Sitting on the stool, I begin drying my hair while watching her leave via the mirror. I can't seem to stop blushing; in fact, this is the first time I've ever blushed so profusely. While still blushing, I fix and roll the ends of my moustache after setting my hair.
She's laying the table for us to eat lunch now that the food she ordered has arrived. We settle down to eat after assisting her along.
"You have ordered yam fry?" I inquired as I was serving out.
"It's from your favourite restaurant, and it's your favourite dish."
"Mm. So you remember everything as well?"
"I have a strong memory. You know, right?"
"However, your favourite items appear to have changed."
"Like?"
"Midnight Ice Cream"
"Oops. I'm delighted you remember that, but-" she stopped.
However, I was able to comprehend the reasoning behind it.
"All right, I'm going to bed. Good night," she entered my room and returned with one cushion.
"This is my pillow," I yanked the cushion from her grasp.
"How come you're always fighting for the pillow? You wanted me to keep it for myself yesterday."
"That was yesterday."
"Please give it to me. I'm accustomed to sleeping with a doll. However, since there isn't a doll over here, you may at least give me this cushion. Anyway, you've got another one in the room."
"No. "I'd like this."
"I don't need this," she grumbled. "Keep it," she muttered, "and I'll never ask for that pillow again."
She lied down on the sofa, closed her eyes, and covered herself with a blanket.
"Hey!" I said as I approached her, feeling guilty. " Keep this. But don't spend the night here. Please sleep in the bedroom; I shall sleep here."
"I don't need anything," she snapped as she opened her eyes. "I'll spend the night here. Don't bother me."
"Why is she shouting at me unnecessarily?" I grew enraged and went into my room. I threw away my pillow and slept on my mattress.
I'm staring at the cushions, my mind racing with recollections.
She hurls a pillow at me in an attempt to jolt me back to reality.
She inquires, "What are you thinking?"
Why am I still engrossed in her memories despite her being there next to me? My heart still aches with the thought of losing her. She may abandon me and everything she owns if she discovers the truth. This time, the worry comes from my heart, and I can't just ignore it.
My brain says, 'Tell her everything right now.'
My heart says, 'No, this is not the proper time.'
"Helloooooooo!" she exclaims, hurling another pillow at me.
I toss a pillow back at her this time, but she turns away, and the pillow flies past her and into the wall behind her.
"You missed me again," she bursts out laughing. "That's so sad! Shahrul."
I toss another pillow at her, which she effortlessly catches and laughs at my folly.
"Mr. Shahrul, better luck next time."
'It's been a long time since I've seen her laugh so hard. The smile on her face remained constant, but the happy laughter have vanished. In these few years, I'm not sure how many times she would have laughed her heart out for real. Because she can hide her anguish beneath a dazzling smile. It's not that she enjoys feigning a smile, but it's her credo to greet everything with a smile. Her grin brightens my day.' I smile when I think of it, not in a cheesy or cringe-worthy way, but from the bottom of my heart.
She sleeps soundly that night, and I'm wide awake, staring at her peacefully sleeping. When I speak with Sheraz, I'm surprised to learn that she hasn't paid them a single visit since she left me. No one knows where she was throughout those years; all they know is that she was secure. That day, after conversing with Sheraz that I saw her unhappy, it was the first time he yelled at her for ignoring them without any fault on their part.
I'm taking her to my house, which is actually our house, the next day. I'm driving, she's in the passenger seat, and she's so nervous that I've never seen her so tense before.
"Please, Shahrul, offer me some hints. Are they enraged because of me? Or are they simply normal? Just tell me anything so I can mentally prepare for them. I'm not quite ready to face anyone yet, but you're driving me home."
She has no idea who is waiting for her and is apprehensive about meeting Fathma, Saba, and Sana.
"You are the one who will have to deal with them at any time, even if it isn't today." She falls silent when I repeat her lines to her, and she doesn't even say, 'That's my dialogue.' "You preach so many Hitler rules to me, now what happened?" I continue. "What made you go silent?"
"Okay, forget that, I'll face this," she says as she takes a long breath and relaxes.
"That's great." I smile as I say, "Your style, my Hitler style."
She doesn't look at the entrance when we arrive at my house; instead, she looks at me. I give a reassuring nod. She gets out of the car after unbuckling her seatbelt. I slow down behind her as we walk towards the entrance. She marches up, straightens her back, and comes to a halt when she sees them emerge one by one. Miksha, Shravya, Sheraz, Nazia, and her mother and father. She just stands there, motionless.
My brain says, 'Move ahead and stand by her.'
'No, let her handle it.' My heart urges, 'Give her time.'
I'm waiting to see what she'll do.
She smiles as she moves ahead after a few moments of contemplation, "How are you all?"
"Fine," everyone says with a nod. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine as well."
She walks over to her parents and gives them a hug while saying, "I'm sorry." Her eyes aren't teary, but they are filled with guilt. Her parents hide their tears as well, but the joy and emotional fulfillment of seeing their daughter after such a long time are evident on their faces. I can imagine how my mother must have felt every time I leave her.
They say, "That's okay."
"I'm sorry," she says as she smiles at them and walks over to Nazia and Sheraz, who are standing together.
Nazia teases her, "I'm unmarried solely because of you didi."
She hugs her and laughs.
Sheraz declares, "I'm not going to talk to you."
"Haan. Just look at him, didi, he's so sad. He'd grown a beard because he was unhappy, and it wasn't for his love, but for his friend. My eyes well up with tears as a result of this friendship." Nazia teases.
"Awww," Farhat adds. "It's just heartbreaking. Please accept my heartfelt apologies. The beard, on the other hand, had only grown 1 inch in three years. Ervamatin is something I think you should try, Sher."
"Heyyyyyy! How could you tease my boyfriend?"
"You've both decided to tease me once more."
"No," they laugh at him. "Why would we make fun of you?"
"That's it. I'm not enraged at all."
Farhat and Nazia chuckle as they give each other hi-fi.
"I'll look at you later; I can't handle both of you at the same time."
She walks on to Miksha and Shravya, laughing.
They hug her before she can say anything. I'm sure they're enraged at her, but what I sense is that they've missed her. They may argue privately about her unexpected departure, but never in front of others. They back her up, even if they disagree with her actions.
"Farhaaaa! We miss you terribly."
She wraps her arms around them tightly. The hug expressed how much she missed them.
"What happened to Samaksh and Viaan?"
They appear with their children. Miksha and Viaan are the parents of a two-year-old kid. Shravya and Samaksh are the parents of a one-year-old daughter.
When the boy sees her, he exclaims, "Farha aunty!"
"Aunty?" she asked as she turned to face him. "I warned you not to train him like that," she sighs, glancing at Miksha.
"You're his aunt, right?" Right?" Miksha is teasing.
"Don't listen to your mother," she says as she approaches the boy.
"Call me Mema."
"I will only listen to my amma, aunty."
Miksha laughs at her and says, "See, he just listens to me."
"I will give you chocolates, and I know which one is your favourite. Only if you address me as Mema."
"Will you get me a helicopter toy as well?" he muses for a few moments.
"Of course."
"Okay. Then I'll refer to you as Mema from now on."
She smiles triumphantly as she stares at Miksha. Miksha frowns for a moment before laughing.
"You can call me mema, too," Shravya continues, "and I'll get you an aeroplane."
He concurs.
"This isn't right," Miksha frowns.
Farha and Shravya chuckles.
"How are you doing?" she asks Viaan.
"I'm alright. How are you?"
"I'm fit and fine."
"Hello," she says as she approaches Samaksh. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine. You're all right. Right?"
"Yes."
The little girl is snug in her father's arms.
"Come," she says, widening her hands and extending them to her.
She shrugs and turns away.
"At some point, she'll mingle up." Samaksh explains, "It's fresh for her here."
She agrees with a nod. She moves her gaze to me.
"Let's go in, sit down, and continue talking," I say as I step forward. "Right?"
Everyone enters the mansion. She is still standing.
"What?" I whisper as I approach her.
"Nothing," she says, shaking her head.
"Let's go in."
As soon as we walk in, everyone takes a seat in the living room. Fathma and Saba are nowhere to be found when she glances around.
"Go in and get something for everyone," I tell her before she asks any questions.
She makes her way to the kitchen. She approaches Fathma and Saba, after instructing the servants to serve something for everyone.
"How are you doing, Fathma maa, Saba didi?"
They turn to her and are ecstatic to see her again after such a long time.
"Everything is fine. How are you doing, Farha?"
"I'm good," she says with a smile. "Maa I'm-" she pauses.
"Let the past be forgotten. Let's not talk about it; we'll forget about it and move on. He didn't want to talk to us about it, so keep it between you two. If you've figured it out, that's great."
"But."
"Farha, Maa is right." Saba interrupts, "Leave that."
"How's Sana, Amir, and Jazlaan jiju?" she asks, diverting the conversation. "Where have they gone?"
"They're in their room." Sana is always by Amir's side. They are being looked after by Jazlaan. You can go there and meet them."
I'm hiding behind the walls, savouring the emotional times in my family. I recall her reminding me that eavesdropping is bad, but I don't want to miss out on these opportunities. When she emerges from the kitchen, I dash into the dining room to hide from her gaze.
After a few seconds, I decide to follow her to Saba's room.