After eating breakfast, and now the entire family was known to the fact that Alisha had returned.
They had dispersed for the day, some going to work, others to uni, some to the bazaar and the rest didn't bother announcing before leaving.
Dadi Jaan had announced that their Walima was to be held next week and she had already contacted all the vendors and contractors needed.
After breakfast, Jawad had asked to talk to to Dadi jaan. The sheer panic on his wife's face caused him to jump into action.
They were sat in her room, with his youngest son in his lap and a cup of tea in Dadi Jaan's hands.
"Can we please keep this simple Dadi Jaan?"
"Why? It's the first granddaughter that has been married!" She exclaimed, outraged with his request.
"Alisha is struggling, she's been struggling since she's been back, her mental health is deteriorating significantly. It is hard enough for her to stay here, I request you please, can you keep this simple?"
He was met with a scoff.
"There's no such thing as mental health. She's fine, she will be fine."
Jawad raked his hair, severely annoyed and exasperated.
"No! You need to understand! She has been through hell these past years. She is still suffering as a consequence. She had no support!"
"Don't raise your voice at me boy! And what could I have done if she had run off with her teacher!"
Jawad felt as if someone had spilled cold water over him, it made sense now.
The over-acted welcoming, the glares across the room from her and her eldest son. The smirk as Alisha had told them what had happened.
"You knew." It was not a question but a statement, an accusation.
"Of course I did, that good for nothing girl was bound to get up to something in another city."
"You knew and you didn't do anything?" He yelled, his body felt like it was going to burst with the amount of anger that was brewing within him. He was on his feet and ready to walk out of the room.
"He asked for permission and he got it. For me." She had a proud smirk that he wanted to wipe from her face.
He turned immediately and stalked towards.
"And that makes it better does it?" His blood was boiling.
"He asked for my permission, that made him a respectable man."
"So what about Alisha? Her agreement to the marriage, and the biggest factor that SHE WAS UNDERAGED when the marriage took place!"
"Why would I care about all that? That was the job of her parent's, if they failed their duties, you cannot put the blame on me!"
"What did he give you?" He had her figured out now.
"20 lacs and the ownership multiple properties in Lahore. My husband had some debts that needed to be paid off." She smirked, knowing he'd see through her small lie.
"We won't be returning here and I hope you can fit all that money and land in your grave with you to justify a great injustice you did to your granddaughter!"
-
Jawad had gone with her Dadi as Alisha had decided to walk in the home that she no longer recognised.
The tiles were now replaced with marble, as were the simple light fixtures, which were now chandeliers.
She marvelled at the grandeur at the place, forgetting she had the right to live here as well as all of her cousins.
Stuck in the past, she was hit by someone's shoulder.
"Ow."
"Sorry." He called out while carrying on without looking back.
Alisha kept watching his back when all of a sudden he turned around.
"Who are you?"
He began walking towards her.
She panicked for a second, she did not know who he was.
She didn't recognise him.
"Hold on," he squinted his eyes, "Alisha? No way!"
He came closer to her holding at his arms.
She moved to the side, holding out her hand, begging him silently to stop.
He put his arms to his sides immediately.
"Where have you been? Since I came back all my wife has been talking about is you! How are you?"
"Good."
He couldn't help notice how she was hugging herself as if she was protecting herself.
"I'm not going to hurt you, I'm Rayyan, your cousin."
Those words weren't going to fill her with any sort of confidence, she had heard them from an untrustworthy mouth.
During this encounter, she did not know what storm she was soon going to encounter.
She ran through the halls, calling out for Jawad and her children.
She turned corners, flung open doors, no one responded.
Her chest was tightening, her mind and heart panicking.
Where are they?
She called out for all of them louder, no one was here.
She ran down stairs and stairs.
Out in the garden, no one.
In the kitchen, no one.
Hyperventilating, her legs gave up yet she persisted she needed her sons and her husband.
There was no one else for her.
Her vision faded to black.
Her last emotion was pain before giving up.
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Broken Souls ✔️
काल्पनिकPREVIOUSLY NAMED 'Broken'. The story in which an author tells her tale to a journalist on she lived her life and how she reached her success. But it's not all rainbows and cupcakes, in fact it's not at all rainbows and cupcakes, it's devils and mons...
