Don't Leave Me Again

32- The Cost of Silence

The house was quiet, too quiet for Zafrin's liking. Days had passed since the bitter argument with her mother, and the tension in the air lingered like an unspoken curse. Every time she passed by Nazriya, there was a distance, a sadness in her mother's eyes that made Zafrin's stomach churn with regret. She hadn't meant for things to spiral this way. She just wanted to be understood, to be heard.

But now, all she could think about was the sight of her mother crying. It was something she had never seen before, not like this. Nazriya had always been a pillar of strength in their family, rarely showing weakness. But after their argument, Zafrin had accidentally seen a glimpse of something raw and broken through the slightly opened door of her parents' room.

Her mother's soft sobs filled the silence. Zafrin had stood frozen in the hallway, unable to tear her eyes away as her father comforted Nazriya, holding her in a gentle embrace. The sight of her mother so vulnerable, so deeply hurt by her own daughter's words, was enough to make Zafrin's chest tighten in agony. She had never imagined her mother would be this affected. Nazriya had always been strong, never letting her emotions show too easily.

Zafrin swallowed the guilt that had been gnawing at her since then. She hadn't meant to break her mother like that, but in the heat of the moment, she had let all her frustrations explode, not realizing the damage she would cause.

And now here she was, pacing the floor of her room, trying to make sense of everything. How had things gotten so tangled? All she had wanted was for her mother to see her, to understand that she wasn't just another daughter to be married off, that she had her own dreams, her own desires. But instead, she had pushed too far, and now all she could think about was the pain she had inflicted.

She had barely slept, her mind still swirling with the hurtful words she had thrown at her mother the night before. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see the tears in Ammi's eyes, hear her voice trembling as she said, "I never thought you would treat me this way, Zafrin." The guilt was suffocating, but Zafrin couldn't shake the frustration that had led her to lash out in the first place.

Her room felt like a cage, and she wanted nothing more than to hide from the world. But even that small comfort was denied as she heard voices downstairs. Her father's calm, steady tone and her mother's quieter sobs drifted up through the walls.

Taking a deep breath, Zafrin forced herself out of bed and made her way downstairs, the sound of her father's voice growing clearer with each step.

"It's not your fault, you know," Ahmed was saying softly, his hand resting gently on Nazriya's shoulder. "She's young, and she's under a lot of pressure. Gudiya didn't mean what she said."

Nazriya shook her head, wiping away her tears with the edge of her dupatta. "But she did. I could see it in her eyes, the way she looked at me. I've always tried to do what's best for her, but maybe I've been pushing her too much."

Ahmed sighed, sitting beside her. "You're her mother. You only want what's best for her, but sometimes kids don't see that right away. She'll understand eventually. Give her time."

Nazriya's voice cracked as she spoke. "She said she wished she wasn't my daughter, that she felt like I was treating her like a toy."

Zafrin's heart clenched painfully at those words, guilt flooding through her. She had been so angry, so overwhelmed by her own emotions, that she hadn't stopped to think about how deeply her words would cut. She wanted to run in, to apologize, to beg for forgiveness, but her feet stayed rooted to the floor just outside the living room.

"She didn't mean that," Ahmed said firmly. "Zafrin has always been independent, but she loves you. She's just trying to figure things out."

Nazriya sniffed, looking up at Ahmed with tear-filled eyes. "I just wanted her to be happy. I thought if she married Danish, it would make things easier for her. But maybe I've been wrong."