You always spoil my mood."
"Okay. Seems like both father and son do not enjoy my company." She said and Arryn felt a little guilty. "I'll leave you guys alone and go to my girls.."
"Lovely scenes." Daniya exclaimed.
"Arre sit no.." She teased as Sithara got up at the sight of Ammi and Inaya.
"Ammi I'm sure Arsalan Bhai didn't make Sithara sit on his lap, it must be Arryn." Sithara turned red. She knew Daniya won't let go.
"No, I didn't do anything, she was already sitting on him." Their son clarified.
"Daniya.." Sithara chided.
"Kya Daniya? Ammi aap abhi tak nahi samaj pai ki Ammi coffee ka kya matlab hota hai????" (What Daniya? Ammi you still haven't understood what asking you for coffee means to them??)
Ammi shook her head awkwardly. "Arsalan your coffee must be stale now, let me make it again."
"No Ammi, it's fine.."
"No I will..Wait.." She took the cup out.
"Daniya grow up." Arsalan scolded.
"Bhai you chill out.."
Inaya stood at the corner watching the interaction from there. She had been enjoying her time discovering the equations everybody shared here in the house. It was interesting to her.
"Arsalan how much work is left??"
"I don't know Sithara, you go." He emphasised on go.
"Yeah sure." Her tone got hyper.
"One of my employees got Covid. I said I will review these financial statements on his behalf." Arsalan explained but in vain. She had lost her patience.
"Yeah assist him.." She answered. "I'll leave."
"If you don't mind I could help with it." Inaya spoke. "I have learnt that in my internship."
"No, it's fine..Thanks.."
"No, I don't mind. I have slept all through the day, this will help me kill the night.." She insisted.
"Yes, let her bhai. You are doing it pro bono so let her learn at least." Daniya supported Inaya and he agreed seeing Sithara's pissed face.
"Okay."
Sithara left hearing that and Arsalan hated it. "I'll give you a brief in a second.." He excused himself too following his wife.
"What is this behavior in front of everyone Sithara??" He held her back by her elbow. "I agreed to come you still can't calm down.." She stayed silent.
"What do you want??" He asked her.
"Nothing."
"I don't like when you behave like a child." He told her off and her face only became sadder.
"Acha give me at least five minutes to guide her through it.." He melted.
She nodded at that.
"You are not at all working this weekend Mr. Azher." She screamed in the passage when they walked away.
She was not only needy for her husband but it had been a crazy week and she realised Arsalan needed to not be hard on himself.
He didn't yeild but she knew his response. He'd tell her he didn't have the luxury to take weekends off. His publication operated all through the year.