Survivors Of The Lost

10

It was my birthday. I was happy, excited and sad. I wanted to clarify about shayan and eram but I didnt get a chance to ask. Right now I was getting ready to go to the school. I was wrapping my shawl around the head. I was feeling so exhausted. My eyes were swollen.

There was a slight knock on the door. "Come in" I shouted. Umar came in. I turned to face him. We were alone here so maybe this was my chance to ask him. I was about to open my mouth to talk when he beat me to it.

"Did you like the gifts?" He questioned. I forgot about the gifts. I wanted to tell them I liked their gifts. I nodded at him. I went towards him and smiled. "I loved it." I confirmed it to him.

"What will I get in return?" He asked me. He smiled mischievously. I laughed at him.

"What do you want in return?" I asked him back emphasising the words 'in return'.
"Leave the job at school" he told me. I was shocked to hear him say this. I didnt expect him to ask this. Without letting me talk he started talking again.

"I know you love the job at school. But I want you to enjoy your life now before you get married. Learn something, make friends. I know I'm asking too much. But I don't feel good when you go to work." He finished with a sigh.

I was left speechless. It took me all I had to not collapse. I was overwhelmed by happiness. That he thought of asking me that.

He made a puppy face. That face I could never resist. I wanted to deny that I cant drop my job. I couldn't be a burden. But how can I even say that to him. I couldn't say no to him. "when do you want me to leave my job?" I asked him.

His eyes shone with joy. "Today." He whispered to me. He winked at me and dragged me outside. Most probably to boast in front of ma and uncle Muhammad. That they couldn't convince me but he was able to.

"Mom, this is how we convince ayah." He shouted and entered the kitchen. I didn't want to leave my job. I loved my job. But for the first time in my life umar had asked something from me. I couldn't deny. They have done alot for me. This is the least I could do for them. If leaving my job makes them happy, I would do it without any hesitation. Ma smiled at childhood antics of umar.

"This reminds me of your childhood. You both used to do the same thing. We couldn't convince ayah but umar used to do it in minutes." She reminisced some old memories while laughing. I removed my hands from Umar's grasp and hugged ma. She hugged me back. "What were you able to convince?" Ma asked umar, removing herself from the embrace to look at umar. He smirked at me. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"She is convinced to leave her job and...." He dragged the sentence so much that I had to go near him and smack his head. "And nothing." I completed his sentence earning a suspicious look from Ma. Just then uncle Muhammad entered the kitchen. "Did I miss something?" He asked as soon as he entered the kitchen.

"Ayah has agreed to leave her job because umar wanted her to." Ma explained answering uncle's question. He nodded his head in acknowledgement but his eyebrows were furrowed. Like he was in deep thought.

"But ayah, you dont need to leave your job just because umar wants you to. No one will influence you. It should be your decision." He voiced out his thoughts.

Once again my heart warmed up at the concern uncle Muhammad was feeling. Uncle Muhammad looked at umar, or more like glaring at him for influencing my decision.

He raised his hands in surrender and looked at me. His naked eyes showing his guilty. Yes I didnt want to leave the job. But If my parents had wanted me to leave, I would have left the job in an instance. They are my family too.

I smiled at him and turned to uncle Muhammad, to reduce his worries, I told him. "No uncle. No one influenced my decision. Its my decision." Uncle obviously didnt seemed convinced but nonetheless he nodded his head and left the topic right there itself.

Even after staying apart for 8 years, uncle Muhammad still had the aura of authority around him. Which still scared umar to the core. I helped Ma around the kitchen. I wrote a letter to the school addressing that I won't be working anymore.

Umar took that letter saying that he will drop it in the school along with my other essential stuff which needed to be given to the school.

Ma and uncle were in their room. Uncle was getting ready for the work. Umar had gone to his room to get ready. I was in the kitchen washing the dishes. I had to talk to umar about the wallet.

So as soon as I was done with the dishes I went to my room and picked up the wallet. I opened the wallet again. Shayan had a sparkle of true happiness in his face unlike that day, where his face was void of any happiness. I sighed and closed the wallet.

I knocked twice on Umar's door. A few good seconds later he opened the door. He was wearing a button down shirt with full sleeves. His hair was a mess. I shook my head at him.

"Can I come in?" I asked him. He nodded and stepped aside making space for me to go in. His room was the messiest room I have ever come across.

"What's the matter sisy? You in my room today." He finished with a sigh. It was true. I never come to his room unless its important. He went to the mirror and combed back his hair.

"I found this wallet in my room. There is a picture in which eram is standing beside the man you brought home that day, shayan." I spoke in one breath leaving him no chance to speak. I made sure that he acknowledged that man's name was shayan. He looked me with bewilderment.

I crossed my hands and looked at him. He cleared his throat. When I opened my mouth to speak he showed me his palm as if to stop me from talking.

"Wait I know what you want to say. You thought that shayan and eram were dating and eram was betraying me. Right?" He stopped. I nodded my head.

"Crazy girl! I knew it the moment you extended the wallet to me. You don't want to get judged but you are judging someone?" He asked. I looked down in embarrassment. How could I even doubt eram. Umar held both side of my shoulders and made me sit down in the bed.

"Shayan is eram's brother. Eram had told me about him. When they lost their mother in an accident a few months before, his father got married to someone else. Shayan used alcohol as a cure to get rid of the pain. So that explains everything." He spoke very calmly like he was explaining to a kid. I felt guilty for judging them. I shouldn't have done that.

"Im sorry." I apologised sincerely. He shook his head. "Its okay" he side hugged me and kissed my forehead. We stayed there for a good few seconds when ma shouted. "Umar Its getting late for work." We both chuckled at the same time.

Later umar and uncle went to work. Me and ma were sitting in the living room. Ma was watching television and I was scrolling through Instagram. When there was no sound of the television I looked up to find that ma had muted and was looking at me.

"So Its your birthday today." She started. I smiled at her and nodded my head. "Ayah, I was thinking that you should get married now. You have turned 25." She spoke hesitantly. As if she was afraid to hurt me. That topic was still sour to my heart. But until how long would I be able to deny her?

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