Miscellany Of Desi Tadka

Chapter 5🖤

Danah woke up and looked around her. Her body was damp with sweat and it was another bad dream. They were not leaving her even in her afternoon nap.

She came out of her room, the house was an epitome of silence. Maira and Sameer were in their school, Adeel was at work, only she and Amma were at home. Maybe Amma was sleeping and she didn't want to disturb her, but her heart didn't want to be alone. A peek would not cost her anything.

"Come here, kid."

Amma smiled at her when she glanced inside her room and Danah quickly sat near her.

"Are you okay? Why are you this cold?" Amma caressed her head and wiped her face with her dupatta, "Were you crying?"

Danah just shook her head and kept her head in Amma's lap, "Amma, if I share with you something, will you believe me?"

"Why not? I have seen ages with these eyes and I'm sure I am not wrong in judging you. Your whole demeanor speaks of truth, dear."

Danah sat up, her eyes had started shedding tears as she felt grateful to get someone to share this whole burden with. Those nightmares, bad memories, and dreams were not letting her rest. Maybe sharing these all would give her some peace.

Safdar Khan and Zulekha Safdar were important parts of Danah Firdous. At the age of five, she lost her parents in an accident, and from there on she began to see these two souls as part of her whole family.

Having no child of her own, Zulekha Safdar made sure to give every luxury to Danah, from lavish rooms to expensive clothing. In return, she didn't want anything, except for some love from Danah.

"We were one happy family or that was what I used to think." Danah held Amma's hand to gather some strength, "My destiny was about to take an ugly turn."

***

"Adeel, someone's here to meet you."

Adeel got up on his colleague's message and looked at the waiting area, seeing a couple.

"AsSalamuAlaikum."

They returned his greeting, the lady observing him while the man came in front, shaking his hand.

"I'm Safdar Khan and this is my wife Zulekha Safdar." He nodded in confusion, "We're Danah's uncle and aunt."

Adeel's heart twisted weirdly, making it difficult for him to show any kind of emotions. The lady came near him and held his hand.

"I know you both like each other and I accept your relationship and this marriage." Her eyes filled with tears, "I don't know why Danah felt a need to hide this from us."

His mind was not working properly and Adeel had no idea what was happening. Just when he decided to trust that one girl whom he doubted, destiny threw this whole new chapter at him. What should he answer?

"Dear, just tell Danah that we accept this marriage. We are happy with her decisions. Tell her to talk to me. Or give me your address, we will come to meet your family and Danah."

"There's no need. I'll tell Danah to contact you. Please if you will excuse me, I have work to do."

Adeel gave a fake smile, returning towards his system, his mind running at a dangerous pace. So this was her truth? Whatever her back story was, why he was feeling bad about it?

***

Danah high-fived Maira as they both cleaned the hall just before dinner. She somewhat felt at ease after talking to Amma and her consoling words worked as a medicine for all her scars.

"Bhai is here."

Maira jumped and ran to hug her brother but Danah froze at her spot seeing a deadly-looking Adeel with a dangerous glare on his face.

"Dadi..." He yelled on top of his lungs as Amma and Sameer came out of their rooms, "I used to tell you. Don't trust any stranger but you don't listen to me."

He came in front of her and gave a cold smile as Danah looked down, fearing his anger.

"Zulekha aunty and Safdar uncle came to meet me."

Danah covered her lips, "I can tell you-"

"There's no need. If you're so worried about your image, there's no need. You should have to think before running away with a guy."

"Adeel stop."

"No Dadi, you need to listen to me." Adeel's eyes held nothing but hatred for her, there was not a single trace of that softness of a few days ago. "She ran away from her home, for a guy and you know what? Her family thinks I'm that guy."

Danah just wanted to kill herself right now. Lies, lies, and lies. Her character was getting tarnished, that too in front of Maira and Sameer, who she considered as her siblings.

"Adeel you don't know anything. You have-"

"Do you think her uncle and aunt will lie to me? They will lie to me when she's the one who ran away-"

"You have no right to talk about my past when you--- when you don't know anything. Understand Mr. Adeel?" She stepped ahead, her heart ready to break her ribcage, as a lone tear dropped from her eye, "I may be too bad but I will not hear a single word and a lie on my character."

She left the living room and ascended the stairs. There was no way she would stay here for a moment. Her study was waiting, her life was waiting. Danah had no time to live in remorse and also no time to gather the broken pieces of her heart.

~Zeba

𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚊𝚊𝚊𝚊𝚊𝚊..!𝙰𝚂𝚂𝙰𝙻𝙰𝙼𝚄𝙰𝙻𝙰𝙸𝙺𝚄𝙼 𝙱𝙴𝙷𝙽𝙾 𝙰𝚄𝚁 𝚄𝙽𝙺𝙴 𝙱𝙷𝙰𝙸𝚈𝙾....;)𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚂𝙴 𝙰𝚄𝚃𝙷𝙾𝚁𝚂 𝙰𝚁𝙴 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙺𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙳 𝚃𝙾 𝙱𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙹𝙾𝚈 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚃𝙰𝙸𝙽𝙼𝙴𝙽𝚃 𝚃𝙾 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝙶𝚄𝚈𝚂.𝚂𝙾 𝙼𝙰𝙺𝙴 𝚂𝚄𝚁𝙴 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝚂𝙿𝙰𝙼 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙽𝙾𝚃𝙸𝙵𝙸𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂 𝚆𝙸𝚃𝙷 𝚅𝙾𝚃𝙴𝚂 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙼𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚂. ~𝙽𝚄𝙶𝙶𝙴𝚃