FROM NEVER TO HAPPILY EVER!

18.

Amyra Sadaf.

"Baby, please! Bas ye jacket pehenlo. Phir khelna apne plushie ke saath. Mera pyaara beta!" But he keeps babbling something or the other. Bilkul apne Papa pe gaya hai. Ziddi.

"Idhar dekho Faizu. Mama aapke liye itna pyaara sa rose lai hai. Ye lo, ye lo." His eyes light up at the dark red colour and he stops playing with my hair, I quickly insert his flailing arms into the jacket.

"Ammu, beta jaldi chalo. Tumhare mamu aur Aman dono wait kar rahe hain. Nikalna hai, chalo. Arre waah. Mera pota kitta handsome lag raha hai. Mera to dil hi loot liya tune." She takes him from me and I quickly put everything in it's place adjusting my saree one last time. I exit the room with my purse following Mamijaan.

This is the first time I am going in a function as Aman's wife so needless to say, I am nervous. Ya Allah! Pata nai log kitna judge karenge mujhe. I didn't even have wedding jitters, but now I am suddenly feeling as if I will faint due to nervous breakdown. I can't take feel Aly's gaze from the driver's seat, Mamu is beside him whereas Mamijaan and me are in the backseat.

"Abba, Faizu ko peeche de dein. Aap aaram se baithiye." Aman says to Mamu who was holding Faizu in his lap. He nods at his words then turning with my baby who squeals at me.
"Maamaaa." Aww, my baby.

I quickly take him hugging him to my chest as I inhale his baby scent. It calms my nerves immediately. I kiss his face fervently. I bury my face in his stomach and his tiny fingers roam on my head trying to find my hair which are currently hidden under my hijab. His father and him, both have an uncanny fetish of caressing my hair.

Once we reach, Mamijaan and mamu both get down first before the hall. I don't unlock my side of the door, I want to go in with Aly. I hope he won't ask me to get down right here. He still has to park the car in the parking zone, so I whisper to Mamijaan that I will come in with Aman. She nods with a smile. Aly swerves the car in the parking zone and pulls up the hand break.

I get down with Faizu in my arms and he locks the car. I look at him waiting for him, he just gestures me to come with him. I stomp my feet like a kid, what is his problem. He begins walking but I don't follow. He stops when he notices I am not walking, then sighing he comes back.

I look down with a frown, why am i behaving like this? He just needs his space, can you not give him even that Amyra? How much pathetic could you get? Before I could begin walking, I feel a pair of lips on my forehead. I close my eyes automatically, inhaling the air I so badly needed. I feel his hands rubbing my back, in a slow motion. I know what he is trying to do, reduce my nervousness. But all I need is him, if he is with me i can deal with anything.

"Sab theek hai jass. Koi tujhe kuch nahin kahega mere hote hue." He whispered above my forehead, his hot breath somehow giving me a sense of protection. I place my head on his chest, Faizu sandwiched between us.

Aly cups my face, kissing my cheeks in reassurance and I smile at him. I know it's taking a lot in him to forget our differences and just be there with me now, when I need him.

With our fingers interlocked, we enter the humongous wedding hall. It was decorated with flowers and fairy lights. I am not sure how we are related to the bride but I know we are from her side. The function is in full swing as the Nikaah is already over and people are swarming the stage to congratulate the newly wedded couple.

There are round tables with beautiful clothes decorating them and families are sitting on the chairs around the tables. We quickly locate Mamijaan and mamu on one table with four chairs two of which are empty.

Aly had been holding Faizu since he wanted to be held by his baba and with his free arm behind my back he directs us to the table. We sit on the adjacent chairs and I try to remember the people I know from my own wedding.

There are a few familiar faces and Mamijaan introduces me to a lot of people. We also go up in the stage to congratulate the newly wedded couple. They are a good match. All this while, Aly sticks to me knowing I would feel nervous without him. I am thankful to have an understanding husband, never thought I would say this but life is full of surprises.

Once we come back, our table was filled with food. Faizu leaps on the table and his hand dips into the bowl of gravy and I quickly remove it making sure it doesn't destroy his shirt fully. But still the front of his sleeves was stained. I stand up with my baby, so he doesn't dip his hand again.

I rummage through my bag, looking for the baby wipes but I can't find them. Aman grabs Faizu so I could look properly, I quickly find it removing one of the wipes. Aman extends Faizu's hands for me to wipe it. I quickly finish wiping, there is a small stain that will go only on washing but at least his hand is clean now.

"Aly, tujhpar bhi gir gai kya gravy. Main saaf kardeti hun", I take his hand looking for a stain.

"Waah! Kya show hai. Main to kehti hun hamein serials dekhneki zarurat hi nahin hai. Bada romantic scene chal raha hai yahan to" I hear an unfamiliar voice filled with sarcasm and mockery.

But I am sure Aly recognises her as his body immediately stiffens on her voice. Not just, Mamu and Mamijaan's faces Aldo show a horrified look.

"Raniya" He whispers, blinking his eyes as if he can't believe it's her. I turn to the lady, she looks my age. Tall, slender figure clad in a bright red dress with straightened hair. She looks like a model but what catches my eyes is the disdain in her eyes the moment they land on me, and they immediately soften when she sees Faizu.

"Kaise hain Jiju? Oops! Sorry ex-jiju." She hollers not at all sounding sorry.

That's when realisation sinks in. She is Saniya's sister. Her features now seem familiar to the ones I saw in the frame. She steps forward trying to take Faizu from Aman but he doesn't go to her, turning back into the safety of his father's embrace.

It seems to tick her off as her features harden, "Lagta hai bada pyaar karte hain aap apni dusri biwi se. Yahi thi na wo jiski wajah se aap meri Aapi ko kabhi khush nai rakh sake? Isi manhoos ladki ki wajah se aap unhein kabhi apne kareeb nahin aane dete the?" she snarls. Everyone gasps. How does she know such intimate details of their married life?

I look at Aly in disbelief, he seems to be in a world of his own. His eyes become glossy as he takes in her insults without retorting.

"Arre jaiye, aap kya jawaab denge. Mere dil ki haye lagegi aapko. Meri Aapi ki do saal ki shadi mein ek khushi na di unko aur ye kal li aayi ladki ko apne palkhon ki rani banake rakha hai. Kya yahi hai aap ka insaaf?" She screeches more this time and the bride's side of the family comes in, trying to take her away.

Aly stumbles back, in what I am assuming is shock and hurt. I take Faizu from him, rubbing his back.

"Ham aur beizzati bardasht nahin karenge yahan. Chalo yahan se Aman." Mamu speaks authoritatively and we all follow him back without another word, me slightly pulling Aly with me.

Mamu drives us back home seeing as Aly is not in a very sound state right now, he was sitting with me in the backseat. I was just rubbing his hands, trying to calm him down. But he seems to be in some other zone.

As we reach home, he rushes into the house the first thing.

"Beta, use tumhari zarurat hai. Faizu ko main sambhal lungi. Tum jao, aaj usko akela mat chhodna." I unwillingly hand over Faizu to her, running after Aly.

By the time I reach, the door is closed and I pray to God that it's not locked. I push open the door and thankfully it's   open but I am shocked to see the condition of the room. Everything is shattered. He is about to swing another bottle of perfume across the wall when I shout his name.

"Get out. Just get the fuck out of here Amyra." He shouts so loud I physically flinch at the noise. I look up at his bloodshot eyes with horror, trying to find any semblance of my man in this monster.