Losing Echoes [Complete]

5. Theirs

Flashbacks are in bold

The night was dark, as if protecting the shadows lurking in the background. The sky was covered with grey clouds giving no room to the stars and moon to illuminate the world around. The stillness was making itself known and giving the living the challenge as if saying if you can, go on and prove your existence.

The light to the guest bedroom was on, a stark opposite of the world outside. The sheets were all tidy telling the tale of another night of sleeplessness.

Harram placed both the letter and car keys in front of her and kept on gazing at them like this would unravel all the secrets these two things must've been a witness of.

She was thinking in overdrive. Zaviyar very cleverly had given her a hint in this letter. If she hadn't known him well, or remembered what they shared, she'd never be able to get to this riddle. His car keys were important, if not he wouldn't have gone through the hassle of putting them in that secret drawer in the kitchen. His note also stated to keep these safe and close.

Why these keys were so important? He loved his car but this was beyond that. This was something far more deep and important. And he had chosen her to take care of it. She leaned against the headboard of the bed and sighed. Zaviyar had trusted her with something so important, something that might be a part of his mission. Why? She had no idea but if he wanted it saved, she'd keep it safe.

She placed the letter close to her heart. The handwriting was not in his clear script given the fact he must've written it in his last moments. Last moments. Harram felt a needle piercing through her heart. He was gone. The last semblance of his air was also no more. This was her reality now.

It was just a piece of paper with a blooded goodbye scattered on it, still it was like an echo of someone she'd be a memory of all her life. She hugged the crumbled up paper close and let tears run down her cheeks. She'd do what he'd ask her to. The last time he'd asked something out of her. The last time he'd called her beautiful and the last time he'd talked about their baby.

The last which was going to last all her life. The agony which would've no end but still she'd thrive in it. The melancholy that'd always be her fate, her destination, her everything.

Harram switched off the light not before securing the car keys close to her. Her hand automatically gone towards the empty other side. She let her hand touch the cold sheets and closed her eyes.

Gaah e qareeb shah rag, gaah e baeed wehm o khuwab

Uss ski rifakaton mein raat, hijar bhi tha wisaal bhi

(If close he was somewhere in me, if far he was just a distant memory

With him with me, the night spent both close and far)

(Parveen Shakir)

_________________

Zara zipped her purse and placed it along with the file. Making sure that all the reports were inside, she turned to her daughter who was sitting on the bed doing nothing but picking on the few tendrils that were coming out of her braid.

"Harram? We have to leave. The appointment starts in half an hour."

Harram nodded. She had to see her doctor today for a routine checkup. She had totally forgotten about it had Zara not reminded her. Normal women under normal circumstances can't stop thinking about the life growing inside them but here nothing was normal. The whirlwind of loss had messed her up so much she wasn't even feeling the changes that were coming within her due to her pregnancy. The morning sickness was norm but she'd never gotten worried over it. In a dazed state she'd go to the washroom and in that same daze she'd wash her face after having all her energy drained. Zara was very strict about her eating habits or else she wouldn't even do any special arrangements there as well. If she had an appetite she'd eat if not she'd skip.