Lost

Part 2

Shut up Amna! Stop crying!! Your dad is dead!!!"

Fida shouted at her daughter. She hated Imran. He ruined her life. She never thought everything would end like this. She loved him once and that was her first mistake. She thought he'll be fun. He was attractive, mind blowing. Every other girl in her school eagerly waited for him to request for a date. But wasn't she the luckiest among everyone else? How proud she was to walk with him side by side being his girlfriend? How sad her friends had looked on their wedding day?
The life was filled with colorful butterflies. But everything changed on that unfortunate night when he met with this accident where he scarcely lost his life. She was thankful for his survival, but now she felt why it had to happen like this? The colours of their lives were stolen one by one and left her in dark. Everything just slipped by her hand leaving nothing but miseries in her life, just because of his change.
Imran spent his time at his work and the masjid. But he didn't forget to spend time with her, she thought sourly. But then again, what's the use? He wanted her to be like him. Follow his path which she didn't want to give a second thought of. Fida was a born Muslim but never a practicing one. She thought everything on their scripture the Holy Quran was outdated. She is not a rotten egg to accept everything in Islam and cover her beauty and do nothing but stay at home, be her husband's slave.
When she was pregnant, she thought it would bring back her Imran.  But he never changed. Every time when Imran came closer she felt him as a stranger. He wasn't colorful or glamorous. He stopped listening to his favorite music and even stopped smoking.
"He's gone crazy these days...being a father has driven him to this. It's not the Imran I knew...he's more like a terrorist with that weird beard"
Her friend Surayya said when she met her in the stores a few weeks ago. It had been nice meeting her. She didn't meet her friends for ages.

"What happened to your hair...it's just plain...doesn't he look after you now? Poor girl,"
Surayya touched a strand of her tinted brown hair and tossed it. Fida felt a shiver at first but then she felt happy for her beauty was adored by someone, after all someone cares about her. She gave a brief smile being ashamed of herself. Imran didn't force her to stop going to the beauty parlor. It was her pregnancy stopped her by doing what she liked. But now since the baby was born why doesn't she move around like she was used to be?
"Everyone is missing you. What a charming girl you had been. I'm sure everyone is going to be startled seeing you like this."

The meeting of Surayya brought hope to her darkening life. She expected him to deny but he smiled approving her.
"I can't force you to do anything, honey. Be conscious of what you are doing."
She didn't want to start a quarrel. After all he said okay, she'd thought bitterly. Thanks to whoever, childbirth didn't cost her much to be back with her normal figure, healthy and beauty, instead it had given more color to her face. She adored her beautiful features in the mirror. The beautician did a good job with her thick eyebrows too.
"you are pretty." She whispered with a long breath inhaled while staring at her reflection with admiration.
"What would they say seeing me like this?"

She saw many women entirely change after giving a child birth. Hanging belly and extra curves were something she hated to have.
she was extremely satisfied with the reflection the mirror showed.

A few days later she got a call from Surayya inviting her to the birthday party, Surayya elder son turning three.

"Say you will come, please honey, we'll be waiting for you."

Her lips curled hearing her friend's request. Imran first hesitated but she was tactful enough to convince him.
"I'll come to pick you"
He said dropping them at Surayya's place. When she heard him she turned blue. She didn't like the idea at all. She didn't want to ruin the party.

"Don't worry, we will look after both your angels...you carry on with your work."
reading her mind Surayya said. Imran smiled out of courtesy.

"You don't have to ask permission for everything Fida...it's your life, your freedom. I feel sorry for you...but anyway..." Surayya waved her hand in air and then took a good look at her friend. Fida's lips curled watching her friend's appreciative gaze wandering over her. "You look gorgeous!"