Seeking her forgiveness

The breakfast table was abuzz with conversation, shattered by Mrs. Amin's startled gasp. A phone call came, and the room plunged into stunned silence. "Azlan has divorced Maria," she announced, her voice heavy.Mr. Amin choked on his orange juice, disbelief etched on his face. "What? Why? Has he lost his mind?" The news was unimaginable, especially with Maria nearing her seventh month of pregnancy."Maria... aborted the pregnancy," Mrs. Amin revealed, her voice barely a whisper.The revelation sent shockwaves through the family. The joyous anticipation of a new life had vanished, replaced by a suffocating silence.Hena, the eldest daughter, finally broke the quiet. "But why would Maria do that?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.Mrs. Amin, her temples throbbing, rose and excused herself, leaving a trail of unanswered questions. Mr. Amin, unable to stomach his breakfast, followed suit.However, not everyone shared the somber mood. Fariba, Mr. Amin's younger sister, couldn't hide her twisted pleasure. Envy, a constant companion, blinded her to the pain it inflicted. She was so used to envy that she forgot that envy destroys faith like fire burns up wood.Hena, too, harbored a dark secret joy. Her son, she believed, was the rightful heir to her father's empire, and Azlan's child had posed a threat. Greed, a forbidden whisper in her heart, clouded her judgment. She also forgot that our beloved Rasul sallallahu alaihi wa sallam warned all of us against it. Beware of greed, for it was only greed that destroyed those before you. He warned. But, sometimes people are so blinded by greed that they forget everything.Mr. Amin, seeking answers, entered his bedroom to find Mrs. Amin pacing restlessly, phone glued to her ear. He overheard a snippet of her conversation with Maria's mother, Ruksana."He put so many restrictions on her," Ruksana's voice crackled through the phone. "Azlan started thinking all women are like his first wife. My daughter couldn't live with such a misogynist."The weight of the accusation pressed down on Mr. Amin. He knew his son had a troubled past, but was he truly capable of such prejudice?"There's no going back," Ruksana concluded, her voice firm. "Azlan has divorced Maria. We must respect their decision."With a defeated sigh, Mrs. Amin ended the call. The dream of a grandchild, once a vibrant hope, now lay shattered. Mr. Amin reached out, placing a comforting hand on hers. "Did you manage to speak with Azlan?"Mrs. Amin shook her head, her voice thick with emotion. "No, but I reached out to his secretary, James. He said Azlan will be returning to Bangladesh soon.""Haya, please," Towsif soothed, his voice a balm against her rising worry. "We'll get through this."Mrs. Amin shook her head, her eyes clouded with despair. "I don't know, Towsif. I just...don't know. Hena hasn't been home in a month, practically living here. Mim keeps rejecting every good proposal, her plans ... I just don't understand them. And now, Azlan's divorce, the baby...it's like everything's falling apart."Towsif reached for her hand, his touch grounding her. "It feels heavy, I know. But remember, Haya, this is life. Don't stress yourself."Haya nodded."Haya," he began gently, "I think it's time. It would be best if you forgave, Shahana. She is also your daughter."Haya stared at her hand, where his fingers intertwined with hers. Her breath hitched, the weight of his words settling in. "You are saying this to me, Towsif. She killed your daughter," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Towsif closed his eyes, then said, "I know. But it's been two years since that incident. And Shahana has learned from her mistake. I have forgiven her. You must forgive her too."Haya's heart once again filled with respect for her husband. "I will try."Her lips curved upwards, but the corners never quite reached her eyes, leaving a shadow of sadness behind.----------Shahana was busy in the kitchen, washing dishes. She had noticed that the atmosphere in the house had been gloomy since breakfast that morning. She didn't know what had happened to cause such a pall to hang over the entire household, but it didn't matter to her. She continued to scrub the dishes, assisted by another maid."Madam," the maid said, "I heard the mistress say that Mr. Azlan is coming back."Lipi waited for some kind of reaction from Shahana, but she was disappointed when Shahana didn't give any."Do you know," the maid continued, "Mr. Azlan has divorced Maria."Shahana's hands stopped for a moment at this news."What do you mean? How could that happen? Maria... Maria was going to be a mother," she exclaimed in surprise."Yes." This time, the maid came a little closer and whispered conspiratorially, "Maria had an abortion.""What? But why?" Shahana was shocked."That's not clear. But the master and mistress couldn't eat their breakfast properly."Shahana went back to her work."May I ask you something? Aren't you happy?""Happy about what?" Lipi was startled by her sudden question."Mr. Azlan is coming back, isn't he?""So?""Nothing." Lipi started putting the dishes away on the shelves, but she kept glancing at Shahana.Just then, Hena entered the kitchen and said to Lipi, "Go and clean Muiz's room. My son is coming."Lipi couldn't resist asking, "So, are you going to leave now, Madam Hena?" Of everyone in the house, Hena was the one who had harassed her the most. Ever since she had arrived at her parent's house, she seemed to forget that she had a family now."Why would I leave? I mean, I'll stay for a few more days. And don't forget your place. This is my house too. I'll stay here as long as I want. Now shut up and go clean Muiz's room.""Sorry, Madam. I was just asking. I'll go clean the room now." Lipi quickly disappeared from the scene. She knew that if she didn't do as she was told, Hena would probably give her a tongue-lashing.Shahana was silently praying that Hena wouldn't address her. But perhaps that was wishful thinking. Hena always seemed to be irked by Shahana's presence. She couldn't see her without taunting her. Today, she had the opportunity to say something more to Shahana."Did you hear that Azlan bhai is coming back? You must be very happy. After all, you've gotten rid of your rival," Hena sneered. She wanted to rile Shahana up. She had disliked Shahana since childhood. As they grew older, that dislike had turned into hatred. And when hatred takes over a person, all they can spew from their tongue is poison.Shahana didn't say anything. There was no point in arguing with her. Some people are blind even though they have the light of sight. They see only what they want to see. Reality has nothing to do with it. Shahana and all the members of this household were included in that."The rival is gone and the stepchild is gone too. Tell me the truth," Hena said, looking at Shahana with piercing eyes. "Did you do some black magic so the snake would die and the stick wouldn't break?" Shahana was stunned as she listened to everything. It was strange... she had been hearing everyone's bad words for so many years, but she still couldn't get used to them. And she still had a whole life ahead of her."Otherwise, what else do you keep doing in your closed room all day?" Hena continued.Just then, Haya entered the kitchen. "Hena," Haya called out sternly. Haya knew that Hena didn't like Shahana very much. Hena was startled by her sudden arrival."Yes Mama," Hena said, trying to sound calm. "Ashraf is calling you repeatedly. Why aren't you picking up his call?""Oh, mama, I've put my phone on charge. I'll go and pick up the call now." Haya said and left.Haya looked at her eldest daughter and took a deep breath. "Shahana, you leave all this. Saima will do all this work. You go and get Azlan's room cleaned. I'll send Nargis to help you." Haya started telling Shahana. In the past two years, Haya had rarely addressed Shahana. It wasn't like that before, Shahana was Haya's favorite and all that. Haya had never given Shahana the kind of attention she deserved. And after Haya's second marriage, Haya had almost forgotten Shahana. But then there was distance in their relationship, but no bitterness. But now there is not only distance in the relationship but also bitterness."Yes, Mom," Shahana said obediently and started walking towards Azlan's room."And what kind of condition have you kept yourself in? Even the maids of this house keep themselves better than you." Haya said looking at her simple appearance. Wearing a simple salwar kameez, her hair tied in a long braid, she looked even more ordinary than the maids."What to do, Mom? I am even worse than the maid of this house." Shahana didn't want to complain but she couldn't help but complain."You are responsible for your condition. You are being punished for your sins," Haya reminded. Shahana's steps faltered for a moment but she didn't stop.-------------When Azlan arrived, the entire household buzzed with anticipation. His father, Towsif Amin, beamed with pride, the recent "Asia's Entrepreneur of the Year" award adding an extra twinkle to his eyes. "Welcome home, son," he boomed, pulling Azlan into a tight embrace."Good to be back, Dad," Azlan replied, his usual stoicism in place.Haya, his stepmother, stepped forward, genuine warmth in her eyes. "We've all missed you dearly, Azlan," she said, her voice laced with a hint of hidden concern. While Azlan harbored no animosity towards his stepmother, he remained emotionally guarded, a trait that often came across as arrogance.Muiz, his nephew, launched himself at Azlan's legs, his infectious enthusiasm momentarily cracking Azlan's facade. "Mamu!" he exclaimed, his tiny arms wrapping tightly around Azlan's calves. "I missed you the most!"Azlan chuckled, scooping Muiz up in a rare display of affection. "Missed you too, champ," he murmured, his voice softening for the first time. Family, despite his outward persona, remained his one true anchor.The rest of the evening was a whirlwind of greetings from his siblings, Tanvir and Farabi, and his sisters, Hena and Meem. As expected, his grandparents were absent, visiting relatives in the village. A subtle pang of disappointment flickered within him, quickly extinguished under the familiar weight of their strained relationship.Despite the warmth of his family's welcome, Azlan couldn't shake the restlessness that gnawed at him. He yearned for a presence he couldn't acknowledge, his eyes unconsciously darting towards the doorway whenever someone entered the room.Haya, ever observant, caught his fleeting glances. "Looking for someone, Azlan?" she inquired, her tone laced with a knowing smile.Azlan met her gaze, a flicker of annoyance betraying his carefully constructed indifference. "Just expecting Aunt Maya," he replied, his voice devoid of any warmth. His eyes, however, remained glued to the entrance, betraying the hollowness of his fabricated response."Ah, yes," Haya said, her voice carrying a hint of amusement. "She's out with some friends. Shouldn't be long."Azlan offered a curt nod, a tightly controlled mask barely containing the storm brewing within him. Even he couldn't pinpoint the exact source of his frustration, a tangled mess of emotions churning in his gut. Yet, a sliver of honesty, a truth he desperately tried to suppress, pricked at his conscience. He knew, with a chilling certainty, who his eyes darted towards each time the door creaked open. If only he could be truly honest with himself, perhaps the storm within him could begin to find its way to calm.---------The arrival of Azlan had thrown the entire household into a state of upheaval. Everyone was busy making preparations for his arrival. Feasts were being planned, rooms were being cleaned, and the mansion was being decorated. No one had brought up the issue of his recent divorce since no one wanted to ruin the happy atmosphere of the house.But in the midst of all this activity, Shahana remained secluded in her room. She had no interest in any of it. All she wanted was to be left alone.It had been a week since Azlan had arrived, but he had not yet seen Shahana. Only Muiz would go to her room time to time to talk to her. Sometimes he would insist her to come outside and especially meet Azlan. However, Shahana excused herself by saying that she was unwell. Shahana didn't want to see Azlan's face. She had no reason to do so.Azlan could also feel her absence very much, as though she was trying to hide from him. Though every now and then a yearning to see her would bubble up from somewhere deep within of him, he would quickly brush the idea aside.She had been so hungry that night that she had come out of her room since Lipi had forgotten to bring her food. She moved carefully into the open kitchen, the entire mansion shrouded in darkness. After lighting it, she discovered leftovers in the refrigerator and put them in the oven to reheat. She stared straight ahead, lost in her own thoughts and frequently slipping into her lonely world.Azlan made himself some coffee because he was working late and was already experiencing sleeplessness. He walked into the open kitchen, not realizing that their game of hide and seek would stop that very moment. He came to a halt when he noticed her there. He was somewhat taken aback upon finally seeing her after two years, three months, eighteen days, and five hours. Though she appeared unaltered, he could see anguish in her eyes as she sank into her own reverie. He was engrossed in her sight.They were startled out of their trance by the oven's beep.beep..beep..Hurriedly, Shahana opened the oven and unintentionally took out the hot pot, burning her hand. "Ahh!" she winced. At that moment, Azlan rushed towards her, grabbing her hand and placing it under the tap, which he turned on.For a moment, Shahana couldn't believe her eyes, unable to comprehend if he was really there with her. She stared at him with disbelief, but as she realized he was indeed present, she removed her hand from his grip, her eyes filled with hatred. Turning away, she took out a plate from the cabinet and placed the leftover food on it.Azlan's face reddened, feeling insulted. Anger surged inside him as well, criticizing himself for the snap decisions he had made only moments earlier.As she was about to walk away, she felt a tug at her shawl as if Azlan was grasping her shawl. However, she knew he would never do so. She looked back to check if her shawl was caught on anything. To her surprise this time the corner of her shawl was stuck in his clutch.When she turned, Azlan gave her a sarcastic smile and asked, "Don't you have the courage to face me?"Shahana looked at him with a flat expression. "I have no reason to face you," she replied, pulling her shawl free from Azlan's grip.He could have sneered at her if he wanted to, but he held back, allowing her to go without further words. The wrath that simmered in her eyes was apparent to him, for some reason, it stung. After all, he was not used to seeing hatred in her eyes instead of love. His hands curled into fists, he stood there silently revealing the anguish inside of him.