Pervade and Faint

Chapter 32

When the world shook
"But _ dad said _ what do you mean?" I stuttered, flabbergasted.
"She isn't married. But I don't know about now", she said and looked up.
"I don't get what you're saying", I said, completely puzzled. Auntie Shama sighed, painfully, and started.
"When your mom was sick, last year, your uncle took hold of your father's office. Your dad was too busy in the hospital that he couldn't give enough time to his office", she explained and coughed.
"So, your uncle took control of the office...a lot went wrong when he had hold of the authorities. Mela-fide documents, illegal money transaction and all", she explained.
"And then?" I asked, curiously.
"One of his frauds got serious, and the repercussions, in the form of an encumbrance, fell on Sophia", she finished and cried profusely. She cried for a minute or so in my arms, as if we were taking turns to cry in each other's arms. I was eager to know further.

"What happened then?" I asked, impatiently. My pulse ran fast as she had opened her mouth to speak.
"One night, your uncle brought a few men, strangers, actually, with him. Three, I remember. I was ordered to cook food at the middle of the night. I didn't know what was going on...and when I asked, your uncle told me to shut up and do what you're supposed to do. So I cooked (sigh). After a few minutes, your uncle stomped up the stairs and...I quickly left the food because I knew that he was going for Sophia, because only her room is upstairs. (Heavy sigh) He grabbed Sophia from her arm and pulled her with him. She was crying, Amir. She was confused. And so was I", she said and her voice began to shiver. I squeezed her hand.
"And then?"
"He made Sophia sit in between them, the strangers. 'What's going on', I shouted and went to get Sophia out of there, but your uncle slapped me and I fell to the floor . . . (a long pause) and they took her", she said and sobbed.
"They took her. She cried and struggled, but there was nothing she could have done. I stood up and ran towards the door for her, but I was grabbed from the hair and beaten by your uncle", finished auntie Shama. I gasped. A strong fear and anxiety hit me.
"I hear her scream everyday", cried auntie Shama. I was out of words. Out of breath. Out of life. This can't be happening, I thought and gripped my hair. A brooding consternation hung above us.
"Why?" I managed to ask.
"To get his tail out of going to prison. He did it because he would have to go to prison. And to avoid that, he made a deal and gambled Sophia in it."
"Does my dad know about this?" I asked. Auntie Shama nodded.
"I told him, but Farah's grief was too heavy on him. And he specially told me not to let you know because he knew that you loved her. And there wasn't enough capacity for further grief", she finished.

There was a long pause after that, coterminous thoughts dissolving in our minds. I was in, yet not in, my senses. I didn't know what to do, say, think, anything. Was I supposed to blame dad, or be thankful? For a moment, I forgot where I was. Or even, who I was. But I knew that it wasn't the time for me to let the grief dominate. I had to overcome the pain and do something. My attempts and courage would only help Sophia, not my tears. I can't let anything procrastinate me. Not even death, I committed.

"Please bring my daughter", pleaded auntie Shama. I realized why auntie Shama was in a state of utter misery the whole time.
"Do you know who they are?" I inquired, instigating my query.
"I don't know", she answered and wiped her nose with her pointer finger.
"But the man who took her calls your uncle every once in a while", said auntie Shama.
"Are you sure that it's him?" I asked, abruptly.
She thought of it for awhile.
"Yeah, I know it's him", she said, but still not completely sure. His number is all I need, I thought.
"Can you get me his number", I asked, anxiously.
"I have no access to your uncle's phone. Not even a single touch", she said and inhaled.

"Twenty seven _ it comes at the end of his phone number. And I'm sure", she confirmed. A bubble of hope formed in the inside of me, but I wasn't sure whether I would be able to locate him.
Once again, there was an air of silence among us. The sun hid behind the nimbus clouds. The day was just dim, not much light. But for me, it was the darkest day of my life.

"She loves you", said auntie Shama and looked up at the light blue sky. She muttered something in her mouth, a prayer, perhaps. Sophia had her mom's lips, pink and thin.
"I know", I said and looked at her eyes, in which the entire sky was to be seen. Her eyes were also akin to Sophia's.
"I love her", I said and looked at the sky myself, in pursuit of divine guidance.
"I know."