The Inevitable Fate

CHAPTER 13 The Girl He Loved

The darkness of the night was deepening but Alia was unable to sleep. She turned around, closed her eyes tight, she tried to count sheeps nothing worked well. The guilt of Ahaan being sad and subjected, just because he tried to save her was killing Alia now. She very well knew how upset he would be right now. She got up beneath the starry sky and walked down to the kitchen.

Ahaan gasped, Alia could hear it, while she entered the room. He was lying opposite to wardrobe, hiding his face in the pillow. She went and sat next to him, resting her back on the wall and slowly running her fingers in his hair. Ahaan knew this touch. He got up, wipping his face "You still awake?" he asked with a forced smile. "Yes of course, or else how would I be here" she said, handing him a glass of turmeric milk. He drank it slow and quiet.

Ahaan could no longer pretend as if everything was OK. Alia did not force him to talk as well, but tears are uncontrollable. He slowly laid his head on Alia's lap and cried like a baby, "I've sacrificed so much for this family... they never understood me... all they do is... taunt... why are they ungrateful... and and ... Aliza...." he cried as Alia held him tight. Soon, he gradually fell asleep.

Alia brushed his hair. She was tired of all the drama that had happened the whole day. She leaned on the wall behind, closed her eyes and thought..... "Aliza bhabhi.....

I knew many things about her. 5 years back, when we had came here to attend kuwair bhai's wedding, that was the time when me and Ahaan bhai started to talk a lot. Aliza bhabhi was the reason, even though she wasn't married to any of my brother but she was still bhabhi for me, Ahaan bhai's one and only love.

Bhai told me... he was 16 when he first met her. In a college fest, she was busy performing her dance, while he was cheerily falling more and more for her at the back stage. He fell for her then, for her beauty, for her grace. When he confessed his feelings to her, she merrily agreed. Both of them were happily committed, but this was not a forever happiness in their life.

During Kuwair bhai's wedding, me and Ahaan bhai used to stay up late at nights, talking about the girl he loved. He had told me almost everything about the lady, from their first meeting to her favorite color, I knew everything and right now, the only thing that I don't remember about her is her face, but I remember bhai having a small passport size photo of the lady in his wallet.

The image that I had seen was a real enchantment. Years ago, he was deeply in love. I still can't forget the way his eyes shone whenever he talked about her. After every small fight with the lady, he used to isolate himself and get locked in his room. Later when things were solved, he used to treat us all with chocolates and ice-creams. Somewhere I knew that I actually know a lot more about her than any of the other family member, but no one knows about my knowledge.

People in the family obviously did know about these things, everyone except his father knew about his relationship. I was immature at that time to understand all this. It seemed like a pass time to me. Whenever bhai talked about her I enjoyed a lot but little did we know that soon, dark clouds were about to come in their clear bright sky.

I remember, that day, a day before Kuwair bhai's Nikaah, Zeeshaan, Sharaya and Sumaira locked me in Ahaan bhai's room, no one was at home that day. They told me all about what exactly Nisha phuppi wants, they had come to ask for my approval to marry Ahaan bhai and all I could say was, "Then what about Aliza bhabhi?" I did not say yes nor did I say no. Now I think, how much would have my opinion mattered there, at that situation. I was still just a kid.

Later I realized that my cousins were just puppets, the real mastermind behind the whole plan was Nisha phuppi. She truly wanted me and Ahaan bhai to be together ever since I was born. For that, Aliza bhabhi was a hurdle. It was not a big deal for Nisha phuppi to detach her from the way.

A week later, when we had returned back to Mashaal, after the marriage, mom got a call that Ahaan bhai is going abroad, he had got a job. It was strange, a 19 year old boy, the topper, had accepted to leave all his studies and travel abroad just for money. That wasn't the Ahaan bhai I had known.

2 years back, when I had visited Jagerfort, Sharaya told me about the misfortune that happened after Ahaan bhai left. She told me he was actually forced to go, his parents had brain washed him. He was blackmailed to go if he wanted to get married to his choice. Once he left, these people went to Aliza bhabhi's house. They disclosed Bhai's relation to her parents and in the fear of further humiliation, Aliza bhabhi's father decided to leave the town. Although they never saw her but they still rejected her.

The couple had succeeded in their plan and Ahaan bhai's love lost. After talking to Sharaya, I had a conversation with Ahaan bhai. He poured his heart in front of me. He told me that the last thing he ever received from bhabhi was a message, a message to end everything, which read, 'Ahaan, I think your parents are right, it is better that we separate. Walk ahead and live your life, never turn back to contact me by any source. I am leaving this town. I am leaving your life in the hope that you will understand your responsibilities towards your family. Stay away from me, stay happy' Bhai was broken. I was shocked to hear this. The last thing I got to know was that, bhabhi had got married. I immediately stalked her facebook. It showed relationship status 'Married'.

Only then I knew what exactly had broken Ahaan bhai. His own parents had burnt his desires. In the urge to find the BEST for their son, they lost their son.

Ahaan bhai completed his studies and decided to stay abroad so as to distract himself. After years, he has returned back now, and I am creating more troubles for him. Why is all this happening? What does fate want from us....

Alia fell asleep soon. When she woke up early in the morning, she was still sitting there, her back pained while Ahaan was sleeping, crawled up like a baby, his head on her thigh. She gently laid his head on the pillow and ran her fingers in his hair. "Allah, please ease my bhai's life" she said and walked down stairs.

Eventually everyone woke up. The breakfast was prepared, Niyaaz and his family had returned back. Ahaan woke up and kept himself isolated, whereas Kuwair on the other hand was enjoying the stay with his cousins and played around with kids. Alia was quiet but confused. 'Maybe Ahaan bhai was right about this man' she thought. Later, Alia, and Sharaya made sure that Ahaan was not left alone and they tried to cheer him up.

Meanwhile, all the siblings were chilling in the verandah that afternoon along with Shadid and Waqqar. "What is wrong in what Ahaan wants?" asked Niyaaz "He wants to solve his problems on his own, so let him appi" Shadid "We can't let him decide what he is supposed to do, anymore now" Kinza "We don't know the whole story, how can you blame him bhaijaan?" Ashima "Story? It's all due to Alia, I saw her standing in between both the brothers" Subhaan "Oh please Ashima, stop blaming Alia, Ahaan is not a toddler anymore. He knows what's good for him" Niyaaz "I still feel that you must just let your son be the way he wants, let him do whatever he wants"

Nisha shouted "NO! We have seen it once, now no more." Kinza "O c'mon baaji, it's been years now, she's gone." When suddenly, Zoya came out, to ask her father's help her in plucking fruits from the backyard. Subhaan left with Zoya.

Ashima said "You still think Alia will be good for your son? Even after everything that happened yesterday" Nisha "Alia is the best for him." Shadid "Moreover, she'll only be a bird with no wings after the marriage. Ahaan will be in our control." Waqqar "Take care bhai! That girl is not easy to tackle down" Niyaaz "So what is the plan? When are you gonna talk to her?" Nisha "She's with Ahaan right now, the more time they both spend together, more beneficial it will be, for our plan. After all we can use it all against her." Shadid "Besides everything, a wedding is just over in the house. Now wait and watch."

Unfortunate was the fate, Alia had overheard everything, she couldn't believe, what had just happened. She was shook, she couldn't move. She stood near the stairs and no one knew anything about her existence there. 'What should I do now?' she thought as she ran up and down the stairs with every thought that came to her nind like 'Should I tell bhai?... No, he's already tensed. Tell dad?... No, I don't have any proof. Sharaya, Zee?... NO NO NO, I can't tell this to anyone.' Tears rolled down her cheek, her head bursted with pain. She sat down clenching her hair. Her own family gave her more pain than any enemy could.