Jaana : The Girl He Loved Too Much

Chapter 53

"Tara," Nargis was crying uncontrollably. She was least bothered about the fight going on, or the screams of Faizan or the rotten flesh or the consoling Rihan, who was losing his patience but trying to hold her.

She felt a presence next to her. She wiped her tears and looked at him. Rage flowed through her veins like molten lava. In he anger,she raised her hand and  slapped him. The slap was hard enough to break Shahzain's skin. The sound of the slap resonated the room, which was echoing till now with cries. "Nargis." Rihan tried to hold her, but she raised her palm, stopping. "Don't you dare touch me." She said her fury, taking over. She grabbed Shahzain's collar. "You killed my sister," she slapped him again. "How could you do this? She loved you." she pushed him hard on the chest. "She fucking loved a monster like you" She blasted pushing him again. "And you say you love her. You don't deserve love. You are a monster," she cried, falling on the floor. Rihan held, and she cried hard, resulting in getting fainted.

Shazain, unaffected by the outburst, sat holding Sitara in his arms. "Jaana!" he kissed her forehead again and started swaying her in his arms.

"We need to get them out," Rihan said to Nargis after throwing some water at her face so that she could regain her consciousness that she lost while crying. She removed his hand from her shoulder coming into her senses. "The house will burn down. The fire will not remain in one room for long. C'mon, we need to get them out, " Rihan said, trying to keep his calm avoiding her anger for now.  Seeing the drapes burning the concern was different at the moment.

Knowing that Nargis and Shahzain share an unsaid bond, he asked her to convince him to move. "We need to leave," Nargis said, reaching Shahzain. Understanding the gravity of the situation, she kept her anger on the bay and reached him. But her words didn't reach him. He was just holding her. Looking, at Rihan she nodded for him to take help of the guards. They dont have the time to convince him with mere words. She saw few guards were trying to put off the fire by throwing buckets of water but the fire had already started to spread towards the staircase and their bedroom. They need to act before the flames started reaching the staircase.

Soon, the guards, Rihan, Nargis, everyone was trying to push him, but he didn't budge. Rihan and the guards were trying forcefully to make him stand but to no avail.

"Sitara will burn," Nargis' words finally made a breakthrough and caught his attention. "Look," she signaled towards the fire. "The fire will spread across the house, and Sitara will burn in it if you will not move." Seeing the fire catching up, he got up, holding Sitara in his arms.

"Shahzain Bhai, we need to take her for her last rites." Nargis came to him in their living room. They brought them to their house. After hours of crying and explaining to the rest of the family, they finally gathered the senses to proceed with rituals.

However, Shazain was sitting holding her. No one was able to make him leave her. He was sitting on the floor holding her in his embrace and muttering one single word "Jaana".

They exchanged looks. It was already hard to control Zahra and Ruku, but Rihan was trying to manage things. Zahra was not able to control herself and was throwing profanities on Shahzain.

"Its not him alone who killed your daughter Ammy." Said Nargis sitting at a corner hugging Ruku.

Getting up from the corner she reached Rihan "You did this too. You killed her too." She said holding him by his collar.

"Nargis I didn't know Faizan was upto something like this. She is my sister, how could I do anything-" "Shutup!!! How could you do this Rihan. Even if you didn't know what Faizan's motives were. You knew who Shahzain is. How could you risk it. Why didn't you tell me about this? I would have told you how much she loved him. For the first time, she was happy, Rihan. Why, why? " she cried, sliding down on the floor.

Rihan sat with her trying to hold her, but she thrashed him away. She was not able to forgive him. Only if she would have known Rihan was planning something she would have stopped it. She was guilty and she was heartbroken.

Rihan didn't stop her as she moved towards Shahzain. Instead he sat there cursing himself for this. All he could hear was Sitara's confession.

With the help of their relatives, he was relieved that his aunts were handling his mother, and he could focus on other things. But he was not able to get through Shahzain. Hence, asked Nargis to help.

"Shahzain Bhai, come." Nargis tried again, and her voice fell to deaf ears. "Let's wait for some time." Rihan interrupted seeing Shahzain's condition, and she nodded. She was angry at Shahzain, but seeing his condition, she couldn't even fight with him anymore. She still remembers Sitara's letter. How she was concerned that Shahzain had no one except her. How will he live if something happens to her? Nargis' heart ached, seeing Sitara's fears coming to life. This is what she was scared of. She promised Sitara that she would not let him die, and that's what she was going to do. She will stand by him in his pain. Maybe with this, she could keep Sitara content. Wherever she is, she can see that Shahzain is not left alone

"It been too long, Rihan. The whole day has passed." Nargis said after a few hours, and Rihan nodded. They tried again. Sometimes forcefully, sometimes calmly but Shahzain was just not ready to let her go.

"Shahzain Bhai, you need to get up. She needs to rest. Come, let's send her off. She needs to leave, Jannat (heaven) is waiting for our Sitara," Nargis said with a choked throat. But Shahzain didn't budge, and they gave up again.

"Rihan, we should not wait anymore. It's been thirty-six hours, and the body will start rotting. It's not that any chemical is protecting it. We understand he is broken but her husband needs to take her to the cemetery." Other relatives have also started to say things.

Even after trying again and again, Shahzain didn't leave her.

"Rihan," he turned, listening Nargis, who was standing at the gate with someone.

"Nargis, who is this?" Rihan asked, reaching them, and the man greeted him and gave his condolences.

"This is Dr. Ayan Malik. From the mental wellness hospital, " she introduced. "Nargis?" Rihan asked bewildered at what she was planning to do.

"We need her body, Rihan. The last rites need to be done. And he needs to sleep, " she said, looking at Shahzain.

She nodded towards the doctor, and he moved towards him.

"What is he going to do?" Rihan asked her. "Just going to inject him something to sleep. Then we can do the rituals, " she told.

"But he is her husband. it's him who needs to perform the rituals."  He retorted. "Look at him. He won't be able to do it. He is not in that condition" she said and he nodded.

She did what she found right then, and they were successful in completing the rituals, but Shahzain did wake up. And it was not easy to handle the furious Shahzain who was searching for his Jaana all round the streets of the city.

Present

"Hello Ma'am," Nargis raised her head from his shoulders, sitting beside Shahzain towards the door and saw Dr. Malik with Ruksaar. She wiped her tears and reached them.

"Dr. Ruksaar told me you are still not ready. Look Ma'am, I know he is your brother, and it is not easy to let him go, but he is -" "Do it, " Nargis said, cutting him in between. She went back and kept her head on his shoulder, holding his hand

"Bhabhi, are you serious?" Ruksaar asked, and she nodded.

"All this time, I was trying to keep him alive. But I guess all I did was kill him more and more. Maybe if there is something like the other side, maybe he will find his Jaana and can live again. She said, laying her head at his shoulders.

"Bhabhi," Ruksaar sat in front of them , her tears flowing like a dam had broken down. "I-I am sorry," she said, crying, holding Nargis from her shoulder. Nargis hugged Shahzain and cupped his cheek. "Jab aap usse milenge to kehna uski dost bhi use bahot yaad karti hai" (When you will meet her, tell her, her friend also missed her a lot) she said crying as her forehead touched his.

"Dekhna inhe aur takleef na ho" (See that he don't get hurt anymore) she said getting up as she ran out the cell