A House Beyond Horizon

Chapter 1

"That was the worst decision you have ever taken, Nani!"

Hamida removed her bangles without paying any heed that they were bruising her wrists while her grandmother looked at her helplessly.

"What else could we do, Hamida?"

She turned on her heels, her eyes burning with unshed tears and throat choked with many complaints.

"Bring her home like the daughter of this house, like she was." Hamida came near  her grandmother, "But maybe you didn't want her anymore. Maybe you're just trying to get rid of us."

A color of disappointment and hurt passed from Nani's face as she tried to hold Hamida's arm that she jerked away. "I know you don't mean what you're saying. Hurt makes us do silly things."

"Great excuse for what you did with Raaya's life." She wiped the lone tear harshly from her cheek, "She has seen enough in her life to go through this, Nani. You ruined her life."

Hamida Sultan wanted to scream till her lungs would collapse but she just sufficed on yelling her point of view. She hated the concept of destiny and fate. Because that never worked. Poor people didn't have any destiny and Hamida always considered herself one of them. She was poor in money, in luxuries and in relations.

***

Idris Usman walked aimlessly in the garden as he felt odd to enter his own room. His father was noting his movement for quite some time and it was getting irritating for him now.

"You can produce enough electricity by walking so much."

"Papa…" He groaned, taking a seat on the bench near him, "It's weird for me."

"Nothing is weird. It had to be done eventually, so now it's done."

"It would have happened but not with her and not so soon."

Papa squeezed his shoulder in reassurance and they both looked at the main door from where Idris's mother was coming.

"You should go inside, Idris. Raaya must be waiting for you." Mummy held his hand as he slowly got up, "We know it's not easy for you but remember it's more difficult for Raaya, so be patient with her."

The confusion and the awkwardness made Idris somewhat frustrated and Mummy's words just added fuel to his situation.

"I'm not a monster, Mummy else I wouldn't be here."

By the time he entered his room, the fresh scent of roses with distant rain soothed his senses. A small figure was sitting in the middle of his bed, surrounded by the fluttering light of candles.

He could sense her scared form and a curse left his tongue for his best friend, Kashif Khan. Not because he was here because of him but Raaya was suffering because of him and as much he knew her, she never deserved this fate.

"Raaya, I won't say I'm happy with this marriage because I'm not. It's too sudden for me and it's for you too, with me." He looked ahead, fixing his eyes on the flowing curtains, "But I promise you won't feel burdened by me or by this relationship."

Raaya was grazing her fingertips on the bangles when he held her hand, and a tear dropped on the back of his hand, catching him off guard.

She slowly looked up and Idris for the first time in his twenty six years forgot to blink. Her eyes were away from any makeup perhaps due to her crying but those blue orbs held so many oceans inside them.

Raaya tried wriggling out her hand from his hold, "Mr. Idris, I'm thankful to you for what you did today but also thanks for showing me my position. I know it's not in me that people will be happy with me."

He let go of her hand as she quickly left the bed for the washroom while he just stared in the void. He had hurt her by his honesty and now he could feel a scratch on his heart thinking about his earlier words.

***

Nani peeked inside Hamida's room to check if she was awake and saw her standing by the window, with a photo frame in her hand.

"Hamida, breakfast is ready dear."

"I'm not hungry, nani. I'll be heading to college and I will get late due to the extra work at the shop."

Nani tiptoed behind her and took the photo frame from her hand. It was Raaya and Hamida and as much as she remembered, it was from when Raaya was in sixth and Hamida was in fourth grade. They both were smiling. Hamida was as usual faking her smile but Raaya was trying too hard to give a proper one.

"Raaya is smiling beautifully."

Hamida took the frame and kept it back on her study table, "She always wants to keep everyone happy without thinking about herself."

Nani gave a tight lipped smile as her granddaughter left her room for college. She knew these two sisters could go to any measure to see the other happy and that was why she could easily accept Hamida's anger over her decision.

Hamida kicked a little pebble as a sob left her lips that she hid behind her henna clad palm. She hated that smell of henna, it was only on Raaya's insistence that she applied it.

Her head was burning with anger and pain while thinking about her sister. She was furious at Kashif for playing with Raaya's life and also at Nani for taking that rash decision. That marriage, that relationship was not necessary for her sister.

Never!

The day in the college went into a blur while Hamida was only thinking about her sister and her new life. She had no idea how she was? How was his family? Were they able to accept her? Would she be able to adjust in that family?

***

The scent of the late night rain and a sunlight of the new day tiptoed in Idris's room, pushing his sleep at bay.

As his mind left the valleys of slumber, he remembered all the ordeal of a day before. The reality of becoming a married man overnight punching him in the gut.

After his little argument with Raaya last night, Idris felt they both were saving themselves from conversation. So when he offered Raaya to sleep in the bed after seeing her attempt to make a comfortable sleeping place on the sofa, she accepted it, though with hesitance.

They both were awake for quite some time. In that dark room, Idris could sense Raaya changing sides many times, her bangles breaking the awkward silence around them. It was near to sunrise, when Idris got his sleep without having any idea about Raaya.

The door opened and once again Raaya's bangles broke the grave silence of the room. They both did their best to avoid eye contact as she slowly closed the door while he left the bed.

"Aunty told you to get ready, we have to visit my house."

She announced in a busy way, rummaging through her bags as Idris just hummed in response. It was all too tiring and awkward and to meet her family again was never in his list.

Raaya moved to make the bed as he noted her movements while checking his mobile phone. The candles had died down and the various bouquets of roses were still trying to make the room fragrant with the distant rain. But the couple in that room was too engrossed in their own thoughts to notice this simple beauty.