Living A Lie (Temporarily On Hold)

Chapter Four

Dedication: @chocolate_truffle Jazakallah khair for all your support (and the awesome comments, of course). I love reading your comments and talking to you. :)

Chapter Four

December 1993

The words she had heard from the man standing before her only a few moments ago, rang in her head. Her mind refused to believe anything that had been said, but the solemn expression the man's face portrayed, told her otherwise. The words were true no matter how much she wanted to deny them. Her body was frozen in its place, her hand holding the door open and her gaze fixed on the man in front of her. She would've collapsed right then and there had it not been for her hand that held the door and kept her upright.

"I'm sorry, madam, but I have to go now."

With a nod, the man turned around and left the still frozen woman. Soon after he left, she was brought out of her trance by the wail of her youngest son. She closed the front door and with slow, staggering steps she made her way to her crying child. She took the one year old in her arms and instead of trying to stop his cries, she found herself crying along, with him in her arms. Her body shook with sobs and as if sensing his mother's distress, the baby cried out even louder.

Hearing all the wails, her six-year old son ran into the room, perplexed. He looked at his mother and then at his crying brother, not knowing what to do. He had never seen his mother cry before and just seeing the sight before him scared the wits out of him.

"Mama, why are you crying?" he asked in a shaky voice, nearing his mother and placing his small hands on her face.

Upon seeing her son, she took a deep breath to ease her sobs and reached out her hand pulling him on her lap too. Willing herself to stay strong, she kissed his head while rocking his younger brother to soothe his cries. A few minutes later, the room was enveloped in a silence that was almost deafening. The baby had finally settled down and was now sleeping in his mother's arms. The older child however, kept looking at his mother with a seriousness and concern that was beyond his years.

"Why don't you complete your homework and I'll get the dinner ready," she said, patting his cheek gently and the boy nodded in response, rather reluctantly.

Once her kids were settled, she stepped up to the rack holding the landline and dialled a number from the diary placed beside it.

Her breath hitched when the phone was answered a few rings later and she heard the deep voice of her husband's brother from the other side. "Assalamu alaikum."

"Wa'alaikum assalam, Bhai Sahab(1). It's me, Ghaniya," she replied in a choked voice, her tears threatening to spill once again.

On the other side of the line, the older man frowned in distaste. Wondering what his brother's wife wanted from him, he spoke, "Hmph, what is it?"

The dislike he held for her was clear in his tone, but this was not the time to dwell on such matters. She had more important things to worry about.

Taking a deep breath-which did nothing to calm her-she started speaking. "Bhai Sahab, Zubayr-" her voice broke at her husband's name, but she cleared her throat and continued. "Z-zubayr, he was at a bank. The burglars, they opened f-fire at the policemen. H-he was shot and he-" she swallowed the lump in her throat. It was time to say it out loud, but she didn't want to do it. It would just make it all real. She didn't want it to be real. For the time being, she preferred denial over acceptance.

The older man, despite his dislike towards the woman, sat up straight. "Where is he? Which hospital?" he asked, getting out of his bed and slipping his feet into his sandals. He didn't harbour any fondness towards Ghaniya which kept him at a distance from Zubayr, but at the end of the day Zubayr was still his younger brother. He couldn't not care about him.