Survivors Of The Lost

24

"See how shameful they are. Being affectionate in front of everyone." One of the lady spoke, her eyes focused on their intervened hands. It was a nice way to taunt. Just sugarcoat it. She laughed as if she told a joke.

Hearing the lady she pulled her hand out of shayan's grasp or tried to we can say. But shayan tighten his grasp further more and walked to where she was.

"If I shouldn't show affection to her, I can count on you?" Shayan spoke bitterly, but sugarcoating his words. Hearing him take a stand for her ignited sparks of love. The respect she had for him increased. Without even making it obvious that he was siding his wife, he balanced the topic. A general requirement a girls wants in her better half.

Right then katheejah entered the living room, holding a tray of tea. "You are here ayah. You have already met them I see. So late you are."  She chided them for being late.

She apologetically smiled at her mother-in-law. Shaking her head she kept the tray on the table. "Serve the tea ayah." Katheejah said.

She nodded her head. She was about to proceed with the the work when she realised that her hand was still in shayan's grip. She eyed him, to let go of her hand but he just ignored her pretending to be engrossed in the gossips.

"What are you waiting for?" Katheejah hissed at her. Finally shayan let go of her hand. Mumbling a sorry she went forward and served tea.

"Shayan what are you doing here? Go take some rest." One of the lady spoke. He looked at me. He was about to reply when his phone ringed with an incoming call. Sighing he went upstairs leaving her all alone.

She lowered her eyes, hiding the disappointment. "Come you sit here beta." The lady whose name was shahina pulled her to the sofa.

She just sat silently taking in all latest gossip. She found them funny. They should have studied journalism thus they are good at reporting news, ayah thought. She stifled her laugh and just smiled at them. She stayed silent until the topic was directed to her.

"What do you think about it?" One of the lady nadia asked ayah. She smacked herself internally for zoning out. Now she didnt knew what the topic was. She smiled sheepishly.

"What will she say? Im sure agree with us. Right?" Another lady, razia asked. She looked at her. I was feeling guilty for spacing out. I was about to reply that I didnt hear them when another lady spoke.

"If she agree with us then why is she wearing burka even after she is married? Wasnt she suppose to dress up nicely and go to her aunts house?" Nikhat said. She was thankful she knew what the topic was about but her words stopped in her throat. Without giving her a chance to speak nadia spoke.

"Beta you shouldnt cover yourself so much. You should dress up nicely and please your husband and even the society should know what a beauty shayan has selected as his bride. Why dont you tell her anything katheejah?"

It was blow to her. Her long lost fear crawled on her. This was the reason why she decided not to practice burka. Those few years most painful years. Where she yearned to practice but she couldnt. The fear of society's so called talks. And when finally mustered enough courage to protect herself from the evil eyes of men, from their bad intentions, to make her self comfortable.

Nobody know how she had cried her self to sleep or how she hated her self for being so low confident. She had spent those years being merciless to herself. She thought Allah disliked her. Thats why he took away her parents away.

He made her lonely. She knew that Allah loved those who strived in his path. And she didnt have enough courage to ignore the taunts of society. She knew it was wrong to restrain herself from practicing just because of the fear of the society. And when when she mustered enough courage to practice and she started practicing this had to happen.