REDEMPTIVE | ✔️

42. Responsibilities

It had been three month since the wedding. Things went fine. She slept on mattress and he on bed. Just after fajar she would slid the mattress again under his bed and then she would go out for a walk in the lawn that was her one of the favourite things to start the day. He on other hand would depart to his study.

They will have breakfast that Zalay, Azeen and Amina will make. But of course Amina was the one who bossed around for she was the elder and had kitchen in charge for roughly 30 years.

Zalay had never worked this much. Responsibilities of a married life were not a joke in fact marriage was taking a heavy toll of her health. When Ahmed and Zumeer would be at work and Azeen at her freshly started University, Samina would make Zalay do a lot of work. Even if there was nothing good work left, she would ask her to do dusting.

Breakfast session was done. All members had gone out according to their particular routines. Zalay had cleaned kitchen and Samina had left for her room to take some rest. There was no one in house but Zalay striding here and there. She went to her room and bolted the door. Her knee was throbbing. It was due to constant standing in kitchen for cooking and cleaning purposes.

She removed her leg and started soothing the area with her hands. Soon her eyes welled up. Pain was piercing. Back at Taya Abbu home it was never this work and too she missed her friends and University which added another wave of tears to her eyes.

Her phone started ringing. She picked it up, "Assalam-o-Alaikum"

"Walaikum Assalam, Zalay how are you?"

"Im good. How are you Zumeer?"

"Same as i was in the morning"

After a while he asked, "Everything okay at home?"

"Yes. Mami wasn't feeling a bit good so she is in her room. I will cook lunch after a while. What time will Mamo come?"

They talked for a while before she said it was getting late. However she started off in kitchen with chopping onions. When she was almost done with her Biryani, Azeen sprang in through the main door. "Hmm smells good"

"Get fresh. I will plate it out for us"

"Others won't be joining?"

Zalay shook her head.

                               🔳

At evening Zalay was preparing tea for everyone. She waited until both Mamo and Zumeer were back from mosque and so she could serve them.

They all are were taking tea when Samina spoke, "only food i like of yours is your tea, Zalay" Zalay smiled at her.

"Hm. I appreciate that too" Ahmed complimented too.

Later at night when Zalay had cleaned the kitchen and was swabbing the ceramics tiles, Amina entered. She first took a glass and drank it down then she roamed around the kitchen. "Its nicely cleaned. You learn faster. Today meal was also good"

"Thank you"

"I came to check on you if you had finished or not?" Amina stood with a few steps distance.

"Yes almost done. Kitchen counter was the last"

Zalay again continued with her work, busying herself into the cleaning. She constantly felt her Mami's eyes on her that made her nervous. Every now and then Zalay would glance at her Mami wondering if something was wrong with her outfit or if she was not cleaning fine. She didn't want her complain to Zumeer. Zalay grew more conscious with her work.