Safeena

roadblock

" Wait Aseem, I will go, you rest. Your leg is still not good." Alfez said.
" Alright."

Alfez went to meet prince Agastya and they both were sitting in a carriage.

" What's wrong with all people?!" Safeena shouted.
" Calm down, calm down, Alfez will handle it."
" I know! There is a reason why I hate people."
She got down from the carriage and started walking furiously towards the guards.
" Wait , I will just get to them."
" Hey hey! We don't want to cause problems okay?" He stopped her.
" But -"
" I understand your anger, but let's just wait for Alfez okay?"
" I know who has done this."
" Safee-"
" My grandfather. He has that much power. He wants to come back to him which I won't. I know he has done this."
" Hey hey , listen, let him come. We will discuss and come up with a solution okay? "
She nodded.

Just then a guard who recognised Aseem called him towards the gate.
" Aseem, what are you doing with that woman here?"
" Why what do mean?"
" We have heard that she helped a criminal to escape from her own kingdom. She is a fraud."
" Yes some say that she was in love with that criminal." Another guard added in them.
" Women like her are a danger to society right?"
" True. Stay alert with her , she is total danger to you. "
" She is in love with me. Only me." Aseem stated.
" What? She had ran away with some --"
" She ran away with me. She loves me and I love her."
" You are the criminal -?! Not possible, you-"
" Don't you say another word against my woman. Just a warning." Aseem warned them with keen eyes on them.
" And don't even dare to talk like this in front of her. You are lucky that you said all this in front of me. She would have dug your grave right here and I would have happily watched."
" I apologise "
Aseem walked away from them.

After sometime they saw Alfez returning.
As soon as he passed through the gate, Aseem and Safeena both ran towards him bombarding him with questions.
" What happened? What did he tell you? I know my grandfather did this! Tell fast "
" Wait, listen to me."
" What ?"
" You are right, your grandfather gave this order, not only here but also everywhere. So we can't actually go anywhere."
" I knew it !"
" Safeena--"
" I knew it , he did. Now you can't go anywhere with me. I just want to -- I am so -!."
" Safeena , calm down, listen, we can do something" Aseem tried to talk to her.
" What can we do ? Are we going to live in this carriage or right here in the middle of the forest? And all this because of my grandfather?! No. Never. I am not letting him do this with me. I think I should go back and talk to him."
" No you are not going back! You can't even get in your own kingdom!"
" I can , it's my father's. I will talk to him and make things clear. This is getting out of hand Aseem."
" Safeena, you are not getting my point. "
" Aseem this is enough! He knows exactly what he is doing by restricting me. He has no control over me and you."
" That's what I want to say. He knows exactly what he is doing. He wants to piss you off and that's exactly what is happening!"
" He can't do this . Not with me. I will handle it Aseem , both of you can stay here. I will do something."

Both of them started raising their voices at each other.

" Safeena ! Stop. Hear me out. You going there is going to change nothing! He won't even let you in , I can confirm you that."
" But I have to do something, I will do that -"
" Not you , us , we have to do something. "
" I am not going to get you both to go homeless Aseem just because of me. Not again." She said.
" And I am not going to let you be homeless? Do you understand? You came here with me, You are my responsibility."
" I am your responsibility? I am not anyone's responsibility. I came here on my free will and I can handle myself. I won't cause any problems for you both. You both had enough."
" If you are not my responsibility, then I am not yours either. You don't have to fight for us."
" And then what ? What are you going to eat ? Huh? Where are you going to live ? Now what we have ? Nothing. All thanks to my grandfather. Only I can do something and I will do it."
" Now you are the one taking responsibility for us don't you think ? It goes both ways safeena."
She paused.
" You going there are only going to make things worse."
" It can get solved too!"
" How? By you putting your point? Like this? How are you going to do this? He will say something that will piss you off. And then what? You can't control your anger which will make things worse."
" Aseem! Not everyone is ready to listen in a straight language. You did it what happened? Nothing! Staying silent is going to do nothing. This is injustice."
" Safeena if you go there back then we are done, we are over."
" Aseem?! Take that back! Aseem take that back." She shouted.

" Stop both of you. Is this a time to fight? What are you guys doing just Please just stop it." Alfez shouted at them.

"Aseem do you remember our last fight ? What happened then? You know better. Responsibility, we fought for the same reasons didn't we? Look where that got us Aseem! Please stop this right now."
" And Safeena , Aseem is right too, your grandfather is a very cunning man. He did this all on purpose , why do you think he will change his decision for you ? He stabbed you. What else do you want ?"
" Both of you just stop now. I understand that we all are a little panicked but just calm down okay ?and Let me decide everything now." Alfez said walked away to think. Safeena went inside the carriage and Aseem sat outside on a fallen down branch.

Alfez went towards Aseem and sat besides him.
" Listen, whatever she said was right. We actually do have nowhere to go."
" I know that! I panicked. That's why I --"
" I understand, but it doesn't seem your first fight."
" We fight all the time, that's our essence. But I just feel so -- you know she left her home , her family by trusting me and now I can't even give her basic necessities. You were right when you said that I can't handle any responsibility. I am not capable of that yet." He ducked his face.
" Aseem, no, that was in the past. But now I can see the changes in you. You have grown mature now. I see how you handle things and I am impressed." He paused and continued,
" I never apologised for my words that day, I am sorry."
" No brother, I am sorry, I should have listened to you. I am sorry."
" Let's keep that in the past now and think about today."
" I don't want her to go back."
" She won't, tell her properly. The thing is she is an older sister right? So she feels the need to protect her people rather than accept the help from others. That's how she is trained. That's why she is behaving like that. That's an older sibling trait you won't understand."
" You should talk to her then."
" I am going right now. "
" Till then I will think of something."
" Sure. And apologise to each other. Please."
He nodded.

" Safeena?" He stood near the carriage where she was sitting.
" Alfez , I said whatever I felt , I know my way was maybe wrong but that's the only thing I can think of!"
" Safeena! Wait wait, do you breath?"
She stopped
" Listen , Aseem is just trying to --"
" I know he is not wrong. But I feel a lot guilty. This all started because of my grandfather! My family. All this is because of me and I want to do something for it but I can't that's what eats me alive."
" Safeena, you don't need to take guilt for all this. It's not your fault. And we don't hate you for your family. Just let us think for a while. I am sure something will come up."
" He is right now very tense. Please don't misunderstand him, you came here because you love him, that's why he said that he is responsible for you. And before getting caught we had a fight right on this point that he wasn't responsible enough. So you --"
" I understand, Alfez , I do."
" Just finish that fight between you two. Apologise to each other. I have talked to Aseem too."
" I will go right now."

Safeena walked towards Aseem where he was sitting. As soon as he saw her he stood up uncomfortably.
" Aseem "
" Yes?"
" This is for Alfez, he is pretty convincing, so , I am sorry."
" Then I am sorry too , for Alfez."
" Good "
" Good " they both smiled at each other.

Alfez watched this from afar. He looked up in the sky and thanked the lord.