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*****
It was 7 in the morning when she woke up. Her eyes felt heavy as she struggled to open them as her head spinned. She had slept taking sleeping pills at night that too on empty stomach probably that's the reason she was not feeling good now. Rumi had left at night, she couldn't even call her for help. She pushed herself off the bed to take shower and she was all cleaned up in 15 minutes. She opened the door but her feet felt too numb to be waking outside facing her grandma and pretending that everything was okay. She shut the door again and sat back on her bed throwing her head in her palms, dejectedly.
A few moments passed by when she heard a knock on the door. It was Nano. She knew it would be her but did she have the heart to face her right now? No.
Nano came and sat beside her, glaring at her face. She didn't look well to her. Nano softly took Zimal's hand in her wrinkled ones and kissed them. She avoided to meet her eyes. She wanted to hold herself together. Nano grazed her hands to the length of her messy hair and pulled her in a hug without saying a word and she knew it was her breaking point. That was it. She weeped in her nano's arms like a baby. The comfort of her white big shawl and her natural scent made her cry even more. But Nano didn't say a word. No words of comforts. No questions. Just her nano being there for her, that's what she wanted. Nano patted her head slightly when she realized that Zimal was done sobbing. She was embarrassed.
"I messed up, Nano Amma." Zimal urged, in the lightest tone possible, hiding herself in her grandmother's shawl still.
"I know you did."
"What do you know?" She pulled back immediately, feeling scared.
"What you're crying about. John called me last night. He told me everything about it." Nano took a pause while Zimal felt like digging herself six feet under in this moment. "It was your decision so why are you embarrassed now?"
"You're not mad at me?"
"Nahi. Woh cafe tumhara tha."
"Nano-"
"Par Zimal bachay yeh ghar mera hai." Zimal knew exactly what her grandmother was talking about.
"I'm not going to sell off your house Nano." She rubbed her fingers together as she felt more digged in the holes she created for herself. Saying she was embarrassed would be an understatement right now.
"Chalo choro nashta karo phir."
"I can't stand him, Nano." Nano was about to leave when Zimal clutched the hem of her shawl like a baby.
"What do you want then? Wapis bhej doon usko?"
"He won't leave. He owns my cafe now."
"Tum batao tum kya chahti ho?" She felt Nano's firm voice seeping through her heart as she tried to make an eye contact with her, but she couldn't.
