Assalam-o-Alaikum

Probably the shortest update but at least it is so.....:)

43| The Fall

Shehry entered the room, busy on his phone checking an important mail he couldn't even notice how tensed his wife seemed and the moment she found him inside she tried her best to bring a smile to her face. She threw the phone on the bed and ignored all the messages which were depressing her for a few days.

Shehry looked at her and Amna smiled.

"How is Ammi now?" Amna asked, trying to divert her thoughts away from the nonsense. Shehry placed his phone on the table and heaved up a sigh.

"Better" he nodded. "but she is missing her a lot, keeps calling her name in sleep" he added. "I so wish Maya had come along with her"

Amna went near him and sat in the bed, next to his place. "Shehry what do you think where Maya possibly be?"

Shehry shrugged. "I dunno, Ammi isn't saying anything and Khushal se poochna bekar tha, wo marr sakta hea Maya ka kaha nai tal sakta"

"or Maya ne sakhti se usey mana kiya hoga kuch bhi bolne se" Amna added and he nodded in agreement.

"Acha khair tell me have you checked all the papers?" Shehry asked, finding a bundle of papers scattered on the bed, he started to collect them. "Banda ustani se shadi na karey" he shook his head as he looked down at one of the papers.

"Aye haye! Amazing job! Welldone Ahmer." Shehry read a remark Amna had given on the paper. "Kabhi humein bhi keh diya karo amazing job.....hum to soteley hen na" he cheesed and suddenly noticed Amna's attention somewhere else.

Shehry kept the papers back and looked at her. "Amna?"

"Pata nai Maya kahan ho gi"she blabbered, almost to herself and Shehry frowned.

"Amna" Shehry grabbed her hand softly on to which she jumped out of her thoughts, looked down and then at his face. "Maya was never weak Amna, trust me she is fine wherever she is" he pressed her hand in his grip, but he didn't fail to notice the fright on Amna's face.

He was about to ask when her cellphone rang and Amna literally jumped in her place, pulling her hand out from his grip she quickly turned and picked up her phone. Shehry looked at her worriedly as she read the message and her forehead crumbled into a frown.

"Amna all okay?" he walked up to her.

Amna didn't want to share, she knew Shehry would be worried but it was too much and she thought it was necessary to take her husband in confidence. "Shehry I need to tell you something"

"Han bolo" Amna was never that frightened or disturbed, Shehry noticed her discomfort and held her hand in his softly stroking it. "What is wrong Amna, come on say it am listening" he added softly. 

"A few months back I put my old sim in my phone" she started telling him and he nodded. "I needed a contact and I couldn't find it anywhere, I knew it must be there in the sim which I stopped using years ago"

"acha to?" Shehry had a frown on his forehead, he knew there was something worrying into this seemingly small thing. Amna sighed and then tapped over her phone before showing it to Shehry.

"here"

Shehry grabbed the phone, looked down at the screen and kept scrolling; with every scroll his expressions were changing fro surprise to shock to worry.

The phone clenched in his grip so were his jaws as he felt distaste spreading across his tongue.

I looked at him and then at Haider, who was sitting all quiet fidgeting with the reading glasses of dady, he took them for wiping them off. 

"He was threatening your mother" Dady uttered after a few silent moments. "he was trying to reach her for Maya"

"but.... But after all those years dady?"

"After all those years" he nodded his head. "Dev was that animal who had the smell of vengeance to his nose, and taste of blood to his tongue. He couldn't settle for less than blood and Maya had run away from right under his nose, how would have he digested that"

Dady looked up at Haider who was still silent. I wonder how painful it must be for him listening about the wrecking of his own mother... or was he too strong to bare all that?

"Maya ne humein wo khushi lautai thi Ayesha jis ki koi doosri misal nai ho sakti, hamari maa. Or usi Maya ko Dev se khatra tha.... Though me or Amna non of us knew where she was but dev thought that we had her and so he trapped your mother" dady looked down at the news paper kept in his lap, I rested my hand on his.

"but Mummy had a note which stated Chachi as the....." I couldn't finish my sentence, couldn't call her a murderer in front of her own son. Though he seemed all calm and not even listening any of that. 

"Dev wanted Maya ruined in front of his eyes, he wanted her dead. And that is why when he couldn't get his aim done he killed taai and blamed Maya. Us ne socha aese na sahi to wesey sahi....andhery mein teer chalaya tha Dev ne" Haider spoke instead of Dady, his gaze was firm on the carpet under his feet but I could sense the hidden pain in his words which he tried his best to mask up.

There was silence for uncountable moments; of pain and grief.

"I failed to keep her safe beta. I failed miserably to save your mother from that evil"

Haidert looked at dady and I looked at him; it was strange how in every matter Haider Hussain had a smile on his face, it seemed as if he could never get hurt or sad or angry.

"Taya you knew that Maya was in Kashmir, or you could have taken information from dadi and let Dev know but you didn't, you could never put her life in danger and am proud to say that you have saved my mother's life for more than just once" he was holding dady's hand, while there was a flood of emotions inside me and I couldn't utter a word he was all able to give a speech, a speech that could heal the worst wounds and bring a smile to lips.

"Taai ko to ap nai bacaha paye mager Maya agar aj zinda hea to Allah k bad wo doosri zaat ap ki hea taya, jis ne unhen mehfooz rakha" I gawked his face as he spoke, his eyes had that glint and voice all steady and composed.

"itna ooncha maqam mat do mujhy Haider beta" dady said and Haider smiled.

"Maqam dena or lena to Allah k hath mein hea, Ammi ki nazar mein ye maqam ap ne buhat pehley he hasil ker liya tha and trust me taya, Ammi had never talked ill about you. She respects you a lot" he assured him and finally I saw a little smile on dady's lips.

"now here are your glasses" he wiped the glasses with the hem of his t shirt before putting them on his eyes himself, dady smiled warmly at him. "ap perhiye apna boring akhbaar mein chala, taai kitcehn mein akeli hen" he got up and Dady looked at me.

"Kuch seekho" he stated and I rolled my eyes.

"Taai waai siraf bahana hea dady.... isey chae peeni hogi zaroor. huhn! bara aya taai ka tarafdaar" 

Maha | London

He laid in the hospital bed with his eyes shut and hands aside, a tube went through his nostrils going inside his mouth to his throat enabling him to breathe while his forehead had a few electrodes attached; red and blue sensing the digits on the monitor screen.

Hussain had a brain stroke.

It was his birthday; Maha and Amna had baked a cake and fatima and Ayesha had bought gifts and packed them for their chachoo but they never knew such a terrible fate was waiting for him.

It was the day Maya was planning for so long... it was the day she had planned to gift him the best of all presents; his mother. But she never knew what Hussian was going through; he had lost all the hopes for living and desperately tried to embrace death but it seemed as if even death didn't want him.

The hospital door pushed open and she entered inside; still holding the knob of the door she stared him, confused whether she enters or not? Her heartbeats thumping inside and she could feel panic all around her.

"Ap usey dekhen gi na sab kuch yad aa jaye ga Ammi. Us ki muhabbat mein ajeeb si taseer hai, insaan ko girift mein le lene wali muhabbat, qaboo ker lene wali muhabbat" Mominah's words rang through her head as she stood there looking at her son.

Kitni ajeeb bat hea aj itne salo bad apni aulad se mil rahi hoon wo bhi is halat mein. Yad to kuch nai aya tha usey dekh ker bhi lekin ek aeeb si bechani zaroor thi seeny mein, jo siraf ek maa mehsoos ker sakti hea jab us ka bacha takleef mein ho.

She finally walked inside and yes, by looking at his face; all pale and dead her heart stopped beating for a moment as if it had forgotten how to. She just stared down at Hussain's face.

"Mein usey maaf nai karoon gi, chahe wo mera beta hea mager jo kuch us ne tumharey sath kiya wo qabil-e-mafi nai Mominah"

"Oho Ammi, jab mein ne usey maaf ker diya to phir kesi narazgi? Us ne ap se or siraf ap se muhabbat ki hea. Salo roya hea ap k liye, us ki muhabbat or aansuon ka ye sila den gi ap?"

And the next moment tears started to roll down her cheeks, she tried hard to muffle her sobs but failed miserably. She had in front of her, her son.... In hospital gown, unconscious, looking almost dead.

She forgot all the anger, the disapproval for her son as she leaned in and with her trembling fingers touched his forehead. Another stream of tears kept rolling down her cheeks.

With her hand holding Hussain's arm she hung her head low and cried for reasons her heart didn't know.

Uncountable moments passed and she felt moments, her eyes flutter open and head spun up coming face to face with her son's wounded eyes; popping wide open in pain and disbelief. Hussain moved his head left to right, he wanted to talk, he wanted to call her name and she panicked.

"Ammi!" she moved back as he called her in his muffled voice, his eyes turning deep red and tears soaking his face. Asiya's heart beating fast, she wanted to scream for the doctor when the door threw open and Shehry entered inside along with Amna.

"Ammi!" Shehry looked at the terrified woman pointing at Hussain's unstable condition and Amna quickly held her by the shoulders.

"Ammi aaiye mery sath" she took her outside letting Shehry handle Hussain.

"Shehry! Shehry Ammi.... Ammi"

"Hussain calm down please!" he tried to put him back to bed but Hussain had already taken his IV pulled out from his wrist and blood drops started to pop out. "Ammi!" he called loud. He looked around in the room like a maniac trying to find her presence but he couldn't.

"Shehry Ammi theen yahan mein ne dekha unhen" he was crying with tears, trying to pull out of Shehry's grip.

"Han tu theek keh raha hea wo aa gai hen. Hussain Ammi aa gai hen" Shehry had tears in his eyes as he said and felt Hussain's weight falling in his arms. "Ammi wapas aa gai hen Hussain" a tear left his eye as Hussain stared his face in disbelief.

I looked between them; Ammi in the hospital bed and Hussain on the couch. His hand holding the picture firm in his grip and with his glasses on, he fell asleep on the couch.

"Is he okay Aani?" I heard fatima. "he should have gone home, pata nai kab se hospital mein hen"

"hm." I nodded. "he wasn't agreeing for going home, I gave him relaxant. Acha hea thora so jaye to tabeat behter ho jaye gi" I added and pulled the comforter over him. I looked down at the picture in his grip; Maya and Haider. His life which he ruined with his own hands.

"Aani if you people knew about Chachi and Haider why didn't you convince Chachoo to bring them back?" Fatima asked, I walked up to Ammi and touched her forehead, she was sleeping peacefully with her face all pale and weak and bony. 

"Ammi neend mein Maya ka nam liya kerti theen, she had fever once and I remember we all were with her all the night, then Hussian forced us to get some sleep but he himself stayed up giving her cold dabs and kept listening just one name from her... Mominah. Wo neend mein takleef mein siraf usey he yad kerti theen"

"and then Hussain realized jis Maya se itni nafrat ki us ne, jisey itna dard diya us ki maa din rat bus usi Maya ko yad kerti hea. Usey lagne laga wo us k laiq na kabhi tha na ho paye ga"

Fatima was about to say something when the door pushed open and a nurse stepped in, she smiled at me and then extended the sleek file into my direction. "your Mother's reports are here and Dr. Harrison has called you in his office" she informed and I quickly got up.

She left and I opened the file, turning the pages I tried to read through the mentioned figures but could only read the part which left me frozen in my place, my hands shook and I felt the file came slipping from them.

Haider| Lahore

I found her sitting in the lawn on the little swing, she seemed drowned in her thoughts when I reached to her holding two cans.

"Did you talk to Fatima?" I asked and she looked up, the slight movement of the swing stopped. I extended a can towards her which she held and then sat down in the empty space next to her on the swing.

"And who invited you here?" she asked, fluttering her eye lashes and I opened my can.

"taya ji ka ghar apna he hota hea, invitation di ki lorr ae?" I shrugged on to which she shook her head.

"So did you talk to Fatima or Phupo?" I repeated, taking a sip and she shook her head a sudden shadow crept onto her face as she looked down at the can.

"Naraz ho un se?" I asked and she looked at my face.

"wo naraz hen mujh se" she said, still looking at me. we were close enough for me to look into her eyes and find that little girl; grumpy and cute.

"I have noticed you aren't that of a Hitler which you try to show to others han!" I claimed and she frowned. "you like being called as a strong girl, taking care of her little sister living on her own, who is all independent not afraid of anything or anyone around her. Hea na?"

"I think there is nothing wrong in it" she was one hell of a stubborn girl, I chuckled. "stop chuckling like a monkey, and accept it that I am strong" she rolled her eyes and I shook my head.

"I have seen you crying girl, that night I have seen an ordinary girl a daughter breaking down"

"yeah so you will blackmail me now? Right?"

"Whatt??!!!" I turned and looked at her face. "you should be grateful I stopped this sip of cola from bursting on your face. Why on earth will I blackmail you? You are insane" I shook my head, faking a smile.

"get a life girl!" I rolled my eyes and found a little smile at the corner of her lips.

"tumhen apne boyfriends ko show kerna acha lagta hoga k see! Am stronger than you boy! See I have got more guts than....

"hey hey hey! Hold on Mr" she turned in her placed, facing me. "kon boyfriends? Itna faltoo waqt nai merey pas, boys are stupid and when they become boy friends they become more stupid and hell annoying. I have seen my friends first they used to cry for a boyfriend then they cried because of them. Idiots!"

"tum lerkiyan bhi koi buhat Einstein nai hoti ho, a total package of self pity and emotional drama. And when you people become a girl friend you become a total spy machine with hell loads of unnecessary suspicions and melodrama" I countered.

"Oh! Experience talking han!" she smirked and I jerked my head.

"Never had one" I confessed and she chuckled, not believing. "What? sach keh raha hoon"

"acha mujhy to laga you must have a long list of them, itna emotions mein bhigo bhigo ker boltey ho, and all your golden words with this never fading smile.... Girls normally fall for such things"

"Acha? Tum bhi?" I asked casually and she looked at me with a moo dho ker aao look. "okay! So what do you fall for?" I asked and her eyes narrowed a little as she stared my face, then she shook her head and looked away not saying anything. I took another sip from my cola unable to hide my smile.

I got up to leave but then looked down at her. "Make a call, all will be fine"

"she is angry with me" she refused and I heaved up a sigh in annoyance.

"you have been angry with every one around you for all those years now if for once your sister is angry with you, you have got problem. Ha! Are you for real Hitler?" she looked at me grumpily.

"I had reasons Haider"

"she has reasons as well, and the biggest reason is that her only sister never listens to her, never shows care or love for her. Stays in her Hitler mode all the time" I fired back.

"Ayesha!" she was about to reply when we heard taai's voice along with hurried footsteps. I turned, Ayesha got up as well.

"Ayesha! Haider!" taai stopped near us, she looked panicked.

"Aunty what happened?" Ayesha held her arm.

She held her hand and looked at me. "London se call thi Maha ki. Shehryar and you people must leave before... before its too late beta" 

4th down.... 3 to go! 

Probably there would be a Hussain- Maya encounter in next update ;)