Part 1
It was raining cats and dogs that night. There was news of a possible thunderstorm and by now Razia was sure it had already shown up. Razia looked out of her window to see how bad it was. That's when she heard the noise again, that of a glass bottle shattering on the ground. This was the third bottle. Razia guessed it so as this was the third time she was hearing the noise tonight. Dad was again drunk and her parents had got into an ugly fight again. Even though she was witnessing such nights and incidents constantly from the past 15 years her fear had only increased. She shivered and held herself in almost a protective manner hearing what felt like banging of door or something. Though she couldn't perfectly make out what was the issue they both were fighting about tonight, she could hear her mom crying and shouting between her cries where as her Dad constantly abused her mom. She looked back at her bolted room door probably the 5th time or maybe it was the 10th to make sure it was locked from the inside. Dad was in a habit to get Razia into the discussion as he knew she was Qutub's weak point and therefore Razia had strict instructions from her mom to keep her room locked at night especially if she could hear them both fighting. It wasn't long before her parents would find a reason to involve her in their "so called discussion" and the last thing she wanted was to witness them both fighting and abusing each other in front of her, at this hour of the night. She tried to distract herself and took out one of books from what looked like a rack full of love stories.
Razia sat on her bed with her knees folded and kept the book on her lap. She opened the book on the page where her book mark was and started reading from where she had left it. Suddenly there was a bang on her door. What she had feared had come true. Mr. Altamush Khan was furious at Qutub and demanded Razia to immediately open the door. Razia froze as she heard another deadly knock on the door. It was pushed with so much of force that she feared the door might just break. Her mind stopped working and sub-consciously she started moving towards the door. Razia slowly unbolted the door digging her fingers in the book in her other hand. She was dead scared to face her parents right now. The moment she opened the door, her father got hold of her left elbow and dragged her in front of her mother.
Qutub: Altamush, leave Razia!
Altamush: No I won't. She too has the right to know what a double faced woman her mother is.
Razia couldn't control her tears anymore. The room was filled with the smell of alcohol due to the shattering of the bottles on the ground. Moreover, her father was standing right next to her and he was way too drunk. As both of her parents again got busy with their no end to it' fight, Razia found the perfect escape and ran outside the Khan mansion into the front lawn.
There was a mix of emotions reflecting on her face which were of pain, anger, helplessness and being scared. Her brain had stopped working long time ago. She just wanted to erase all the memories of the last evening the same way as she had been doing all these years to find some peace. Her legs kept walking on their own wish as if they already knew where to go without any command from her already dead brain. She had already come out of the premises of the Khan residence and was walking aimlessly on the road. It was raining heavily and she was drenched head to toe. But she didn't care. Her head was spinning and there was severe headache that she was suffering from.
Razia reached the nearby caf cum book store where she came almost every evening whenever she needed to get out to avoid becoming the focal point in her parents' discussion'.
Nizammudin Chacha, the owner of the caf in city center, was in the process to close the caf when he saw Razia standing across the road drenched in water.
Nizam Chacha: Oh! My dear... Razia? Is that you my child?
He asked adjusting his spectacles while trying his best to recognize Razia. Razia walked across the road to Nizam Chacha with her arms crossed across her chest in order to save the already wet book from getting wet.
Nizam: Oh my goodness Razia you are shivering so badly!
Nizam Chacha said as he hurried back into the caf dragging Razia along with him.
Razia: I am so sorry Uncle. I forgot to get an umbrella along with me in hurry. And I couldn't save the book from getting wet in the rain.
Nizam: Oh no my dear! The book is not a problem. All the books in here are yours. You can do whatever you like with them. Especially with the ones which are in the love stories section.
Nizam burst out into a heavy laughter saying this trying to cheer up Razia.
Razia smiled between his tears hearing this. Razia, since the age of 16 (i.e. for the past 8 years; she is 24 now) had been coming to the Nizam Chacha's cafe almost every day. This was her hideout where she would come to get peace and get away from the ugly truth of her life. She everyday would just go and sit in one corner of her favorite section of love stories and enter the world of fiction, dreams and fantasies.
But today was different; because of the weather she was having unbearable pain in her head.
Razia: Uncle? Can I please go and rest for some time in some corner?
Nizam: Sure dear... why don't you take a quick nap on your favorite corner sofa and I'll get you a cup of hot steaming coffee?
Razia: Thank you Uncle. She said so and moved towards the Love stories section.
***
Razia took out another novel from the book shelf and rested back on the couch with her legs kept on the coffee table. She adjusted the cushion behind her neck and made herself comfortable. She started reading one of her favorite author, Jane Austen's novels, Pride and Prejudice. Though Razia had already read the novel multiple times she just took it because she was in no condition to read. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate on the text in front of her, she couldn't wash away the memories of the emotional torture she had been going through. Didn't she deserve love and care from her parents? Didn't she deserve a normal life of every young teenage girl, which she was deprived of that too very conveniently without an explanation from anyone?
She looked at the novel in her hand and thought that all these years she had spent her teens reading these love stories. Whether it was just an excuse to not accept the ugly truth of her parents' relationship or her heart truly believed that one day her Mr. Darcy' too would come her way; she didn't know. But she was sure of one thing that somewhere reading these stories the pain in her heart became less. They were soothing to her soul and to her existence. Like a drug, she needed them to make her heart keep beating. She slowly drifted to sleep with these thoughts.
Razia felt a warm and soft hand on her forehead and therefore slowly opened her eyes. Her eyelashes felt heavier than ever. She saw Nizam Chacha sitting beside her on the couch with a cup of hot coffee and her favorite brownie.
Nizam: So, reading pride and prejudice? But why again?
Razia: Just like that...
Nizam: Hmm, were you dreaming about your Mr. Darcy?
Razia shook her head shying away. Uncle Nizam smiled warmly seeing her shy.
Nizam: Razia, I have this faith my child that one day your Mr. Darcy' would come to you and take away all your sorrows leaving only love for him in your heart and true happiness for your togetherness forever and ever.
He said with tears in his eyes and lost in his thoughts and wishes for Razia.
Razia: But do love stories have a happy ending in real life as well Uncle?
Nizam: you would know it for yourself dear!
I think you should drink your coffee now before it cools down. And I would be leaving now. Your Aunty must be waiting for me at home. Why don't you rest here only tonight or may be come with me to my house?
Razia: No Uncle I would be okay here itself.
Nizam: Okay Dear, then the spare key to the caf is at its place in the 1st drawer. Take care of yourself.
Nizam Chacha kissed Razia's forehead and left for his home.
***
It was as early as around 4 am in the morning when Razia woke up from her sleep. The headache had reduced a lot and she was feeling much better. But she still seemed disturbed. She got up and washed her coffee cup putting it back into the kitchen shelf. She arranged back the books she had taken off the book shelves and took the keys to the main door and closed the door locking it from the outside.
It was still raining outside and dark. But she needed to be home before her step brother reached. He generally used to be back early in the morning and Razia at any cost had to reach back home before he did. Last night's incidents were still afresh in her mind and she kept walking back to her home lost in her thoughts. She was worried about her mom now. Last night she was so upset that nothing was making any sense to her but now the reality had struck. Her mom was alone in the house with dad in a drunken state. What if he had tried to hurt her? Will she be okay? What would be the condition of the house by the time she'll reach back home? Fear took over her and she stood rooted at her place like a statue. She was so scared. She had become immune to everything around her. Her senses were not working anymore; her ears had become deaf and her eyes blind. The only thing she could see or hear was her mother in tears and her cries.
Suddenly a high beam of light fell on her face which made her come out of her thoughts. A car at an extremely high speed was merely inches away from her. She was shocked beyond words and didn't know how to react. That's when she felt two strong arms around her waist and her face hit something as hard as rock. Her feet were not on ground anymore and she clutched on to those strong arms as if to her very last breath.
Moments later she felt her back hit the wall but not with much force. She slowly opened her eyes only to find a large figure towering over her. The man who she hadn't seen yet, now only had his one hand securely on her waist while the other he had used to support the wall so that Razia couldn't get hurt. She slowly moved her face off his shoulder but in the process felt his rough stubble on her left cheek. The feeling was oddly sweet to her. It awakened some strong desires in her which she only allowed while reading the most intense of all love stories. She had never felt the same ever before due to someone real. But was he too for real? Or she was again dreaming?
She moved her face back in order to look at the most handsome man she had ever seen in her life.
Next: Iqtiaar -ud-din Mallik
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This story is extremely close to my heart readers. I hope this sweet yet passionate love story will touch ur hearts in some way or the other.
Much Love
Shopau
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