Chapter Thirty Two – A history that must not repeat

“Hi, my name is Aleesha. And….. you must be Saba, if I’m not wrong.” the young lady said, as she held out her hand for Saba to shake.

 

“Hi…please come in…. how can I help you?” Saba said, as she showed Aleesha the way into her house. Aleesha came in, with a smile and sat on the couch Saba pointed for her.

 

“This house is as cozy as I thought it would be.” Aleesha said as Saba sat across from her.

 

“I’m sorry but, I don’t happen to know you. Are you perhaps acquainted with my father?” Saba asked.

 

“Well, what if I said I’m acquainted with both you and your father and perhaps even your family?” Aleesha asked and that took Saba by surprise.

 

Saba was too dumbfounded to say anything so Aleesha spoke again.

 

“Listen to what I’m about to say very carefully Saba. And I really hope you will believe what I say because I will be showing you evidences.” Aleesha said and then again Saba had a hard time comprehending the situation she was in. How can a girl who looked like a Pakistani have met her and her whole family without her knowing?

 

Saba tried hard to remember from where she could have seen that girl but to no avail. She just sat there when Aleesha swiped and tapped on her phone and finally turned its screen to show her. At a glance, she saw a fair-toned woman and a black man who looked familiar to her. There was also a small boy along with them smiling for the picture.

Aleesha urged her to take the phone and look carefully. Saba did as she was told, and her hand went to her mouth as her jaw dropped. It was none other than Hamadh, standing near the couple, smiling at the camera. Saba could not help but look at the man in the picture as he too, looked familiar. Before long, she realized that it was her eldest brother Saahil.

 

“Your brother had married a friend of mine from Pakistan. Her name is Heena. Heena met Saahil in Australia. When they first met, Heena didn’t know that Saahil was into drug dealing and other crimes. He lied to her about having a big business. And he even owned a grocery store in Australia that got famous in the neighborhood they lived. That was perhaps to lure Heena or maybe he really wanted to be a better person for her.

 

Eventually, they get married and Heena moves to Nigeria along with Saahil. Things get tough for them from there. It was perhaps because Saahil was trying to give up drug dealing and other sources of black money. Heena told me about how there were people trying to get their debt from him. She also worked in a cooperate office, but the income was not enough especially after she conceived Hamadh. Saahil then tried contacting his father to get some help. However….. your father didn’t accept his marriage to Heena….” Aleesha said, looking down not wanting to make eye contact with Saba.

 

“What?” Saba managed to ask in a whisper, trying to digest everything that she was hearing.

 

“Yes….. believe it or not this is the truth. It was devastating for both Heena and Saahil to know that the father won’t accept them. Things began to go downhill from there. As a result of Saahil not getting any help from his father, he turns bitter and goes back to his crimes to earn money. In the beginning his crimes are hidden from Heena. But eventually Heena gets to know that he had even resumed doing drugs. Hamadh was only 3 then. Heena had then sought my help financially. She didn’t tell me about the abuse she was facing then. She didn’t tell anyone. Even I didn’t know until I went to Nigeria myself in my vacation and found out the state she was in. She was beaten up and crying her eyes out when I reached there. She said her 8-year-old son was kidnapped. And the kidnappers threatened her that it was Saahil who told them to do it so that she doesn’t hold back from giving more money to Saahil.

 

I tried to look for Hamadh, right from that moment. I informed the police and tried to find out for myself. But soon enough, I found out that Sinaah, your youngest brother had flown to New Zealand with Hamadh. Heena was devastated by the news. She was also terribly ill from then on. Not long after that, she was diagnosed with Leukemia. She didn’t have anyone to donate a liver for her so she is still extremely ill to this day. And she sent me here to look for her son, so that she could see him one last time. It took me quite a while to find out where Hamadh was but Alhamdhulillah I’m finally here.”

 

Aleesha said, looked around the house and sighed. Saba sat still, staring into space, and not knowing how to react. Silence fell in the room until they heard a boy sniffing from across the room. They turned to the right to see Hamadh crying while standing at the corner of the room. At once, they both stand up to go near Hamadh. Saba reaches him quicker than Aleesha, gets on her knees and holds his face.

 

“S..sissy. Is Mama ill? Is she going to die?” he asked in tears.

 

“No, my dear. In Sha Allah she will be alright. Sissy is going to make sure she gets better, okay?” Saba said reassuringly.

 

Just then, they heard the front door open, and it was none other than Sameer who walked in. He was taken aback, when he saw Saba and Hamadh crying along with an unknown girl standing there.

 

“What’s going on, Saba?” Sameer asked as he walked closer.

 

“Did you know about this, Dad?” Saba asked, standing up while still holding Hamadh’s shoulder.

 

“About what?” Sameer asked.

 

“About Heena. And Saahil. And that Hamadh is their son?” Saba said.

 

Sameer was once again stunned, upon hearing the names Saba mentioned. His shocked expression explained everything to Saba, even though he didn’t say a word.

 

“How did you know about them? And who are you?” Sameer asked Saba and then turned to Aleesha.

 

“That’s not important right now, Dad. What I want to know is why you hid this from me…..” Saba said in a firm voice. Sameer sighed and looked down. He spoke after a moment of silence.

 

“To be honest, I couldn’t tell you anything because of the guilt I felt. I didn’t know that me not approving of Saahil’s marriage would turn him worse and hurt his wife. I got to know everything from Sinaah who brought Hamadh to me. He said that there was no one to care for this little boy and that’s why he brought him here….”

 

“That’s what Uncle Sinaah told me too. He said he would take me to Mama once she gets better. But he said that if I talk about my family anywhere, he will not take me back so I didn’t say anything. Will he not take me back anymore now that I’ve talked about Mama?” Hamadh asked, still wiping his own tears.

 

“No Hamadh! We will make sure you meet your Mama In Sha Allah. And Uncle, please know that Sinaah was lying. His mother might be sick but she would have found one way or the other to care for Hamadh even without Saahil. Saahil kept Hamadh away from her so that he could blackmail her to give money.” Aleesha said and distress appeared on Sameer’s face.

 

“I…I didn’t know.” he said. Saba took a deep breath and spoke.

 

“Aleesha, I will go with you when you take Hamadh back to Nigeria. I want to apologize to Heena myself on behalf of my brother and….father.” Saba said the last word, looking at Sameer with moisture in her eyes. Sameer looked at her and didn’t say anything. Just as Saba said she will start packing and began to walk away, he called out to her. Saba stopped in her tracks.

 

“I do approve of your marriage to Zayaan. I was pleased with how he came to your life and showed you love. I didn’t want to repeat the same mistake I did in the past and that’s why I fully supported your marriage. So please continue living with him happily without feeling any pressure.” Sameer said in a shaken voice and tears rolled down Saba’s cheeks as she tightened her fist. The last sentence she heard reminded her of Zeenath. It reminded her of the warning she was given. And the way she had seen Zayaan being rushed into the ICU not long after she was given the warning.

 

All those thoughts were overlapped with what she just heard. About the fate of Heena and the state she was in. At that moment, Saba had to make one of the hardest decisions of her life.

 

“Actually…. No. I don’t want to continue living with him anymore. There are still people who aren’t happy with our relationship. And they could go to any extent to break our marriage. I would rather stay away from him, than see him getting hurt.” Saba said. Sameer called out to her, but she began to walk away without saying a word.

**

 

It was 4 in the evening 3 days later when Aleesha’s car parked a few blocks away from Farooq’s residence as Saba requested. Though they both were there in the car along with Hamadh, it was only Saba who got out of the car. They had their luggage in the trunk of the car, and they were on their way to the airport. But Saba wanted to see Zayaan one last time before she left.

 

Saba walked up to the house she was planning to go into. She sighed as she reached the gate and looked towards the house. She took a step forward towards the open gate when the front door opened. It was Farooq who was a bit stunned to see Saba.

 

“Saba?” Farooq said, standing at a distance.

 

“Salaam Dad. I came to meet Zayaan.” Saba said firmly, telling herself that she would be meeting Zayaan no matter how this conversation would go.

 

She had expected Farooq to pick a fight with her. But he didn’t. He sighed sadly instead, before he spoke.

 

“Of course, you can. Meeting you might do him good. I would do anything to have my son back on his feet again. The doctors say……anyway, go and meet him.” Farooq said, with pain in his eyes. Saba felt close to tears as she heard him. She began to walk towards the house at once, not wanting to delay her meeting with Zayaan even by a second.

 

Saba didn’t stop walking even after entering the house as her eyes were fixated on Zayaan’s room down the corridor she saw. But she was compelled to stop as she reached the door when she heard Zeenath talking from the dining room.

 

“I am going to sue you for this you ****! I clearly told you that it should be a small accident. And now the doctors are saying that there is no hope for my son!” Saba saw Zeenath screaming as she spoke on the phone at the dining table. Her eyes widened with the last words she said.

 

“I didn’t tell you to cause an accident with a ginormous truck that would kill my son. You are done for, you criminal Sinaah Sameer!” Zeenath shouted out a name that made Saba go weak in her knees. She ended up holding the doorknob near her to prevent herself from falling. That noise was heard by Zeenath who immediately turned back to see. At once, Saba opened the door to Zayaan’s room, got in and closed the door.

 

She had a moment of anxiety then, but it faded away when she saw Zayaan after so long. He was lying on his bed, eyes closed with an oxygen mask covering most part of his face. As she began to walk towards him, her sight blurred with tears. They rolled down her cheeks as she sat down on the bed and held Zayaan’s hand.

 

“I’m sorry, love. It’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be in this condition….” Saba said, beginning to sob and her tears out of control at that point.

 

“I really can’t be with you anymore. Knowing that it might do you more harm. I don’t want to take that risk. I love you too much to do that. So…….I’ll be leaving now. Don’t be too shocked if you don’t see me when you wake up. Just move on with your life, get married to a beautiful girl from your ethnicity, be safe and happy….” Saba talked to him through her tears.

 

She then paused to look at his face which was as still as it was during the night of the accident. Saba then took his hand and kissed gently before placing the hand back where it was and then keeping a note in that hand. She whispered the words ‘I love you’ before standing up and walking away. She didn’t realize that the moment she closed the door, tears rolled down from the edges of Zayaan’s eyes.