What is apparently so strong, enduring and impenetrable, can also be fragile, weak and vulnerable when hit at certain points.
Fariya
Walking towards the hospital building, Fariya's mind was blazing, her heart was aching and her soul was burning. She never thought that her husband would say these things to her on the first day of their marriage.
She had always dreamed of a man with character and loyalty, who will cherish her for the rest of his life. But it was a game of a mere seconds, and all her dreams and hopes went out the window.
Yes, the way their Nikah happened was peculiar and strange, and like adding fuel to the fire, it was forced. But she at least expected some courtesy, some kind words for it was her dearest father who was fighting for his life, for it was her life too that was ruined. She was a part of this mess, the injustice happened to her too.
But it was like her dearest husband had forgotten that she was in a terrible state too. It was not like Fariya expected love and care, for she knew the conditions in which they got married were drastic, but she at least expected some good words.
The naive heart of a fragile girl.
She reached the door of the ICU and as she moved her hand forward to open it, it was pulled open from inside. She looked up, only to gaze at her entire family standing in front of her.
They didn't ask her anything. They just looked at the unfortunate woman and their eyes did the deed. And Fariya didn't answer them anything. She just smiled at them and the message was conveyed.
It was a painful smile, a smile which held so many agony and suffering but secrets and mysteries at the same time. Her mother, Amna, took a step towards her elder daughter and took her hand in her weak and aged hands.
She looked at her daughter in the eye, in those sparkling, hazel eyes.
"We have to go."
Her mother said and on hearing her, it was panic which rosed in Fariya's heart.
"No." She said, emphatically.
"I have to stay here and look after Baba. You people can go. I'll stay with Baba."
At this, her mother shook her head.
"You should come with us. It was a long night and you need some rest after what had happened. Ahmed Bhai will stay with your Baba."
At this, Fariya's brows furrowed. She can't stay with her own farher but his friend can? What type of insanity was that? Being the out spoken and blunt lady that she was, she parted her lips and spoke her mind.
Her mother only shook her head, as if she's been disappointed.
"Fariya, he can stay here. He's your father's...."
She didn't get a chance to complete her sentence because Ahmed Uncle got out of the ICU, closing the door behind him. A silence fell upon the cold corridor when the old yet graceful man took a step forward towards them.
He stopped right beside Hamza and placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled down at him. He then looked up and gazed directly at Fariya. He smiled at her daughter-in-law, a full and bright smile. Fariya returned the smile, but her smile was shy.
"Omer went?" Ahmed Uncle asked the question whose answer he already knew.
"Yes." Fariya nodded her head and looked down, as if it was her fault that he was gone.
"Okay then, Bhabhi. I'll stay here with Ali. You can come in the morning. My driver will drop you." He suggested after taking a deep breath, his tone polite, unlike his son
"No, Uncle. We have our car." Maida responded quickly.
Uncle Ahmed moved his eyes from their mother to Maida and nodded his head.
"I'll accompany you."
He said and motioned them to go ahead. Fariya was quite taken aback by the man's mannered behaviour which were so different from his rude son.
"But I want to stay here. With Baba." Fariya said to Uncle Ahmed, her voice pleading this time.
She didn't dare look at her mother for Fariya knew that she was looking daggers at her.
"My child, you should go home. You need to rest. It was a difficult night."
There was something in his voice which left no space for argument. Taking a deep breath she nodded her head. Uncle Ahmad smiled and placed his hand on her head.
"I'll go meet Baba then, before leaving."
Fariya didn't wait for any response and moved ahead but the voice of Uncle Ahmad stopped her.
"He's asleep."
She came to a halt, took a deep breath and turned on her heels.
"Okay, then. We're leaving."
Fariya said and after taking her mother's hand in hers, moved towards the exit.
Omer
It was 8 in the morning when he parked the car in the garage. The weather was still chilly but the sun was starting to rise at the horizon, making the weather bearable. Unlocking the car, he placed his hands in the jacket's pocket and made his way inside.
He had only yet crossed the threshold when his mother came running to him, followed by his sister and brother. He narrowed his eyes and looked at their excited faces, wondering what might be the reason behind this.
However, he didn't ask and went towards his mother, hugging her while placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Assalam-u-Alikum Bhai!"
Urwa, his 20 year old younger sister, greeted him, her face beaming.
"Salam!"
This time it was Saad who greeted him, his 24 year old brother.
"Waalikum-Assalam."
Omer nodded his head and returned their greetings, his face lacking his usual smile.
"Are you hungry?" His mother asked in her usual motherly tone.
"No. I'm not." His voice was as low as a caged man, a weak man.
"I need to talk to you, Ammi."
He said, still not looking at his mother in the eye for he knew that one look in his eyes, and her mother will grasp every secret he had been hiding deep within him.
"Come, my child. First eat something and then we'll talk."
Omer was taken aback by her reaction. Unlike the previous times when he would say something like this to his mother, his mother remained calm and undisturbed, serene.
"No. We need to talk first." Omer said again, his tone a bit forceful this time.
On hearing this tone, his younger siblings dispersed here and there leaving behind Omer and his mother.
He caught hold of his mother's hand and led her towards his room. Climbing through the stairs, he turned right and walked a bit further ahead and stopped right in front of his room. Opening the door with one hand, he stepped inside followed by his mother.
His room was a perfect combination of brown and white. The curtains of his room, which were now drawn, were brown in colour.
Three walls of his room were white but the one, right in front of his bed, was painted brown. With a white bed sheet and brown bed covers, his bed was placed at the heart of his room.
The lavish and comfortable brown coloured sofa placed at the corner only added to the majestic beauty of the room.
"What do you need to talk about, Omer?"
His mother asked, not a slight bit of anxiety in her voice.
Omer made her mother sit on his bed and then dragged the chair, at the other end of the room, towards him, sitting on it right in front of his mother.
Taking a deep breath, he ran a hand over his beard and looked up to see his mother already gazing at him, love in her eyes.
"Baba called me last night. In a hospital."
He lowered his eyes as he did not want to see his mother's reaction when he broke the truth to her.
"His brother was admitted there. Younger brother. He had a heart attack."
He tried to hide it, mask it, veil it but his voice became weak at the end, making him look vulnerable. He was still looking down at his mother's old hands in his youthful and handsome hands.
"He made me do something, Ammi. Abbu made me do something."
His voice was as low as a whisper, conveying secrets to the woman who bore him in her hands.
"He asked me to marry his niece."
He finally broke the news to his mother, a news he knew will affect her drastically.
He finally raised his eyes to look at his mother and froze with a gasp after seeing the expression on her face.
Pacific. Calm. Peace.
Was it the calm before the storm? Or the news didn't affect her?
Bemusement and perplexity made their way to the pit of his stomach and tied it in knots. She was still looking at Omer with the same tranquil expression and smiled when their eyes met.
"And what did my son do?"
She asked, even her voice dancing with a smile. Omer didn't comprehend her mother's reaction, for it was strangely peculiar.
But he gave up his thoughts on it and told her the thing she wanted to know.
"I married her."
And the next thing made his breath catch. His mother placed her hands on Omer's face, cupping his face, and let out a relieved breath.
"Oh, Omer. I'm so proud of you."
Omer stared at her, his eyes wide. Never in a million years did he think that his mother would respond like this. He thought that she'll be angry and furious at him or she'll stop talking to him or blame his father for ruining her son's life.
But her reaction was so different that Omer didn't know what to say for a moment. And when he regained his senses, he only managed to say a single thing.
"Ammi?"
There was confusion in his eyes and his mother clearly read it for she pulled her hands away from his face and placed it in her lap.
"I already know, Omer. Your father told me last night."
A frown appeared on his devilishly handsome face.
The look on Omer's face was asking for more explanation and her mother gave it to him.
"I was with him when his niece called him last night. And your father called me before he called you. He called to tell me that Ali was not very well and he wanted the Nikah to happen right away. He asked for my permission which I gladly gave"
She was still smiling and Omer was still frowning. His frown deepened as he heard his mother disclose the truth.
"And you didn't refuse him?" He asked her, utterly bewildered.
"Why would I? She was meant to be your wife. You were engaged with her from the day she was born." She just shrugged her shoulders.
Today was the day of revelations for Omer Ahmed Lashari.
First the sudden brother of his father that appeared out of nowhere, then Nikah with his daughter and now this revelation. He felt like he was going to go insane.
"What?"
He managed to utter only a single word.
"Omer, your father and I went to see Fariya when she was born to congratulate Ali and Amna. However, when Ahmed saw her and took her in his arms, he was so overjoyed that he said that she'll be his daughter-in-law when she grows up, the bride of his Omer.
Everyone agreed but the happiness of your father and Ali was immeasurable. They felt that finally their broken ties will be joined. They were ecstatic. Your father wouldn't stop talking about it. I was happy too.
Fariya was so beautiful with her hazel eyes and angelic features that I felt my heart leaping with joy. She is a jewel, I tell you. You'll live a good life with her. I assure you that."
She finished by pressing his hands slightly, asking him to trust her and his father.
Omer pulled out his hands from his mother's grasp and looked down.
"I can't believe you people can do this to me. You could have at least informed me, let alone ask me. It's my life. I had a right to know."
His voice was low but it was harder and firm; low because the woman sitting in front of him was his mother and he couldn't dare raise his voice at her, firm because he was beyond hurt.
"Omer, yes. You're right and we were going to tell you about this but the sudden heart attack of your uncle made everything out of control. This was not meant to happen like that."
His mother, Ayesha, tried to explain everything and lessen Omer's burdens but they only intensified with each passing second, causing him great pain and sorrow.
Omer sat up from the chair and without saying a word turned to leave the room but as he reached the door, his steps halted. He turned around and asked his mother a simple question. Simple yet so damaging question.
"Who else knows?"
His mother, who was already looking at him, let out a breath.
"Everybody in the house."
His mouth went dry but he only nodded his head and went out of his room towards the stairs. He was again going out when he suddenly stopped and changed his direction, this time his feet moving towards his grandmother's room.
Fariya
It was the voice of the alarm which woke her up the next morning. Stretching her hand, she picked her mobile phone from the nightstand and swiped it.
The alarm instantly turned off and silence again slowly made its way into her room. Placing her head back on the pillow, she let out a defeated and tired sigh.
She had laid like that for 5 minutes, falling into the abyss of slumber, when the alarm again went off, earning a curse from the tired lady on the bed.
She closed her eyes in frustration and again turned off the alarm but this time instead of going back to sleep, she yawned and got up from the bed. Placing her bare feet on the cold ground, she checked the time on her phone. It was 9am.
Taking a deep breath, she got up from the bed, pushing the covers away from her body.
She was in the middle of the room when memories of last night came crashing through her mind. She instantly came to a halt, her eyes widened.
She still couldn't believe what happened last night. Everything was so quick and hurriedly done that she was left with no room to think, to even comprehend the position she was in.
Her father had a heart attack. Her father, who hardly ever got any fever, was lying on a bed in the hospital in a worst condition. She got married. Married to a person she had never met, never seen, never talked to.
She still couldn't believe at the cruelty and inequity of life. She had so many dreams regarding her husband and now, she had none, for only the presence of her husband was enough to turn all her dreams into dust.
And his eyes, as dark as the night, as deep as the sea, as mysterious as midnight moon. Even the thought of his dark eyes and penetrative gaze was enough to make Fariya shiver like an autumn leaf.
She was still completely immersed in her wild thoughts, which were running at a speed of a rocket, when she heard a knock at the door, bringing her back in the world.
She shook her thoughts away and went towards the door to open it. She opened it and standing in front of her was her sister, her beloved, younger sister.
Fariya looked at her, her eyes questioning the reason due to which she was here. Maida looked at her and her gaze held something. Sympathy? One look at her sister's brown eyes and she was again reminded of her pain.
Fariya completely opened the door for Maida to get in. Maida came inside and went straight to sit on the bed which was at the heart of her room.
She didn't get a chance to talk to Fariya last night for Fariya ran to her room as soon as they got in, asking that nobody should disturb her.
Fariya closed the door dejectedly and after taking few steps, reached the bed and sat beside her sister.
She looked at the wall in front of her which was so much beautiful but today even the walls of the room mourned for the life of their Queen.
The black colour at the boundary wept for the Queen's father was dying.
The royal blue colour in the middle wailed for the Queen was forced into a marriage.
The beautifully etched designed grieved for the Queen's husband was a cold and heartless man.
The butterfly at the centre sobbed for the Queen's dreams and hopes were crushed by his gloomy eyes and tormenting words.
"How are you feeling right now?"
The voice of her younger sister was low and it was laced with pain and agony.
"No where near fine."
Her voice too seemed to come from a distant place.
On hearing this, Maida burst into tears. Fariya was left bewildered by her sudden reaction because it was unusual for her to witness such a moment, a moment like this, where Maida was crying and she was just sitting there, her face devoid of any expression. It was usually the other way around, with Fariya crying and Maida consoling her.
Fariya moved towards her and placed a hand around her shoulder, bringing her towards herself. She didn't say a word, she just held her like that, giving her some time to control her tears.
And Maida did, after crying for some time, she pushed away, wiped her tears and turned to face Fariya.
"I'm so sorry for everything that happened last night. I can't even begin to understand what you're feeling right now. I mean, first Baba's heart attack and than your Nikah. I'm so sorry, Fari. I wish I could have done something for you."
Fariya closed her eyes for a moment or two and opened them only to let a lone tear escape from her eyes.
"There's nothing you could have done. Don't stress yourself." Fariya said as she wiped the tear off of her eyes.
"Still. Baba was unfair. He shouldn't have done what he did."
Maida's voice held despair and hopelessness, a feeling not so strange to the hazel eyed beauty.
"Maida, he did what he thought was right. Don't blame him."
Fariya couldn't understand how she was saying these things to Maida for some minutes ago and she was also thinking about the same thing. Maida let out a vanquished sigh and went silent.
However, it was as if she remembered something for she turned to face Fariya immediately.
"What did he say to you? When he took you out?"
And finally here was the question that Fariya was dreading for quite some time now. The sole reason why she retired to her bedroom as soon as she got in the house last night.
But here it was. Standing in front of her, waving at her with a smirk etched upon its ugly face.
"Ummm... well... nothing important, you know?"
A frown appeared on Maida's face.
"Why are you stuttering? What did that man say?"
There was confusion as well as hardness in her voice.
"Well, he said that,"
Fariya recollected her strength and decided to tell Maida everything, for the weight he had put on her shoulders was too much to carry and she wanted to share it with someone,
"he won't be keeping this Nikah. When Baba gets well, he'll break the bond as he doesn't wish to start a new life with me."
Her voice broke at the end, the strength waving goodbye to her.
Maida's face sterned and it was anger which Fariya witnessed on her face.
"How dare he! That low life! How dare he say these things to you after knowing what you are going through. For heaven's sake, you were also forced in this marriage. I'm so going to kill that man!"
Maida stood up from the bed, her nose flaring in anger. It looked to Fariya as if she was really going to go to him and kill him this instant.
Fariya immediately stood up too and went to catch her sister who was already headed towards the door.
"Maida, listen to me!"
She caught hold of her hand which made Maida come to a stop. Fariya rushed to stand in front of her.
"What do you think you're doing?" Her voice was fierce but the expression in her eyes was anything but that.
"I'm going to give that man a taste of his medicine."
She was still angry, ready to kill this moment.
"No. Nobody has to know that he said this to me, okay? Especially not Mama. Do you even visualise how she will take this? I didn't tell you this so you could run around telling every being on the planet about it."
Fariya was visibly shaking at her sister's sudden reaction. She was so overwhelmed but she was frightened too, two feelings which can not go together.
On hearing her sister's words, Maida let out an angered breath, now upset at her sister for stopping her.
"I can't believe you are stopping me. You should have chopped the man's head the second he said that you."
Fariya left her sister's hand and again went ahead to sit on the bed. Fariya didn't answer her, but instead chose to remain silent. Maida, who was no where near calm, again begin to say something when someone knocked at the door.
Maida opened the door only to unveil Hamza standing outside.
"Mama's calling both of you. We have to leave for the hospital."
He said as soon as he saw Maida. Maida nodded her head and on seeing that, Hamza turned away to go downstairs.
Maida rotated her head to look at Fariya through her shoulder, asking her to get ready. Fariya nodded her head and the next moment, Maida was gone too.
◇◇◇◇◇◇◇
As they entered the hospital building, a new wave of sadness overtook and engulfed each of them, making it difficult for them to even breathe.
Turning in the corridor, they saw Ahmed Uncle sitting at the far end, his head in his hands. He sensed someone nearby and raised his head, only to look at his brother's family.
He smiled at them and after he had ran his hands over his face, got up from the seat and made his way towards them, looking exhausted.
His steps were small but he reached them anyway and after saying Salam to everyone, went forward and hugged Fariya first and then Maida and Hamza.
"How's Baba?" Hamza asked, his tone sprawled with concern.
"He's fine. Still asleep."
Ahmed Uncle replied with a smile on his face.
"Can we see him?"
Maida aksed hopefully but Ahmed Uncle shook his head.
"They'll shift him in a private room after some time. Then we'll be able to meet him."
Fariya finally breathed a sigh of relief for the first time since last night. This was the first good news Fariya had heard in a while.
Her father was being shifted in a room which meant that he was fine. Murmuring an Alhamdulillah under her breath, she prayed that her father gets fine as quickly as possible.
Just as they were going to sit on the chairs, a nurse came out of the corridor hurriedly and ran through the corridor and then turned left. All of them didn't pay much attention to it and sat on their chairs praying in their hearts when the nurse came running back, preceeded by a doctor.
When the doctor and the nurse crossed them, Fariya and everybody heard them saying something and that something shook the ground under their feet, made the sky above them tremble.
"Mr. Ali Sikandar's heart is not functioning well. His heart rate has dropped to a dangerous level. His breathing...."
They opened the door and went in, taking the voices with them, leaving the pain behind them.
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Finally a new chapter is here! A long one. Let me know if you like it. Vote for the chapter and tell me how you feel about it in the comments. I'm looking forward to it.
This chapter is dedicated to malihamian20, an amazing writer. She writes so beautifully that even the stars gasp. ♥
P.s. Let me know what you think about the cast. I am honestly in love them. :')
Till next time,
Salam!
Ammi - Mother
Abbu - Father
Assalam-u-Alikum - May peace be upon you
Waalikum-Assalam - May peace be upon you too