Redemption

37| Pensive

Assalam-o-Alaikum

Update! A little longer this time. 

37| Pensive 

"Mominah beta tumhen sochna chaiye is rishtey k barey mein. Ahmad acha insaan hea, mein zaati tor per janta hoon usey. Phir wo bhi doctor or tum bhi. Sochna zaroor"

"JI mein Inn Shaa Allah soch ker bataoon gi Maulana sahab" Mominah replied, keeping all the pain and restlessness inside her as he stood in front of her keeping the wooden cane firm on the ground over which he supported his weight.

"Maulana sahib wo madrasey k liye kuch cheezen lai thi mein, wo Arshad ko bol ker apki ghari mein rakhwa di hen or..." Mominah stopped as she caught sight of him, he walked out from behind the curtain and stood in the door frame. She smiled softly.

"Assalam-o-Alaikum! Come in, why are you standing outside?" she was asking, Maulana sahib turned and looked at the boy, it seemed only yesterday when he was a toddler in his arms and today standing taller than himself.

"What will you think Ammi?" he asked frowning as he refused to step inside. Mominah frowned a little. "you said you will think and reply, what will you think about when you know it has to be a NO" he further added in the same tone and Mominah's frown faded.

"I heard you people talking, am sorry dadoo but Ammi is not marrying anyone, ap mana ker dijiye unhen" He then turned towards Maulana sahib.

"Mager Haider beta....

"Please Dadoo" But Haider raised his palm up, softly but firmly stopped him.

The 13 years old Haider then turned grumpily towards his mother who stood there, stunned and quiet. "How can you even think about getting married Ammi, you have always said that you still love my father then how can you even think about starting a new life with someone else than him?" Haider was asking.... Accusing her for something she didn't even do.

"Ap bhool gai hen Abbu ko, you have forgotten him, you don't love him anymore. You have sent dadi away from us and now you want to kick Abbu out form our lives, hea na?" Haider's voice raised and eyes bloodshot as he accused her.

"Haider beta hamari bat suno, Mominah to....

"Naheen Maulana sahib, bolney dijiye isey. Is k sawal ghalat to nai" Mominah had a soft smile across her lips, soft but grim.

Haider's eyes had turned moist. "Will you betray him Ammi?" and his words stabbed Mominah's heart. "Please don't do this, I can never accept anyone as my father...anyone but him, who was and is and will remain my father" his words loud and firm and clear.

"You have always told me stories about him, about my father, you have always forbade me to utter even a single word against him even after the fact that he let you suffer alone. Ub aadat ho gai hea Ammi, mujhy aadat ho gai hea unhi ko sochta hoon, unhi ko apne ird gird mehsoos kerta hoon. He is my father and I will never...." He stopped, he saw a tear escaping his mother's eye. His own eyes flowing rivers but he couldn't notice up till now when he saw her smiling a grim and painful smile with moisture in her eyes.

"Ammi!!!......" I could feel a tear rolling down my eye as I sat there leaned with the pillar over that plush maroon floral carpet in the mosque.

My gaze moved up and I saw him sitting there in the little crowd; the man my mother loved all her life, the man she lived for. Hussain, my father. 

He was not that far from me I could feel his presence; his knees bent up and arms wrapped around, a white knitted cap covering his head under which I could feel he still had those hair Ammi used to tell me about Bilkul bhi baap per nai gaye tumharey bal... unk baal to itney achey thy, tail lagaya karo Haider. Ganjey ho jao ge beta!.....