Chapter 47 #2
“Only the exams are done, results are still pending,” Iram turned Sarah’s emotional rant into a joke.
“Still,” she went and clasped Iram’s hands.
Atharva could feel his wife come into her hostess mode.
She detested Qureshi, had her qualms about Sarah too due to her helpless loyalty to her husband.
But she had invited them over tonight to celebrate Daniyal’s last exam.
And, as Atharva had learnt later, to smoothen any doubts Qureshi might have about his ambition of taking over his chair again.
In the unlikely event that KDP ends up winning big, you will need Qureshi’s patronage. Convince him that you have moved on from the idea of becoming the CM.
Atharva smiled at his wife. The Plan D to his A, B and C.
“Where is Dani?”
“In the hall, come in,” Iram led them all down the alley. Happy screams of Yathaarth were audible, as were Noora’s shrieks.
“Look at him! Day by day Arth is looking just like you, Atharva!” Sarah halted, gaping at him trying to tackle Noora to the ground with Daniyal’s help. Daniyal glanced up and quickly set Yathaarth down from his shoulders.
“Dani,” Sarah crossed the hall to him and grabbed his shoulders. He smiled, embracing her even before she had. Yathaarth, thinking it was a game, turned and embraced Noora’s legs.
“Arth, come and say hello,” Iram held her hand out. He hid behind Noora.
“Arth,” her warning voice sounded.
Qureshi laughed — “Let it be, Iram. We are not strangers. And you remember how it took three yells for Daniyal to do one Adaab? And that was when he was a teenager.”
Iram smiled politely, going after Yathaarth, who made a dash for the kitchen. Atharva thanked the gods of shy naughty kids because he did not want his son to call Qureshi by his name.
“Abba was so excited that you are finally done with your exams…” Sarah kept talking, pulling Daniyal by the wrist until he stood in front of his father.
“These three years passed in a blur. And it’s good you studied here, Iram tells me how responsible you have become.
You turn your socks inside out, check your pockets for change, even wake up and eat breakfast… ”
Silence fell. Daniyal did not look at his father, smiling at his mother then looking away, anywhere but at Qureshi.
“I’ll go and grab those papers that I was going to courier to you,” Atharva announced, needing to exit their private family space.
“You don’t have to go, Atharva. My son will not speak, irrespective of your presence.”
He stilled. Daniyal did not move.
“Let’s sit,” Atharva offered.
“Yes,” Sarah agreed. “Let’s sit…”
“You leave your messages at Seen now?” Qureshi asked his son.
Daniyal finally glanced at him. They were now the same height, stood eye to eye.
“I did not teach you to be rude.”
“No,” Daniyal agreed. “You did not teach me to be rude. But that’s because you did not teach me anything.”
“Dani!”
“One sec, Ammi. You taught me to keep quiet if I had nothing good to say. Here, in Shimla, in Nani’s house. Where was he? Leaving your Whatsapps on Seen…”
“That’s enough,” Sarah warned.
“Sorry, but I was keeping quiet because what I had to say was not good.”
Atharva gazed at Qureshi. Stoic as ever.
“I think you three should talk in Daniyal’s room,” he tried again.
“No. That room is mine and for my people. He is here to celebrate me finishing my final exams and see if I can come back and campaign for him. To see if I can help him retain the chair that he snatched from you by fraud…”
“How dare you,” Qureshi’s menacing words cut his son’s rant short.
“Truth hurts?”
“Dani, now you are crossing every boundary,” Sarah turned on him.
“And that is not how I raised you. After dinner, you are coming with us. We have inconvenienced Atharva Bhai and Iram Bhabhi for three years. You were meant to come with them for a week’s vacation.
Now… this cannot be longterm. Come home, we will talk and sort everything out there. ”
“That’s crazy, because I was planning to join Atharva Bhai.”
“In what?”
“In his work to create a better party with trustworthy people in the north. If he is inconvenienced by me in their house, I will move out and rent an apartment in town…”
“You completely brainwashed him finally,” Qureshi turned to him. Atharva stared.
“Meer, please…” Sarah pleaded.
“Didn’t I tell you he is doing this for a reason? Keeping my son in his house to avenge his exit from Kashmir?”
Like you let him stay here to earn brownie points in the valley? Atharva wanted to argue.
He glanced at Daniyal and realised there was enough distance already between father and son. And… Daniyal did not deserve more humiliation.
“If this is your way to make me pay then don’t think I will take it lying down,” Qureshi rattled coldly. “I offered you an olive branch, asked you to work for KDP remotely and make us win again. I would be in a better position to negotiate with Janta Party for you then.”
Atharva kept quiet. Qureshi had never been an earnest man, but his lies were desperately screaming now.
“You think we cannot win this without you? See how I win and make sure you remain out of Kashmir for not three but the next thirty years.”
Atharva still kept quiet. The last few years had not only taught him to drink down threats but also steeled him to insults.
“If Momina Aslam forgets, I will remind her. If Kashmir forgets, I will remind it. You were the man who went across the border and did shady business, and then you were so amoral that you interfered with an investigation…”
“Meer, we all know what happened!” Sarah fought. “Don’t say this… he is your friend…”
“Who is not helping us win again, brainwashing my son against me, and who knows? Plotting against his own party! Let’s go. Daniyal can stay here or rent an apartment. Whatever he wishes.”
Atharva stood unmoved as Qureshi turned and left the house, Sarah on his heels. He saw Iram in his peripheral vision, as still as him. The hall remained still too, silent.
“You said you would not stand by me if I fought again,” Daniyal whispered, on the verge of tears. “Give me until tomorrow. I will find myself a place…”
“Not a word,” Atharva clipped to him. His teeth bit into his lip.
“You don’t want to study ahead?”
He shook his head, his hair falling into his eyes as his head lowered.
“Then what do you want to do?”
“Work.”
“Chop vegetables for Shiva from tomorrow.”
“Not that kind of work,” his head came up, eyes wet.
“Specify then.”
His face crumpled — “Anything but not with him…”
Atharva pulled his head into his shoulder and he burst out crying.
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“God, it’s like raising a toddler and a teenager all at once,” Atharva let out a long drawn sigh as his head hit his pillow.
“Amaal told me this long ago, that we are raising both.”
“I have experience with platoon boys but…”
“Today was unexpected…” Iram lay down beside him, peeping down at the pallet bed set up for Yathaarth on her side.
“He is asleep?”
“Hmm…” She turned to him — “I am sorry.”
“What for?” He kept staring at the ceiling.
“For inviting them. If I hadn’t invited them, this might not have happened…”
“Might not,” he chuckled bitterly. “You know it would have absolutely happened, if not in person then over the phone.”
“But…”
“Qureshi needed a reason, Iram.”
“What do you mean?”
“If he wins, to keep me out — he needed a reason. Now he has one.”
“Over his son’s tears?”
Atharva couldn't hold back another sigh. He did not know what to make of this now.
“Would this…”
“No,” he turned on his side and faced her. “No, myani zuv. This will not affect anything. Janta is strong in pre-polls. Don’t worry.”
“Vikram is sure?”
“I am sure,” he cupped her cheek.
“But what if the road home is closed forever because of what happened today?”
“And what if it is opened even wider?” He countered, bringing her closer and pushing his forehead over hers.
“What if it is opened even wider…” she repeated his words under her breath, falling asleep in his hand.
Atharva remained awake.