MAQAAM - Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Rahil tried the handle, unlocking the cabinet below the washroom sink to fetch a new bottle of her shampoo and replace it with the empty one. This girl was lazy this way, forgetting to dump empty cans and bottles around but keeping the smallest of things in their place. She was organized yet a walking, cluttering, and loud mess.
5 months into their marriage Rahil seemed to have been left surprised by her actions at every step.
She had taken into her role in his business, diving headfirst into work at nights and weekends while in the days she would go back to her old self. Her transition from this troublemaker spitfire to a commanding boss lady left him rather susceptible than amused. He may think his workaholic nature had rubbed on her but it wasn't the truth, this girl could keep herself busy at great lengths.
He took a quick look at his shaved face and rinsed the foam away. His electric shaver would hardly do justice to this small beard he liked carrying around. Wiping his face clean, he dressed in a black shirt that he had found a day before in his closet.
He had an important summit he would be attending today and his wife had made sure to leave a gift for him. He remembers her teasing around the color and jesting of the said shirt on him, surprised it took so long for her to work on her words.
Pairing it with a grey blazer and trousers, he was out of the door and peeked inside the room to find her. She was up and awake so early.
Sitting facing the west, she had her head wrapped in a shawl. Mat lay down, eyes closed, and lips constantly moving as she prayed this time of the morning. He frowned but chose to speak none.
She believed in the Almighty. Her faith was stronger than his atheism.
If she held the notion of praying to him for her wishes would fulfill them, he believed in her belief.
Carrying his bag and blazer out silently, he placed the things on the couch and looked for the other woman in his life around. Checking the kitchen, living room, and his mother's room which was locked from inside indicated she sat praying for him too.
He knew the two ladies bonded over their belief in God while he stood firm on his.
Trudging back towards the kitchen, he decided to treat his ladies with some breakfast while they ranted to their god with the long list of prayers they had.
Hearing his gate open, he glanced behind to find his wife hurrying towards him with a flushed face and red eyes that sent alarms ringing in his head. "What happened?"
She gently shook her head and cupped his face.
"Inara? Kya hua hain?" He whispered the question; afraid he might send her in another overdrive of tears that she was hardly controlling. "Tell me something. Anything, Ini."
Another shake of her head and she closed her eyes, blowing around his head as she chanted verses in her head freezing him in the process. He wished to comfort her, hold her closer as she smiled wiping her face clean and blinking back any incoming moisture.
It was then he realized, this alluring woman was weeping for him, crying, and praying for him.
With shaky hands, he touched her head and pulled her to his chest.
It wasn't the first instance she had teared up while praying. She had let out her emotions and words more to the Almighty than him. Her parents, her estranged sister, and any of the problems in her life were shared with the lord before him. Each time she cried, he watched her walk towards their bed and clutch a pillow to her chest as if filling in a void.
How he wished he could obliterate that void in her.
She had grown to be precious to him, so much that it hurt to see her break for him.
"Why do you have to cry?" He placed a small peck on her crown and she sighed.
Parting she rolled her eyes dramatically. She looked around and her eyes glimmered with hunger towards her Poha. "Did you make it?"
He blinked in agreement.
"Aren't your husband's goals?" She teased him cheekily, tip-toeing as she adjusted his shirt collar. "Handsome husband goals."
Long gone were her tears and her smile took over. He shook his head at her antics and turned her towards their room door.
"Go and come back quick. I will call Ammi."
"No need to call me." Her mother grinned watching the two in her kitchen. She came forward and repeated what Inara did, blew verses on their heads, and kissed their temples, hers was with no tears but smiles. "Allah may bless you two with all the success in the world. Aapko meri umar lag jaaye." (May you live longer than me.)
"Meri bhi." Inara bumped her shoulder with him while two glares shot her way. (Me too.)
"Inara!"
"Ese nahi bolte, Bacche."
Rahil and Afreen chastised her immediately.
"Aree! I have 70 more years and I will be bored. Aur wese bhi, Rahil to sulk karte-karte puri zindagi nikal sakte hain, nahi?" (Jeez! I have 70 more years and I will be bored. Also, Rahil can live his entire life sulking, no?)
"Zyada nahi bol rahi hain aap?" He cocked a brow towards her earning her sheepish giggles not before she ran inside finding an excuse. "Pagal ladki." (Aren't you speaking too much?) (Crazy woman)
"But pyaari hai." His mother commented laughing. (But she is cute.)
His mother dished out plates for them while Inara came hustling, arranging her tote bag, and placing it near his laptop. Her hair was down and outright disturbing while she struggled with her earrings.
"I am going to kill that Sanjana. Why can't she take another few minutes to get ready?" She whined shoving her first bite of breakfast. "You know they left her place and will be here in another 5 minutes. Then will keep shouting how I was late. This is so tasty but I can't even enjoy it. So unfair yaar!"
"Eat slowly, Inara." He pointed irked at her stuffing her face and ranting.
"You don't get to say that. I have to report to a boss unlike you." She turned to his mother complaining. "Tell him na, Ammi. I can work for him. I will be happy, really. You know how strict Mr. Iyer has been in the last two months that the financial year is closing. He is turning into a Jallad and will be making us stay for overtime if any of us fail to submit our projects. I mean why all? I have already done most of it. I would rather hurry home and help you with dinner. It has been days since I made some Biryani. At this level, I am going to forget all the recipes. Allah! How will I even get enough time to drop my suit for the tailor? Oh no! What will I wear for Irfan Bhai's wedding? I don't like my boss and them too."
Her phone rang and she groaned stuffing two more bites. Picking her things, like a hurricane she exited the main door ignoring his call for her to be careful and chew slowly.
"You were right, she is crazy." His mother laughed making him exhale a sigh.
"I am leaving." He mumbled taking her and his plate to the sink. Bending, he placed a quick kiss on his mother and glanced at her empty chair before leaving their home.
She was a literal storm in his life. While he had practiced a composed and organized life structure, she had done nothing but spread chaos among his well-laid-out plans.
Rahil: My phone will be off. Call Ammi if required.
He was supposed to tell her this before leaving, not that she gave him a chance to speak.
Rahil: And don't skip lunch. Eat slow and more.
From Ini: Yes, Bose. All the best and don't talk to another woman.
Or else you will have a big problem at home.
Rahil: If I do, how will you know?
From Ini: I will know. I have 8 eyes, remember?
Rahil: No, I don't.
From Ini: Your bad. I will take you to a good neurologist on Sunday.
Can't have my husband forget me too.
Rahil: I can never forget you.
From Ini: I know! I am the best you see.
Now stop texting me. Take your girlfriend for a ride and stay safe.
I will wait for you.
See you later, Shohar Sahab!!!!
Rahil: See you...
He couldn't wait to see her back. As the hours passed, he grew anxious to contact her again. The constant urge to text and check on her had him deposit the device back in the inner pocket of his bag. He met an affluent businessman. Some known, some unknown.
"I have heard about you, Mr. Sohail." Shehryaar Shah shook his hand, smiling politely at the introduction.
"You and the AI you are building for the pharma industry." Mudassar Adami joined them. These two were cousins and top businessmen of the city. "Is there a way I can be a part of this technology?"
Rahil's insides fired up at the intrigue these people showed towards his project. "I am sure we can find a way for that."
He nodded appeased. Forwarding his hand, he shook Rahil's. "I look forward to hearing from you, Mr. Sohail."
"You can call me Rahil, Mr. Adami" He offered and two men nodded in agreement.
"Then it is Mudassar and Shehryaar for you, young man." Shehryaar passed him a cup of tea from the server. "Why not we meet for dinner? We can talk about the project and get to know more about each other."
"Wives too?" Mudassar asked with an amused glint. "Mine would love to see yours and the twins too. Arham will have a night."
Shehryaar scowled at the mention. "No, my daughter is nowhere coming near him."
"Your wife promised her to mine." He reminded curbing the grin back.
"Zee did. Not me so that is null and void." Shehryaar rolled his eyes.
Rahil witnessed the banter between the two. He may be confused but never interrupted for an explanation. How could he when he was reminded of his wife at the mention?
"Don't leave the poor man out of the loop." Mudassar addressed him. "So, Rahil, are you married?"
He smiled at her reference. "Yes."
"Happily," Shehryaar commented. "His smile says it all."
"And by any chance expecting a baby?" Mudassar asked making Shehryaar snort with a scoff. "What? You have a son, Sherry. I am sure Azeen would be ecstatic to get a bride for him. And my Sana is pregnant too. What if it is another boy? I am only looking out for good future in-laws for our kids."
"You are turning into Sana." He shook his head horrified. "Ignore him, Rahil. This man and his wife think they can secure their kids and good spouses at an early age. They have already manipulated by wife into promising our daughter to their son. Don't fall for their words."
"Inara isn't pregnant, nor we are planning. I think I am safe." He laughed at the fallen face of Mudassar and joined Shehryaar who smirked in victory.
"Jokes apart." Mudassar shook the laughter out of his tone getting back into the matter at hand. "I still mean for the dinner. Families included. My parents believe we extend families each time we enter a partnership. Me and wife would be ecstatic to meet you and yours. So is Shehryaar and Azeen. I really wish to work with you, Rahil. I hope you feel the same."
"Yes. I would be happy to work with you." Shehryaar patted his back.
Rahil nodded at the two men assertively. "It would be a pleasure."
They talked some more before they went back to the summit. As the event came to an end, Rahil's anxiety ricocheted as his phone buzzed at once with an onslaught of notifications.
Around 10 missed calls from his mother, some others were unknown people trying to reach him, but nothing from Inara.
There were a series of notifications that he ignored escaping to the text his mother left some hour back for him.
From Ammi: Just come home. She is with me.
Sleeping.
Confused, he dialed Afreen only for the call to slide to voicemail. He tried again but the phone went unanswered.
He ran towards the parking lot and put on his helmet, racing through the streets of the city he drove towards his home. Couldn't he keep his phone on and attend to them when they needed him?
He feared for the worst, was his mother fine? Was she fine?
Why had they tried calling him so many times? What did he miss?
Flaking two stairs at a time, he refused to wait for the elevator and climbed to the fifth floor. He pushed the door open with a dash and panted taking in their home. There was hardly any change, nothing was out of the ordinary yet when he met his mother, he could see her forehead crinkled with a frown. Her eyes were tired yet they brightened at his presence.
"Where is your phone, Ammi?" He asked catching his breath.
"My phone? Oh, I left it on silent to not disturb Inara." She said with regret.
He blinked at her name, taking a sweep of the place to spot her in the place. "Where is she? And what did you mean by not disturbing her? You said she was sleeping; she wouldn't sleep just yet."
"Rahil, I want you to listen to me." She stepped forward with her palms raised, as if ready to calm him down. "Don't react, okay? It wasn't her fault."
"What isn't her fault?" He frowned, turning towards their room when his mother blocked his way.
"First promise, you will try to understand her."
"Why will I not understand her? What has happened?" Her cryptic words were making his head spin. "Is she okay?"
"She will be." Her mother corrected herself immediately. "I mean she is. Just resting."
"I don't understand." He shook his head to calibrate his thinking brain back. "Please step aside. Let me see her once. Please."
Afreen stepped aside at his request, gulping, and fidgeting as he gently opened the door. Somehow, he could feel his heart ready to jump out at the suspense these two ladies had created around him.
The room was dimly lit but the white bandage around her head screamed to him. The huge plaster on her right shoulder had him still in the doorway. The stitches on the side of her cheek and the big red spot on her head were a tattle tale of what could go wrong.
"This...she..."
"Her cab got into an accident this morning," Afreen informed him touching his shoulder, and squeezing it for support. "Her side was impacted as the car toppled over. The right shoulder is fractured, two ribs are broken, and a concussion to her head. Allah saved her, Rahil. They said...the impact could have taken her life. When they called me after you left, I didn't know what to do. I tried calling you but couldn't get through."
"W...why is she not in hospital then? Why home, Ammi? She needs medical attention." He was ready to fight her if she said no.
He sped towards her sleeping form, lights bright making her groan but he had to see her for himself. Her face was pale, it had lost its color in just mere hours. Her pupils moved but never escaped the shield of her eyelashes. Those nimble fingers that were too often wrapped around his own lay unmoving, an IV attached to her palm restricting her movements and those bandages punched him in the gut.
"She didn't want you to see her there." Afreen choked on her words. "The first time she got conscious, she took a promise from me to take her home before I informed you. She knew how you abhor hospitals after your Abbu's death, Rahil. She didn't wish to put you through the same again."
"She can't be serious." He bit his cheeks and pressed his eyes shut to not lose his composure. She was one crazy woman to decide against hospitals when she needed intensive care. "What about doctors? How could they let her out?"
"She threw a fit for them to agree. They agreed only when the hospital seemed to do more damage to her vitals than improve them." His mother sighed. "They made me sign the guarantee forms and let her back home with the condition of regular checkups for a month. I gave her pain medicines only an hour before you came so she will be sleeping for a while."
He nodded rubbing a palm on his face, pinching his temple as the incoming headache seemed to be more from these uncalled-for emotions than her condition.
"Do you want to freshen up? I will heat the dinner for you." His mother offered.
He shook his head. "I had something to eat back there. You may eat, Ammi. After that you can take a rest, I am here."
"No, I can stay the night with her. You have work tomorrow."
Nothing was more important than her, not when watching her so battered pushed his brain into a frenzy. He could hardly focus on his mother's words; work would have to wait a lot more.
At least until he was assured that she was the same wife he had left behind this morning.
"Don't be hard on yourself, Rahil. It was no one's fault but the destiny." Afreen's assurance did little to ease his worries.
How was he to take every action as destiny's plan? Was his father's loss a destiny? Was almost losing his wife a destiny too? If believing every action was pre-determined and meant to happen, he refuses to believe in fate and destiny.
He had refused to believe in the creator for the same reasons, he didn't think the one who made them all would put them through so much misery. No, if he had made them and given them a life, he wouldn't make the same life miserable and hateful. The creator was called the creator for a reason, he wouldn't destroy their happiness.
He had sat beside her on the bed for longer than necessary, not moving until he had little assurance from her. It came in the form of a whispered grumble that protested the bright lights of the room.
Staring at her face with a little smirk of disbelief, he chuckled tearily and leaned to place a kiss on her forehead. Thump brushing her cheek, he pressed his forehead against hers and gently adjusted the comforter for her.
With dim lights, he changed and settled on a chair near their bed to be within reach for her. He picked a novel from the collection of books that she kept stored on her bedside table. The top 3 of her weeks were placed neatly near her head as she liked reading before sleep.
With his fingers latched on hers, he opened her bookmark and decided to read a little louder, as if letting her have her fix of books for the day.
A page in and he felt her fingers move. He clutched firmly on her hand.
"You told me to be safe, can you never take your own words and apply them in your life?" He whispered to her sleeping form. "You realize what could have gone wrong today? I could have lost you, Ini. I haven't even held you enough to let you go. Just when I have started to take this marriage for what it actually is, you throw in a surprise for me. It isn't fair, Mrs. Inara Sohail. I may have signed my life for surprises at every turn with you but these are not allowed."
He breathed slowly, talking to her alone was never supposed to happen.
"You know, I feel like a terrible person for switching that phone off and never answering when my family was in need. I am never doing it again. I want to be the first person you call when you need or don't need but still the first person you should call. I don't want surprises that include you. I have come to hate it today. Do I look funny to you for talking alone? I swear, Inara, you make me do things I never have. You keep me on my feet at all times."
"Liar." Her whisper was audible and knee-jerking.
"You are awake?" Startled, he hovered above her to make sure of that.
"Y-you are sitting and with me." She ignored his question and blinked slowly. "I don't keep you on toes. See?"
Watching her open eyes, that mischief dancing in them had him take a sigh of relief. The content was almost immediate.
"What were you doing, Inara?" He chastised her, frowning as his thump caressed her band-aid forehead.
"What did I do?" She whispered innocently. "Driver did. I did tell him we have all the time in the world to reach. He hurried."
He shook his head, "How did it happen?"
Her attempt at a shrug made her wince loudly, a cry left her lips as her fingers crushed his.
"Hey! Careful, woman." He glared at her for making an unnecessary movement to hurt her more.
"Everything hurts." She pouted; her glassy eyes made him shut his eyes in pain.
"I am sorry, but be careful, okay? Don't strain." He hummed earning her soft nod.
"We were at the traffic light before my office turn." She started thinking about the tidbits of her memory. "He hurriedly crossed the signal before the countdown to stop-start. In all these, he missed a public bus and dashed into the divider where he toppled over."
He winced at the details, squeezing her palm in reassurance.
"It was too sudden." She trailed. "Do you know how others are?"
"No." Rahil shook his head. "I didn't remember asking about them. You were all that I could see. I was so confused by Ammi's text. She wouldn't take my calls so I raced my way here. Then she said you were sleeping and I rushed to see you. After that, I was left incapable of thinking anything else."
"Do I look that pretty in the bed?" She was amused but as the words left, she reconsidered them and blushed at their other meaning.
"Silly." He rolled his eyes.
"I...I need water." She made an excuse licking her dried lips.
"No." His blatant refusal made her stare at him with vengeance. "I mean you can't. You are on IV, Ini."
She shot a disgusted look to the stand where the packet hung upside down, halfway empty. She turned towards him making a face none could deny her, but him. "You can't give me only a little? I won't tell anyone."
He took a look at her face and averted his eyes. "No."
Somehow, somewhere down these months, her childlike face had started affecting him.
"You are not taking care of me." She grumbled complaining that brought a smile to his face almost instantly. "You are laughing at me?"
"Of course, not." He didn't miss a beat. "I was just..." he shook his head as if physically kicking the smile away.
"What?" Her glare made him give in to the urge to smile again. "Rahil! Call, Ammi. I will tell her how her son is happy seeing me like this. You are so insensitive."
His eyes widened in panic, schooling his face he shifted to sit near her, cupping her face. "I am sorry!"
"Go away!"
"Ini, I wasn't laughing." He tried clarifying. "I was just happy to hear your complaint again. I know it is silly but I missed my complaint box."
She glanced at him unsurely. "You missed my complaints?"
He looked away bashfully. "Sort of."
"Are you admitting to what I think you are?" She could be a hardcore negotiator.
"Did you not say you are in pain?" Oh, how he wanted to change the subject. He tried getting up to check the medicine packet his mother left on his bedside table but was pulled back.
"Don't even try." She pointed to him with a deadly stare that could hardly make the cut. "Don't change the subject. Tell me you like me complaining."
"Aren't you being bossy, Mrs. Inara Sohail?" He shot her a look, sizing her as the enemy. "All bruised, battered, and, still very much bossy."
"It is my right." She goaded him. "I get to always boss around my husband. It is my marital right."
"Never heard that." He cocked a daring brow.
"Then tomorrow we will go to an ENT after my check-up." She sassed making him snort a smile. "Can't let you have hearing aids. We haven't even completed our first anniversary yet."
"Can you ever be serious?" He smiled at her antics. How he was afraid he would lose her for those minutes, it was a strange feeling, almost suffocating.
"Serious ki baat mat karo." She scoffed pouting. "Shayad Allah Miya serious le gaye mujhe. Mene to mazak me kha tha ki mera ek accident se kuch nahi hoga. Now look at me."
(Don't talk about serious. I think Allah Miya took me seriously. I was just joking about accidents before.)
"Don't say that." He chided her.
"What? Are you best friends with him now?"
"Not that." He didn't know, if he had to start believing him someday again. It would be because he didn't want to lose someone close again. If that meant he had to kneel before the Almighty, he would.
He wasn't egoistic. He was scathed from a loss that was hard to forget. Piling up of another on his shoulder would surely push him to his knees, if had to be infront of whom the world claimed to create them, he would.
"Ammi said you will be sleeping for some hours. Why not try doing that?" He offered to make her twist her lips like a child denied extra screen time. "Do you need anything else? Meds, washroom time, or you know, some ice cream?"
"Can I?" Her hopeful, wide, and so much bright eyes stared at him as if he hung the moon in the sky.
"No. I was jesting." Her deflating face had him burst into laughter.
"I don't like you." She claimed faking a cry.
"Me neither." He joined smiling. He didn't like her, of course he can't.
Not when it was so much he felt for this woman.