With You

Chapter 8

Ryan wiped his hands with the napkin after having his tea. He didn't want to have the breakfast but Zarah and Faiza had forced him to do. Whenever he was looking at the food, he was remembering Hamida and the tough time they had spent in their childhood. Her memories were haunting, more than painful. Ryan was remembering her from every day.

When she was about to attend the farewell party of her college.

The time when she was going in her friend's wedding.

When she became the bride.

At one time, when she came to meet him with Hanan.

Ryan pinched his eyes with his index and thumb trying to stop those unloyal tears which had escaped the territory of his eyes. Zarah had told him that he had to complete some process before claiming Hamida's body and she had done some process from herself too. He had told Hanan about Hamida with a heavy heart and that silence from the other side was really heartbreaking. He was really thankful to Zarah for doing all the formalities related to Hamida; the shocked condition he was in, Ryan had no idea what needed to be done. That was why he had gone to her cabin, to thank her but that girl really liked to play with his mood and then again she spolied his mood.

Getting up, he came towards his car which was parked just outside the hospital. It had some change of clothes for Maira and maybe she was in need of one as she was a fussy kid. A paper bag was present in the back seat of his car and opening it firstly he found a silk scarf of his sister.

"Why you always had to take some extra stuffs? I just hate this."

Ryan yelled to make Hamida hear his tantrums as he impatiently waited for his sister who had gone to bring some extra clothes as they were heading for the road trip.

"You never know, what condition you will stuck in so something is better than nothing." Hamida pinched his cheek with a smile, annoying him to no end as he rubbed his cheek while glaring at her.

Nothing could be more aching than to see those things which our loved ones used and to think that they would never be able to use them again. Ryan gritted his teeth, throwing the scarf inside the car. He hated his life, that life which was nothing more than a boulder on him, a weight of so many things on his shoulder that Ryan was dying beneath it. He didn't understand how people could trust on God, have faith in their destinies when in return they could only get pain and problems. Hamida had faith in her Lord, what he gave her; death. Her lord destined a death for her in a bomb blast, snatching a mother from her small kid. Grabbing the paper bag; he closed the car door with a thud, his heartbeat suddenly gaining pace as the hatred for his own destiny grew up some more than before.

***

Zarah took a bite of her sandwich amd filled the spoon with the rice porridge she was feeding to Maira. That baby was eating less and throwing more on her clothes while mumbling in her baby language and that was why Zarah was really worried for the change of clothes of Maira.

"Baby, eat properly." She chastised while wiping her mouth with the napkin and looked up to see Ryan entering her cabin. The curfew hadn't been removed yet and it felt the conditions of the city were about to worsen because the surrounding cities of Amroha became the victim of rage. Zarah was terribly missing her home; her mother and her father. Ammi was alone at home as Papa had to stay at the office due to the conditions around them.

"These are some change of clothes for Maira." Ryan said, moving the paper bag towards her. He took the seat on the chair across her, the usual silence still a part of his being. Zarah could easily count on her fingers the time when they had met each other but she now understood, Ryan was a reserved man with a moody nature. His eyes were bloodshot as if he had cried a lot while being away. Zarah shook her head and looked inside the bag, smiling while seeing the contents; two summer frocks with matching headbands and shoes.