Aaliya. The Dark Face of Love.

PREFACE

AALIYA PICKED UP HER PHONE. HER HANDS WERE SHAKING. SHE COULD FEEL HER MOMS ANGER BY THE WAY SHE WAS MUMBLING STANDING BEHIND HER. “GIVE IT TO ME” SHE SAID “QUICKLY NOW”. “ONE SECOND PLEASE MA” AALIYA BEGGED. SHE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT. BUT EVERYTHING IS GOING TO FALL APART. THIS IS THE END OF EVERYTHING GOOD.

SHE UNLOCKED HER PHONE AND OPENED INSTAGRAM. THERE’S A DM FROM HARIS. IT SAID “GOOD MORNING NAAYE. I’M SORRY ABOUT LAST NIGHT. HOPE I CAN MAKE IT UP FOR YOU”. “AALIYA I WANT THAT PHONE RIGHT NOW” HER MOM SAID. HER VOICE IS ANGRY BUT HER FACE LOOKS EQUALLY SCARED AS AALIYA, AFRAID OF WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN AS SOON AS THEY GET OUT OF THIS ROOM. 

“I’M SORRY HARIS.” AALIYA TYPED. “I DON’T THINK I’LL BE ABLE TO TALK TO YOU AGAIN. IT’S SHAROON. HE HAS FUCKED UP EVERYTHING. EVERYONE KNOWS NOW. I’M IN BIG TROUBLE. I LOVE YOU”. SHE TURNED TO FACE HER MA AS SHE PRESSED ‘SEND’ AND UNINSTALLED THE APPLICATION.

“I WARNED YOU MANY TIMES BEFORE. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?” HER MOM SAID ANGRILY. “MA, I...”  AALIYA TRIED TO SAY SOMETHING BUT WAS INTERRUPTE BY HER MOM. “I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING AND I CAN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT EITHER. YOU DID THIS ON YOUR OWN. NOW COME OUT AND TALK TO THEM. I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN” SHE SAID BEFORE WALKING OUT OF THE ROOM.

 

MAY 28 2020   AROUND 10:30 PM

I WAS SCROLLING THROUGH INSTAGRAM.  “ANYTIME NOW…” I SAID TO MYSELF. “OR MAAYBE… NEVER.”. I SWITCHED TO WHATSAPP TO CHECK ONE AGAIN IF HE READ MY MESSAGES. 

DELIVERED: MAY 27 9:27pm

SEEN: MAY 28 7:23am

“SO HE HAS SEEN IT. BUT NO RESPONSE YET. I WONDER WHAT MIGHT BE HAPPENING THERE. MAYBE I’LL NEVER KNOW” I SAID TO MYSELF IN AN OVERLY COMICAL, OLD MOVIE VILLAIN STYLE.

AND TO MY SURPRISE, OR JUST LIKE I EXPECTED- (HONESTLY IT WAS A BIT OF BOTH) A NOTIFICATION FROM INSTAGRAM POPPED UP. IT WAS A TEXT FROM HARIS. 

“SHAROON. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?”

“YOU HAVE RUINED AALIYA’S LIFE.” ANOTHER TEXT CAME WITHIN SECONDS.

“SHE HATES ME ANYWAY. I JUST GAVE HER A PROPER  REASON TO.” I REPLIED.

“ADHUKKU NU IPDIYA? YOU ARE A SADIST DA” (So you'll just do something like this? You are a sadist.)

“UNGALUKKU NADAKKUMBO MATTUM VALIKKUDHA? I WAS SO HURT IVLO NAAL AH. DID ANY OF YOU CARE?” (Does it only hurt when it happens to you? I was hurt all these days. Did any of you care?)

“BUT YOU DIDN’T HAVE DO BE THIS HARSH DA.YOU SAID YOU LOVE HER!”

“ADHUVUM IPPO DHAN UN MANDAYILE EARUDHA? ALL YOU TWO KEPT SAYING WAS I WAS A FREAK.” (That too you can understand now only?)

“YOU STILL ARE. I’LL PRAY FOR YOU TO HAVE A BETTER SANE AND A BETTER WIFE DA”

“OKAY. WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE? JUST LEAVE ALREADY”

“OKAY.” HE SAID.

A MINUTE LATER I NOTICED HIS PROFILE PICTURE HAS TURNED BLANK.HE HAS BLOCKED ME AGAIN.

 

[OKAY SO, THE FIRST SCENE INVOLVING AALIYA AND HER MOTHER- IS PURELY MY IMAGINATION, UNLIKE THE REST OF THE STORY. REASONS BEING-

1.DRAMATIC EFFECT.

2.AN OPENING THAT RAISES QUESTIONS IN READER’S MIND.

3.I WAS SIMPLY NOT THERE WHEN IT HAPPENED. BUT I’M SURE SOMETHING OF THAT SORT,OR MAYBE WORSE HAS HAPPENED. SHE IS BASICALLY OUT OF REACH AFTER THAT. HER INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT DELETED, LAST SEEN ON WHATSAPP THAT VERY DAY. EVEN DISAPPEARED FROM TRUECALLER A WEEK LATER. SO ONE CAN ASSUME SHE GOT INTO TROUBLE, NECK DEEP.

FEW MORE THINGS- 

THIS IS A STORY ABOUT LOVE,  BUT NOT A LOVE STORY.

BOY MEETS GIRL. BOY FALLS IN LOVE. THE GIRL DOESN’T.

THERE’S NO MORAL OR MESSAGE TO THIS STORY. JUST WHAT HAPPENS IN LIFE. UNFAIR AND DISAPPOINTING EVENTS WHICH CAUSES A LOT OF PAIN, SPRINKLED WITH SOME HAPPY MOMENTS WE WON’T FORGT.

ALSO, I’M NOT THE “HERO” OF THIS STORY. AM I THE VILLAIN THEN? WELL... ]