Father of the Bride

Chapter 28: Ashes to ashes.

With a blue blanket wrapped around her shoulders, Mahnoor sat on the hospital bed staring at the blue curtains. Sirens, screams, echoed deafeningly in her mind. The stench of smoke clogged her lungs. She could feel the heat upon her skin, burning her. The attentive nurse wiped away the blood from the laceration on Mahnoor's forehead. Mentally, the nurse noted the footprint mark on the side of her face, the teeth marks on her neck breaking into Mahnoor's skin. Someone had attacked the patient before the fire.

"I'll just get a doctor." The nurse put down the antiseptic wipe eager to call a doctor to assess the extent of her injuries.

However, Mahnoor couldn't rest. She could hear Amirah's screams when the fireman shook his head and confirmed he didn't find anyone else in the house. The paramedics quickly took Amirah, Ayaaz and Mahnoor into the ambulance to attend to their injuries. Mahnoor refused to believe Khizar was dead. Her heart was still beating so he had to be alive.

So, she stood up and threw off the blue blanket and drifted into the cubicles in search for Khizar. Traipsing around the hospital like a lost soul, she ached to see Khizar. Somewhere. Anywhere. He had to be alive.

Finding her way at the reception desk, commotion ensued. A familiar voice broke into Mahnoor's chaotic mind. Leaning against the front reception desk was Kabir his forehead creased with lines of anger. Behind him was his mother draped in a white shawl tugging her son for answers from the English-speaking receptionist.

A shudder ran down Mahnoor's spine when she looked at the wrinkles on Khizar's mother's face. It was fear that crippled her. Mahnoor dragged her feet making her presence known to Robina Bibi. The 67-year-old woman glared at Mahnoor's state in terror. Mahnor wore Khizar's jacket. Tears smeared along her cheeks. Robina Bibi feared the worst.

"What happened?" Kabir questioned and stepped forward.
When Kabir called Khizar's mobile, Mahnoor took the mobile out of Khizar's jacket and answered. Mahnoor spoke little. Kabir collected scraps of mumbled words, 'Fire. Khizar. Amirah. House.'

Panic struck him. He jumped into his trousers and left his father with the neighbour and raced to the hospital with his mother. Robina looked at Mahnoor with her palms up and cried out.
"Ya Allah! What happened? You said there was a fire. The children have just married; how can this happen?" Robina cried.
"A fire. It destroyed the house." Mahnoor began. "Amirah and Ayaaz are okay."
"So why did you have Khizar's phone?" Kabir looked at his brother's jacket on Mahnoor's shoulder. Nothing made sense. It frustrated him.
"Where is Khizar? Tell me!" He fisted his hands. But it didn't make sense to Robina Bibi who looked at her son in worry.
"What was my Khizar doing there?" Robina Bibi asked. "Where is my Amirah? Ya Allah! Both of them!" She cried out.
"Mum calm down!" Kabir scolded her. "We don't know anything yet."
"But they only just married, what kind of curse has befallen them?"

Mahnoor gazed into Robina's narrow eyes. Robina sensed something was wrong.
"Mera Khizar?" She pressed her hand on her weak heart. "Kaha hai mera beta? (Where is my son?)"

"H-he came to help, ammi." Mahnoor's voice trembled. She bowed her head looking at her quivering hands. "H-he took me out of the house."
"Nahi. (No)" Robina shook her head and reached for her son for support. "Nahi."
"They....." Mahnoor's lower lip quivered. She couldn't bring herself to complete the sentence.
"They didn't find him...." Mahnoor broke down burying her face into her hands. Her shoulders shuddered and pumped tears into her eyes. With the house, her love went up in flames. Darkness encompassed her. A long painful ache throbbed in her chest. Kabir held his mother supporting her upright.
"It's okay ammi. Nothing happened to Khizar." He denied Mahnoor's impoverished state. It couldn't be true. Mahnoor wished she could believe Kabir's hollow words. But it would be a lie.
"Beta, find my Khizar." Robina pleaded to Kabir tugging his shirt. "Kaha hai mera Khizar? (Where is my Khizar.)"