Khudgarzi

11

Woh jo kahte the bichdenge na hum kabhi
Woh jo kahte the bichdenge na hum kabhi
Alvida ho gaye dekhte dekhte

Three months later

Admissions had opened in the universities a while ago and with the help of Ms. Ayrah and baba, I had submitted my application. Aunty was barely home, she'd come over on the weekends and then go back to Saima baaji's house to help her around. She was now nine months pregnant and was due any day now. I had applied for a two year Fashion and Business bachelors program, in a college nearby. Which to my surprise, I found out was the same place, Henna was doing a diploma for Cosmetic Management. She was extremely excited to find out that I was applying there and even offered me a ride to and fro to the college.

Baba had forbidden me to tell aunty before anything was confirmed, because he knew she would create an unnecessary drama over it. Over the course of three months, I have grown a lot close to baba and we have our daily chai sessions where he tells me about his life. He told me how he came to Canada as a struggling student soon after his FSc. and how people back home would mock him for having such bad grades, but he was determined to prove them wrong and he did.

He came to Toronto after getting an admission in University of Toronto on a sports scholarship. He worked part time jobs throughout his university and would sometimes go for days without meals just so that he'd have enough money saved up. His dorm fee was waived off due to the  scholarship and as for the tuition fee, he had applied for student loan. But he somehow, managed to strive through it all. He took a leap and soon after graduating started his own hotel. 

Allah was on his side and the hotel started flourishing. Within two years, he was able to pay off his entire student loan and get his first ever apartment in Toronto. With all of this success, he returned back home to Muzzafarabad in Kashmir, where he was blackmailed to marry his khala's daughter aka aunty. He described aunty as a difficult personality who always wanted more, no matter how much he gave. Baba was sure that he wouldn't be able to survive with her and had decided to divorce her, but she told him that she was pregnant with Sania baaji. Baba thought that she would change after Sania baaji was born but she never did.

After giving her multiple chances to repent and change her ways, baba finally gave up on her and decided to expand White Rose hotels outside of Toronto initially and then eventually to the US and in the UK. This led him to spend most of his time, not being home and not knowing how aunty had been. He had recently, moved back home, a few years ago, when Shehryar became the official CEO of the hotel and was now managing the business. And to his surprise, even after years of being apart, aunty had not changed and was the exact same. Maybe even worse than before. Talking to baba, was educational and fun in its own way. He didn't realize but he'd give me so many life lessons only in our hour long chai sessions.

 Anyway, today was a Saturday, meaning that aunty would be coming back so, I had to prepare lunch and keep the house ready as well as cook a week worth of meals for Saima baaji's house. Saima baaji's mother in law was in Pakistan for a few months and so aunty was had offered to help her around. This lead to me not having to deal with aunty a lot and it was fine by me. I was broken out of my train of thoughts when aunty walked in. I quickly said loud Salam but it was met with a nod.

I had made daal and chawal for lunch today. For me, it was my comfort food and it was one of my favourite dishes. But when I served it on the dining table, aunty looked at it, picked up the spoon and played around with it and looked at me dead in the eye

"Yeh kya bakwaas hai? Tumhain kya lagta hai tum mujhe yeh paani jaisi daal khila dou gi aur main kha loun gi?", she screamed
(What is this shit? You really think that you can serve me this tasteless food and I'll eat it quietly?)

"Kya matlab aunty? Iski consistency tou bilkul theek hai, considering isko chawal kay saath khana hai", I said
(What do you mean aunty? It's consistency is okay, considering you have to pair it up with rice)

Staying home with baba has at least taught me one thing, to fight my own battles or at least present my side of the story.

Aunty pushed back her dining chair and walked towards mine. She held my face and pinched my face painfully and said

"Ab tum mujhay jawab dou gi? Aukaat kya hai tumhari, tum jaisi dou takkay ki larki kou tou main abhi set karti houn?" she spat in my face
(So you're going to talk back to me? Who do you think you are? You're a worthless girl and I'm going to fix you up right now)

"Begam, tum aisa kuch nahi karo gi Ayla kou", baba said whilst pulling her back from me
(You will not do anything to Ayla)

"Aap meray mamlon main iss tarah dakhal na karain tou acha hou ga, main iss neech larki say khud hee nipat loun gi" she screamed at uncle, facing me again. I was trembling and crying at this point.
(Don't try to fix yourself into my matters, I will give this girl a lesson of a lifetime)

"Tum. Aisa. Kuch. Bhi. Nahi. Karo. Gi." Baba screamed at her
(You. Will. Not. Do. Anything. To. Her.)

"Rok kay dikhao mujhay" she said and grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled me off my chair. Totally oblivious of my screams she dragged me to the living room where she kicked me in the stomach. I had my eyes closed now because I knew more abuse was to come. But instead, I heard a loud noise. Baba had slapped aunty right across her face.
(Stop me if you can)

"Aap-aap-aap aisa kaisay kar saktay hain meray saath Abbas sahab?" she said
(How-how-how could you do this to me, Abbas?)

"Tum meri beti kay upar haath uthao aur main kuch karo bhi nahin, wah bhai begum tum pata nahin kaisay dour main reh rahi hou" he said
(You think that you're going to beat up my daughter and I'm not going to say a word? Wow! I don't know what sort of backward century you're living in)

"ISS ZALEEL AURAT KOU APNAY BETI KA DARJAH DAY DIA WAH ABBAS SAHAB WAH. AUR APNI BETIYON SAY AAP DOOR HEE REHTAY HAIN" she screamed at him
(Wow Abbas wow! You're going to call this low-life of a girl your daughter and you continue to push away your biological daughters)

Without letting uncle give a reply back, she said

"Main dekh loun tumhain bhi aur Abbas sahab aapko bhi, main jaa rahi houn" she said
(I will see you and Abbas both, I'm going now)

"Wahan jahan par meri izzat hai, aur mujhay koi thappar nahi marta, aur haan janay say pehlay, aapki jou yeh so called beti hai, iss nay aapko bataye baghair college main admission lay lia hai, darwazay pay iska acceptance letter tha, I burnt it" she said with a wicked smile and walked out of the house.
(I'll go somewhere, where I'm respected, I'm not slapped on my face and oh yes, before I leave, your "so called daughter", applied to college without your permission, I saw her acceptance letter on the entrance, so I burnt it)

I looked up to uncle and he rushed to his office to grab his laptop, while I settled myself.

"Baaki batain baad main pehlay chalo beta University ka portal dekh kar batao, admission hua kay nahin?" he said. I constantly recited
(We'll talk about the rest later, firstly, open up your admissions portal and see if you got in or not?)

نَصْرٌ مِّن اللَّهِ وَفَتْحٌ قَرِيب

Translation: Help from Allah and a near victory

Taking a deep breath in, I clicked on it and the entire screen was full of confetti, with a huge congratulations written in the middle. I got in. I was officially part of class of 2021. Uncle gave me a pat on the head and told me how he was going to the local sweet shop to get some mithai in order to celebrate and I sat there infront of the laptop in shock until I heard uncle groan in pain. I looked back to see him clutch his chest in pain.

A/N: Hayeee this chapter was written entirely on impulse, so give me an honest review on this please. If you're too shy to comment, dm me, because I need ur opinion on this. Anyway, don't forget to vote, comment and follow! Ily!! 💜💜