Meraki

2◍

Wiping her hand on a cloth that was lying on the kitchen counter, she ran towards the door. Bell rang again. She opened the door and gesticulate a very warm smile after greeting him. Well, that's how she welcomes him every day but her husband never bothered to speak some nice words to her, with an inexpressive face he looked hesitant to enter.

"Elham!" He called her slowly and her smiley countenance changed into quizzical form.

"Aapp ander tou aaye." She waited for a second or two and when he doesn't utter a word she asked him to cross the threshold.

"Woh mai--ii" he tried again but failed.

"Kya hogaya hai, Aaban. Why are you hesitating so much." She questioned. She scrunches her eyebrows looking at his hesitancy. His moments of irresolution awaken the trepidation inside her.

Rafiya came and stand beside her husband, dolled up in a red Jora. Elham exchange looks between them to understand, what's on earth is happening. Why Rafiya is faking a smile at her, while her husband looked at her in sympathy, he pitied her. But for whattt?

"We're married Elham. Aaban married me." Rafiya enunciates proudly. Arrogance dropped in her tone. She spoke so easily about their marriage as if it that just a piece of cake. Okay, she got it. She's divorced. She can remarry again but what about him? Did he forget that he has a wife at home? Who waits for him? Who cares for him? All her affection and love just dissipated. Her breathing increased and tears gathered in her eyes. Bile raised to her throat and she looked at him. Tears fell. One, two and it starts flowing like a river. Hurt and betrayed. A sharp pain shot inside her heart, breaking it into pieces.

The full moon shone, marked by the effulgence of a glowy yellow-white light between the thick cumulus clouds making the dark pitch black sky serene. Pure serene. Yellow white light not only radiant the circumference of the moon but also the globe.

"I don't know how difficult things become easy to share with you, Elham" Aaban said looking at the moon.

She heard what he said, and looked at him to continue.

"Though I still don't know, how I shared things with you or maybe because I was frustrated, I needed a listener but what surprised me how you handle things, how you calmed me down. You were so young that time." He took a pause.

"...and how you never gossip about it." There's something he wanted her to know. Something that she doesn't want to know. Something she dreaded to know about.

She again chooses to keep quiet.

"Rafi ka divorced hogaya hai." She looked at him for a second but mask her hurt expression quickly. There's nothing she hasn't done for him and he, he still stuck on her ex-girlfriend Rafiya. She dislike how he said Rafi but not Rafiya.

"Aapp ko kaise pata." She's curious. Why wouldn't she? Is he in contact with her Ex?

"Pata chal jata hai yaar." He replied dragging his tone.

"Yeh tou bht bura hua, galti jiski bhi hou, naam kharab tou ladki ka hi hota." She genuinely showed her concern knowing how society treats divorce.

He hold her palm and guide it again on his head, she ran her long delicate finger through his silky hair as he laid down on her lap.

"Kya soch rahi hou?" He asked looking at her lost state.

"She inhale deeply and whispered "nothing".

She wipe her hot tears and blew her nose remembering why he informed her. He was thinking it about from then, laying on his first wife's lap. She can't cry and she'll not be going to cry over this. She turn on her heels and they followed her inside closing the door.