Over again

XXXVI

Aaliya didn't look up when Suraiya asked her son again.
'What is she doing here, Zain?'
'Mom please don't do this now.'
'I will do what ever I want in my house! Is that clear?'
'I came here to take my son home.'-Aaliya answered her.
'To take him home? Aaliya don't you know that he is home. Happy with his father and new family.'

Just then they heard Zaid's cry. He was crying and asking for his mom. Aaliya didn't wait not even the second anymore. She ran through the hall to the room where her little boy was.

'Zaid?'-she whispered his name. The room was dark. She couldn't see where her son was. Moving slowly through the room to not scare him, she didn't even realise that the light from the hall is coming into the room. She couldn't hear her son.
'Zaid?'-she called him again.

After a few moments she finally heard his angelic voice.
'Mommy?'-he called her slowly.
Aaliya ran to her son and picked him up in her arms.

'Oh Zaid.'-she hugged him thigh. Aaliya smelled him hair, kissed his forehead and beautiful cheeks. There were tears on his cheeks. She wiped it away.

Zain came into the room and turned the light on. At the room door were standing Suraiya and Usmaan. Zain looked at them. They didn't say a word. Suraiya looked at Aaliya and Zaid who were holding onto each other thighly. Usmaan slowly nodded and took Suraiya to their room.

Zain turned to look at the most beautiful scene ever. The mother and son reunited again. Zaid was silently crying in Aaliya's arms holding her hair while Aaliya was singing slowly in his ear. The boy soon stopped crying and fell asleep. Aaliya slowly put him down on the bed and put the blanket on him. She carried his hair and cheeks while Zaid still was holding onto her hair and arm.

Zain was just standing there and looked at them. His plan was to take Zaid away and bring Aaliya back in India. His plan worked. She was there, in his room taking care of their son. Just like he always imagined to see.

Aaliya looked at him and slowly moved away from Zaid to not wake him up. She sat at the end of bed and tapped the place next to her. Zain moved forward and sat next to her. She took his arm in hers.

'Thank you.'-she whispered.
'For what?'-he turned to look at her.
'For keeping Zaid safe. You know Zain, when I left you, I didn't have any will to live. Everything disappeared. I've lost you, our love, everything. I decided to remember you only as the man I loved and who betrayed me. That's what you were for me. A traitor. Someone who stole my heart and broke it.'
'Aaliya..'
'Shh.'-she put the finger on his lips. 'Please let me finish.'

She took a deep breath and continued.

'You remember that day when everything broke?'-she looked at him. Zain nodded.
'That day I will never forget. Even if I want to I can't. You've told me that you heard the gun shot and you thought that your father killed me. I've heard that shot too. Your father asked me to leave India and never come back. He didn't want you to live with me but he didn't want to hurt me neither. So he asked me to leave India and go back home. Somewhere where I belong. I wanted to tell him that I belong with you, here, but the feeling of betrayal always kept me silent. I couldn't talk, couldn't move. So I listened to your father. His man took me to the airport, we get back to the UK and they drove me back to my parents house. They did nothing to me. Only looked at me with pity. I still didn't say a word.'

She stood up and went near the window. The sunrise was looking magical from that place. But she didn't see the beauty of the new day. She was telling him her story. Aaliya didn't have nothing to hide from him anymore.

Zain came near her and touched her shoulder.

'When I went out of the car, I somehow went to my parents house. All the memories were there. My childhood, my sister, my broken heart. I rang the doorbell and after almost a 5 years I saw my mother. She was looking at me with the shock on her face. She whispered my name and I couldn't say her name. I just hugged her and cried in her arms for hours. We didn't even go inside the house. We sat there and cried. After a while my dad came back home. He ran up to us and asked us to go inside. And we did. They asked me what happened. Where have I been? Why am I back? So I told them everything. My dad hugged me then and that was the first time I saw him crying. The first time after Aayat-s death, he was crying. He told me:'I never wanted to make you feel like you don't belong here. Because you do. I always loved you more than myself. You're my favorite daughter. What I did that day I could never forget. The tears in your eyes and the broken heart always hurt me the most. Welcome back home, baby.' My dad took me in his arms and held me for so long. I felt loved again. That day mom cooked my favourite food. But I couldn't eat it. Then it started. The vomiting every morning, then I wanted to eat some special food and my mom would cook for me. I remember she asked me to go and check if I'm sick. I was scared you know. I didn't know what will the doctor say and I was all alone. The doctor did the check up and I was perfectly fine, except one thing. I was pregnant.'

'Wait. Are you trying to tell me how you did it all alone?'-Zain asked her, crossing his arms on the chest.
'Stop it. I'm trying to tell you how was it without you.'
'Okay okay. Sorry. I won't distub anymore. Please continue. Tell me everything.'

'I visited my gynecologist and she told me that I'm pregnant 2 months. I went back home and told it to my parents. They were so happy Zain. It was their first grandchild and they thought I'll never give them one.'
'Why one? We can give them more.'
Aaliya turned and slapped his arm.
'Ouch, sorry. I won't say a word anymore.'
'You better don't. Because I won't stop here.

'I was even more scared. I cried all night because I was all alone. I wanted you to be with me but you were away from me, living your life. The months passed by and I decided to come back to India. It was the time for you to know the truth. But when I came here, I found out that you're married and happy. I saw you with your wife and you were so happy. One of the employees told me that she's pregnant. I was 6 months pregnant then. So I came back home and said to my parents that I don't want to let you know that I'm alive and healthy. I didn't want to ruin your happiness. Meanwhile, John came back in my life. He asked me and my father to give the name to Zaid. I agreed even though dad wasn't sure about it because he wanted to give the name to my son. At the end he agreed to do it. That's how John became a part of our lives. We moved to USA and the rest of the story you know.'

'Wait. You've missed an important part of your life.'
'What part?'
'The delivery. How did you give birth to our son?'

Aaliya sit on the couch and Zain whiten next to her.

'It was an August, 22. When I felt the pain. It was 1 am and I couldn't breath. Jack was sleeping in the room next to mine and he heard my cry. He helped me to go and sit in the car and drove me to the hospital. My parents were with us. It was a long night for me. But I wanted you to be with me. Without you, I was afraid I can't do it. I gave a birth to the most beautiful baby at 7am that day. His weight was 3450g, long 55 cm. His hair was black and when I finally put him on my chest I forgot all the pain. He was my medicine that healed me.'

Zain was looking at his son who was sleeping on the bed. He turned to Aaliya and hugged her.
'I'm sorry Aaliya. I'm sorry for not being there. I'm sorry for letting us down. I'm sorry for hurting you. Please forgive me. I can't live without you and our son.'
'I forgave you a long time ago, Zain.'

Zain moved away and looked at her.
'You did?'
Aaliya nodded.
'Then come back Aaliya. Come back to me.'
'I can't.'
'But... why? Why not?'
'Aayat...'-she whispered.
Zain jumped on his feet.
'Oh my God, Aaliya I forgot to tell you. How stupid I am?'-he began to laugh.
'What you didn't tell me?'
'Aaliya..'-he came closer to her and took her arms.

'Aayat is alive.'