Hadh...Out of Limit

Chapter 1 : 'Shiza'

"I am just about to reach there. I will pick her up and then we will leave. Till then, just control your horses..!" , said a girl with silky straight black hair, hazelnut eyes, straight nose and round pair of lips that curved into a morning dawn smile. She was Zareen Osman, daughter of Nahid Bari and Rizat Osman. Her mother works in an NGO and her father is a small garment shop owner. Zareen stood in the middle of 'Chawk' market, conversing on phone. Chawk was a crowded place of old Allahabad. A busy market with cramped and scanty lanes half covered with roadside vendors and half with parked vehicles and bikes. The smell of food of different flavours were mixed together of labour and hard work.

Zareen then disconnected the call and proceeded towards a cluster of lanes. In one of the lanes was a shabby heavy built old huge house. It had dirty pale stonewalls that had left its youth and were beyond old, was the oldest house of the lane. The heavy Iron front gates that opened to a small stone pathway had imprints was years old stepping and had lost their shine. The door of the house barely looking alive, with the name plate 'Shiza', had just one thing live about it, the name plate. Outside the door, was a long doorway that surrounded the house, various degrees of decay followed the doorway. An old swing was placed on the far left side of the door, which was never used in the past 15 years and on the right was a squeaky rocking chair that needed heavy oiling. The sound of Children reciting a math table could be heard clearly, that came from the backyard.

"So this is all for today, tomorrow Complete your homework and come!" she announced.

To which the group of students sang melodiously, "Okay ma'am" The Students ran happily towards the gate as soon as the teacher told them to leave. "Anjum! called a man, from inside the house. Rauf Elbaz, the old male in the house. A small and lean body structure, Rauf was a man of humble attitude and polite nature. He was soft spoken and a respected man of his neighbourhood. He was, however, also a heart patient and had suffered a heart attack before.

"Yes Bhaijaan (brother)", answered Anjum, Rauf's sister-in Law. Anjum Edris, middle aged woman with fine features. She had a wheat tone and broad built. Anjum was an unmarried women, she did not marry specifically to take care of her niece. She had aged gracefully. Her black hair had streaks of grey in them, that sneaked from the veil that she kept on her head almost all the time. Anjum enters the house, where Rauf waited for her. "Is the lunch ready?" questioned Rauf politely.

"Sorry Bhaijaan, Actually today the Students came late, so I have not prepared anything yet. It will just take half an hour! I'll just make something!" Answered Anjum

"No problem Anjum, I will help you! You make the chapattis and I'll prepare the Vegetable", stated Rauf and then they started with the cooking. It was not just today, but Rauf often cooked and helped in the kitchen, sometimes he even prepares the whole meal alone. Anjum often helped Rauf in the shop. They had a small Grocery shop. They were not very Rich and had suffered a severe shortage of money. The house they lived in was an ancestral house.

"Assalamualaikum (Islamic way of greeting) Anni (Grandmother of Shiza is called Anni by everyone)", Zareen then enters the living room greeting merrily. To explain, the living room was a small well lit room overpopulated by furniture, behind it was a very small kitchen space also well adjusted and in a corner sat 4 chair and a small table, just beside it was the door to the backyard; on the far left side of the living room, near the window sat a huge box bed that was occupied by Shabnam Edris, the oldest lady in the house, with the almirah and by looking at the setting of the bed one could easily sum up that the whole world of hers is confined within the four corners of the bed, just beside it, were the stairs, which lead to a gallery, where there were three rooms. One in the front and two rooms on each side of the gallery. The stairs continued upwards to another door that lead to the terrace.

"Walekumassalam (reply to the greeting)", she replied while putting back the Holy book. Shabnam Edris, mother of Anjum Edris was an old woman with a stickman built. Hair on her head looked as if they never were black, a combination of orange and grey; they were a result of faded henna. She was not any near the age she was. She carried a cool granny image in her neighbourhood and was loved by everyone. However, due to her old age she had cramped knees and weak bones and walked with much difficulty.

"SHIZA!" she called out, "Shiza come down child Zareen is here!"

The Front door in the gallery following the living room stairs opened to a beautiful room with low ceiling and white walls. A small bed was placed right in the middle of the room. On the right was a small cupboard of clothes, beside it, a bookshelf with English Novels of fiction Romance, on the left side of the bedroom, was the bathroom, and beside the bathroom door was a grand Dressing table, which was a complete contrast to the low budged setup of the room. The Dressing table was an antic, it had beautiful wooden work, and a carving on the top-right corner, which said 'To Saba with Love'. The huge mirror was beautified with reflection of a girl. Shiza Saba Elbaz, daughter of Saba Elbaz, Rauf's sister. She wore a brown frock with a pair of white leggings and a wide white printed cotton scarf to go with it. She had a graceful touch to her Beauty. Her cheeks were like pink rose, smooth and soft. Her perfect carved lips that stretched in a wide mesmerising smile. She had a pink texture to her skin tone that complimented her blush. Her beauty was wrapped with simplicity. She had long, black hair confined in single braids, that enhanced the rose texture. Perfect blend with her look, was the golden heart and pure soul that she had. The highlight of her beauty was the pair of ocean eyes she owned. Her eyes had their own vocabulary, their own language; they talk and one is bound to reply with silence. They looked at you and you can feel the touch. They glance up at you with prayer, they bless; they meet you with love, they embrace; they look down with blush, they appreciate, and if they avoid you with vengeance, they burn. They had high ambitions, which could not be fulfilled due to lack of money; however, still they had high dreams. Shiza, a graduate, was perusing Masters from correspondence in business studies and had given her exams and waited results. She excelled always in her academics. Shiza was a Golden Bird of the family, that everyone took pride in.

She is 'Shiza'.