"Uff! Why is he not responding to me?" Asma was sitting on the sofa in the lobby while the mobile was in her hand. She was murmuring something while typing on her mobile.
She was sitting on the right side of the lobby and the bridal room was on the left corner. The lobby was deserted as the main event was in the inner hall.
After typing, she put the mobile in her lap. Instantly, her gaze fell on the Bridal room door where a guest and waiter were standing. The waiter was saying something to the man guest at which he nodded his head and went into the room while the waiter remained outside.
After a few seconds, another waiter called the waiter at which he nodded his head, gazed at the door, and reluctantly left his spot.
Asma got bored there so she decided to go inside the hall. As soon as she stood, she saw Saba going into the bridal room. She went into the room and closed the door behind her.
Twenty-one-year-old Asma was standing there, but at the next moment, the scene changed and she turned into an eleven-year-old girl.
"Asma, Saba is your cousin. Right?"
It was a scene in the classroom where some teenage girls were sitting on the chairs. An eleven-year-old girl was standing on the chair with a lowered gaze while her teacher was standing near her with a stern expression.
"Yes, ma'am," She murmured.
"Then do learn something for her. Ask her to give you tuition. She has scored 95 percent and you have only got 75 percent."
The teacher said to her while throwing the result card toward her. Tears swam in her eyes.
The scene dissolved into a bedroom scene where a young and old female was sitting.
"Today when I went to Akram's house, I saw Saba was signing a checkbook. Akram told me she had started an online job and had earned a lot of money from it. She has become an entrepreneur."
Asma's mother was telling her while massaging oil on her head. Instantly, her young sister came into the room.
"She is earning money and my sister just keeps on eating and getting fat." She taunted, at which Asma's eyes widened.
"Behave yourself, Lizard!" She shrieked.
"Now, don't start quarreling!" Their mother scolded them.
"Saba is perfect!"
"She can achieve everything!"
"Learn from Saba!"
These words were echoed in her ears while gazing at the closed door with hatred and envy. Her hands turned into fists and pain rippled into her orbs.
In a few moments, that hate, pain, and envy were going to give a route to evil.
………………….
When Sahir came out of the washroom, he saw a girl standing in the bridal room. Dark black hair was lying on her back and she was humming a tune while standing in front of a full wall mirror.
Sahir stared at the hair for a second and stepped forward, coming into the range of the mirror. Now, the girl could see his reflection in the mirror and he could gaze at her face.
Both sets of orbs widened and shock settled on their faces.
Saba and Sahir were gazing at each other from the reflection of the mirror.
Sahir was seeing her hair for the first time as they were always covered in a hijab
Saba was just standing and staring at him with wide eyes and a numb mind. She even forgot that her hijab was in her hand not on her head.
Sahir was the first one to realize the awkward situation. So he moved his eyes away from Saba and cleared his throat.
Saba also came to her senses and she immediately put the hijab on her head. She did not pin the hijab, just put it on her head and around her neck.
"Assalam o Alaikum!" Saba greeted, unsure of what to say.
"Walaikum Assalam. How are you? " He also was unable to understand what to say.
"I am fine Alhamdulillah"
"Hmm. What are you doing here? Do you know Zain?" Instantly, he realized the foolishness of the question.
"Yes. He is my cousin. I am here to attend his marriage. My hijab got loose so I came here to fix it." Saba was now getting anxious and wanted him to leave the room. Realization knocked on her senses, wanting him to leave at this instant.
A Closed door was in her mind so she desperately wanted him to leave.
"Okay, Good! Nice to meet you, Saba."
Sahir also realized the gravity of the situation, so nodded his head and moved toward the door. But, voices from outside halt his steps.
.......................................
"Look! What is happening here"
A voice resonated and the door opened with it. Saba listened to the voice and turned her face toward the door.
Asma, both of their parents along with some family members were standing there.
"They both are alone in the closed room."
Asma said with a bright smile. There was a glint in her orbs and excitement in her features. Fear crawled into Saba's being at seeing the shocked faces of the family members. Sahir's heart was also trembling in this situation.
"It was a coincidence. We didn't mean to be alone." He said in a calm tone, but inwardly he was anxious.
"Yes. You all are misunderstanding the situation." She replied with a trembling voice.
"Shut up! You came into the room when you saw this man going into the room. You said to me that you like him. I tried to stop you but you closed the door." Asma accused with a trembling heart.
She was letting her hatred and pain out, unable to understand how much damage it is going to cause in the life of two beings.
Listening to this, Sahir became shocked and saw Saba with anguish and disbelief. Seeing the anguish and disbelief of the people, she started weeping while shaking her head.
"Stop this all nonsense!" said Mr. Sikandar with a furious voice.
"Our children can't do anything wrong! It is a misunderstanding!"
The crowd was murmuring and using harsh words for both of them. Our society loves gossip, and whenever they get a theme of gossip, they don't let it go. The same thing happened at that time.
"But uncle you have seen that... "
Asma tried to speak but was interrupted by Mr. Sikandar.
"The things we see can be a mirage too. There can be no reality in them! And we have full trust in our children." Mr. Sikandar's voice boomed. A small smile came on Sahir's lips.
Mr. Sikandar's booming voice quieted down the crowd, so there were only sobs of Saba.
Sahir again turned toward her, who was looking down and weeping her heart out. Her body was trembling and her arms wrapped around her. Pity came into Sahir's heart at this sight.
Mr. Akram stepped from the crowd and spoke Saba's name. She came toward him and hid her face in his neck while he hid his face in her hair. Her hiccups and sobs muffled her father's chest. Pain rippled in Mr. Akram's chest and anxiety took over his body. Being a daughter's father, the gossip of people was making him more and more fearful.
His grip on Saba tightened and tears swam in his orbs.
"Stop accusing my daughter!" He could hear his wife saying this to the crowd at which helplessness seeped into his nerves.
Sahir stood there seeing this all and then immediately he made his way out of the crowd and moved toward the car.
Mr. Sikandar saw Saba and Mr. Akram with pity patted his shoulder, and then moved toward the car.
Anxiety, helplessness, and pain were also seeping into his being.
..................................
"Non-imaginable! I and a girl six and seven years younger than me! How can people think of this!"
Sahir was driving the car and said with a red face.
"We will talk about it after getting home. At this moment, just focus on driving."
He bit his lips at this while his mind was a hodgepodge of different thoughts.
As soon as he parked the car, Mr. Sikandar asked.
"What happened there, Sahir?"
"The men's washroom was out of order. The waiter asked me to use the bridal room's washroom. He said that he will be outside of the room, taking care that no female will enter it. But in the end, a girl was in the room and the waiter was nowhere to be seen. After coming out of the bridal room, I looked for him in the hall but didn't find him. I will kill that bastard."
He murmured the last line to himself.
"Why were you in the bridal room for so long? You should just step out of the room or at least open the door of the room." At this, Sahir remained quiet.
"You are mature and you should show some responsibility. Our society is cruel and narrow-minded in a lot of matters. You do know it and still, you show an immature attitude." His father rebuked him and he remained quiet.
Deep down, he was feeling guilty and anguished but there was nothing he could do now.
"I realized it late." He said in a small voice at which Mr. Sikandar shook his head.
………………….
"Saba, my daughter. Please open the door. I beg you! Please open it."
After coming back from the marriage hall, Saba closed herself in her room. Pain, insult, and fear encapsulated her being which she was taking out through her tears and sobs. Her mind was unable to grasp anything but only shock, pain, and fear.
Her mobile was beeping, causing the emotional pain to increase.
She knew that at this moment, her family had become the gossip topic of relatives. They were messaging or calling her just because they were curious. No one is interested in her pain but in the gossip.
Her parents kept on knocking on the door but she ignored them. At that moment, she just wanted to be alone and wept her heart out.
At last her father's voice came outside the door at which she abruptly opened it and hugged her father.
He was the pillar of her life and she couldn't let him down. Her tears were falling on his chest while she hugged him tightly.
"Do remember your parents are with you." He murmured at which she nodded her head while weeping.
.......................
Sahir stepped into the classroom and greeted everyone. Opening the university website for attendance, he started calling out the roll calls.
When Saba's name came, he called out while looking for her everywhere. No voice came out of the classroom, indicating that she was absent.
Taking a deep sigh and nodding his head, he marked her absent.
"Hey, I have a new order for you."
There was a message on Fiverr (a freelancing platform) from Saba's long-term client. She was so much impressed with Saba's work that she became her permanent client. Being a student and part-time freelancer, Saba can't find new clients daily. So, she always struggled to make long-term clients by delivering a satisfactory package.
"Thank you so much for considering me. But unfortunately, I am going through some personal issues at this moment. So, I can't contact you right now."
She responded and set the "unavailable" status on Fiverr. A tear slipped on her cheek while her mind was numb.
It was Sahir's second and last lecture of the week with Saba's class.
Again he noticed that Saba was not present in the classroom.
"What happened to Saba, Iqra?"
"She is suffering from fever."
He nodded his head and marked her absent.
"102°F fever! Take care of your Saba. Forget what happened that day." Mrs. Saima was scolding her while putting aside the thermometer.
"It is not easy to forget, Amma. I receive hundreds of messages from relatives daily. They keep on asking me about what happened that day and who that person is. I am fed up with all this gossip and negative messages. I can't understand why Asma lied that day."
She said with helplessness while holding her head in between her hands. Pain and helplessness rippled in Mrs. Saima's orbs.
On the other corner of the city, sitting in a drawing room, Asma was telling two of her aunties about that day.
"I tried to stop Saba from going into the room, but she was persistent. Uff! I can't understand how she can do this!" Asma said while touching her ears and rolling her eyes.
"Uff! Akram and Saima haven't brought up their daughter in an ideal way. They haven't taught her anything about moral values." One of the aunties commented.
"And also encouraged her to earn money online. When a girl starts earning money, it means she starts getting spoiled." Asma's mother added it while nibbling on a samosa.
A satisfactory smile etched on Asma's face at her mother's comment. Relief swept through her whole body and her face lit up.
………………….
Dinner was going on in Sikandar House. On the dining table, three of the members were sitting and eating dinner.
"Akram is ill. I think tomorrow we all should go to his house." Mr. Sikandar said after finishing his dinner.
"Who is Akram?" Sahir asked while narrowing his eyes.
"The father of the girl with whom you were present in the bridal room." Mr. Sikandar replied while looking into his eyes. Sahir lowered his gaze and nodded his head. He felt a bit ashamed of this introduction, so he stood from his chair to leave the place.
"You are also going with us." Mr. Sikandar said when he was about to leave the room. Shock encapsulated his being and he turned toward his father.
"But why?"
"Because I think we all should clear the confusion. That incident has spoiled their reputation and they are genuinely worried because of it. You should go with us tomorrow and explain the whole incident to them." Mr. Sikandar rolled his arms around his chest.
Sahir bit his lips as if in a dilemma.
"What gift should we take to their house?" Mrs. Sikandar asked to change the topic.
"Fruits will be a great gift for a patient." Mr. Sikandar said while standing from his chair.
Sahir silently left the room while they were discussing the gift. He took slow steps toward his room while he was in emotional turmoil.
…………………….
"Dark Black Hair was lying on the back while the girl was clad in a yellow dress. She turned around and he saw a smiling face which had two dimples.
He instantly recognized the smiling face of Saba. The scene turned into a university ground where she was standing with a hijab around her head and neck and she was laughing with her friends.
Instantly, the scene changed and Saba's face dissolved into another female face. Same university ground and spot but people changed in it. Now, a twenty year old girl was standing with her dyed dark brown hair lying on her back. She was laughing with her class fellow who was gazing at her with appreciation and love."
Sahir woke up from his slumber and took a deep breath to calm down his nerves. Seeing Saba in his dreams was shocking and fearful for him.
"Why am I seeing her in my dreams? Why is my mind making up those scenarios about Saba which haven't happened?"
He murmured to himself while his heart was thudding and fear crept in his nerves.
"And the last scene…. Why?" His mind refused to go into the past memories though heart yearned to go. Shooking off all the memories, he stood from his place and went toward the window.
Opening it, he stood there and gazed at the full moon present in the sky.
On the other side of the city, Saba was also lying on her bed and gazing at the full moon while her mind was roaming toward the bridal room incident.
Sahir turned toward her after listening to Asma's accusation. Disbelief and anger was rippling in his orbs.
Those angry orbs!
The disbelief and pain in those orbs!
Shudder ran down her spine and fear encapsulated her being. Gazing at the full moon, the uncertainty of her future was making her afraid.
………………………
"Saima, Saba" Mr. Akram was lying on his bed and was calling out their names. Mrs. Saima came out of the kitchen while Saba came out of her room.
"Sikandar is going to visit us with his family. They are coming within half an hour."
He told them while his eyes were on Saba whose face became white at this news. Hesitation and fear of the unknown gripped her.
"Why? I don't want to meet them." She said while stepping back from her parents.
"Saba, you can't live your life by avoiding the issues. Shutting your eyes like an ostrich will never solve your life's issues. But if you face them, then you can solve them."
Mr. Akram said as she gazed at her father with tensed expressions.
"I don't have the courage to face this issue."
"Then you should develop courage. Saima, what will be on your menu?"
Saba turned away from them and entered her room.
Sitting on her bed, her gaze fell upon the register in which Sahir's handwriting was present.
Sahir gave back her register with a smile. While taking back the register, her fingers touched his.
"God forbid me! Astagfirullah!" She murmured and went toward the washroom to splash water on her face.
Bell rang, indicating that guests had arrived. Pinning her hijab tightly, murmuring Bismillah, she opened the door.
She maintained a smile while opening the door, but seeing Sahir made her pale. Her eyes widened with shock and heart missed a beat.
"Assalam o Alaikum! How are you, my child?" His mother greeted her and she came to her senses. Feeling a bit ashamed, she greeted them with a smile and let them come into the house.
……………..
Sahir saw the pale face of Saba when she opened the door. He could feel her hesitation and fear, and was feeling uncomfortable with all of this.
They sat in the drawing room where Saba's parents were already present. Greeting them, they all settled down in the couches.
"How are you, Akram?" Mr. Sikandar asked at which Akram nodded his head.
"Feeling well now."
At that moment, Saba entered the room with a tray of juices. She extended the tray in front of Mr. Sikandar, Amna and in the end, in front of Sahir.
She extended the tray while her eyes were on the last glass of juice present on the tray. Sahir's orbs rose to her face and remained there for a few seconds. Saba raised her eyes and gazed at him. Eyes clashed causing their hearts to skip a beat.
Sahir instantly took the glass and she moved away from him.
Everyone was busy in their conversation except for one person. His gaze were on them and different thoughts were floating in his orbs.
………………..
Late at night, when the owl started hooting and the whole world became quiet, Saba was lying on bed with wide opened eyes. Her gaze was on the fan while mind was roaming toward today's dinner.
"Forget about that day and move forward in your life. Your life is much bigger than that day's incident. It was just a misunderstanding and a few moments of your life. If you will spoil your life due to those few moments, it will be an unjust thing."
Sahir's words were still ringing in her ears. She took the mobile from her side table and opened Fiverr. Going into the chat box, she opened a chat and wrote the message.
"Hey Anna, Thank you so much for your patience. If you have any project, I am ready for it."
On the other side of the city, Sahir was sitting on a chair and was typing on his laptop.
Women of every sector face the cruel side of society. If they belong to a politician house, they have to become a trophy wife or if they are from lower middle class, they have to face harassment, abuse and have been deprived of their basic rights.
While typing these lines, his mind roamed toward Saba. Fear and pain was evident in her orbs today. When he was explaining the whole incident to Mr. Akram, tears were present in her orbs.
"I went there after trusting the waiter. I didn't have any bad intentions nor did I have any idea that things could turn out like that."
He was talking when his orbs fell on Saba who was standing in the corner of the room. Tears were swimming in her orbs and she was gazing at Sahir. When his orbs fell on her, she lowered her teary eyes.
Reminiscing that moment, a smile etched on Sahir's face.
On the other side of the city, Saba was now leaning against the headboard and was reading the client's requirements with a smile on her face.
"Thank you, Sir Sahir." She whispered to herself while opening the client's document.
………………….