aab e hayat ( English version)

chapter no 24

After six years, the maid, who had always worked in the house, opened the gate as usual. As Salar parked the car in the driveway, he had just opened the door of the driver's seat when his two children, who were playing on the lawn as they did every day, came running towards him. Four-year-old Jibreel reached him first. While still seated in the driver's seat, Salar kissed his son's face, which was drenched in sweat. 

"Assalamu Alaikum!" he greeted, taking a tissue from the box in the car to wipe Jibreel's forehead and face, which the boy obediently allowed him to do. By then, two-year-old Inaya, stumbling and making noise, had also reached him. Seeing her father's arms outstretched from a distance, she giggled even more. As usual, he picked her up. After giving her a tight hug, he kissed both of her cheeks in turn. By then, Jibreel had closed the driver's seat door. He put Inaya down, and both children, after meeting their father, ran back to the lawn where they were engrossed in playing with the maid's two daughters. 

He stood for a few moments on the driveway, watching his children. Then, taking out his briefcase and jacket from the back of the car, he headed towards the front door of the house. By that time, Imama had come to the door to welcome him. Their eyes met, and she smiled as she walked towards him, surprised. 

"You're home early today?" she said, embracing him as usual and gently running her fingers through his hair. 

"Yes, there wasn't much work today." ...

"Then you should have found some," she teased, taking his jacket from him with a laugh. He smiled instead of replying. Seated in their bedroom, by the time he put down his briefcase and took off his shoes, she had brought him a glass of water. 

"Are you feeling okay?" she asked suddenly as he was about to take the glass from the tray she was holding. Startled, he looked at her face. 

"Yes. Why?" "No reason, you just look tired, so I asked." Instead of replying, Salar took a sip of water. She walked away with the tray. After changing his clothes, he went to the sitting area. His children were still running around after the football. He stood in front of the window in the sitting area, looking out. He had never liked the weather in Congo, and the reason was the rain that could start at any moment and was likely to begin again soon. For the past few days in Kinshasa, it had rained at this time every day.

 The last few hours of the afternoon. An hour or so of rain, and then a clear sky. "Tea." He turned instinctively at Imama's voice, which had pulled him from his thoughts of the lawn. She stood there holding a tray with two mugs of tea and a plate of biscuits. "Thanks," he smiled, taking a mug and a biscuit. 

"Let's go outside with the children," she suggested as she walked towards the door. "I'll be out in a bit; I'm waiting for a call," he replied. Nodding, she went outside, and a few minutes later, he saw her on the lawn. Sitting on a chair in one corner of the lawn, she smiled at him through the window. He smiled back in return.

 The mug of tea and the plate of biscuits were now placed on the table in front of her. He watched as Jibreel and Inaya came over to her one by one to take a biscuit. Jibreel took the biscuit and gave it to Nono and Luiya, the maid's daughters. The four children started playing football again. Imama was now fully focused on the children. Taking sips of tea, she occasionally covered the part of her body where a new life was growing with the shawl draped over her right shoulder. They were expecting their third child. 

She watched the children chasing after the football, occasionally laughing and then giving them instructions. Standing in front of the window, watching the scene outside, it felt like he was watching a movie—a complete movie. The tea in his hand had gone cold, and with a deep sigh, he placed the mug on the table beside him. Imama was right in her assumption. He wasn't okay. Through the window, he was looking at a happy family on the lawn outside—a scene of an ideal, perfect life, the precious moments of his children's childhood, the content and joyful face of his wife carrying another small life inside her.