Rainy Promises - kareena

21

Past continuation.....

After rain stop, Haseena was sitting in the car, staring out the window, lost in her thoughts. She knew she was late, and it was all because of that blind girl who was drenching in rain. Now, she had to face her father. She was certain he already knew when the meeting had ended, and as usual, she would have to answer his questions, although she knew her answers wouldn't matter. He never really listened to her explanations.

The car came to a halt in front of her house. Haseena got down, feeling the weight of the impending confrontation. She took a deep breath before entering the house, trying to calm her nerves.

Inside, her father was pacing back and forth, clearly impatient. As soon as he saw her, he called. "Kahan thi tum is waqt tak? Meeting to kab ki khatam ho chuki thi!"

"Woh, barish thi toh thoda late ho gaya..."Haseena, trying to keep her voice calm, replied.

"Thoda late?" her father interrupted with a raise voice. "Do ghante baad aayi ho tum! Aur barish thi toh kya tumhein gaadi mein aana tha, kaunsa chal ke aana tha?"

Haseena stood there, taking in his words. She knew there was no point in arguing. She could only hope that someday he might understand her, but for now, she had to bear his frustration and accusations in silence.

Her father's voice echoed through the hallway, each word hitting her like a blow. "Tumhein samajh nahi aata kya? Meeting ke baad seedha ghar aana ta tmhen. Tumhari wajah se meri izzat daon pe lagi rehti hai. Pata ni kab dubra tmra woi fitoor tmry demagh ma aa jay. Ma ab dubra wo sab Kuch bardasht nae krun ga."

"Dad, hum sach mein......" Haseena tried to explain.

But he cut her off sharply, "Bas! Mujhe tumhare bahaane nahi sunne. Tumhein samajh mein nahi aata, ek baar ka kehna, yeh itna mushkil hai?

Her father's disappointment stung more than his words. She felt a lump in her throat but swallowed it down, knowing that any attempt to explain further would only fuel his anger. She stood there, bowing down her head, waiting for the storm to pass.

Haseena's father finally stormed off, leaving her standing there. As the echoes of his footsteps faded, Dai Jaan appeared from the kitchen, she smiled as she saw Haseena. Without a word, Haseena rushed to her, wrapping her arms around her tightly.

"Ap ne itne din laga diye wahan, humen bilkul bi yad nae kia," Haseena murmured into her shoulder.

Dai Jaan hugged her back just as firmly. "Bas kaam thoda zyada barh gaya tha," she said in a gentle voice.

Breaking the hug, she placed a comforting hand on Haseena's cheek, looking into her eyes with concern. "Kaisi hai meri bachi?"

"Bilkul theek hain hum." Haseena tried to muster a smile, but her voice broke as she answered,  She fought to control the tears that threatened to spill over.

Dai Jaan sighed, after looking at her eyes. "Woh to dikh raha hai ke kitni theek ho,"

Haseena shook her head slightly, trying to dismiss situation. "Jaane dijiye na, yeh to roz ka hai. Kaunsi nai baat hai. Aap aayiye, baithiye." She guided Dai Jaan to the couch, helping her to sit down. "Batayiye, wahan sab aapke ghar mein kaise hain?"

As they settled on the couch, the presence of Dai Jaan's  started to ease Haseena's tension. They began talking about their days, with Dai Jaan sharing stories from her household and Haseena listening intently, finding solace in the normalcy of their conversation. For a while, the harsh words of her father faded into the background, replaced by the warmth and love of Dai Jaan's company.
.
.
.
.