Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha

Ch. 24: New Chapter

Fawad's P.O.V.

"Shukriya, beta. Main kab se yeh karna chahti thi, lekin mere ghutno mein dard ho rahi hai kayi dinon se, upar se waqt bhi nahin mil raha tha aur Jalal bhi mashroof rehte hai. Lekin ab tum rakh do, main baaki sab karloongi. Tumhari naukri milne ke jashn manana chahti thi, lekin tum mujhe madat karne mein lag gaye ho."
(Thank you, dear. I've been wanting to do this for so long, but I've been having knee pain for the last several days, on top of that, I wasn't finding the time and Jalal's always busy. But let it be now, I'll do the rest. I wanted to celebrate you getting the job, but you got busy helping me)

It was Friday night. Afreen Aunty had invited Alizey and I over for a celebration dinner. I had gotten the job I'd applied for.

"Koi baat nahin, Aunty. Main yeh karna chahta hoon," I patted the soil down with the shovel while she sat on a chair.
(It's no problem. I want to do this)

We were in the backyard. It had been weeks since Aunty bought seeds to start growing her own vegetables, but no one had the time to assist her with it. After we ate dinner, I wanted to help her start her garden. Alizey was spending time with her sisters, meanwhile her father was still at work.

"I'm very happy and proud of you for getting your new job. I prayed so much for you."

"Thank you," I glanced at her with a smile before placing another seed into one of the holes I dug in the ground.

Aunty smiled at me sweetly.

After a moment, I noticed she was reciting something silently. "Kya padh rahe hai aap?" I asked to make conversation.
(What are you reciting?)

"Oh. Mere cousin ki barsi thi aaj. Meri khala ki beti. Mehreen. Meri umr ki thi. Meri sabse achchi saheli. Baiss saal ki thi jab faut ho gayi."
(It's my cousin's death anniversary today. My maternal aunt's daughter. Mehreen. She was my age. My best friend. She passed away at 22)

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thank you, beta."

After I reflected for a moment, I lifted my gaze towards Aunty, "Aap bohat kam umr ke the jab woh guzar gaye... aap ne kaise qubool kar liya?"
(You were quite young when she passed... how did you accept it?)

"Kis baat ko, beta?"
(What, dear?)

"Unke na hona. Unke aap sab ke beech mein na rehna."
(Her not being around anymore)

An emotional smile appeared on her lips, "It wasn't easy. I was depressed for a long time. She was my sister. We spent almost every day together since childhood. Playing together, going to school together, even getting married around the same time. Then suddenly, before I left for America with Jalal, she passed away from heart failure. The doctors discovered very late that she had a hole in her heart."

I dusted my hands then stood up. I sat on the chair next to my mother-in-law, listening intently.

"It was very difficult. I moved here, and there was no one I could talk to back home to share my struggles with. Moving to a new country, it was a huge change and culture shock. Jalal was always working, and I had to familiarize myself with everything on my own. I had no one to give me that emotional support. My cousin would have been the only one I could share things with, to tell her all the good and the bad. My parents would have been worried if I told them how hard things were for us here initially. But you know? It was in the happy memories I shared with her that gave me strength."

I nodded.

"Her death made me realize that people only come to this world for a certain amount of time. We are destined to spend time with them just for that allotted time. And we should be grateful for the happy moments we got with them... I missed her a lot. I still do. I used to wonder why did she have to die, but then I realized, as sad as it sounds, beta, it happened at the right time. Allah knows best. Yes, she was very young, but it could have been that had she been around longer, her health would have deteriorated further. She was spared from more physical suffering. She hadn't had children, so her kids didn't have to experience the loss of their mother nor did she endure the pain of leaving them behind. Despite being so weak in those days, I remember she had a sense of calmness to her. Regardless of how she was feeling, she would pray and look so much more at peace afterwards. Perhaps she was ready to go back."