Love So Far

Differences

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Zafar

"Yeh sab kya hai?" I glanced at the bags that Fari had set on the bed.

*"What is all this?"

"Yeh gifts hain bachon ke liye. Unki aunts ki taraf se." Fariha looked at me, a little uncomfortably.

*"These are gifts for the kids, from their aunts."

I almost felt sick at the sight. Looking at the bags, I knew that the stuff wasn't cheap. I could buy a whole wardrobe for all three of our sons from our local bazaar at the price that they'd bought only these small number of items for. "And you accepted these?"

"What could I have done, Zafar?" She sat down. "They bought it and brought it outside for me."

I rubbed a hand over my face. "Fariha, this is too much, yaar." 

She didn't reply but I could tell that she agreed. She was deep in thoughts. 

"Food and drink is different, but this..." I gestured towards the bag. "What are they trying to prove?"

"Nothing!" She looked at me, surprised. "Zafar, you know them. They're just being nice." 

"Sometimes, Fari, there's a very thin line between being nice and hurting someone's self respect." I shook my head. "I don't doubt their intentions at all, but they should have been a little bit more considerate." 

"Zafar, you might be reading too much into this. They wouldn't have even thought about things this way." She seemed like she was arguing within her inner self, rather than me. She was trying to convince herself.

"Of course they didn't think about it, because they don't need to." I kept my tone gentle and respectful. "I'm only using this as an example, so please don't get offended, but let's say someone gifts an expensive toy to Hania. Yes, her parents will be against it, being the sort of people they are, but at the end of the day, Fawad Bhai and Jasmina Bhabi can easily afford to give an equivalent gift back. Ma Sha Allah."

"Nobody's expecting anything in return,  Zafar." Fariha sounded almost innocent as she said that. I didn't blame her. She herself had grown up in a privileged background, so she might not understand what I was trying to say as easily. But I had to talk to her and make her understand, and I was convinced that she would understand, because Fariha is a very sensible person, Ma Sha Allah.

"I know, jaan. I know they won't expect anything, and that is their kindness." I sighed. "But when there is a class difference, even between family, people need to have consideration for others." 

"Waise, ek baat kahoon, Zafar? Mujhe bhi thoda sa bura laga tha." She admitted. "I mean, I was happy and I appreciated their love for my children, but I felt...I can't describe it, but it wasn't a good feeling." 

*"Shall I say something, Zafar? I felt a little bad as well." 

"It's about self-respect, Fari." I tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. 

"I'm sorry, Zafar, but I couldn't have refused them."  She looked at me. "As I said, they bought it and then brought it for me." 

"Shall I talk to Ahad and Fawad Bhai?" I wondered out loud.