Thank you so much for your warmth...so part 2 is here.
Lights...had always fascinated her whether it was the colourful bulbs in the Dargah she visited often with her parents, the rows of candles in her school Church that she often visited with her friends, the Diwali lamps in her neighbourhood or the innumerable butterlamps in the Buddhist Monastery here in her hometown. Why did light intrigue her so much? Was it because it seeped through the darkest places or was it because she had nyctophobia right from her childhood. She remembered as a little girl clutching her ammi tightly whenever she encountered darkness and her abbu was extra cautious ensuring none of the passages were brightly lit lest his princess might feel frightened by darkness. As little girls Zoya would warn Noor not to hide in dark corners while playing hide and seek but Noor would impishly prank her into going inside dark corners and laugh hilariously while seeing Zoya panic.
"Got you appi", her little sister would squeal reminding her of the mischievous wood cherub from fairytale books.
"Appi" she opened her eyes too see Noor standing in front of her, was she dreaming till now Zoya could hardly remember.
"Doctor has asked you to rest" Noor said while carefully wrapping a shawl around her elder sister. Zoya was confused regarding the shawl in Mumbai heat but looking at the Pashmina draped around her realisation struck her and she looked around to see the room that belonged to her ever since she was eleven. She closed her eyes one moment she was running with Aditya from the police and the next moment she was at her parents home. Confusion clouded her mind but the familiar hands of her mother made her forget everything.
Her mother was showering kisses and muttering affectionate words to her first born. How Zoya missed this embrace during those difficult times she faced in Mumbai. She hugged her mother tightly and cried while Noor embraced both her mother and sister. Wasim Siddiqui's eyes were moist to see his family together after many months. He cleared his throat and announced affirmatively,
"Let her rest now", he was about to leave the room when he heard a frail voice,
'Abbu, I am sorry', he could not retain his cold demeanour anymore he rushed to his daughters side and hugged her.
"Aap jaldi thik ho jayengi meri shehzadi yeh aapke abbu ka wada hai aapse aur aap kabhi bhi akeli nahin hai."
Zoya cried and smiled at the same time, she was back at her home around her family that was her light after such a long darkness. Every part of her body ached yet she felt safe as if nothing could ever harm her a familiar feeling that she felt while she was in Aditya's arms...she squeezed her eyes shut for the need of obstructing such thoughts.
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