Humsafar

Qurbatein

He never had to bother with putting an alarm on a Sunday morning. Not that he struggled waking up early; he always had been a morning person, but alarms on Sundays never made sense whatsoever. However, that changed when he was introduced to a new role in life - that of a father.

He had to take his 5-year-old daughter to the nursery today. It always swelled his heart with pride and sheer joy how much Hareem had taken from him. Be it her love for gardening, having milk without sugar, or chewing on a pen while solving a mathematics problem, she was more like him than he could imagine. He reveled in the happiness of having a part of his walking right in front of him. Like any father, he'd tell people how smart his daughter was, how she already knew the basics of gardening, and how good she was at sports like him. Ashar Hussain wasn't ashamed to admit that he had indeed become a brown dad for whom his daughter was the best child in the whole world.

He had been away from home for the past two weeks on the pretext of attending an important business conference in Turkey. This was the first time he was away from Hareem and his wife since they reconciled. Nonetheless, the moment he stepped foot at home, his daughter unabashedly demanded all his time and energy for the coming weekend. She continued with her rant, how he missed her science fair where she got the second prize, and how in his absence her mother didn't allow her to watch TV for more than two hours. So, now he had to pay a penalty by spending this entire weekend with her, starting by getting more plants for their garden though Ashar was relatively concerned whether there was any space for more or not. Still, when Hareem informed him of him her wish with her petite arms on her hips, all Ashar could do was shake his head with a grin wondering if she should tell her that his heart held the capacity to shower her with more time and love.

The first ring of the alarm barely went off and Ashar's first instinct was to turn it off immediately. Not because he was bothered or needed another hour of sleep. But because now he shared his bed and this room with his wife.

It had been around 11 months since they reconciled, since Khirad forgave him and they started a new life in his house as Hareem's parents. He was unaware of how they'd be able to mend their relationship. He never wanted Khirad to take the baggage of fixing what he broke. Sometimes, he wondered if he put her through another test by requesting her to have him in his life again even if it was for the sake of their child.

She was right though, they didn't have four years between them, those were four decades. Four long torturous decades with so much pain in them that even if he tried for another forty decades, he wouldn't be able to replicate the anguish it inflicted on her.

He opened his eyes after switching off the alarm and his eyes fell on his wife's face. It felt unreal to have her by his side. If truth be told, he was hesitant and somewhat scared of asking Khirad to come back to their room. He wondered if he was crossing a line but they were to spend a lifetime together and it made no sense for her to sleep in their daughter's room. She wasn't in this house as Hareem's daughter but his wife. Her expression softened when he asked her and that day he felt good, happier than he had been when he cracked a deal.

Even now, with her sleeping on his right facing him filled his heart with inexplicable joy. Her cheek rested on her palm as she took slow breaths. He was glad she could sleep comfortably in this room beside him. He wouldn't have been able to take it if his presence suffocated her or disturbed her sleep.

Her plump chapped lips were slightly parted and the frown on her forehead shone right through. He itched to rub his fingers but it felt like breaking a boundary he set for himself.

A year ago, when they crossed paths again at his office, she was an entirely different woman. Much more fierce but determined. Even then he'd worry for her, her pale face and white eyes scathed his heart but he knew he had no right to say anything. The clothes she'd wear spoke volumes of the conditions she'd been living in for the last four years yet he'd always applaud her for making sure their daughter ate and wore the best.