Chapter 2 is up! A bit different, but I wrote it before Fridays episode. Thanks for all the comments and keep them coming!
"Talaq" I said for the final time, looking into Aliya's calm eyes. It was over, finally over.
A pause, such a long pause in which her eyes conveyed to me a lifetime's worth of sadness, and then she was gone. With just a soft goodbye.
I stumbled into my room unseeingly, half blind with tears. My mother followed me I think, for a minute after, I heard her say soothingly "My child, I thank you. I know you've suffered a great deal lately.. But it's over now. We can be happy now"
I didn't reply. Over.. It was over. I'd taken revenge for my father's death, my mother's suffering.
"Zain dear?" My mother continued, "I hope you remember what I said before you came here.. We're celebrating your engagement to Sanam today"
Sanam. I struggled to recall who she was, even though I'd just met her.
"It's because I want to finally see you happy my child. You've suffered for far too long"
When I still didn't reply, she sighed a little and left the room murmuring something under her breath. I didn't care. I was dead to the world now. Engagement, marriage, anything she wanted of me, I'd give her. Anything to make her happy. Anything so I could forget her screams on that ghastly night, anything so I could forget her weeping at my dead father's bedside. All Aliya's fault, I reminded myself. But this statement did not bring me any relief. I should have been happy, relieved that I'd got my revenge.
Why did my revenge feel so hollow.. So empty?
The door opened again. I didn't turn.
"Zain" Rehan's calm tones addressed me.
"It's over Rehan" I said, hoping he'd leave me alone. I wanted to mourn alone.
"I tried to call both of you several times" he persisted "I see I'm too late but.."
There was a small clicking noise.
"Listen to that Zain" he said, and left the room gently.
I turned around, and saw a small cassette player. I was about to reach for it when my sister-in-law's high shaking voice took over, confessing her deeds. At first I must admit that I didn't understand. The words swam in my brain, but I couldn't understand. I didn't want to understand.
Aliya.. Oh my god..
I pressed rewind frantically, and played it over. And over again. I was going mad listening to it over and over again but I had to. If I replayed it enough times, it would change the message. My throwing away and hurting the dearest girl in the world would be justified. Some line that exonerated me..
The door opened again now, and Nafeesa stood in front of me, breathing heavily. One look at her face and I knew that there was no escaping the fact that she, my own brother's wife had done this. Filed a false complaint, killed my father, had my mother beaten up and made me hurt and drive away my wife. My dearest Aliya. My princess.
"Oh Zain" she fell at my feet, weeping "I'm sorry I never meant for you to separate.. I'm sorry please don't tell them, I'll be ruined please.."
I ran, out of the room and straight into the waiting Rehan's arms. Somewhere in the back of my mind I was aware that I was screaming for Aliya.
"Hush Zain come now" Rehan soothed, as I fought to escape his grip.
"Aliya.. ALIYA!!!" I yelled, like an animal in pain. I needed to find her, to beg her..
"No point Zain, she's gone" Rehan said, dragging me away to her room "Please calm down Zain, we'll find her"
"HOW DO I CALM DOWN?" I continued wildly, helplessly thrashing "HOW DO I CALM DOWN, I'VE LOST HER.. I'VE LOST MY ALIYA!!!"
"Enough Zain!" He retorted, forcing me on the bed, and drawing a chair close. "Stop screaming and calm down. I told you we will find her, ok?"
I tore at my hair. I wanted to continue screaming forever. Maybe I'd wake up for this nightmare and find Aliya still there, stroking my hair like she always did, concern in her beautiful eyes..
***
Rehan watched me scream and cry for what seemed like days. He didn't react at all, just sat there and watched me so I would hurt myself until I collapsed from sheer exhaustion.
"Rehan?" I said, watching the clock at the bedside and realising with a sense of horror that already 3 hours had elapsed.
"What is it Zain?"
"Do you know where she is? You don't need to tell me where.. Just.. You know where right?"
"I actually don't know where she is Zain, but she has to go to my house because all her things are there. So don't worry"
"You don't think that she.. Would take any.." I sat up and looked at him pleadingly.
"She's a strong woman Zain. She'd never take any extreme steps" Rehan said. There was pity in his eyes.
There was silence between us for a while. There was a loud rap on the door suddenly and I started.
"Zain? Are you there? You need to get ready for the ceremony" my mother's slightly worried voice rang out.
Ceremony? Oh yes.. Getting engaged to Sanam when my whole world had just collapsed around me..
"I'm coming in a minute" I heard myself say.
"Zain" Rehan said, a warning in his voice.
"Don't worry" I said, standing up and squaring myself "I need to stand up and make some firm decisions now"
"We'll go back to Mumbai together after you are done" he smiled.
I didn't have the time to cry or moan. I needed to get back my Aliya, and the starting step was to tell my mother that I wasn't going to marry anyone else and to throw away the veil from her eyes about who was really responsible for my father's death.
comment:
p_commentcount