One Shot - In Another Universe Matured

1 years ago

Maddy

@iMadz

As soon as she entered the home, she knew something was burning. The smell was quite obvious and the smoke was coming from the kitchen. Instinctively, she found her mobile from the bag to call him first. That is how it became…their life. Both of them were alone but so together in this. Domestic duties and sharing common space was the main reason for both of them to come a little closer than usual. Calling Shamsher for basic protection was not only necessary but a habit for her. Especially after the recent attack on her life. She, herself, was scared and wanted to stay close to her husband all the time. It was really surprising for her to become this much scared for them. She was a brave woman, but somehow, she could not fathom the idea of dying under his watch. As if, her death could trigger another downward spiral for him and she knew enough that Shamsher would not survive this time. He will die with her…which shockingly she did not want at all. She did not want any of these to begin with. And she was beginning to have a little hope for her future with him, ever since they started living under the same roof, without basic necessities and Shamsher’s redeeming behaviour was the reason, she was having a certain amount of hope for their future together. 

And she was equally mad at herself for developing a soft corner for him. For whatever he had done to her and her family, she swore that she would never forgive Shamsher. Never. But lately she realised that never was a strong word and even a stronger and longer time…for someone who basically lives under the same roof with the same person. A part of her wanted to defend herself that Shamsher was also not the same person anymore. He changed a lot and that was the beginning of demolition of a metal wall around her heart. Shamsher, being guilty, apologetic but never asking for sympathy was the issue. He never once asked for any of her kindness or affection, after that fateful night when they left his home. He only asked for an apology which was never accepted. And that was the key to opening her heart. Him, silently doing redeeming acts and not for once, showing off. He genuinely was changing for good and Mehak was not ready. She was not ready to fall for this person. She had all the reasons to hate him, for his behaviour in the past and here she was…fighting against her own will. 

As she walked ahead while calling him simultaneously, she entered the kitchen and saw him making something. He was not looking at her, his entire focus was on the stove. 

‘What the hell?’ she uttered. 

He startled and almost embarrassingly exclaimed, ‘Mehak!’ 

‘What the hell are you doing?’ she asked. 

He genuinely was embarrassed now and fumbled a little before answering.

‘I was cooking. Or…trying to cook rather!’ He showed the burnt rice. 

‘Why?’ 

‘What do you mean by why…I came early and you were going to be late so I thought you must be tired and hungry so I…’ he said, before she cut off. 

‘But you did not have to, Shamsher!’ 

‘I absolutely see no reason…I mean why not?! We are sharing everything, why not this?’ asked Shamsher, confidently & proudly. All previous embarrassment gone for a moment.  

She was taken aback. Now this was new. Her father was a gentleman and a hero for her family but she never saw him cook for his mother, not until she was grown up. And it was not normal for her, given the society they lived in. She was both shocked and surprised. This was a whole new person. He was so oblivious to the fact that he didn't even acknowledge that this was not the society they lived in. Before she could overthink…she went ahead and saw the real mess. And she smiled a little. 

Looking at her smile, he immediately understood. 

‘Sorry, I will clean the mess. Cent percent!’ he promised by pinching down his throat. 

‘What are you cooking?’ she asked, looking at the mess once again and trying to figure out. She could see that he was trying to make the basic curry,  an attempt at an Indian Bread and rice which was burnt. Impossible!

‘You can already see Mehak, I am not an expert but this is potato and Roti…in which I am failing miserably as well. But the curry should be good.’  he said while cleaning the other side of the kitchen. 

‘Ever been to the kitchen?’  she asked, knowing fully well the answer. 

‘Nope!’ he shrugged. 

‘Hmmm…’ and she took a spoon and tasted the curry. It was good. For someone’s first time, it was good and for tonight’s dinner, it would work. She smiled again. 

‘Not bad. This will work. How did you learn?’ she raised an eyebrow, teasingly.

‘YouTube!’ he uttered. 

‘Hmm…good! Now move aside, let me make Roti. I am starving!’ 

‘Okay…I will prepare the table, but first you go and wash your hands and I will clean my mess quickly!’ he said and moved but stopped in the middle looking at his wife staring at him strangely. 

‘What?’ he asked innocently. 

She shook her head and moved a little closer to him. 

‘Sometimes I wonder. Are you the same person whom I saw the first time? Or are you someone else? Who are you, Shamsher? What happened to the Shamsher I met?’ she asked a little teasingly. 

And he stopped. His expression went from happy to sad in a second. 

‘That Shamsher died that night. His father killed him, in just mere seconds…’ he rested his body on the kitchen countertop and gazed at nothing in particular and continued, 

‘And I am glad that old Shamsher died, Mehak…I am glad. Every night, I feel as if my heart would burst from the pain that I have caused you & everyone else and no matter what I will do, it will never be okay. But at the same time, I feel some strange level of peace, that I was able to rectify my mistakes, even the tiniest bit, if not all.  But the sins that I have committed, forgiveness doesn't exist for them. I just have to live with it, ashamed for my entire life. I will have the guilt forever with me that I could not see my mother one last time…’ 

He had to stop for a moment, to not cry in front of Mehak once again. Last thing he wanted was her sympathy. 

Before Mahek could say anything, he uttered, 

‘But that’s okay. I deserve everything that is happening to me and I am okay with it. The only saving grace is that you are still with me, after what I did to you…and I don’t know how you do it….how can you….’ 

‘Shamsher…’ she touched his hand and closed the gap that they had. 

‘Mehak…’ he directly looked into her eyes as she stopped him. 

‘I don’t like it when you talk like this. It doesn’t make me happy watching you like this, Shamsher!’ she said. 

He didn’t say anything at all, just bowed and shook his head. 

‘I mean it, Shamsher. You are already paying the price for what you have done, and you too, deserve a second chance at life.’ 

‘I really don’t think so….’ he quickly stopped her. 

‘You do…and I will make you realise this one day. We have to take baby steps and everything will be fine. I already told you. For better or for worse, we are in this together. I am not going anywhere, no matter how much someone tries to kill me!’ she uttered unknowingly. 

‘No one will touch you, I promise you.’ he immediately intervened. 

She could not say anything at the moment and he added, 

‘Mehak, I have already told you before. I will protect you till my last breath. I will die but not let anyone harm you ever…’ before he could continue, she placed her hand on his mouth. 

‘...don’t you say that! I need you Shamsher, I will always need you. Stop talking about death!’ she ordered and rested her head on his shoulder and he secured her warmly.  

***

A loud thump on the floor immediately shook her and she came out from her trance, from the wonderful memoryland of hers, in which she was happy, he was happy, in their little sanctuary. Her reality was cruel. And she moved her focus a little, she came back to her reality in one full swing. 

She saw Shamsher’s body lying on the floor, his peaceful face near her knees. 

She really didn’t know what was happening around her. She felt like she was sitting there for ages, as if centuries had passed. All she remembered was the last exchange of words between her and Shamsher. “I love you, Mehak, I will always love you.”  And before she could truthfully say it back, from the bottom of her heart, he was gone. She nodded and was going to say the same and he was gone, smiling at her. That was the only hope for her that he knew, he knew that she loved him. She hoped he knew, because the other side was too scary for her, and regretting. Shamsher died in her lap, but later someone came, she thought, and cried a river for him. She thought it was his brother, his loving elder brother who took Shamsher to his arms and cried till he was tired. She could not move, she could not breathe, she could not cry. She just sat there like a stone. She never wanted to come out from her memories with him. She would gladly sit with Shamsher for entire life and replay their old memories, countlessly. That’s all she had now. She was left with nothing but the hole in her heart. Shamsher took all of her heart, and she was left with absolutely nothing but the memories. 

After a while, she realised someone was calling her name again and again. She could not look away from Shamsher, not even for a second. But someone was hell bent on defying so. She felt a nudge on her shoulder, and someone sat beside her. She did not look away from Shamsher, her fingers running in his smooth, long black hair continuously. And then it hit her, when she heard Shameer about moving the body. His best friend, and their one and only support from past one year. She could not understand anything, but when they moved Shamsher’s body away, she lost all her calm and got up and followed them, but physical, mental and emotional exhaustion took her and she collapsed near the gate and that’s when she saw his father, his godforsaken father, his murderer. 

More than sad, he looked defeated, having lost his son and that too killed by his own hands, he was numb but more than that he looked as if someone slapped him hard on the face and he lost the game of life which was true in his case. They exchanged a look, and if looks could kill, Mahek already did kill his father, the so-called Don of the city. He looked blankly at her, partly guilt but mostly the defeat.  He wanted to kill her, and Shamsher took the bullet, and as promised, he protected her till his last breath. His son defeated him at the game of life and as he mentioned earlier, this was his loss for the entire life. He lost, Shamsher won. 

As Mahek saw Shamsher going away further, she slipped into the dark, unknown energy carrying her somewhere far away in the universe. She did not fight, she did not resist, she just surrendered, in a hope that they would find a different world again where they could resume their beautiful story which had just started. A different place, a different time and a different world, where they would meet again, find their peace, their love and cherish it forever!