Chapter 12

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Chapter 12

It was Thursday morning.  It had been five days since Maryam's basketball game, and life had finally returned to normal.  For a couple days she had been depressed and angry, but eventually decided to move on.   Staying upset would not change her father's priorities.  As she rode to school on the bus, she thought only about the Quadratic Formula.  

"X equals negative B plus or minus the square root of B squared minus four A C divided by two A."

She repeated it in her mind over and over again, fearful that she might blank out on her exam that morning.  No, she wouldn't let that happen.  Nothing would keep her from an A+ this time.  

Coming out of the test and walking to her second period science class, she discussed it with Anne.  Fortunately, they both had the same answers, which kept Maryam happy for the rest of the day.  

She returned home around four and ran immediately to Shamyl's room.  As expected, he was resting in his bed and their mother was sitting at his side, reading The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe to him.  Shamyl's fever had lasted three days, and was accompanied by a sore throat and rashes.  On the second day, they had taken him to family pediatrician, who diagnosed him with strep throat.  After a few days of antibiotics, he was feeling much better, but their mother wasn't taking any chances.  Maryam was sure he wasn't going to be allowed to leave his bed until at least Saturday.   

Maryam: Hi Mummy.  Hi Shamyl.  Tabiyat kaisi hai?  Hi Mummy.  Hi Shamyl.  How are you feeling?

Shamyl: Main bilkul theek hoon.  Apa, Mummy se kahen na, ke mujhe ab uthne den.  I'm perfectly fine.  Apa, please tell Mummy to let me get up now.

Najma: Phir bemaar hona hai kya?  You want to get sick again?

Shamyl: Thodi der khelne se main phir bemaar ho jaaoonga kya?  If I play for a few minutes, I'll get sick again?

Najma: Aur kya?  Doctor ki baat nahin suni thi?  You think?  Didn't you hear what the doctor said?

Maryam: Come on, Mummy.  Give him a break.

Najma: Lo, tum bhi uski tarafdaari karne lagin.  Oh, so you're on his side now.  

Maryam laughed.

Maryam: Sorry Shamyl.  We don't stand a chance.

Her mother smiled.

Najma: Kisi din tum sab mera shukar maanoge ke maine tumhen itna protect kiya.  One day you'll all be thankful that I protected you so much.

A few minutes later, Maryam excused herself and went to the kitchen for a snack.  Just as she pulled a bowl of strawberries out of the fridge she heard the front door open.  Thinking that it must be Imraan and Samira, she peeked around the corner.  She was surprised to see her father walk into the living room in his surgery scrubs.  He hadn't been home this early in at least a month.  Part of her wanted to go welcome him and ask him how his day had been, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to do it.  She stayed in the kitchen and watched silently as he went upstairs.

Just as she entered the living room, the door opened again, and Imraan and Samira came inside.  They were whispering and giggling, but as soon as they saw Maryam, they became quiet.

Maryam: Aap dono mujhse kuch chhupa rahe hain, kya?  What's so funny?  Are you two hiding something from me?  What's so funny?

Samira glanced questioningly at Imraan, who hesitated for a second before nodding at her.

Samira: Okay, Bhaiya aur Sabah qareeb teen hafton se…  Okay, so since the last three weeks, Bhaiya and Sabah are…

Maryam: Boyfriend and girlfriend hain.  Mujhe pata hai.  Maine pichhle hafte Bhaiya ko unse phone pe baat karte sun liya tha.  A couple.  I know.  I heard Bhaiya talking to her on the phone last week.

Imraan's mouth dropped open and a pink tint appeared on his cheeks.  Samira gave him a stern look.

Samira: Bhaiya, you really need to be careful.  Aise hi chalta raha to raaz khul jaayega.  Bhaiya, you really need to be careful.  If this keeps up, the secret will be out in no time.

Maryam suppressed a snicker.  Even if she hadn't overheard her brother whispering sweet compliments over the phone, she still wouldn't have been surprised that they were together.  He was so obviously smitten by her that it was only a matter of time.

Samira: Anyway, Sabah yeh baat kisi ko bataana nahin chaahti hai.  Usko yeh bhi nahin maloom hai ke mujhe pata chal gaya hai.  Lekin aaj gaadi mein, she almost gave it away herself!  Hum Kennedy ke ek couple ke baare mein baat kar rahe the.  Jen aur Zach.  They can't keep their hands off each other.  Humesha saath rehte nahin.  It's disgusting.  To hua yeh ke Sabah kehne lagi "Haan, main aur Imraan bhi to…" aur phir usko khayaal aaya ke usko yeh nahin kehna tha aur kehte kehte ruk gayi.  Aur phir kehne lagi, "Main aur Imraan bhi isi baare mein baat kar rahe the."  Mujhe lagta hai ke woh asal mein kehne waali theen ke woh aur bhaiya bhi ek couple hain lekin unke jaisi harkatein nahin karte hain.  Anyway, Sabah wants to keep it a complete secret.  She doesn't even know that I found out.  But in the car today, she almost gave it away herself!  We were talking about how this couple at Kennedy, Jen and Zach, can't keep their hands off each other.  They're always making out in the hall and holding hands.  It's disgusting.  So Sabah started to say "Yeah, Imraan and I are…," and she suddenly realized what she was saying and stopped mid sentence.  Then she changed it to "Imraan and I were talking about them a few days ago."  I believe she was really about to say something like "Imraan and I are a couple, but you don't see us behaving that way."

Imraan: It was a pretty good save, lekin I'm sure Rehan ne notice to kiya hoga.  It was a pretty good save, but I'm sure Rehan noticed the hesitation.

Samira: Kiya tha.  Kaafi confused lag raha tha.  He did.  There was a very confused look on his face.

Maryam laughed.  Obviously, this wasn't going to be a secret for much longer.  

She heard a rustle behind her and turned around to see their father walking down the stairs.  He had changed into a kurta pajama and looked a lot more cheerful.

Samira's face lit up when she saw him.

Samira: Papa?  Aap itni jaldi ghar aa gaye?  Papa?  You're home so early?

Javed: Haan, maine socha aaj tum sab ko khush kar doon.  Yes.  I thought I'd make you guys happy today.

Imraan (sounding irritated) : Ek din se kya hoga?  What difference will one day make?

Javed: Kya matlab?  What do you mean?

Imraan: Aap kayi hafton ke liye apni family ke saath dinner nahin khaate, weekends ko bhi humaare saath waqt nahin guzarte, aur upar se Maryam ke game mein aane ka vaada karke bhi nahin pahunch paate.  Aur ab, ek din ghar jaldi aa gaya to aap ko lagta hai ke hum woh sab bhool jaayenge?  You don't eat dinner with your family for weeks, don't even spend weekends with us, and on top of all this, you promise Maryam you'll come to her game and still miss it.  And now, you come home early one day and think that we'll forget everything?

Maryam's heart began to race.

Javed: Imraan, zabaan sambhaal ke baat karo!  Main yeh sab tumhaare liye hi kar raha hoon.  Imraan, watch your toungue!  I'm doing all this for you.

Maryam decided to interject.

Maryam: Lekin humein yeh sab nahin chaahiye.  Yeh luxury humaare kisi kaam ki nahin agar wohi humein aap se door kar rahi hai.  But, that's not what we want.  What good is living in luxury if it keeps us away from you?

Javed: Theek hai.  Lekin mujhe jaanen bhi to bachaani hain.  Tumhen nahin lagta kya, ke main achcha kaam kar raha hoon?  Fine, but I do need to save lives.  Don't you think I'm doing something good for the world?

Imraan: Woh to hum jaante hain, lekin humein bhi aapki zaroorat hai.  We understand that, but your family needs you too.

Their mother appeared at the top of the stairs.  She stayed there and listened to the conversation.

Javed: Mujhe yaqin nahin aa raha hai.  Main itni mehnat karke, raat raat bhar jaagke, logon ko nayi zindagi de raha hoon, aur tumhen koyi farq nahin parta.  I can't believe this.  I work so hard, sometimes staying up all night, to give people a new chance at life, and it makes no difference to you.

Imraan: Nahin, mere matlab yeh nahin hai.  Main to bas yeh keh raha hoon ke…Samira, tum bataao na.  No, that's not what I mean.  I was just saying…Samira, please explain it to him.

Samira: Sorry bhaiya.  Main Papa ke saath hoon.  Sorry bhaiya.  I'm with Papa on this one.

Imraan: Kya?  What?

Samira: Woh sahi to keh rahe hain.  Unhone humaare liye hi to itni mehnat ki hai, aur ab woh insaaniyat ke liye kya kya kar rahe hain.  Main aapko apne khudgarz maqsad ki wajah se Papa ko bura bhala kehne nahin doongi.  He's right.  He worked so hard for us and now he's doing so much for humanity.  I won't let you insult him to achieve your own selfish purposes.

Imraan: Samira!

Javed: Bas ho gaya.  Ab main kuch aur nahin sunna chahta.  Main ek surgeon hoon.  Main aur parents ki tarah tumhen waqt nahin de sakta.  Agar tumhen yeh baat nahin samajh mein aati, to it's fine.  Lekin main is ko badal nahin sakta.  That's enough.  I don't want to hear any more.  I am a surgeon.  I can't give you as much time as other parents do.  If you can't understand this, then that's fine.  But I can't change it.

With that, he turned around and hurried upstairs, pausing once to glance at his wife, who was still standing at the top of the staircase.  As he passed her by, she followed him up the second flight of stairs to their bedroom.

Imraan shot Samira an angry look before leaving the room.  Samira's eyes filled with tears and she looked at Maryam for support.  However, Maryam had taken Samira's statement about selfishness personally.  She turned her back on her older sister and returned to her room.  

Despite having been a part of most heated dispute her family had ever had, Maryam wasn't upset.  She was actually glad that the truth was finally out, and she wasn't the only one angry with their father.  Imraan's support had increased Maryam's confidence that her feelings were not unjustified.  

She had just begun her science lab report when her cell phone rang.  It was Aisha.

Maryam: Hi Apa!  Aap kaisi hain?  Hi Apa!  How are you?

Aisha: Achchi hoon.  Yaqin nahin aa raha na, ke main tumhen phone kar rahi hoon?  I'm good.  I'm sure you're surprised that I'm calling you.

Maryam: Woh to hai.  Aisi kya khaas baat hai, ke aap depression se nikal ke mujhe phone kar rahi hain.  That I am.  What's the big news that has taken you out of depression to call me?

Aisha laughed, and Maryam was pleasantly surprised to hear cheeriness in her voice.

Aisha: Actually Maryam, tum sahi keh rahi ho.  I was in depression aur ab main woh sab kuch bhulaane ki koshish kar rahi hoon.  I want to move on with life.  Lekin us se pehle main tumhen sab kuch bataana chahti hoon.  Actually Maryam, you're right.  I was in depression and now I want to try and forget it all.  I want to move on with life, but before that, I want to tell you what happened.

Maryam: Aapne Bhaiya aur Samira Apa ko bata diya?  Did you tell Bhaiya and Samira Apa already?

Aisha: Nahin.  Main abhi unko nahin bataaoongi.  No, I'm not going to tell them yet.

Maryam: Achcha?  Kyoon?  Really?  Why?

Aisha: I just trust you more.

Maryam felt elated at the compliment.  She never imagined that Aisha would choose her over Imraan and Samira.

Maryam: Thanks.  To bataiye, kya hua tha?  Thanks.  So tell me, what happened?

Aisha told Maryam the entire story of Hasan, their plan to get married and his early death.  Maryam listened patiently, only interrupting twice to share her amazement at the turn of events.  By the time Aisha finished, Maryam felt guilty for being upset with her when she had refused to tell her what was wrong.  Anyone would react angrily if someone pressured them to relive their worst memory.

Maryam: I'm really sorry about what happened, Apa.  Main yeh dua maangoongi ke Khuda aap ko is baat ko bhulaane ki taaqat de.  I'm really sorry about what happened, Apa.  I'll pray that God gives you the strength to move on from what happened.

Aisha: Thanks Maryam.  Main bhi isi ummeed ke saath khush rehne ki koshish kar rahi hoon.  Thanks Maryam.  It's with the same hope that I'm trying to be a more happy person.

Maryam: Jaise aap pehle theen.  Like you were before.

Aisha: Haan.  Yes.

Maryam: Lekin aap yeh baat kisi aur ko abhi kyoon nahin bata raheen?  But why aren't you telling anyone else about this?

Aisha: Main unke reaction se darti hoon.  Main Mummy aur Papa ko abhi pareshaan nahin karna chaahti.  Imraan ko agar bata diya to mujhe yaqeen hai woh mujhe har din phone karke poochhega ke main theek hoon ya nahin.  Aur Samira zaroor mujhe yeh salah degi ke main Yusuf se shaadi karloon taake bhoolne main asaani ho.   I'm afraid of their reactions.  I don't want to alarm Mummy and Papa about this yet.  If I tell Imraan, I'm sure he'll call me every day to make sure I'm okay.  And Samira will definitely advise me to marry Yusuf to make it easier to forget about what happened.

Maryam smiled to herself.  She could picture them reacting exactly that way.

Aisha: Aur waise bhi, agar un mein se ek ko bata diya to woh ek doosre se baat karne lagenge.  Those two are inseparable.  And anyway, if I tell either Imraan or Samira, I'm sure they'll start discussing it with each other.  Those two are inseparable.

"You'd be surprised," thought Maryam, but she decided not to say anything.  It was not a good time to tell her sister about the argument that had just occurred.  

When Maryam finally hung up the phone, she felt a sense of pride.  Her brother took her side against her father and her sister trusted her more than anyone else in the family.  Things were not going perfectly in her life, but Maryam still felt more worthy than she had in a long time.

.:.Suhana.:.39323.2215856481