Hiding You Somewhere New

Chapter 2 - The Book Of Fate

Dear Love,

  I once sat up in the middle of the night and stared out the window. I swear, I saw millions of fingers pointing at us, telling us that we were just two flames of fire that were bound to burn out everything. You would never believe me but when I blinked, they were still standing there. They live in my conscience even till this day.

__________

When Yumna was about to turn eleven, the world was a symphony to her strong bones; people were an intellectual construct, their lives an amusing art and the lies she detected among elders were pearls among her interests. Later in her life, she'd look back in her memories and laugh bitterly — how foolish of her to consider people interesting, how childish was this idea. However, this part of her was a treasure kept in secret. Because among the many curious things that happened in her life, this one was a marvelous flower that would have bloomed her for eternity; if only it had.

Sightseeing of birds is liked all around the world. Yumna on the other hand, was on a slightly different path. She found out, one humid day in July, that she was interested in sightseeing of humans. Zarafshan, the mother of Yumna, had gone to the nearest shopping center, the rest of the children of the house had gone to their relatives' house and the elders were all out on their jobs. It was the first time Yumna was alone in the house under the supervision of the aged driver sitting in the porch outside.

Out of boredom, she had roamed around the house, each room included, for about four times to be exact. And each time she passed by the mirror hanging in the hallway — which was way above her height — she'd jump and try to look back at her reflection. However, all she got back was the glimpse of the dancing ends of her brunette hair in the mirror.

When she could think of nothing to do, she abandoned the gloomy rooms, climbed up the stairs against her Mama's orders and walked out to the terrace. The moment she set eyes on the sky, it was barren — just a pale blue had been set up high.

"Is that really what emptiness feels like? An empty sky? Mama said I would know of it when my heart tells me so," she whispered to herself. It was learning new things about life that amused her and had been the best thing she had encountered till then. She had a heart for nature, especially cloudy skies. Far away, behind a building, she could see slight linings of a cloud now. She smiled suddenly. "And that has to be what hope feels like. Someday, I'll grasp the cloud in my hand and cuddle with it."

Her thoughts were suddenly disrupted when she heard a clamor from below the street. She stood up on her toes, inched forward on the dusty railing and peeked below. Two men stood outside the main gate of the house opposite to her house.

"You will pay for your doings," the man with the enormous, oily nose shouted at another weak man.

"Oh, we shall see who it is that needs to pay," said the weak man with his calm composure.

To Yumna, this particular event seemed important. She had noticed it all; the fidgeting and boiling behaviour of enormous nose, the peaceful and sound response of a weakling and the art of argument under the directions of melodrama.

"Again with that annoying patient behaviour of yours, Bhai Jan, brother dear! I dare say you are the true face of devil."

"You're at mistake, Asfar. If you see devil in me, it's only your reflection..."

The weakling hadn't yet finished his sentence when Baba Abdullah, the driver, called her from the porch below. "Yumna Bibi," he said in a low voice, "Come down my child. Your mother will not be pleased to see her daughter hanging off the railing of a terrace."

"But Abullah Baba..." The voices outside were now getting distant yet they turned more ferocious.

"Come down, child." Baba Abdullah was now looking straight at Yumna. It was the same look he always gave her when Yumna was doing something dangerous or troublesome.

With defeat, Yumna came downstairs and walked out in the porch where he was waiting for her.

"Can I talk to you about something, Abullah Baba?" Yumna had often come to Baba Abdullah to talk about life and listen to his experienced talks. He was a wise man being so close to entering his sixties.

They both sat on a charpoy* set at the end of the porch. The voices outside had now vanished altogether.

"Is it normal, Abullah Baba, for them to fight like this? Is my Papa going to fight with Taya, Uncle, like this?"

"Not at all my child. I pray from Allah that none of this ever happens in your family." Baba Abdullah looked worried for a moment. He now turned to look at the blooming flowers in the garden. "Yumna Bibi, sometimes you see weird things happening in this world. I dare say, the matters of this world are beyond your and my mind. Brothers fight, relatives curse, parents are left to rot in solitude. But you, my little bacha, child, I know you will never let things like this happen. Years before when you were watching us from the skies above, sadness was looming over your family but your existence brought back the happiness of your family.

"Remember my words. As long as you are strong and good, this family will stay together. Don't let the world effect your pureness, Yumna Bibi."

Yumna said nothing but smiled. To her young mind, not all the dimensions of this made sense but Baba Abdullah wished that some day Allah would remind her of these words; for his years of experience told him that the plans for special people are indeed special.

Both of them were lost in thoughts when a woman draped in an embroidered dupatta* over her head clicked open the lock of the main gate and entered the house. When Zarafshan saw her daughter with Baba Abdullah, she smiled and asked her to come inside as it was now time for him to leave.

Yumna stood up to go back inside but stopped midway. "One more thing. Who do you think was the good guy?" She looked back at him.

"That's a tricky question, my child. Because one cannot be sure of goodness, not without having a look inside one's heart."

Yumna had no idea how she could see inside someone's heart? Did she need a doctor then? Only he could safely show the heart of a person and then safely tug it back in. Had her Abullah Baba lost his sense? She mentally scolded herself for thinking like that.

Not understanding the point of Baba Abdullah, Yumna made a different evaluation than him. She had told herself that calm and patient people, those who seem silent as the empty sky, are good guys. So she wished, with all her heart that she could become like the weak man, the one who was good and calm.

It was ironical how a new direction to the story of this little girl could be seen in the book of fate; a girl who had misunderstood the definitions of good and bad. 

__________

Glossary:

Names: Zarafshan, Yumna, Abdullah, Asfar.

Baba: The word Baba basically means an old man but it's often used to address elder men with respect in Urdu.

Bibi: The word Bibi basically means a respected woman. It's often used by workers of a house to address the women. Like we use Miss in English. 

Dupatta: A length of material worn arranged in two folds over the chest and thrown back around the shoulders, typically with a shalwar kameez,

Charpoy: A light bedstead consisting of a web of rope or tape netting.