Kaneez - A wife of his duties

4. Among mercies, erred

Chapter IV

             Among mercies, erred.

‘what are you musing?’ Ahmed asked. He pushed a first morsel of paratha into his mouth.

‘Nothing,’ Aaima replied tender-heartedly. She knew the best way to accept that fact that will be happening soon.

‘Hmm,’ Ahmed sounded while eating paratha.

Aaima ate his words for peacefulness of her sweet home.

                            ***

The birds displayed flight of steep flapping rose. Bubbles rose to the surface of water. The wind howled and created the rise and fall of the waves. The birds were singing outside their window and received warmth from rising sun.

Fatima watched and giggled with the singing of birds.

‘Fatima....’ Aaima called up to her daughter, who was at the top of the stairs. She was standing near the window.

‘Fatima, beta,’ once again Aaima called her up. She was humming with it(bird).

Aaima had to go near to Fatima. She uttered her name out with angriness.

‘Jee, jee ammi jee,’ Fatima replied vaguely while she turned her face towards her mother.

‘Uff!’ Aaima tensed briefly and exhaled before responding. ‘Have you ever listened that anyone may talk with birds?’ Aaima asked with waggling her head.

A quick waggle of Fatima’s head to indicate “no”

Aaima kept her glance on Fatima.

‘I am just trying to sing with the sweet voice of the elegant birds,’ she continued. ‘I am just want to be like these (made a turn towards the window) grasswindow birds.

‘You and your thoughts.’ Aaima rounded her eyes. ‘come downstairs with me and eat some morsels.’ She stepped downstairs. ‘Breakfast is necessary for alive the dreams,’ she uttered out while going towards the kitchen.

                             ***

Ahmed was walking along with the road. He was murmuring something and held Tasbih among his fingers.

Ahmed spread out his glances over his house that stood up with numerous houses. They had a first home on the sea.

‘Good morning,’ said Ahmed as he entered the house.

‘morning,’ Aaima replied during to set up breakfast on the mat.

‘Baba.....’ Fatima ran up from the stairs to get her father’s hug.

‘My princess,’ Ahmed extended his arms. Her teeny-weeny body filled in the arms of her father. Fatima was very dear to her father. Ahmed wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. Then, he hold her innocent skinny face and planted a kiss on her forehead before they started breakfast. That cherishable moment happened daily.

‘Nafeesa beta, eat up,’ Ahmed glanced around at everyone and found Nafeesa - his daughter sat silently. Her food untouched as she stared at food blankly.

Aaima sighted her. ‘I give Nafeesa her food. She is too small to feed herself,’ Aaima told.

‘Then you’d keep care. Feed her breakfast first,’ Ahmed did precept calmly.

Aaima nodded.

                              ***

Bright stars adorned the sky beautifully. Ahmed gazed up at the stars. Hundreds of the stars was shining in the sky. It was clean and clear, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Ahmed laid in the open, widely yard.

‘You have just butchered your daughters.’ Aaima sat together with Ahmed and expressed annoyance at her husband.

‘What happened?’ Ahmed asked calmly without looking at Aaima. He kept glance at adorned sky.

‘Both isn’t listen me. They do what they want. I repeated warnings but they have continued to flout,’ Aaima complained.

‘After all they are kids,’ Ahmed had just commented.

‘You have made them flouters.’ Aaima rounded her eyes. She had mad to treat them lonely at home.

‘Bachyaan hain.’ A soft smile gazed around his lips. ‘They came on a mission of mercy to provide love and affection.’ Ahmed woke straight up to Aaima and said while thinking. ‘I am thinking for transfer back to our home town.’

‘hmm.. I am also wanting to go back. At least I was with Haleema and Inayat that helped me to take care of Fatima and Nafeesa.’ Aaima began to open her own excogitations. She said right. After the birth of Nafeesa and grew up of Fatima, Haleema and Inayat went good behaviour with them. They fell for their naughtiness and playing innocently.

‘I am also missing them after all they are my family too,’ Ahmed uttered out, the corner of his lips curving up into a smile. ‘They were not living with me, but they were near to me,’ he knew. ‘and yeah, Qabeer, he is solely living there. It is hard for him.’

When Aaima listened, she became statue.  I was thinking we have come here and the relaxed ambience of this city changed him but no, he would never change. He never changed for her beloved princess whom he loves the most. But I think he loves Qabeer more than Fatima. Aaima scared.

                               ***

The window was rolled down and air rushed through, ruffling their hair.

Ahmed suddenly opened his eyes and heard the cracking sound of window, touching to the wall again and again.

He glanced around at Aaima who was sleeping. Ahmed woke up slowly and left Aaima in the chaar-paaye, walking to the room where Fatima and Nafeesa fell sleep.

Ahmed closed the window that made sound whilst looking at the kids that they couldn’t wake up an account of that sound.

My princess. Ahmed went near where they fell sleep peacefully. The wind ruffled Fatima’s hair, blowing it from her face. Their father is alive for set up whatever go vitiate to you. Ahmed wiped a hand across her cheek to remove her hair from her cheek.

Whenever sun sets in the west after, with a new day must rises in the east. Normality this morning had done with the sun rises the birds started singing.

The eyes of Fatima opened when her father’s voice kept on her ears.

‘wake up, my princess,’ Ahmed called them loudly because he sat so far from them.

Fatima rubbed his eyes, draped dupatta that was laying beside her and she covered her head. Fatima is only five years old and knew all the manners at the very early age.

‘come one, wake up! Because we’re going to have a picnic on the beach,’ Ahmed announced.

Nafeesa opened her eyes and woke up. ‘wow baba, we are going to the beach,’ Nafeesa excited.

‘beach,’ Fatima rounded her eyes. ‘we are living near to the beach and I am watching daily the beauty of beach,’ she continued. ‘and baba, we have gone there many times,’ Fatima pouted.

‘Fatima beta, this is the last time we go to the beach,’ Ahmed told. He still sat along with Aaima who boiled water for tea.

A view from kitchen to the room is very clear. Their house consisted one bedroom, a kitchen and yard on the ground and stairs started from at the end of kitchen. One room was constructed on the first floor.

‘why baba,’ Fatima confused.

‘because we are shifting at our own city and own house,’ Ahmed smiled. ‘This is our last weekend here. Hang around the city of lights. We will go to park next and eat ice-cream too.’

‘That’s great.’ Nafeesa clapped.

Fatima went into bundles of thought.

‘I have applied for my transfer. In sha Allah as we will go to our place, I will talk to Qabeer for this proposal. Defiantly he will haply.’ Ahmed smiled while talking along thinking.

Fatima and Nafeesa started to prepare for the picnic.

Aaima smiled too but fake one. Being a responsible father and lover of daughters you have done many mercies upon your daughters but sorry to say, soon you will do very bad for your princess. Tea has been prepared, now Aaima put it into cups.

                              ***

Ahmed and Aaima sat on the mat that laid on the sand and on the wind direction.

Fatima and Nafeesa were playing in the sand.

Their parents were looking at then while conversing between.

Fatima and Nafeesa was making houses from sand on the corner of end of the seashore. Whenever they came there, they had a competition to see who could make better sand house.

‘Arrey beta, what is this? You have made a house with many widely windows, but where is a door?’ A man asked. There was a slight tremble in his voice.

Fatima sighted once at her new made sand house then looking at that person questioningly.

He seemed an old man he had a white and long beard. An old man hold stick between his fingers. He shivered damp cold.

‘If there was not windows it works but little bit hardness you may face but if the main door is missed how you can come and go?’ An old man whispered. He stood against Fatima. And Fatima looked at him in confusion.

Nafeesa was busy to make her own sand house that she could win.

Ahmed and Aaima was busy talking each other. They may talk about a serious issue.


‘Only solitary waves can come from windows, and you will keep in confinement,’ An old man said and went off as juggle of Fatima’s eyes. He vanished as Fatima blinked her eyes.

‘What happened? Why are you keeping mum? Don’t have you had competition with me?’ so many questions asked Nafeesa but Fatima was still in shock that what happened a while ago.

‘Leave it Nafeesa, I win,’ Nafeesa nodded herself.

                                         ***

Akbar Hussain sat on the chair, typing something on the computer. Cupboards stoop up from her left and right sides filled with different colours of files.

The door was knocked.

‘yes,’ Akbar Hussain uttered during typing.

The door opened, Ahmed burst through the door with a paper carried into his hand.

Akbar Hussain sighted once then turned his glance on computer once again.

Ahmed slowly came and dragged the chair in front of Akbar Hussain, the administrator. He sat silently.

‘Now what’s problem?’ Akbar Hussain asked, kept glance at computer.

‘Why my transfer was rejected?’ Ahmed questioned in the answer of Akbar’s question.

‘Make more experience here.’ The administrator smiled at Ahmed.

‘but I’ve do my job here for three years.’

Administrator Akbar gazed at him in astonishment. ‘your need is here not there,’ Akbar Hussain said and continued his work.

Ahmed Sahab kept silent.

To be continued.......

Three Questions ???

Now what will do Ahmed?

If he will not go to his town, then will fatima be free from Qabeer's relation in the very early age?

Or, Ahmed will resign the job and go to his town?

Find out answers and must tell me in the comments blow. May be It will helpful for me😊

Thanks😊