Her Soulmate Chapter 10

What hurts you, blesses you

         Darkness is your candle-

Rumi-

Mid December

The lounge of that small house was filled with voices. Faris was sitting beside the TV, watching ASP Hassan's media talk. Daneen was busy frying eggs when the bell rang. Salma was standing on the doorstep with her timid daughter, Ayesha.

"Assalam o Alaikum" Salma greeted her. Daneen replied to her and motioned her to come inside. When Salma locked the door behind her, at that moment Daneen observed that her daughter was also with her. 

"Your daughter also came? " Daneen asked with a smile. At this question, Faris also turned his head to see the little girl, who was standing near her mother, clutching the hem of her dress. 

"Yes Ma'am. My daughter will also come with me from now on. I can't leave her alone because of rape incidents happening in my area." Salma said bitterly. 

"Of course Salma! You are allowed to have your child with you." 

Daneen said with a smile and saw her daughter who had fear on her face and clenching her mother's dress. 

Faris didn't say anything and averted his gaze toward the screen where still ASP was speaking. 

Salma started to clean the lounge with Ayesha at her side all the time. Salma cleaned the table and while doing it, her gaze averted toward the screen where police were standing near her area. She stopped to listen to the news. ASP's speech told her that another murder had been committed in her area at which her chest tightened.

She saw her daughter who was now observing things in the lounge. Salma, with a worried face, turned around toward the kitchen when she heard a familiar voice. Salma's world, her heart and everything around her stopped, and she turned her gaze toward the screen with utter shock and disbelief. 

Her gaze became blurry and breath hitched in her throat at the sight. Sohail was standing near the ASP and now asking the media to finish their questions. Then she saw him escorting ASP toward the police van and sitting beside him. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes but she was trying hard to hold them back. 

She had seen him after eight years. 

"Mama?" 

She averted her gaze toward her daughter who was glancing at her with fear and confusion. Her eyes reminded her of Sohail, Ayesha's father.

A tear spilled from her orbs and fell on the cheek of her daughter. 

                ........................

Faris became bored at seeing the news so he switched off the television and entered the backyard. Sunlight was giving a soothing effect to skin and soul. He laid down on the deck chair and closed his eyes. He was in deep thoughts and creases were present on his forehead. 

Eventually, a few noises came from near him and he opened his eyes. Daneen had come, sitting beside him and arranging tea on the table. There were two cups; one for her and one for Faris. 

"Add sugar as much as you want," she said while giving him a sugar pot. 

"I don't like sugar" he simply stated this, and started sipping sugarless tea. 

"I can sense it from your attitude," She said sarcastically. 

Faris raised his brow at this comment but said nothing to her. They took sips from tea in complete silence.

"Did you know me before our marriage? " she asked him, again. This question was disturbing her and she wanted the answer to it. 

Faris glared at her and replied. 

"Yes, I do! " he replied in a cold voice. 

"But I didn't know you. So how is it possible that you gave your trust to me and I broke it. If I didn't know you, how can I keep promises from you? How can you expect this from an ignorant person?" She asked in a calm tone. 

Faris became speechless at this for some seconds. 

"You are not pure...... " 

"How can you say it?  Have you seen me doing bad things? Have you witnessed me doing impure things?" she asked with anger. 

It again bewildered Faris. He stood from the chair and started to leave the backyard. 

"Answer my questions if you have them," Daneen says with an angry voice. Faris just gave her deadly glare and left the house. 

He needed some time alone with himself. Daneen's questions showed him another side of the story which had been haunting him since the day of marriage. But he was ignoring that side to prevent pain. 

But, he didn't know that to save himself from pain, he was causing pain to Daneen.

                   ........................

Sohail was standing in the ASP's office and Hassan was examining the reports which Sohail had provided him. 

One was a medical report saying that Asiya had also been raped. And another report contained the details of rape cases in that area. 

"First rape case has been reported in this area four years ago. It was of a girl who didn't belong to this area in fact she was the part of a rich family. She came here to play with the daughter of her maid and get raped in the maid's house. After that, all victims belonged to this area." Sohail gave him a briefing. 

"Hmm" ASP said while examining the file. 

"Sohail, we have to meet every family of the victims." Hassan said.

"Sure sir! We can start with the family of the first victim!"

                            .......................

Sun was shining brightly on the sky of Islamabad, and  witnessing Faris who was standing in the graveyard, near the three graves. He was staring at them with void eyes as his mind was roaming in the past. 

He was twenty six years old when that deadly incident occurred. He came from the office, thoroughly tired and in need of rest and coffee. He was an officer in the Intelligence Agency of Pak Army. 

Heavy rain and thunder was on that horrible and unfortunate day. In the street, the voice of the cat's lamenting and then boom of thunder was making the whole scenario mysterious and doleful. He entered the house which was deadly silent. There was no voice of five year old Anaya in the house. He furrowed and spoke out the names of his family, but to his surprise, no one replied back to him. He entered the bedroom and there, he saw the most shocking and horrible view of his life. His soul lamented at that sight and his world shattered at that view. His love, his life, his family's dead bodies were in front of him. Anaya was in bed and her clothes were full of blood. And on the floor there was the dead body of Momin. Dead body's eyes were wide open, and shock was evident in the orbs 

After it, the images and events were blurred for Faris as he was not in his right state of mind. But, he knew some facts and did remember some events after it; his family finished after it, Momina became lunatic after the murder of her family. She was not home that day. She got the call from Faris and then she came to know about the tragedy which had hit her life. The shock of death, that grief swallowed her as after four months of that incident, she also left this world, making Faris alone for facing this tragedy and for bearing loneliness. 

At this moment, his eyes again become moist after recalling those incidents. 

"This loneliness, this tragedy has made me bitter, and two years in Jail has made me a rough, tough and unforgivable person. Life in Jail has made me forget how to live in a society. I have forgotten how to live and make a family. I have forgotten how to love a person. And that is the reason I am not able to live a normal life with Daneen. Maybe tragedy in my life has made me so negative that it is now impossible for me to think positively about someone else. My life has become miserable due to these tragedies, brother"

He muttered and kept on gazing at the grave of his brother while his soul was lamenting because of the griefs of life.

               .........................

After Faris left the house, Daneen became frustrated with the whole situation. To soothe her aching mind, she came into the lounge to have some conversation with Salma who was cleaning the house with her daughter standing near her. 

"Your daughter can see the TV if she likes." 

Daneen said with a smile on her face. Salma stopped for a while, glanced at her timid daughter and then replied. 

"Thank you ma'am. But she will not leave my side"

"Shouldn't she be in school? " Daneen sat on the couch and asked. 

Salma's heart broke at that question. 

"What is her work in school? What will she do with getting an education? "

Salma said with a heavy heart and bitter tone. At these words, Ayesha stared at her mother's face with void eyes. 

"Salma! " Daneen became shocked at this. "She can support herself by getting a decent job. Education is a basic right of your child!"

"My daughter has lost every basic right in this cruel society. This society has stolen mine and my daughter's rights" Salma said with a moist voice. 

"What happened? " Daneen asked her with concern. 

"Nothing. I am just getting emotional. Please don't ask me anything else" 

Though Daneen wanted to ask more, she remained quiet. 

                  ..........................

Police van was moving toward the first victim's house. That girl was seven years old and was raped and killed two years before. Her name was Zainab. 

Van stopped in front of Dilawar Villa. 

Police came out of the van and spoke to the gatekeeper. After some minutes, Hassan, Sohail and other officers were standing in the lounge of that beautiful mansion. Dilawar came out from his room and asked the police with a worried face. 

"What happened, officer? Why are you in my house? "

"We have come here to ask you about Zainab's rape and murder case. She was your daughter. We want every detail of that incident." ASP Hassan said this in his professional tone. 

Dilawar's heart ached at those words and his mind started roaming toward the past. 

                  ..................................

Allah o Akbar! Allah o Akbar

Magrib adhaan was going on in Islamabad. Daneen quickly did her ablution and started her prayer. After completing prayer, she made the bowl of her hands for prayer. There was so much to ask from Allah and Daneen was unable to understand where she should start. 

"Almighty Allah! Please forgive our sins. Please help me with the difficulties in my life. Please give me patience for dealing with life's problems. Forgive my Father's sins and guide him toward Jannah" her eyes became moist at the end of duaa. 

My child! My princess! 

Her father's voice echoed in her mind. She concluded her duaa and stood from the mat. Reciting different verses, she left the room to come into the lounge and stood near the window which overlooks the sky of Islamabad. Sky was gray and the wind was blowing heavily, prophesying the rain. Daneen glanced at the sky and her mind started roaming toward the past. 

She reminisced about delightful moments of her life with her father, how she was the princess of her father's life. But those beautiful memories shattered after his death. Life became bitter and miserable when she entered Mr. Jalal's house, when Ahmad came into her life. 

By remembering those bitter moments, feelings of anxiety and fear took over her as it used to do in Jalal's mansion. 

"Why does a Human have to bear so much in this world? "

She asked that question to herself. 

At that moment, thunder boomed across the sky and it started to rain heavily. Darkness prevailed in the atmosphere, taking everything in it. Daneen stepped back from the window and came toward the sofa. At that moment, load shedding occurred and the whole house bathed in darkness. 

"Ahh! "

 Whole area went into darkness and heavy rain was outside. Daneen had no phone or torch in her hands and she was also afraid of darkness. 

"What am I going to do?" she felt helpless in this situation. 

She waited patiently for five minutes, but power was not resumed. Atlast, her patience came to its end and she started crying. Her face became wet with tears. No light, full darkness and heavy rain was there at this moment, and all the things were making her fearful. 

After about fifteen minutes, the front door opened and Faris came into the house, with his phone's flashlight in hand. He was totally drenched due to rain. His eyes narrowed with confusion on seeing Daneen sitting on the floor with her head in her knees. 

"Daneen? " he called out her name. 

Daneen snapped her face toward him; happiness was evident on her face at seeing him. But, Faris became shocked at seeing her crying. 

"What happened? " he became extremely concerned for her. 

She ran toward him and hugged him tightly. 

"I'm scared. I'm scared. Please do some light." she said this in between her sobs.

Faris became startled at this whole situation and glanced at her shivering frame, who was clearly not in her senses. She just kept on hugging him and weeping. 

Faris tried to come out of this entangled state but she hugged him more tightly. His hand stopped at her back and he folded his arm around her torso, completely engulfing her in the hug. Thunder, darkness, scent and heat of each other's body and complete silence was there. 

They remained in that position for five minutes. Finally, Daneen came back to her senses and she quickly stepped back from Faris while wiping her tears. 

"Sorry" She was embarrassed at her impulses.

Faris also composed himself and tried to calm his protesting heart. 

"What has happened to you? Where is that brave and bold Daneen?" He questioned with emotionless expressions.

"That brave and bold Daneen was also buried with her father. The miseries of life have finished her. I always get confidence and love from father and when he passed away, it was gone, brave Daneen also went with him"

 She said in between her sobs. This condition had made her emotionally weak. 

Faris stared at her, who again sat on the floor while weeping. Her head was again on her knees. Faris sat beside her and stared at her shattered form. His heart filled with pain on seeing her like that. 

Thunder, darkness and rain was still here. In the house, two soulmates were sitting on the floor with just a mobile's flashlight between them. 

                         ....................

Thunder and rain was also present in that small house. In the room, Ayesha was playing with her doll on the carpet and Salma was sitting on the bed. Her mind was roaming toward Sohail, the scene of Sohail with ASP was again and again repeating in her mind. 

"He has achieved so much in life. Does he ever think about me? Does he even know that he has a child? Obviously not, Salma! He has moved on in life, and maybe he has remarried someone."

That thought ached and shattered her heart. 

Her mind went toward a distant memory which was near to her heart.

Mid- March

Door opened and a tired Sohail came into the room. It had been months since he had stepped into his room, and the first thing he saw was his wife who was standing in between the room with a big smile plastered on her face.

Pink dress, pink cheeks and orbs full of glint and life, she was truly a sight for sore eyes. Sohail's heart bloomed at his wife's sight but he didn't show it.

"Assalam o Alaikum!" She stepped forward while twiddling her finger, a clear sign of her nervousness.

"Walaikum Assalam! Bring some water for me." He said and she ran toward the room.

A bright smile etched on his face.

Later on, when the whole family was around the table and eating dinner, he noticed that his mother's tone was harsh with his wife.

Water spilled into the floor because of her mother's mistakes, and she asked Salma to clean it at that instant. She left her dinner in between to clean the floor.

Sohail's eyes fell upon his wife who was near the feet of his mother. At this sight, his blood boiled but he refrained himself from saying anything.

When night encapsulated the whole city, Sohail came near Salma and murmured sorry for his mother's attitude. A bright smile etched on Salma's face and she nodded her head.

That night, they both shared about their lives to each other.

Mid December

Tears swam in Salma's orbs at reminiscing those beautiful moments. At the memory, some soothing words also echoed in her ears.

 

Don't be sad! I will be back soon! 

I love you! 

A lone tear escaped her eyes. 

"Why Allah? Why me?"

Again that complaint came to her mind. 

"Mama! What happened? Why are you weeping? Ayesha asked, innocently. After telling her mother the whole truth of that evening, she had become a little bit relaxed. But Salma had become restless for eternity. 

"Nothing, my child," she said with a forceful smile. 

            ..........................