Wabasta | Complete ✔

Chapter 19

2 months later

Zindagi mausamo ki tarah hoti hai. Kabhi ek jagah ruk ke nahi rehti. Hamesha apna rukh badalti rehti hai. Kabhi sakht sard ki tarah har taraf andhera kar deti hai, kabhi suraj ki pehli kirno ki jaise chaaro taraf muskurahatein chhor jaati hai. Insaan chahe kitna bhi ehtiyat karle, hairat toh hamesha hogi. Kyunki mausam aur waqt kabhi dastak dekar nahi badalte.

It was late afternoon and weather had turned pleasant in Lahore. The kind of day you would like to just stay in and not move around at all. That's exactly what Firdaus felt like. She came back home an hour earlier and sat down on the couch near the window with a book, looking out from time to time to appreciate the beauty of a weather they had been blessed with. It was her kind of a perfert Sunday afternoon, which had left a smile on her face.

The rest of the house was empty. Zaitoon and Shagufta had gone to the market and had let her know that they were going to be a little late. Aman said he had some work outside and so he will join them later for dinner. She was rarely left alone like this, but she did not mind it anymore. The apprehension, the fear of a relapse was gone now. She was clean and that is how she planned to be for the rest of her life.

For the past two months, ever since Zubin's death, she had been religiously visiting a daytime rehab center where they helped her get over her addiction. There were regular check ups and tests done to keep her health in check. It was not easy at all, especially in the beginning. Temptation, agonizing pain, tremors, nightmares. The worst types of withdrawal symptoms all at once. But her strength was greater than her demons. Everytime she had the urge to take drugs again, she would think of her father and how terribly disappointed he would be. She would think of his words, and how they always gave her courage even when he was not around anymore. His absence would always haunt her, but instead of letting that be her weakness she wanted to turn it into her strength, and so she did. Firdaus Dawood Jahan faced her fears and fought it till it was gone.

She was on the last few pages of her book when the doorbell rang. Getting up, she quickly fixed her dupatta and walked to the door and opened it.

"Aman? Tum toh late aane wale the -"

She stopped mid sentence when her eyes fell on the figure standing behind Aman. A lump formed in her throat and for a second she forgot everything.

"Look who's here." Aman moved to his right to give them a better view of each other.

"Sheher kya chhor ke aa gayi tune toh humein bhula hi diya." She said with a wide smile on her face.

"Jannat tum...tum yahan..." She looked at Aman who was now smiling back at her.

"Maine nahi bulaya." He raised his hands in protest. "Yeh madam Lahore ayi hui thi. Uss din mall mein humein deikhliya aur phir mera collar pakarne aa gayi." He laughed.

"Haan toh? Nahi pakarna chahiye tha? Tumhe itne dino se pata hai ke yeh yahan Lahore mein hai, aur tum bhi yahan iske liye ruk gaye, lekin humein toh bhai kisi ne kano kaan khabar bhi hai hone di. Unfair!"

Firdaus hesitated. "Aisi baat nahi hai, woh...actually..."

"Bas bas rehen de. Meri shikayaton ki list shuru hogayi na toh kabhi khatam nahi hogi. Pehle andar toh ane de ya phir darwaaze par hi khare rehne ka irada hai?"

She nervously chuckled and opened the door wider to let them in. Jannat looked around the house for a bit before the three settled into a sofa in the living room.

"Um, main chai le aati hoon."

"It's okay, tum log baatein karo. Main chai le aata hoon." Aman got up at once before she had the chance to move.