AFTER DARK

Chapter 2

Sometimes life smacks us hard to wake us up.
Tonight, I closed the previous chapter of my life - the broken marriage - and decided to travel with my family to Dubai.
When I woke up next morning, I announced that I was coming along with them. For a moment there was silence on the breakfast table. My mother and Daria exchanged a look, totally surprised. Daria spoke first, "Seriously? Finally..", she got up, gave me a thumbs up and left for work. I've always admired my sister, not only she was smart and witty but also strong, at least stronger than me ofcourse. Being good with figures, she could not only balance accounts at office but could also handle any problem life had to offer.
As the main door closed, I realised my mother was staring at me bewildered, I felt a little at unease, not knowing what my mother would ask me or maybe I did but I didn't want her to. To my relief,  she just smiled at me and said," I'm so proud of my little girl, my sweetheart".
The next few days we ran around to get our things done before leaving Lahore. The most important thing was my passport which I had lost -- well, not exactly. It was rather shredded to pieces -- courtesy of my ex-husband.
That day, after our little quarrel, he came back home and ordered me to pack his bag. When I asked him where he was going, he simply shrugged me off, saying that I didn't have to know.
Reaching for his passport in the drawer, I took my chance and hesitantly asked if I could go with him. I was holding my passport too when he quietly inquired, "I think I was very clear it's not even your concern where I go Sara...and look at you! You are so dumb to understand that I dont want to take you along nor would ever allow you to go by yourself".
So he took my hand twisted it hard for a minute or so. When I made a sound, he let go of my hand and also got hold of my passport and tore it apart, throwing it in the air.
As the pieces of paper fell to the ground, I felt my freedom being ripped to shreds.