FF - A Rude Awakening COMPLETE STORY PG 145 - Page 7

Originally posted by: Javeria3991

awesome 👏

Originally posted by: BDCTG

Professional writer...waao!
And u have such a lovely family appi!

Chapter Two

"Thank you for coming with me Zaki. Sorry to trouble you like this." Zara bit her lip in uncharacteristic hesitation. After seeing Arzoo in that state, even Zara's confidence had taken a beating.

Zaki forced his eyes away from the door of Arzoo's room and tried to smile. "Please don't think that way Zara. I'm always here to help you. How is Arzoo?"

Zara shrugged, her effort to appear easy falling totally flat at the desolation in her eyes. She had force-fed Arzoo a few bites of breakfast before suggesting a shower. After seeing the way Arzoo kept touching the scratch marks on her neck and the tremors that shuddered out of her, Zara had lent one of her loose fitting shirts along with track pants. The collar would cover her neck and when her appi had looked at her with tear-filled grateful eyes, all she could do was hug her and leave the room. Just then she saw Linda going towards the house, probably to carry out Sahir's instructions. She quickly excused herself and ran towards her. "Linda! Linda!"

"Hi Zara. How is Arzoo?"

"She is OK I guess. Ammi is there with her. You'll be there with her until I get back, wouldn't you?"

Linda placed a reassuring hand on Zara's shoulder. "Don't worry. You go on."

Zara nodded and went back to Zaki, who was waiting for her car near his car.

****

Nausheen looked helplessly as Arzoo battled with her demons. She didn't know how to reach her daughter anymore. The daughter who had always been quick to offer a hug and support to her until now, flinched at her touch. She talked but most of it went unheard. She tried to coax her a smile out of her. All she got was more tears. Allah! Please do something.

Rough dirty hands ripped her dress apart. The heavy weight of him held her immobile. The smell of alcohol overwhelmed her as he brought his face closer. Closer.

Arzoo jerked and hugged herself tighter as she dragged her bent knees closer to her chest. Her breath came sped up as she tried to smother her scream. She shouldn't have closed her eyes.

Arzoo. Arzoo.

Before she could blink, her Asharfi landed gently on her arm. Fresh tears welled in her eyes at the sight of this friend of hers. "Asharfi."

Arzoo mirchi. Arzoo mirchi.

The first smile, sad though it was, flitted across her dry lips. "You're hungry? No one fed you chilies today?"

"I tried to but this naughty parrot kicked the bowl and flew off," Nausheen didn't bother hiding her relief. That was the first complete sentence that her daughter had spoken since that morning.

"Asharfi, you're being naughty again?" Asharfi tilted her head as if to say you know I can't help it. It resulted in another tiny smile. "Go with ammi and have your chilies. Go."

Arzoo masti. Arzoo masti.

The smile slipped and fell off. Wordlessly, she handed Asharfi over to Nausheen before once again curling up in the sofa. "Arzoo?" The gentle voice made her turn her head once again. It was Linda. She tried to get up but Linda shook her head and came to sit beside her. But she didn't try to touch her.

"How are you feeling?"

"OK I guess."

"You're lying. I just..Arzoo..I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing Lindaji?" Arzoo gave a tired, confused look.

"I shouldn't have sent you my address as soon as you asked for it. I should've told you to be careful. You're new to the city and yet I.." Linda hesitated before plunging on bravely. "I know better than anyone what kind of cruelty the humans are capable of." Arzoo bit her lip hard to stop her tears. She didn't want to cry in front of Linda. She wanted to hide her face but Linda's words stopped her. "You know, my dad died when I had been four years old and my mom remarried a year after that. Hitting me had been my stepfather's favorite past time. I put up with it for years until one day I lost it and thrashed the living daylights out of him and got out of that house."

"Your mom?" Arzoo asked tentatively.

"She had three more children with that man. She didn't have time for me." There was no anger or hatred in Linda's voice. Just acceptance. She placed a gentle hand on Arzoo's shoulder. "So I do know what you're going through. It will take time. But you'll come out of it. You're a strong girl Arzoo. Don't let that guy win over you. Fight him and fight his memories. Don't let him win. Every tear you shed is him scoring one point over you."

Arzoo's eyes filled up to the brim. "I-I always thought I was strong Lindaji. T-that I cou-could take care of myself and-and everyone around me. I thought i-if anyone lays a hand on m-me without my per-ermission I would chop off his hand." The tears slipped and fell. "But I realized I'm none of those things. I'm not strong. I just a-act like I'm strong. A-all all that guy h-had to do w-was h-hit m-me a couple of times and I-I was at his m-mercy. I'm-I'm a co-coward and so s-stupid Lindaji. S-so stupid."

She tried to stop talking. But she found that once she started, she couldn't. She couldn't stop. And just like that she told. The whole incident. Every shaming detail. Every desperate attempt to escape that was foiled. Every scream. Every slap and scratch and bruise that she received. And she broke down. Her entire body shook with the force of the sobs that were wracking her. As feelings that she never felt before overwhelmed her. Shame, pain, terror, horror. Linda did the only thing she could. She hugged Arzoo and let her cry it out. "No Arzoo. You're not. You're most definitely not a coward. Nor are you stupid. You didn't give up. You fought back. You had the presence of mind and in those circumstances, that is the most important thing to have. Whatever you're feeling now, I went through all those stages although in a different way." She made Arzoo stand up and gently guided her towards the washroom. "Go and freshen up. You need to get out of this room for a while and I need your help with something."

"H-help?"

"Yes. Help. Now go and wash your face and I'll tell you all about it."

Arzoo wanted to argue but the thought of staying alone in that room with nothing but her thoughts prompted her to do Linda's bidding. Anything would be better than that.

****

Sahir read the highlighted lines in the document before realizing that he had been reading the same lines for the past five minutes without registering a single word. With a vile muttered curse, he banged his laptop shut and got up to pace the confines of his cabin. It was late evening. Almost six. How is Arzoo doing? Did she eat anything since morning? If the thought of food was revolting him, what must be her state! Was her head hurting from the injury? Was her lip swollen still? Were there any other injuries that he hadn't been aware of? How is she dealing with all the trauma? The doctor had been right to upbraid him. He should have taken her to a hospital directly. He whirled away from the wall with another rough curse, his pacing now resembled that of a furious and helpless caged lion. Where the hell was Linda! Did she succeed in getting Arzoo into her team? Goddammit! Why can't someone tell me something! When I don't need hourly reports, they give me an update every five minutes and now! Not a damn word! He was about to pull out his phone to send a message when he saw Linda outside his cabin. She caught his look and hurried over.

"Good evening sir."

"What's the update?"

"Sir, we have started working on some designs." He extended his hand in a silent command. Linda hesitated. "Sir, let me filter the good ones."

He didn't move or blink. With a nervous swallow, she handed over the whole file. He shifted through every design. He knew each and every designer in Saiyyara. He could tell just from the drawings who had done which one. His fingers and eyes screeched to a halt at the last three designs. At the ugliness portrayed in them. All red, black and grey. The features of the woman in the sketch were distorted and twisted. The clothes were grotesque. Torn and in tatters as the woman lay hunched on her knees. In one, the hands of the woman were tied over her head as her mouth lay open in a silent scream. And the last one where the woman in black lay flat on her back with her neck arched with slashing red welts over one side.

"Go." The command was soft and low.

"Sir please.."

"I. Said. Go."

"She needs time sir. But she talked today. We talked for a long time. She'll come out of it. She..just needs time." With those last words, Linda turned and left the cabin.

His horror at seeing his Arzoo the previous night, his guilt at being the cause of it however inadvertently, his pain at his inability to be there for her and help her. With all of it surrounding him from all sides, Sahir waited. With those sketches spread out in front of his eyes. With the images of that video call flashing through his mind's eye. He waited. Waited until the office emptied totally. Waited until all the lights except those of his cabin were turned off. Waited until the last attender left the building, closing the door behind him. And then..he let it all out. His scream was that of an animal that was being burnt alive. The fire licking first the skin before sinking into the flesh and eating it away before going to the marrow. It bounced and echoed through the sound proof walls. He didn't notice the tears that flowed from his eyes, turning them red. He didn't notice the designs getting wet with those tears. He didn't notice the hand that had started to bleed again from the force of his white knuckled fist.

The painful wail died down to wracking sobs and slowly ended in dry hiccups. Throat raw and burning, he growled in desperate fury. "No Arzoo. I won't let you do this. I won't let you turn into another Sahir. I won't! You hear me? I WON'T!"

****

"Ammi, how is Arzoo?" Zaki stood near the door but didn't enter Alvira's room completely. His eyes kept straying towards the corridor that led to Arzoo's room.

"Better. Linda kept her busy all day. It will take time but..she did manage to eat a little in her room."

Zaki gave a small smile. "Fate dealt a horrible hand to my Jahaara where love is concerned. Good to see that she has been blessed with great friends at least." He turned to go but stopped. "And Ammi, I just want to say that after all this if Jahaara decides to leave the house, she won't be leaving alone. I will be going along with her. I will be her support."

Alvira didn't argue. She didn't bother correcting Zaki that Linda wouldn't blink without her boss's permission.

****

"Wow Choti Begum, you look really happy about something. Care to share?" Kurti apa strolled into Anam's room.

Anam's grin was smug. "Of course I'm happy Kurti apa. Soon this house is going to be free of Arzoo and her family."

"Don't be so hasty begum. We still don't know which side Zaki will flip."

"Not hasty Kurti apa. Confident. Sahir is not going to let anything come between him and the deal. The deal will happen only if Zaki marries Samaira. And that means Zaki, no matter how much he wants, can't run after Arzoo. And if he does, Sahir is going to kick her out of everyone's life once and for all."

****

Arzoo Arzoo

"Get some sleep Asharfi." Arzoo tried to smile at Asharfi who had perched itself on the side table beside the bed.

Soja raajkumari soja soja..

Arzoo exchanged a stunned look with Zara and both sisters burst out giggling. "Asharfi, where did you learn that song? Who taught you?"

Soja raajkumari soja soja..

Arzoo ran her finger over the parrot tenderly even as her smile slowly slipped and fell off. How to tell the innocent bird that she was scared of closing her eyes? How to tell her already worried sister that?

"Goodnight appi. Close your eyes and get some sleep. I'll be right here."

Arzoo nodded and turned to the other side to stare out of the window. A few moments later, she heard Zara's even breathing. Sighing she continued to look at the gently fluttering leaves of the nearby tree outside the window. Slowly, without her knowledge, her eyelids drooped and closed. She didn't know when Asharfi flew out of the room and to the man sitting a little distance away from the room on the two-seater bench. With a flutter of wings, it landed on his shoulder. With a small smile, he extended a chili to her.

"Thank you Asharfi."

Gabbar Chaudhary Gabbar Chaudhary.

Thank you all for reading. Hope you enjoyed it. And no, this is NOT THE END for this OS. It's going to have one more part.. at least I THINK it is just one more part. Let's see, shall we? 😉

Have a great day!!

Originally posted by: prettypri

Oh Suvika...I actually felt the trauma and pain of a victim reading this.

Please believe me... it was very tough to pen down that part. Shook me up big time last night and had to take a break before I could continue.

I just felt an odd disassociation with Arzoo in the same situation on the show...her reactions ...her recovery..none of it seemed natural...she seemed to have forgotten everything but what Sahir did...!

I know... seriously..I don't know how that is possible. No matter from which angle I think, the last few episodes are looking bizarre. Scattered all over the place. 😕

You brought out the fear and the self blame so well...Linda helping her talk it out was a sensible addition...how can anyone think of anything else without expressing their feelings about this sort of incident? On the show Arzoo didn't even tell her mother what she is feeling about what happened with the taxi guy...and the mother encourages her to just go on without asking her to let it out...wierd and more wierd!

Recovery would be in stages. First shock, then terror, then fear, then self-blame, then venting, then re-grouping and finally trying to take the first step towards moving on. In the show we didn't even get to see the shock stage itself. I am left wondering how come a woman writer is dishing out something like this. Has she lost all sensitivity to the issue?? 😕

And Sahir 😭...seeing that manifestation of Arzoos trauma would definitely do that to him...he is the only one who actually thought about what happened even on tbe show..although he is blamed and credited with engineering the whole thing...his concern was palpable and real...he wasn't trying to rush the incident under the carpet!

No he wasn't. He had already been holding himself together by a thin thread before the incident. But the incident and the sketches broke him. And its a good thing in a way. He needed to scream. He needed to let it all out. He can't function otherwise..self mutilation or no. Because even in self mutilation, he is shown silent.

And Zakis role should have been limited to what you have written...that's apt for him!

A triangle can definitely brought in if thats what the CVs want. But they need not butcher and slaughter SaAz for that. 😡

Most importantly the game and what Sahir said took a backseat even in Arzoos mind as she dealt with the whole thing...that's how it should have been !

Oh she will remember. No two ways but as I said, she has to go through all the stages before she can reach that point.

Loved reading it...👍🏼

Thank you so much Priya. 😃

Originally posted by: docmonica

Awww!!!!! I love it! Your writing is so awesome. 🤗. Have been feeling so depressed about how I've been wasting so much time with this serial which is showing such depressing episodes!

Thank you Monica.🤗 The OS is depressing too in a way. No romance from any angle here. I do realize that yet wanted to write. Maybe to show that this track could be used to bind these two together. Each one's pain brings the other closer.

But what you wrote was wonderful! It makes sense, and makes one believe these two are humsafars who will heal each other. Also, it is so realistic as it takes into account how it takes time after an assault to recover. I loved how you brought in Asharfi and Sahir teaming up. Even the added dimension of Linda and her back story was wonderful and so realistic...having some female friend who Arzoo could tell and purge the story of what happened to her with. It is so true that many women can relate to being victimized in some shape or form at some point in their lives.

Yes. I had to think quite a bit on that. Arzoo needed to purge. But in front of whom was my dilemma. Nausheen - not strong enough. Zara - too young. Alvira - oh boy no. A psychiatrist seemed like a good option. But again...how to get her meet one? It would be too complicated. So kept it simple. Another woman who had gone through something similar would break through and reach Arzoo. So Linda it was.

I love how Sahir is shown by his actions how much he loves her...his attention to every detail and his misery ...brilliant job!!!! I think you've make a lot of us feel better after reading your story. 😊. Now I hope the CV's may read some of this ... 😳. Ahh, the romantic in me is happy and optimistic again 😳

I will take that as a huge compliment. Thanks again Monica. 😃