She looked at the house besides the one she was standing on. Houses which had been used to exuding genial vibrance. They were homes to many hearts although only a bunch of individuals resided in them. Though at that time, they felt hollow despite bearing the large influx of people. Coming to the rooftop alone did not help as much as she had hoped but it did allow her space to breathe. To breathe properly without the pitiful gazes that seemed to follow her in whichever portion of the house she went. Even the sanctity of her own bedroom was not an exception.
''STOP!'', an authoritative voice boomed. Hayat's mind instantly recognized Maira's voice which automatically sent her feet into action. She sped down the stairs, her heart thudding faster than usual due to fear mixed with the forceful exertion. Her mind bid farewell to the temporary fickle of relief that she had previously sensed. Instead disturbing thoughts reigned her brain throughout the two minutes she took to arrive in the living room. And the scene that greeted her, broke her heart.
Sheer fury blazed Hayder as he reached the room, running in the instance he heard the shout. His actions were instinctive when he brutally pushed past the ladies and firmly seized the middle-aged woman's arm and pried her fingers off his mother's wrist. The woman's eyes widened and the other who had Manha's shoulders in her grasp immediately left her. Womenfolk could be equally cruel sometimes. Society was heartless, blinded by the fake customs of its culture.
A group of ladies had surrounded Manha like vultures, ready to rip the light cream dupatta* from her head in order to replace it with a large white one. They had to make her look like a complete widow of their standards. And add to her misery. They had evaded Maira, sending her to the kitchen for water. And when she returned they had already circled Manha, huddling closely to prevent her from coming near.
Hayder was livid. He had the enraged urge to harm the women whom he thought had entered their homes to comfort his family. Alas! They were only there for trouble. Trouble which he would not tolerate.
'' Leave!'', he gritted.
''LEAVE!'', he yelled when they did not budge. Some began moving out with eyes casted to the floor. His rigid stance relaxed slightly when he noticed so. But it was not the end.
''Manner less brat!'', one of them spat aggressively.
Hearing her another got the guts to add,
''They act as if they are better than the rest with an overload of virtue while in reality they are the lowest of people, a result of awful upbringing.''
''I would watch my mouth if I were you, aunty. My supposed mannerless brother does not go around smooching different girls in public. I'm afraid that the same cannot be assured about your offspring.'', Hayat stated without an ounce of regret.
They had dared to malign her brother and question their parents' upbringing. How could they fathom scarring already scarred souls with their venomous words? Gasps echoed around the room. Maira stepped close and patted her shoulder to calm her down.
''It would be much appreciated if you leave our premises this instant. Thank you for coming.'' Hayat continued with barely repressed anger.
They finally accepted that their fake accolades and presence were not needed. Scurrying out of the door with huffs and murmurs, they still dared to badmouth the grieving family in hushed tones.
Maira hugged Manha. She was not reacting. Even her tears had paused. She was restive since the time Abrar's side of family had arrived. Fahad had joined the males and they had headed to make arrangements to bring Abrar's remains from Japan. It was a lengthy procedure and they had confirmed that the task would be done finally on the next day. The flight expenses and documents had already been covered and settled since four days. The wait was becoming unbearable and it weighed down on their souls. The toxic atmosphere was killing them and the visiting people's words made it worse.
There remained a few of them walking around. Hayat closed her eyes fervently, wishing them to go away and never return. She was tired, restraining herself in front of her mother, keeping her composure and patiently answering Tahmid's endless innocent questions about the crowd in their place in a childish way, were taking another kind of toll on her.
Sleep had ditched her since she learnt about the departure of her father. Hayder was miserable too. Sarah stayed next to them for two whole days and she eventually started drowning in the horrible waters of depression. Something that Hayat and Hayder could never agree to. So they sent her home despite her loud protests with the help of her brother who had scooped a struggling Sarah in his arms and locked her in the car before driving away.
Everything looked bleak. Meaningless. Their souls were anguished. The anticipation of looking at Abrar for the last time was slowly ruining them. Unanswered questions lingered the air. Tomorrow had to materialize fast. They would lose their minds completely otherwise.
Hayder kissed Manha's forehead, the woman who had fed him her milk. His mother. His second source of peace and immense love. The one who had a major role to play in the moulding of his being and character. Hayat grabbed her left hand while Maira grabbed the other and brought her inside her bedroom trying to make her rest. But the term rest was alien to her. She was alone even when she was around crowds. The loneliness that clouded her room pierced her heart. Manha lied on her bed. She stared at the white ceiling thinking about the wisdom of Her Lord behind her husband's sudden death. They were finally beginning to live the life of peace they had been dreaming since their teens. And Abrar just had to leave her. Leave her for good, never coming back.
Glossary
Dupatta- large head (including chest) covering