شرر Sharar

Sixty-Two

Ayla was sitting silently on her bed, in her right hand, she fisted the letter and khula paper, her eyes fixed on the floor.

"Ayla!" Rubab came there to check on her, but when found her sitting there, blankly. Rubab got worried. "Ayla! Kya hua?" Going to her, Rubab asked.

(Ayla, what happened?)

Ayla stare at her with empty eyes.

"Kaif..." She could only manage to utter his name.

"Kya hua unhe?"

(What happened to him?)

Ayla passed Rubab the Khula papers and his letter.

Rubab read it several times, rechecking if she read correctly.

Rubab never thought this day will come where Kaif would leave Ayla. After what happened these days, she has witness his genuine care for Ayla, he was changing himself for her and their daughter, why did he do this?

She looked at Ayla, who was too stunned to say anything.

"Ayla! Aap theek hain?" Sitting beside her, Rubab held Ayla's hand and asked.

(Are you okay?)

The warmness of her mother's hand startled Ayla, who's whole body was cold.

"Mamma! Woh... woh aisa kaise kar sakte hain." Ayla burst into tears.

(How could he do this?)

"Ayla! Ayla! Khamosh ho jaiye. Apki tabiyat kharab ho jayegi." Rubab rubbed her back, and console her.

(Ayla, don't cry. You will get sick.)

"Beta, khula toh apko hi chahiye tha na." Hugging Ayla, Rubab said.

(You wanted separation.)

"Par... par humne nahi socha tha woh hume chorh denge."

(But... but I never thought he will leave me.)

"Shhh! Bas kariye. Mat sochiye iss barey mein." Caressing her head, Rubab told her.

(Shhh! Don't think about it.)

•••

Everyone were waiting for Ayla to come downstairs. But Rubab came there alone.

"Kya hua, Rubab? Ayla theek hai?" Naziya Begum asked when saw her gloomy face.

(Rubab, what happened? Where is Ayla?)

"Ammi, woh..." Rubab didn't know what to answer to them, she just passed the separation paper to Azlan. She didn't take Kaif's letter with her to respect his privacy.

(Ammi, actually...)

"Kya hua?" Huzaifa wondered.

(What happened?)

"Kaif ne khula ke kagaz pe sign kar diya hai." Azlan announced.

(Kaif has signed separation paper.)

"Kya?" Hamna, who was unaware of everything, asked. Looking at her brothers, shocked.

(What?)

"Yeh kab hua?" Huzaifa took the paper from Azlan to read it, and asked.

(When did this happened?)

"Apko pata tha iss barey mein?" Huzaifa asked to Rukhsar, who was the only person stayed calm with this news.

(You knew about this?)

"Kaif ne bataya tha jane se pehle." She mumbles.

(He told me before leaving.)