AsYa FF: Destiny Comes Calling *CH 20* 11/11/13 Pg 134 - Page 56

Chapter 15: A Journey into the Past

Once at the dhaba, Zoya was excited about the novelty of eating at a road side eatery, another thing knocked off of her bucket list. She had never had this experience before, but it was soon dampened by Asad's refusal to eat the oil laden unhygienic food there. Zoya tried her best to convince him, to the point of taking him for a quick tour of the kitchen and also requesting food cooked in very little oil. Since most of the lunch crowd had already left, the owners were also willing to indulge their whims.

During the lunch, Asad wondered at this girl sitting before him. Just sometime back she had a melancholy look on her face since the village was deserted and now she was happily enjoying the food laid before her. Even at home he had seen her going from laughing and joking to brooding and sulking later. And through all these moments, it was always her eyes that caught his attention, they were truly a window to her soul.

As Asad paid for their food, he noticed that Zoya was chatting up with an elderly gentleman who had been there all along. She had pulled out some paper from her bag and was showing it to him and the man was repeatedly nodding in the negative. All he could hear were the words Bus and Bhopal.

The same look from earlier in the day had descended on her face and he was itching to ask her what was going on. But he also realized that he had been a jerk to her earlier and there was no way she was going to open up to him about this matter.

----

The village square now had more people milling around than a couple hours ago. Zoya squared her shoulders as she exited the car. Asad sat inside, unsure if he should follow her or not. He saw her with that same paper again, talking to random strangers and showing them the paper. With each person she talked to her, the smile that she had plastered on her face started to fade away.

He had known that he had been wrong earlier about her, but now he felt even worse. On an impulse he stepped out of the car and walked towards her.

"..inhe jaante hain? Inka naam Zainab hain aur who issi gaaon main pali badi hain."[..you know her? Her name is Zainab and she was born and raised in this village.] He heard her ask.

The older woman she was talking to looked at the paper, which he now gathered was a photograph, and then back at Zoya.

"Par aap kaun ho beti?"[But who are you?] The woman looked at Zoya, confused.

"Ji mera naam Zoya hai. Zainab meri ammi thi." [My name is Zoya and Zainab was my mother.] Asad was shocked. But hadn't Ammi said that she was Anwar mamujaan's daughter. Intrigued he moved a few steps closer to them.

"Yeh kaise ho sakta hai? Zainab ke inteqal ki khabar mili tab mein wahin thi, aur mujhe yaad hain ki unhone kaha the ki unki beti bhi nahi bachi us haadse mein. Kuch logon ne usse nadi mein behte dekha tha, aur lash bhi nahi mili thi." [But how is this even possible? When the news of Zainab's death had come by, I was right there. And I clearly remember him saying that her daughter had not survived either. Her body had been seen in the river but never found.]The older woman was clearly flustered.

Asad offered her to take a seat in the car so that they could talk there with ease. But she declined instead offering to take them to her house.

Once they had settled down in her house, the older woman started with her story.

"Beta bahot saal ho gaye is baat ko, isiliye maaf kijiyega agar mujhe saari baatein yaad nahi. Umar ke saath yaadein dhoondhli ho gayi hainn" [My child, it's been many years, so I am sorry I do not remember everything clearly. With age, my memories have faded.] She explained. "Zainab ko Bhopal ke liye nikle poora ek roz ho gaya tha aur Sakina aur uske shauhar bahot pareshan the kyonki uske wahan pahonch ne ki koi khabar nahi mili thi. Hum bas bahar baat cheet kar rahein the, jab who aaya tha. Zainab ka devar tha shayad. Usne bataya ki bus ke haadse mein Zainab aur uski beti dono zinda nahi rahe. Sakina aur Aamir dono uske saath hi chal diye. Bus ek woh roz tha aur aaj ka roz hain, maine unhe nahi dekha." [It had been a full day since Zainab had left for Bhopal, and her parents were worried since there was no news of her. We were talking just outside, when that man arrived. I think he was Zainab's brother-in-law. He informed us that Zainab and her daughter had both been killed in the bus accident. He took them with him and I have not seen nor heard about them since then.]

"Par mere Abbu?" [But my Father?] Zoya asked.

"Woh to bechara doosre mulk mein kaam karta tha. Zainab ke bhai ko bhi apne saath le gaya tha. Woh wapas aa raha tha, isiliye to Zainab Bhopal gayi thi, apne sasural. Kuch saalon baad, ek vakil aakar ghar bech kar chala gaya. Sunne mein aaya tha ki sab ke sab ussi mulk chale gaye the. Ab kahan gaye the, kuch pata nahin." [He used to work in some foreign country. He had even taken Zainab's brother with him. He was supposed to be coming back, which is why Zainab had gone to Bhopal. A few years later a lawyer came and sold the house here. I had heard that everyone had moved to that foreign country. Unfortunately, I don't remember where.] She explained.

"Kya aap is tasveer mein unki aur mere Abbu ki pechan kar sakti hain? Kya aapko unka naam yaad hain? Parivaar ka naam ya Bhopal ka koi pata? Kya aapko pata hain ki mere chachu kahan hain ab? Mamujaan ka kya naam tha? Unhonein aise kaise yakeen kar liya ki main zinda nahin hoon? Aur police? Unko to pata tha ki main zinda hoon. Khala aur Anwar jeeju har kuch roz jaate the pooch taach ke liye." [Can you recognize my father and my uncle in this picture? Do you remember his name? His family name or where they lived in Bhopal? Do you know where my uncles are? What are their names? How can they just believe that I was dead? What about the police? They knew I was alive. Khala and Anwar jeeju used to visit the police station every few days to check if there was any news about my family.] Zoya was already hyperventilating as she worded her thoughts.

The woman only nodded her head in negative and looked at Zoya and Asad helplessly. She did inform them about her mamu's name, but besides that did not have answers to her other questions.

Asad led a dejected Zoya out from there, holding on to her in order to support her. Her eyes were brimming with tears, but she was not able to shed them.

---

The floodgates opened only when they were in the car. She however, refused to speak about what she had just found out. The only thing she kept muttering was "how did they just give up on me? And I had not even drowned. I was safe the whole time."

Asad offered her some water, which she reluctantly accepted.

----

Najma had come down, only for lunch that morning and had left almost immediately after. She said that she was working on her project, but Dilshaad was worried that something else was the matter.

"Najma, main andar aa jau?" [Najma, can I come in?] She asked as she knocked on the slightly ajar door. She was laying on the bed, looking away from the door and looked like she was busy reading a book. On hearing the knock, she shut the book and looked around asking her mother to come in.

"I did not want to disturb you so I asked" Dilshaad responded. "So are you done with the project? I was going to head over to Salma's for the rest of the day and was wondering if you were planning on joining? I am sure she will appreciate spending as much time with you as possible." Dilshaad said, gently patting Najma's head as the latter lay in her lap.

"Ammi, I am not done with the project yet. And then we will be really busy tomorrow. Can I just join you for the mehendi tonight?" she requested.

"Najma, sach sach batao kya baat hai? Jahan tak mujhe pata hai, tumhare sare projects submit ho chuke the do hafte pehle. Ab yeh kaunsa project hain? Kahin tum Salma ko to avoid nahin kar rahi? Uski shaadi ko lekar to pareshan nahi ho? Woh shaadi karke thodi na kahin door ja rahi hai, yahin Bhopal mein to rahegi. Tum dono milte rahoge." [Najma, tell me the truth, what is going on? As far as I know, your projects were completed a couple weeks ago. Which new project is this? Are you avoiding Salma? Or are you just upset about her marriage? She is only getting married, not leaving us forever. She is going to be right here in Bhopal and you will be seeing each other often.] Dilshaad explained.

"Ji Ammi. It's just that things will change, people change. They never remain the same." Najma sighed.

"That is true. See one day you will also get married and go to your own house. You too will get busy with your life and not have time for us. But the love and bond will remain the same. It's not like you are going to forget your old relations when you accept the new ones."

"Please Ammi. Mujhe nikkah nahi karna. Aap please is baarein mein baat na karein." [Please mom. I don't want to get married. Please do not talk about it."] Najma sat up with a huff, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Arre pagal, is baat par bhi koi rota hai kya? Aur nikkah nahi karogi to kya puri zindagi apne bhaijaan and bhabhi ke ghar mein baithogi? Sabhi ladkiyan apno ko chod kar doosra ghar basane se darti hain, iska yeh matlab to nahi na ki koi shaadi hi na kare? Chalo ab chodo yeh rona dhona, aur apna kaam khatam kar ke wahan aa jana. Aur agar Zoya time par wapas aa jaye to use bhi le aana. Rukhsaar mere saath hi chal rahi hai. Bhaijaan ka khana ready hai, unse kehna microwave karle. Theek hai?" [Crazy girl, is this something to cry about? And if you don't get married, will you just live the rest of your life with your brother and his wife? Every girl is reluctant to leave her home and start a new life, but that does not mean they don't marry. Now leave all this crying and finish your work. If Zoya is back, bring her along with you. Rukhsaar is going with me. And tell your brother that his dinner is ready, he just needs to reheat it.]

"Ji Ammi" she nodded as her mother left her room and went back to the book she was reading earlier.

She plucked out the dried up rose from between the pages and stared at it hard, as the tears fell freely down her cheeks. Look what you have reduced me to. I am lying to my own mother. Why can't we just move on without this tension between us? Why can't I not stop thinking about you or looking at you when you are not aware? Why do I feel your gaze on me whenever we end up in the same place? Why? Why? Why? I was happier before you reappeared on the scene, just go away. She threw away the flower with all her might, but the very next second picked it up again and placed it back in her book. Whoever said that first love was hard to forget, was right. But I shall continue to strive, till I succeed. She wiped her tears with resolution and decided to take that much needed beauty rest.