Salam!
"May you all be blessed with the mercy of Allah , happiness and satisfaction of life this coming Year...InSha'Allah. And May we all do good deeds, Offer our Namar regularly. And be the proud of your Parents."
Ameen.
5 Days is 2019⁉️
• RIYA •
We all sat together in grandmother's room and aunty explained her the situation. Everytime I thought of it, a chill went down my spine.
How could I believe it was real. It was a living nightmare.
My thumb rubbed the strap of the Yawar's bracelet as I sighed audibly. My tears had dried. I didn't cry afterwards not because I wasn't scared but because it reminded me of those nights when I would get up screaming in bed. When my mother used to sleep with me to be there for me whenever I would freak out in my sleep- within a second everything flashed in front of my eyes.
How this memory triggered another set of memories. That part of my past which was so dear to my heart, which belonged to my mother- my beloved mother who used to stay awake at nights with me.
And this did bring a wave of fresh tears to my eyes which soon made their way down. A hand that was staying on my shoulder hardened its hold on me. I knew it was my father who was sitting beside me on sofa. It was odd how he and everyone thought that I was scared. How could I tell them it wasn't fear that was weighing me down, it was the acquaintance.
I felt my father squeeze my shoulder and I looked to my side at my father. "Where are you lost, Riya? Ammi is calling you?"
I turned my head to grandmother, a weird tension remained in the room as she held my eyes before addressing me.
"Riya, I know you may be scared but this isn't new. Last time when you didn't return from park, we all went crazy. Yawar was the one who brought you back after two days.
He never told us what happened and as far as you are concerned, your memory was gone too." Grandmother said ever so gently yet her voice held a hint of accusation.
"Ammi, please. We never brought that up in front of her again." Baba requested her to stop. He looked helpless as he answered.
"We cannot just remove it by not talking about it. Those two nights were qayamat when she didn't return home." Grandmother's voice never carried love for me for i was the daughter of a foreign woman, I knew it. But at that moment they carried disgust as if I was the most uncleaned thing in her room.
My heart was falling into an abyss. I shook my head and the tears fell down. Turning my head to my father, I looked for the answers. "Baba--what is she talking about?"
His eyes were apologetic as if he never wanted this to happen. Instead of answering me, he turned to grandmother. "Ammi can't you see. She is worried sick and you are adding more to it." My father held me close, my head was placed on his shoulder as I leaned more into him.
My grandmother looked away. "That's what I am saying. We will bury the past but what what will we do with the present? A young man stayed with her in the room for more than half an hour and she couldn't see him? She isn't a child like the last time so that we forgive her, she is a grown up woman. Pray so that Hambal doesn't tell anyone otherwise the reputation and name of our forefathers will be demolished."
