For Our Love

Sixty One

© All copyrights belong to StarsAndMoon1447 on Wattpad

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Originally published: 12th September 2020

I completely broke down as I spoke to my mother-in-law. I told her everything that had happened, and I prayed that she forgot about our difficult history and helped me. I included Saira Phupho's 'bribery' and her trick to poison the minds of young teenage girls against me, by making them think that I was a snob who looked down on them.

She was silent for a few moments after I finished, and I was worried that she was just going to hang up on me.

"I'm sorry, Jasmina." 

I almost dropped my phone in surprise. Out of everything in the world, those were not the words I had expected to hear from her. "Why are you sorry?"

"Because I put you through what she put me through." She spoke quietly. "I kept Hania away from you, even though I have suffered the pain of being kept apart from my newborn." 

"I need your help, Aunty." I sounded like a small child asking her mother for help.

"I'm coming." She said, firmly. "There are some scores that I had to settle with her anyway, but now that she's doing to you what she did to me, I will not stand for it." 

"Are you coming here?" I asked, surprised.

"I am. Just give me around forty minutes. The traffic is terrible at this time so it will take at least that much time to get there." 

"I'll be waiting." Relief filled my body, and I actually smiled. I never thought that the thought of Fatima Aunty coming over would ever make me feel this safe.

After hanging up, I realised that I was hungry. I glanced at the bag of snacks that Fawad had bought for me, and reached inside for the chocolate biscuits that I loved. "Actually, Hani, I would prefer them with tea." I spoke to my baby as if she would actually understand. "Shall I go and make some tea?" 

She gave me a look that I took as 'I literally don't care, stop bothering me, Mama!'. I laughed at my own thinking and picked her up. "I'll leave you with Nilofar Dadi, okay?" 

*To clarify, any aunt of the father, is also referred to as Dadi, and likewise, any aunt of the mother is also referred to as Nani.

I went upstairs and saw that Saira Phupho had already made tea, and the three ladies were sipping it, as they sat in Dadi's room. "Nilofar Phupho, can I leave Hania with you? I just need to make some tea." 

"Of course you can." She smiled brightly before turning to Saira Phupho with a glare. "You said that Jasmina didn't want any tea." 

I tried to look nonchalant. "I was busy with Hania, actually. That's why I didn't want any tea, Phupho."

Nilofar Phupho seemed to know her sister to well, and didn't buy my crappy lie, but she didn't comment on that. "Shall I make it for you, beta?" 

"She has hands, Nilo!" Saira Phupho snapped.

"That's very nice of you to offer, Nilofar Phupho." I smiled. "But I like making tea. I don't know why, but the sight of boiling water and the smell of tea is also so soothing to me."