Her Soulmate Chapter 14

"If you want to kill somebody, conquer his heart, then leave slowly and leave him between death and madness"

-Nizar Qabbani

Mid December. 

"Ayesha Sohail Jameel"

Those words were echoing in Sohail's ears. His mind was unable to register the grief which his heart was feeling at this moment. Pain and grief had jabbed his heart and made him numb. He was staring, with shock, at Salma and Ayesha who were going out after filing their report. 

Salma, while leaving the room, glanced toward him who was filled with shock and grief. For a brief moment, their eyes clashed with each other. Tales of suffering and loneliness were evident in both eyes which were giving hard blows to their hearts. They remained still in their places when Ayesha tugged her hand, making them out of their daze. They tore their eye contact and stared at the third wheel of their life. Salma gave a weak smile to her daughter and went away from the office. 

Sohail remained standing there for a while and then, with determined strides went toward Salma. 

In no time, he was in front of her, not caring about his surroundings. Salma's eyes had now become cold at seeing his determined frame. 

"Please move away, officer. I have to leave."

"What is this Salma? Who is she? " he asked, still shocked

"Ayesha, go toward the gate, I'm coming." she said to her daughter with a smile. 

Ayesha started going away from them. 

Salma's heated gaze turned toward him. 

"You have listened to it in the office. She. Is. Ayesha Sohail. I think this is very clear who she is, Sohail Jameel"

There is bitterness in her tone. 

"But when Salma......? You never told me about it." he was still shock 

"Think about the past and you will get the answer" Salma said with a bitter smile and moved away from him. 

And he remained there with a bruised heart. 

With the same broken heart, he dragged himself into his house. With tear welled eyes, he opened the drawer and picked Salma's picture in his hand. He kept on staring at the smiling picture with a sad smile and tear welled eyes.  Staring at the picture, abruptly his surroundings started to change and his mind ran back to his village house. His mind started to roam in the past, on the days of mid May when that incident happened in their life. 

Mid May:

It had been one and half month since he had come back from his village. He was busy in his training, that's why he was not able to visit his village, to visit his newly bride Salma. In his first days of marriage, he was rude to Salma because it was the perspective of village people that men should rule upon his wife. Speaking politely to his wife is a symbol of weakness to his people. They had made this attitude a part of their culture. And due to this thinking, he was arrogant and harsh to Salma in his first days of marriage. 

But after coming back from the village and getting settled in the city, his mind started to change. Here, he got acquaintance with some of his teachers and with some religious figures. And those people changed his mindset. They told him that Islam doesn't allow a man to become bitter with his wife. Our Prophet (P.B.U.H)  has given special preaching of husband wife relationship. He has told us that the best person among people is the one who is on the best attitude with his wife. 

These preachings changed his mindset and he decided to become polite with his wife. Those words, those verses of Quran; affected his heart and changed his whole world and feelings. 

In the end of March when he went to his village, he gave special attention and love to his wife. Salma bloomed with his love and Sohail loved her blushing and timid personality. It was really new and pleasant feelings that he and his spouse were equal to each other, not in a superior or inferior relationship. Due to his affection and love for Salma, his mother and other male members kept on taunting him.

"You have become a slave to your wife."

"You are a weak man"

These taunts were thrown upon him just because he was going against a fixed mindset, and following the true preaching of Islam. 

But Soahil didn't bother with these sentences. He knew that he was doing right and his heart was satisfied in it. 

Whenever he talked to Salma with carefree manner, then her timid and blushed form made him smile and wished to love her more. 

He was sitting in his room when his mobile rang. 

"Miss wife calling"

He smiled on seeing it. He attended the call and the sweet voice of Salma came from the other side. 

"Assalam o Alaikum" 

"Walaikum Assalam, dear wifey. What's up? " he asked in a carefree manner. 

"Alhamdulillah, dear hubby. Everything is fine. I'm just missing you" she replied in a lively manner. 

"I'm also missing you but what can I do. I have to stay here because of training." he replied with a sigh. 

"Can't you get a holiday of just one to two days? I'm missing you and there is something which I have to tell you" she said. 

"It is difficult to get a holiday, dear. But what do you have to say? Tell me on the phone" he became curious.

"Please try once to get a holiday," she said. 

"I will try, but tell me what you want to share," he said anxiously. 

"Sohail" she hesitated for a second. "Our family is going to increase," she said quickly. 

"How? Is Mother finding a girl for Sharik? " Sharik was his younger brother. He really didn't understand that hidden meaning, and he was not able to guess it till this date.

"No! I will tell you when you will come on holidays" she said with a hint of frustration in her tone. 

"Tell me Salma, Why.... " his sentence was cut off by his roommate, who had just entered the room. 

"Buddy, Let's go. We are getting late" he said while taking on his jacket. 

Soahil stopped his conversation and quickly bid Allah Hafiz to Salma. 

"Buddy, what is time? "Sohail asked after hanging up the call. 

"It's almost 9pm. Movie is going to start. We have to go to the cinema." he said. 

Soahil quickly took his jacket and they both left the room. 

After four days of that phone call, Sohail was packing his bag, with a bright smile on his face. He got the holiday of two days and now he was anxious to go home, to go to his Salma. 

Just his younger brother, Shariq, knew about it. He wanted to give a surprise to Salma. A smile crept on his face thinking about Salma's pleasant and bewildered reaction at seeing him. He was planning something and fate was also planning something. 

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

Evening wings had spread on the village when Sohail entered his house. He greeted his mother and his brother. His mother was not so shocked on seeing him, maybe Sharik had told her about his coming. He asked about Salma and her mother told him that she may be in her room. 

Sohail entered the house with a big smile on his face. He was feeling anxious and excited to surprise Salma. But, in the room, a big surprise was waiting for him. Fate was planning something else for them. 

He opened the door of his room and was shocked at seeing the scene in front of him. 

His neighbor was in the room, sleeping with Salma. That scene shocked Sohail and his senses became blind with anger. Negative and angry thoughts just blurred his conscience. There was just red in front of his eyes. 

He beat furiously his neighbor and also Salma. They both were sleeping when he entered the room, and they both opened their eyes at his voice. There was shock in Salma's expressions and fear on his neighbor's face. He furiously and mercilessly beat them. His neighbor ran away from his house, and Salma remained there weeping and begging to Sohail with her disheveled and beaten state. But Sohail, his mind was unable to register what she was saying or what was going on. He just spilled out the words which broke his house, which turned his happiness into ashes. Which causes the devil to win, which causes his loneliness and pain afterwards. 

Those dreaded words tumbled out of his mouth. 

"Salma I gave you divorce" he repeated these lines three times. 

And after this, everything finished. Salma became dead silent on listening to these words. Sohail dragged her out of the house and then locked the door. Salma didn't beat the door nor call out his name again because their relationship had ended. She was no longer his wife so there was no logic in associating any hope with this house or this person. He had left her alone in the darkness, so she quietly disappeared into it, leaving him alone. 

That night was the longest night of Sohail. He locked himself in his room and wept bitterly on the unfaithfulness of Salma. Next day, the whole neighborhood was again taunting him. 

"It was your fault.
You have given her such freedom."

These types of sentences were said to him which he listened very quietly and then left the village. 

For four years, he remained upset and angry with Salma. Due to that incident, he didn't do well in his studies. He had come to Islamabad to do B. A, and then C. S. S. He wanted to become A.S.P in police, but fate didn't support him. When he divorced Salma, at that time, he was preparing for his B.A papers and he was also doing gym to make his body prepared for tough training. He was resolute to become A. S. P, but that incident broke all his dreams. After that incident, he was mentally disturbed, so he didn't give B.A papers in that year. Next year, he failed in the papers. In the third year, he succeeded to paas B.A but not with enough numbers. He was not able to take C.S.S paper. So, he decided to become an inspector in the police. In that year, he slowly started to heal but again an incident happened, which again disturbed him.

It was the fourth year of his divorce, when he came to the village. In these years, he had lessened his visits. These days, he was in the village when he heard his mother's conversation. 

He heard his mother and his brother talking about that incident. They was happy that Salma had not been in their life. They discussed that how they planted her in their envious and filthy plot. They gave medicine to Salma which had made her sleep. She was sleeping when his mother gave money to the neighbor and asked him to remain in her bedroom. And when Sohail entered the house, he pretended to sleep with her. They all planned to make Sohail divorced Salma. 

Sohail's family was insecure and envious of Sohial's love toward Salma. Their narrow mindedness made them think that Salma is going to tear Sohail from them. In that society, where the wife has no rights, Sohail giving rights to Salma made them insecure and negative towards Salma. They thought her a clever woman, who had bewitched Sohail. They are those people who have hollowness in their hearts and they don't know how to fill it. Due to this hollowness, they thought negatively for a person who is having full rights and who has no hollowness in his life. Due to this hollowness, they envy Salma and eventually, made her a divorced person. 

Sohail, listening to that conversation, wondered if they were his real family. Because real families never thought to hurt you, but they made him suffer. That night, he cried for Salma, he cried at the tragedy of his life. That night was the second longest night of his life, whose grief was the biggest than the first one's. 

Next day, he told his family that he had heard their conversation and that he was leaving the village, but he will keep sending them money because it is his duty as a son. His family tried to stop him, they tried to prove themselves innocent but Sohail gave no importance to it. This incident again shook him, which affected his career. After getting stable from the incident, he at last, started to give time to his career. As an inspector in police, he decided to give every rapist, every criminal a dreadful life. He gave full energy, full concentration to his work. In these years, he never tried to find Salma. Because he had no courage to face her. He thought that he didn't deserve to be forgiven. 

On that day, when he saw Salma in Shaheenabad, he was shocked. He was unable to say anything to her. He felt pain to see her condition. It seemed that her family didn't support her and financially she is facing problems. And when he saw Ayesha, his heart skipped a beat. He was shocked to see a seven year old girl calling her mother. He thought that Salma got married after their divorce. But today, after listening to the girl's full name, he was again shocked. The words of Salma which were long forgotten came back in his mind. 

"Our family is going to increase"

She was referring to this soul whose name is now Ayesha Sohail Jameel. 

He is shocked by how nature is taking revenge on him. He and his family accused a girl of having an affair with a man, and then he destroyed that girl's life. And the same thing happened to his daughter. Some other person has destroyed his daughter's life. It is true that the cycle of revenge, good deed and sin is present in the world. If you do a sin then that sin will come towards you through a cycle.

The chain of thoughts of Sohail interrupted with the voice of a phone call. He cut the call and went to his bedroom.

It was the third longest night of his life, whose grief was bigger than the last two. 

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

Faris entered into his house, with some grocery bags in his hand and found Daneen in the lounge. 

"I have brought some groceries. Come and see it" he called her out but Daneen didn't move from her place. 

He put the bags on the kitchen counter and came near her. 

"Daneen? " he became surprised with her silence. 

"Have you lost your job? At this moment you are jobless? " she asked with placidity in her tone and expressions. 

Faris became surprised at her sentence as he was not expecting it. 

"How do you know? " he asked, surprised. 

A bitter smile came on Daneen's face. "It doesn't matter, main thing is that you have no job, no money and you have not even tell me this."

"How do you know Daneen? " he repeated his question with a serious tone. 

Daneen took a deep sigh. She knew that he would not tell her anything until she told him her source. 

"Ahmad came today. He told me" Daneen said in a monotone voice. 

Faris bit his lips and stopped himself from saying anything harsh. 

"He came and he made me realize that what a bitter piece has become my life. My husband is a criminal, a jobless person who has no interest in family life." Bitter smile was on her face and tears were in her eyes. 

"Why Faris? Why don't you have any interest in anything? I am also bound in this relationship just like you. But I'm making compromises. I'm living in this house, I'm living this life, then why is there always a frown on your face? This house is your responsibility not mine."

Anger was building in Faris but he was controlling it. He wanted her to open up her heart. 

"You men always think that a woman should make compromises to make up a house, It is her duty, but let me tell you, we women, when doing compromises, are doing a favour on you men. You should not take these compromises for granted" she said while moving toward the window. Her heart was filled with pain and she was letting the pain out. 

Faris remained silent in this conversation, he didn't understand what to say.

"Why are you not speaking?" Daneen said to him. 

"Maybe you are getting angry that why I let Ahmad in the house or maybe you are thinking that I still have an affair with Ahmad. Maybe you start doubting me again. But let me tell you one thing Faris, if I am a characterless girl then you are also a criminal. We both are the same, we both are sinners for society. So, forget about your anger, don't make this your issue of ego and start solving the problems of our life. We have got bounded with each other till death so stop thinking about your manly ego and do compromises with me. Come out from your comfort zone. "

She just spoke and spoke and Faris remained silent throughout the conversation. He was just seeing her hurtful expressions and tearful eyes. 

Faris stared at her hurtful and slouched form and guilt consumed him. His bitterness was consuming her, she was decaying due to his carelessness and bitterness. 

"I'm sorry Daneen" Those words came out of his mouth and made Daneen astonished.

Faris ignored her astonish expressions and left the house for some peace and loneliness. 

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

In a house of Shaheenabad, Eight year Hooriya was getting bored. She had no siblings to play with and her mother was busy in the kitchen. 

"Mother, may I go to my friend's house and play with them?" she asked with innocence. 

Her mother, being busy in kitchen, quickly nodded her head. Hooriya's face lit up with happiness. 

"Come back before evening" her mother quickly added 

Hooriya nodded her head, changed her shoes and quickly left the house. She was in the street when a man came near her. 

"Hello, sweet girl" he said with a smile. Hooriya saw the person and became spellbound. That person was wearing a pants shirt and coat. A very sweet fragrance was coming from him and he also had a sweet smile and was calling her a sweet girl. This made Hooriya happy and she quickly replied to him. 

"Hello uncle" she said in her shy and cute voice. 

The man kneeled in front of her. 

"What are you doing?" he asked. 

"I'm going to my friend's house to play," she replied. She became happy that unique and sweet uncle was giving her importance. 

"Ohh, I have something in my pocket for a sweet girl," Uncle said and started searching in his pocket. He was searching his different pockets making Hooriya curious and excited. 

After some seconds, he retrieved a chocolate from his pocket. 

"Do you love chocolates? " the man asked.

Hooriya had just eaten this thing one or two times in her life, and such big chocolate, she had just seen on television. 

She smiled and nodded her head. Her liking for the uncle started to increase. 

"Ok then take it" Hooriya's eyes glint with happiness. She quickly took the chocolate and started eating it. 

"I also have a big car, do the sweet girl wanted a ride in it?" That question make Hooriya on the ninth cloud. She wanted to have a ride in a car, which she had never got the chance in life. 

"Ok, then let's go" Uncle stood from the ground and took Hooriya's hand. 

Hooriya started thinking about the enjoyable ride. 

Sparrows, present in a nearby tree, were gazing at their retrieving form with sadness. It seemed that they sensed what was going to happen with the girl. 

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