Assalam-o-Alaikum!

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Chapter 13

Old Bonds

Maha's POV

"oh come on Fariya! stop crying"

"Am not crying" she sniffled wiping her cheeks as she stated stubbornly and I rolled my eyes. I sat down next to her and held her hand in mine, she was cold and I rubbed her skin a little.

"Stop being so upset now. Please?"

"why didn't you tell me he has gone to meet her in Pakistan?" she asked in her as usual grumpy tone and I sighed helplessly, I knew I wont be able to convince this idiot girl.

"Because I just didn't feel it important to tell you that Fariya! I mean what big deal if Bhai has gone to meet her?" I shrugged my shoulders and she stared my face blankly.

"Its not a big deal for you Maha! for me, it is" and then she looked away from my face.

"She has already hurt him a lot, I don't want him to get bruised all over again. What if she abandons him again? What if she disgraces him again Maha! after a whole decade he meets Tehreem and what if she still hates him? loathes him for just one tiny mistake, for just a joke she still seethe anger for Hussain inside her heart" she was saying looking ahead into space, almost stating to herself and then looked at me, a tear was just a bout to roll down through those long dark lashes.

"what if he gets hurt again?" she asked me, I couldn't respond and my grip over her hand went firm. "what if another ten years.... God! No!

She exclaimed and the desperate tear rolled down, her head hung low as she shook it.

For few silent moments I kept looking at her face; her eyes puffed and swollen, cheeks red as cherries and every feature holding a complaint "you really love him, yeah?"

Oh God! Maha you weren't suppose to remind her about this... she is already insane.

Fariya looked at me. "you tell me if I love him or not" she asked and I frowned shrugging a shoulder in confusion.

"I can not stop thinking about Hussain; his smile his attitude. Every little thing about him; the way he walks into the auditorium every Friday, they way he stands there on the podium holding that thick black mysterious book, his eyes full of wonders, his talking and his silence. The way he looks at me and scolds me, the way he sat in front of me in my lawn that night, trying his best to convince a stubborn girl to stop loving him" she kept on stating looking in to the space between us, and a small smile crept onto her lips at the end as if she was visualizing everything.

"knowing that he was hurt and spent all those years in pain and suffering my heart aches Maha! my heart aches for him" she looked at my face into my eyes, her orbs oozing pain and a strange kind of horror was there like the darkest deepest shadow lingering in her eyes penetrating in her soul.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, the tip of nose went all red once again. "Fariya! look...

"Why do I love him? why?" she asked jerking my hand, still holding hers and I helplessly nodded my head trying to clam her down.

"its okay Fariya! there is nothing wrong in loving anyone"

"yei to masla hea, I don't love anyone, I love Hussain" she cried and then pulling her hands out of my grip she got up from the couch.

"And am telling you Maha! if Hussain will get hurt again I won't forgive Tehreem, I won't forgive her for all the pain she had brought to him already. Agar is bar bhi us ne Hussian ko khali hath lauta diya na Maha! to acha nai hoga" she pointed her index at me as if was addressing Tehreem.

"So what if Tehreem forgives Bhai and then.... You know...

I hesitated for a moment, getting my question the color in her cheeks darkened and I felt she gulped down before speaking. "I just want him happy though I hate her, but if Hussain is happy with Tehreem and she understands him, accepts him then I will be happier" she didn't look into my eyes as she stated , she knew they will betray her words.

Hussain's POV

"He needs you Tehreem! and you need him too" she blinked her eyes at me, as if she wasn't believing me. "We should be with someone who loves us, cares for us and trust me Ibraheem still loves you, he is still standing there in that hall in front of you holding onto his life in those marriage papers. Still in love with you"

Tehreem sat there frozen in her place as I spoke. Her gaze slowly lowered down at the wooden table, she was so still I felt she wasn't even breathing any more.

"I can't marry anyone Hussain! am happy in my life, I have my sons and..

"mujhy pata hea mein shaid kuch ziada he keh raha hoon, mujhy koi haq nai hea tum se ye kehne ka ya ye mashwara tak deney ka, mein he wo shaks hoon jis ne tumhari zindagi berbaad ki hea Tehreem! mein kon hota hoon tumhen dilasa dene wala mager ek bar bus ek bar khud k liye nahee apne bachon k barey mein socho, unki sari zindagi pari hea Tehreem un k aagey. Wo baap k baghair guzer to jaye g imager ek kami reh jae gi, ek adhoora pan ek khali sa ahsaas reh jae ga un ki zindagi mein"

"Think about Ali Umer Tehreem! they need a father" I insisted, I knew this was all too much and maybe I was too abrupt and sudden but it wasn't as if I had other options.

"they have me, their mother. They don't need anyone" she tried to shoo the topic away and I sighed, knowing already she would say this.

"Yeah, you are their mother and you know what is best for them; maybe depriving them from fatherly affection is best for them, maybe abandoning those little hearts who crave for the love of a father is best for them. yeah you know best" I tried my best to keep the sarcasm away from my tone as I stated.

"Ibraheem came here, he wanted to meet you he wanted forgiveness he wanted to repent but he couldn't meet you Tehreem! rather he met the worst of his fate and got a... a brain attack" I told her, the expressions visibly changed, her eyes widened and then she blinked them down at her hands.

"he is in comma" I added and literally felt she gasped though quietly.

"he is all right I know, he listens to everybody he feels the presence but... but he has refused to live again, he has refused to come back to life Tehreem! wo nai dekh paya tumhen dard mein, takleef mein. Wo khud ko zimedaar samajhta hea tumhari is halat ka" my eyes itched as I spoke.

I looked up at her face, clearly find pain and remorse. "I fell for you Tehreem! I fell for the most beautiful girl in the world" words slipped from my lips and she blinked her eyes at me, the beauty was still there though it got buried under the shadows of ten years of pain and suffering. "but then I fell harder into the dust of my being, into the reality of my life and I realized it wasn't love. It wasn't love Tehreem!" I shook my head.

"Ibraheem loved you for what you were, he didn't fall for the face, he didn't fall for the beauty in you. he loved you and still loves you"

"I can't marry him" she shook her head, she seemed in a trance as she uttered. "he is in pain because of me Hussain"

"Oh come on Tehreem! Rabb ka wasta hea tumhen stop this. He is blaming himself and you are here now putting the blame to your shoulders. Can you people please stop this blame game, and just listen to me for once?" my eyes bored into hers, fuming and I felt I was a little too louder this time, Tehreem gulped down.

I leaned in the seat with my breaths a little heavy, pinching the bridge of my nose I just tried to calm down.... Exhale inhale....

"you two were made for each other, I don't understand from where did I jump into the scene" I stated to myself. "I shouldn't have" I added.

Tehreem's POV

He looked tensed... frustrated.

But I couldn't help him in this, I couldn't get married to Ibraheem. No.

"I know you want to set things right Hussain! but its impossible now" I shook my head, he looked at my face.

"Mein ziada kuch nai kahoon ga mazeed Tehreem! bus itni si bat hea k zindagi do pal ki kahani hea, ye duniya ye jaga ye sab kuch fani hea, aj hea kal sab khatam ho jaye ga. Na tum raho gi, na mein na Ibraheem na he Ali Umer. is duniya se to nijaat mil jaye gi mager Rabb ka samna to hum sab ko he kerna hea, kia jawab do gi tum Rabb ko, ek shaks tumharey liye tarap raha tha mager tumhen apni anaa ziada piyari thi, kia jawab do gi Tehreem jab Rabb poochey ga k Us k bandey ko takleef mein pa ker bhi tum ne us ki madad nai ki? Kia jawab do gi?bolo!"

His eyes bored into mine as he asked. I couldn't reply, couldn't respond to his words I knew he was right but...

"Badnaseeb hota wo insaan jo kisi ki muhabbat thukrata hea, khuloos thukrata hea. mein dua karoon ga Allah se k wo tumharey naseeb mein bad naseebi na likhey"

He stated and with this he held the Quran closer to his chest. "give me a minute, I will drop you home" and with this he excused me, leaving me alone there in the hall, thinking and trying to absorb his words....

....

The whole car ride spent in silence but once again the silence was audible not to our ears but to our hearts.

Mein bhool chuki thi Hussain! tumhen Ibraheem ko, guzrey her lemhe ko phir q zinda ker di her yad. Her dard. Her nadamat?

And then my thoughts broke apart as he spoke. "Am sorry"

"Am sorry if I crossed my limits, if I said a little too much than I should have"

I remained quiet. "its all about priorities you know; ten years back I prioritized my dreams and life style over the relation I had with a girl who was oblivious to my intentions and today you are doing similar Tehreem!" he stopped, I glanced at him his gaze was firm on the road.

"today you are prioritizing your ego over the love of someone" he added.

"Am not egoistic" I cut him as he was about to say something more. "why don't you understand it is not easy for me now to get married, am a divorcee, a mother of two. I have moved on Hussain! I do not want to get myself piled on somebody...

"That somebody loves you Tehreem!" Hussain stated in the middle and for a moment I couldn't counter back.

"he is still waiting for you" he added in rather low tone, more to himself and I gulped down. "you have moved on apparently though, but Ibraheem is still standing there" 

"I can't love him" I crossed my arms at my front. If he is upto this then he must listen the reality and face it.

"Love is not everything" he sharply countered and I looked at his face, so flat and plain emotionless for a moment. When I silently stared his face for a few moments he looked at me and heaved up a sigh before looking back on the road.

"if love is not everything then why should I bother for his love?" I asked and he shook his head.

"What he does is not just love, its more than that.... His life depends on you Tehreem! his happiness depends on you. aesey jesey us ki zindagi mein tumhen paney k ilawa koi maqsad he nai tha, tum nai raheen to zindagi ni rahi uski"

"mein Ibraheem ki waqalat nai kerne aya tha yahan Tehreem! mein tumharey liye aaya tha yahan." He stated honestly?

"being a single mother alone, you can not protect them or maybe you can but the strive is unending Tehreem! or phir jab Allah tumhen moka de raha hea to moo morna kufr nai to or kia hea?" he asked and I looked away from his face, blinking eyes.

"I still remember Shehry used to convince me by saying that; not everybody falls in love and then get married, few get married and then find their love" he stated further. "and I think this is the best way of finding it" he added to himself and then slowly the car came to a halt, in all the talking and tension inside my head I couldn't even bother where he was taking me and then when I looked out from the window my breath caught up in my throat and a whole series of memories flashed across my vision.

"its time to set things right Tehreem! and no place can be better than your own home" I looked at him in utmost shock and disbelief, he pressed a smile and left the driving seat before he walked up to mine and opened the door wide urging me to step out.

"to do amends no person can be better than a mother Tehreem! you need her at the moment" I looked up at his face as he stood there asking me to step out.

Its been years I left Ma and never turned back... after all those days and nights and months and years today I was standing there once again, with the same feeling same pain and belonging.

Ma!!!

Gul's POV

A couple of days later

"but won't you come here Hussain?"

"I don't think so Gul! I can not face him again like this, I can not look at him in this miserable vulnerable state." He stated, his lips pressed together and forehead curled up in frowns. He was looking down at the keypad as I looked at his face, studying his features alarming and tensed.

"Ibraheem is improving Hussain!" I said and he looked up at my face, the disbelief washed away as I smiled nodding my head. "I guess the forgiveness has worked in mysterious way" I added

"Allah works in mysterious ways Gul!" Hussian remarked knowingly and then he sighed in relief, leaning in the chair as he raked a hand through his hair.

"are you serious?" he asked, looking at my face and I smiled again assuring him. "Wo theek ho raha hea Hussain! you were right, he was fine since long he was only ignoring life, you should have came to Dubai much earlier" I said and he smiled a little, shaking his head.

"It isn't me Gul! I did nothing."

"How was Tehreem?" I asked after a moment of hesitation and the color in his cheeks faded a little.

"kesi ho sakti hea ek talaqyafta aurat jis k do chotey choty bête hon or sr per sahara bus us ek Allah ka" he asked and I gulped down. "she is a strong woman Gul! Tehreem is indeed strong otherwise its not easy to survive the amount of mishaps and pain she had faced in life. Allah has given her enough strength" he stated.

"Us k do betey hen?" I asked, I don't know a sudden pang of pain was felt in my heart. Hussain nodded his head.

"Ali and Umer" he mentioned.

A smile crept on to my lips despite the pain. "Hussain!" I called him as he was looking down at nothing in particular I guess.

"Hm?" he looked up at my face in the screen and I silently cleared my throat.

"Kia bat hea Gul?" he inquired as I remained hesitant.

"Why don't you get married?" I asked more like suggesting and he blinked his eyes at me. "Tehreem needs a....

"Gul!" Hussain cut me in the middle, softly and I felt the words muffled inside my mouth. "She deserves a better human being" he stated and I practically did a huge eye roll

"What does that mean now? Are you still upset with yourself Hussain?" I exclaimed in disbelief and it increased as Hussain chuckled a little shaking his head.

"Its not like that. I just want Tehreem to get what she deserves; a person who can love her and respect her and give her all the happiness of the world Gul! And that only Ibraheem not me" he stated all simple and firm as if he never in life had any feeling for the girl he was talking about.

I stared his face for a few silent moments.

"Gul! Allah k liye aesey mat dekho mujhy, mein koi qurbani nai de raha hoon. They deserve each other. The only thing am worried about is Tehreem. I don't know if she agrees to it or not, it seems difficult...

"How can you be so calm about this Hussain?" I asked in utter disbelief and he heaved up a sigh, just then an announcement was heard of some flight boarding Hussain glanced down at his watch.

"you are seriously not coming here?"

"Naheen Gul! Abhi nai. Phir kabhi. Inn shaa Allah tumhari shadi mein mulaqat hogi ub. bulao gi na?" he smiled.

God! How much and how badly I had missed that smile Hussain! you just won't imagine

"Stop staring me now. Its haram in case you don't know" Hussain stated as he picked up his passport, the boarding pass was peeking out through the pages clearly and he didn't miss the smirk on his face this time.

"Ah! Once a boaster always a boaster" I rolled my eyes and he smiled.

"Well, am not left with anything to boast off" he remarked and before I could respond he spoke again. "chalo will talk later. Time for boarding"

"you should have come Hussain!" I stated again with a slight hope in my heart and he nodded, his lips pressed together.

"Anyways have a safe flight. And I hope you have stopped drooling over hot air hostesses, right?" I said playfully and he chuckled.

"Since long" he smiled. I returned the gesture.

"take care and give my love to Ibarheem" he said and I nodded an okay quietly. "remember, its Ibraheem okay. Waleed nahee" he reminded me playfully and I groaned

We hung up the next minute. I actually threw my cell phone on the bed and almost fell beside that. This is clearly I wasn't expecting, I thought Hussain would come to Dubai and meet Ibraheem.

Wo kitna khush hota Ibraheem ko theek hotey dekh ker.... Mager naheen! Hussain k dimaagh ka bhi koi bharosa nahee.

I was lost in thoughts when my phone buzzed, I looked to my left grabbed the phone and glanced on the screen.

Waleed!

Tehreem's POV

"Ali Umer! watch out, don't ruin my garden you two hooligans!" Ma almost ran after them as they played cricket in the front lawn, Umer continuously hitting sixes and the ball kept on messing up with Ma's dear plants. 

"Nano! you allowed us remember? ub khelney den humein ap jaen Mummy is calling you" Ali wined and then tried to shoo her away. Ma shook her head disapprovingly and walked back in the hall.

I walked up to her and found a trace of moisture in her eyes along with a sparkle. 

"Its like a dream coming true; watching my grandsons playing in my garden" Ma remarked, her gaze was fixated on them two through the glass wall and a soft contented smile on the face. 

"And ruining your plants? was it a dream too Ma?" I asked and she looked at me with a cross look.

"Buhat shararti ho gaye hen. kisi ki nai suntey, abhi ja ker dant'ti hoon" I added and she slapped my arm shoving me aside and walked ahead.

"Huhn! merey nawasey hen jo chahe karen. khaberdaar jo kuch kaha tum ne" she warned me and I smiled. 

"Chae piyo gi?" Ma asked and I smiled nodding. She was taking out something from the divider, i went and sat in the sofa when she walked up to me.

"Hussain left it for you Tehreem!" Ma handed me an envelop and my Quran along with a couple of packets wrapped in glittery papers; blue and purple.

"But I told him to keep it" I held the Quran first.

"He said it belongs to you and has missed you all those years. He said you deserve to keep it" I shook my head as she stated. Looking down at the envelop I kept the Quran carefully on the table. And then opened the envelop. A folded paper slipped out along with another thin sheet which to my confusion was a cheque  without any amount mentioned just a signature at the right most corner and it took me a moment realizing it was his signature.

I frowned in confusion holding the blank cheque by Hussain, why would he give it to me?

"I will bring tea" Ma patted my hand and got up from the sofa. I looked down at the folded paper and opened it; a letter.

It took me no time to recognize his handwriting.

Assalam-o-Alaikum!

Keep the Quran Tehreem! it belongs to you. I have already kept it away from you for too long, you must have missed it I know. I don't have to remind you to use it well, off course you will.

Am sending a sending, its for the mosque. I want you to start the construction once again Tehreem! jo kam tum ne shuroo kiya tha usy mukamal kerne ka waqt aagaya hea. I couldn't stand the sight of the ruined mosque. I hope next time I will visit I will find it as beautiful as it deserves to be.

I want to meet Ibraheem but I can not, not until he gets alright and I know you will help him. karo gin a uski madad Tehreem?

Ali Umer k liye kuch gifts hen... give them my love.

Looking up from the letter I heaved up a sigh, resting my head at the backrest of the sofa I just sat there holding the paper in my hand thinking about his words.

Suddenly the door bell rang and my eyes flutter open. 

"Nano! somebody is there at the gate" I heard Ali's loud voice.

"Kon hea Ma?" I got up from the sofa and was about to turn when I heard voices; Ma and... a lady's voice.

"Please come in!" I heard Ma and then she entered in the hall through the wide ajar glass door, followed by a lady I didn't recognize and then a girl... for a moment I felt it was a dream; she was clad in a grey abaya with a black and grey hijab covering her gracefully, she looked as pretty as always.

"Aleena?"

"Tehreem!"a smile crept onto my lips as she looked at me and without a further ado, I stepped towards her and we hugged. We held each other firm as we hugged. "Its so good to see you" I said over her shoulder and we pulled back. Her eyes had moisture, I smiled warmly at her.

"you cant imagine how happy I am finally meeting you Tehreem! itney saal bad tumhen dekh rahi hoon, lag raha hea ek umer beet gai dermiyan mein" she stated holding my hands firm and I smiled, feeling every word of hers.

Just then I looked at the unknown woman who was looking at me with a faint smile on her face, her eyes were a little puffed or maybe they were like that naturally, carrying those dark bags under them.

"Assalam-o-Alaikum!" I greeted, still trying to recognize her but I couldn't. she kept on looking at me as if was in a trance or something and I looked at Aleena urging her to introduce...

Aleena looked between us and then she gulped down. "Aunty! This is Tehreem" she looked at the woman who apparently knew me already.

"Or Tehreem! ye... Ye Naima Aunty hen. Ibraheem bhai ki Mom" she introduced and my eyes widened and then narrowed.

Ibraheem Bhai????

....

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