Our Day of Love

27. Our Day Of Love

"Oh, my suns and stars, what have they done with my daughter?" wailed Ruma's mother the next morning. They had tied Timber to the justice tree at the fort and Ehsaan managed to talk down Ruma's mother and father from visiting Ruma till morning. You must see the head, he was heartbroken. On wonders what it is like for him, to have the culprit tied right outside his house and not able to do anything. Ryder was the worst. He had to be taken away so that he doesn't harm Timber.

"Oh my, they have shaved the head" She cried harder. You could see that she has been crying all night.

"What will happen to her future? Who will marry her?" she wailed waking up Ruma. Ruma sat up groggily. Her mother wailed louder. The father just stood aside helpless.

"Are you alright?" Hifza rushed with a glass of water.

"I am" Ruma nodded and she ran a hand through her head. She was not surprised to find the half shaven head. She must have been aware. She just sighed.

"Lets just go home mom" Ruma said getting down.

"Maybe you should not be moving around much. Maybe you need some rest" Hifza said wincing at Ruma's sudden movements. Ruma was confused.

"I am fine"

"Its alright if you are not fine. After the traumatic..."

"What? Oh..." only then did it dawn on Ruma why they were looking as if they were in funeral.

"Nothing like that happened" Ruma explained. But she was still in a trance.

"They just.. shaved... Lets just leave it alone" Ruma said her lips quivering and suddenly she looked so old and worn out. Nobody knew how to react. It was obviously a relief but that didn't make what happened any less shocking. Hifza wanted to cheer up but she could see Ruma was not fine. Her parents were a different matter. They were worried about the people. Everybody will be talking about the bald head. There will be rumors. There was no relief for them because shaving the head of a woman was not a thing to mess with.

"Ruma dear, its nothing. Its just the hair. It will grow again. This is just a stupid trick"

"Just.. Just.." Ruma said stopping Hifza. She knew Hifza can't understand what it means to these people. Her people. Her life was here. She wanted to serve the hospital. She wanted to be significant. But it was all taken away by that stupid trick.

"No one will look at me the same again. They are going to think what you guys thought. They are going to think of me as filthy" Ruma said and the supressed sob broke out. Her mother started wailing again.

"Aunty, if you don't mind can you leave?" Hifza asked Ruma's mother.

"I am so sorry but you are not helping things"

"But its my daughter's life" wailed the mother.

"We will calm her down and bring her to the fort once she is better" Hifza told. The mother was in no state to take notice. The father silently stepped in and dragged her home. Hifza assured the father with a nod. His last look seemed to tell 'I am leaving the most precious thing with you' it seemed to be close to tears.

"Life doesn't stop here Ruma. You are educated. You must know that. There is a whole world out there" Hifza reminded.

"But I live here. No one will marry me. I am going to die alone" Ruma cried. Hifza tried again and again to console her but it did not work out.

"Hear it from Ehsaan if you don't believe me" Hifza pulled in Ehsaan. 'This is not good' was the first thought in Ehsaan's head. 'Hifza, you are treading on a dangerous ground', he wanted to yell at her.

"Any man will be lucky to marry you" Ehsaan said with as much empathy as he could manage. He was decent enough. And one word from him, Ruma calmed down.

"Will you?" she asked him. Ehsaan realized he had set his own trap. He realised that in this condition Ruma will hold him against his own words.

"Of course, I will if I am not already married" Ehsaan gave a dry laugh trying to get out.

"Now you are trying to avoid me. I knew you are only trying to make me feel better" she started crying again.

"Why would you think that?" Hifza asked stepping in. Ehsaan suddenly was apprehensive. He was not sure if it was good that Hifza stepped in. Hifza was the only way out of this situation and it will not be pretty if she played this game with Ruma. He wanted to shout at Hifza to stay away.

"I know you can marry more than one person in Islam. I almost accept Islam. I will even convert. Hifza you don't ever have to worry. I won't come between you two"

"Shhh.. Don't think like that. Ehsaan would be a fool to not marry you. Right, Ehsaan?" Ehsaan looked at Hifza like she was an alien.

"Of course," Ehsaan managed but he was angry at Hifza. Ruma hugged Ehsaan. Ehsaan stood frozen. He knew the consequence of brushing away Ruma now. So he stood there motionless. But he couldn't digest that Hifza stood there accepting it. When she patted Ruma's back as she calmed down enough to hiccup, it was all Ehsaan could take. He felt betrayed. He managed to somehow pry away Ruma and marched out. Hifza realized too late that she somehow let Ehsaan down. Only on Ehsaan's way out did they notice Ryder standing at the door with a betrayed look of his own.

When Ruma looked at the broken Ryder, she knew she had been a fool. She realized she had gold in her hands all this while but was too distracted by the shinning metal.

"I was never a choice, was I?" Ryder asked swallowing his tears.

"I am such a fool, ain't I ?"

"I laid my heart to you again and again. You never even considered it, did you?"

"You have always known my hearts is yours. Yet you have to go begging to another man. A married man at that. Just for a pile of hair? What has happened to you?"

"Ryder..." Ruma started.

"I am really really sorry. I really am" Ryder said his eyes dead and marched out. Hifza and Ruma looked at each other helplessly. They both know they have messed up bad.