Synthesis of Scattered Pieces ✔️

59.

A knock on the bedroom door forced her to lift her eyes towards the one who opened the door. "Hmmm?" Asked Shifa in an almost dead voice and the maid placed the dupatta on her shoulder properly.

"Badi Amma is summoning you." Shifa sighed and looked at the wall clock which was showing evening time then she glanced at the prayer mat on which she was sitting and the tasbih (prayer beads) on which she was counting the verses that contain uncountable glories.

"Keh do main abhi nhi aa rahi, baad mein aa jaungi." And without waiting for a reply from the lady standing on the door Shifa restarted praying as well as picked her mobile to dial Daniyal's number which was still switched off. He never turns his mobile off, and there was no chance of the battery dying because she herself detached his fully charged mobile from the charging cable. Removing the mobile from her ear she again wiped her tears and cried.

(Tell her I'm not coming, I'll listen to her later.)

The maid pulled a face while walking out from the room and went to Badi Amma's room where Mrs Kazmi was also sitting with badi Amma.

"Badi Amma, Shifa Bibi ne kaha hai wo baad mein aa jayengi abhi nhi aa rahi."

(Shifa ma'am is saying to tell you that she's not coming but she'll later.)

"Kyu bhai? Abhi kyu nhi aa rhi? Aesa kya kaam kar rahi hain tumhari Shifa Bibi?"

(Why? Why can't she come now? What is she doing?)

"Wo sab to mujhe nhi pta badi Amma, lekin aaj to Shifa Bibi ke andaaz hi alag hain, seedhe muh baat tak nhi kar rhi wo. Aapko bhi itne gusse mein jawab diya hai ki wo abhi nhi aa rahi." The middle aged maid told everything in a single breath and Mrs Kazmi glared at her.

(I don't know anything about it, but today Shifa ma'am is behaving differently. She also replied for your call in a rude manner.)

"Bas karo Reshma aur jaao yaha se, tumhara kaam ho gya ho to chhutti Karo warna apna kaam karo." Mrs Kazmi dismissed the maid from the room because she didn't like her daughter-in-law's insult from anyone's hand. But badi Amma's face turned red in anger.

(Enough for now Reshma.... Go and complete your work and if it's don't then go back to your home.)

"Hadd hoti hai badlihazi aur bemurawwati ki bhi, aese kon mana karta hai aane ke liye. Mene konsa koi bohot bada kaam bata diya tumhari Bahu ko Jo usne do-took jawab de diya?" Badi Amma drew her anger out on Mrs Kazmi who gulped the anger and frustration.

(So mean and inconsiderate! I haven't told a great tast to your daughter-in-law that she's showing such behaviour.)

"Aap naraz na ho badi Amma, main baat karungi Shifa se, wo aese to kabhi nahi karti ho sakta hai kuch zaruri kaam kar rahi ho." Mrs Kazmi replied but Badi Amma jerked her head while grabbing the tasbih (prayer beads) from the pillow. She pulled her dupatta to cover the head properly and started reciting something under her breath. Mrs Kazmi sighed while standing up from the bed and walked towards the bedroom of Daniyal.

(Don't be offended Badi Amma, I'll talk to Shifa maybe she's busy, otherwise she never does this.)

Pushing the door of the room Mrs Kazmi smiled lightly and again shut the door to take back steps.

"Badi Amma, Shifa namaz parh rhi hai. Shayad magrib ki namaz ke liye deyr ho rhi hogi isliye aapke paas nhi aayi warna wo bachhi aesi nhi hai." Mrs Kazmi explained, for a moment Badi Amma's expressions changed to normal because Shifa refused to come for namaz but how could she be so good to leave this matter so easily?