15
It was ten in the night and Shahwar had not gone home from work.
She was upset and didn't want to go back to her husband's house.
Iraj had sent her a text message saying that she'd left whilst Shahwar was at work and thanked her for the cake in a long message also mentioning that she wanted to say goodbye in person but she had not booked a flight but taken their own private jet to fly back which is why she didn't want to delay it further.
The manager and all her coworkers had almost left after their working hours but Shahwar had stayed back.
She was not ready to go. Go back where? To the house that wasn't hers.
The room that wasn't hers. Where she wasn't welcome.
Unwanted. An extra piece in a person's life that her father had imposed on her.
She'd loved abba ji too much to go against him so she'd taken refuge in destroying her relationship with her father in a different way.
She was kneading a dough for no reason. The cafe would close at one in the night but very few workers were there during that time of the shift. Her phone kept on ringing but she didn't answer it. Time kept on passing and then it was almost midnight.
"Shahwar!" Rehaan's voice echoed in the cafe as she aimlessly pushed empty chairs inside the tables.
She looked up at him and then looked away ignoring him like he wasn't staring at her with angry eyes and his condition seemed quite worn out too.
"Why the hell are you still here!" He walked towards her. Two people who were still in the empty cafe went inside the staff area to refrain from whatever was about to happen in the main seating area.
"I am asking you something Shahwar! Will you fucking answer!" He exhaled when she still avoided his face looking down.
"Have you seen what time it is? Why the fuck were you not answering your phone Shahwar!" He stood right in front of her now. The volume of his voice could send anyone to a coma. Though his wife had insulated her ears from listening.
"Look at me when I talk to you! God dammit Shahwar!" He banged the table on the side with force and she felt her body jerk.
"I don't want to go to your house." She had her voice all toned down and low.
"What is that supposed to mean?" He felt compelled to not throw a fit at her response.
"I don't want to go with you." She looked up and said blinking her eyes like a baby.
He laughed sarcastically, "Well then it's too unfortunate Mrs Dur e Shahwar Kazmi, you are going right there, right now." His face turned too cold as he challenged her to deny him.
"Everyone knows I'm a nobody to you! I won't go!" She let the tears fall now. "I won't Rehaan! It's humiliating!"
"Who the fuck said anything like that! I'll kill the person who said that!" His face was turning red because of the excessive force he was using.
"You said that! You did!" She pulled the front of his shirt trying to shake him. "You told everyone you love Beena and then you married me! Everyone knows because of you! Your friends, your family, everyone!" Her blinking became rapid like her usual crying phase.
"We are going home. Enough." His voice went down and he didn't hold her from constantly hitting him with her tiny feather fists on his chest.
"No! No!" She pushed him with all the force she had but he was a rock she could never move.
"You know me Shahwar. You don't want me to do anything you won't be able to handle." He still didn't hold her hands from going on to his chest as unsuccessful punches.
She stopped herself, "I hate you and that house and everything about you!"
"Too bad. You're still going to live with all of it, forever." He gave her a merciless smile.
She knew it was useless because if he started to respond to her actions she wouldn't be able to live. She took her purse and then went back in front of him. Rehaan took her hand and walked out of the cafe.
"I don't want to live this life." Shahwar said as they stood near the road.
"I don't want to hear a single word now Shahwar.
Don't test my patience. I've been too kind and generous, you'll know what true cruelty is when I will become who I am to you.
" He stepped further, there was no driver today and he was moving across the road to get the car. "Stay here I'm bringing the car."
Shahwar saw the light that was red for cars but her husband who was focused on the direction of his car didn't notice a car that ran over the red light in his direction.
Shahwar called out to him but it was unheard mostly due to moving traffic on the other side.
There wasn't much time and she ran after him before the car could hit Rehaan she pushed him hard and he tripped unguarded, whilst Shahwar was run over by the car.
The entire scene was incomprehensible for Rehaan as he looked up and then behind to see his wife lying on the road, bloodied and trembling. His heart gave up at the sight and he ran screaming her name towards her.
"Shahwar!" He turned her body over his breathing became loud as he looked at her closed eyes.
"Shahwar! What have you done!" His throat dried and he pulled her body to his chest holding her tight.
Blood was oozing out from her abdomen where the car had hit her directly and little from her head because of the hit at the ground.
"Shahwar! Open your eyes!" He lifted her in his arms and ran to his car.
People who had gathered were calling the ambulance but Rehaan had no patience to wait even a second longer.
He laid her on the passenger seat and ran to start the car towards the hospital.
Driving as fast as possible he twice felt her crying in pain.
His wife's pain was driving him insane. It was unbearable for him.
As he stopped in front of the hospital he hurried towards her side and took her out of the car.
"Everything will be alright Shahwar. Don't worry." He was talking to her as if she could hear him.
Nurses had brought a stretcher seeing the blood tripping down from her body and Rehaan gently laid her down on it. "I won't let anything happen to you! I'm here." He pushed the thing wherever the nurses were taking her.
The doors of a room closed for him as the doctor went inside.
Rehaan's brain had not been working properly and he wasn't even able to behave or respond to anything like himself.
His wife was what had turned him upside down.
Hands that never trembled were trembling today.
Shahwar was his wife. She was too precious for him and he had learned that today.
He stood outside for hours. His secretary came when he had called Rehaan at night asking about something related to work but then found out about the accident through the call.
Rehaan had not even remembered to call anyone, he couldn't even think about anything other than his wife was inside the room that was closed and she had been bleeding.
The doctor came out of the room after three hours and told Rehaan that Shahwar was stable but she had many stitches on her abdomen and the blood loss plus the injury in the area had put her body into shock but with time she had responded to the medication.
Serious and severe care was required during the postoperative period.
Rehaan felt like he could finally breathe. "Get me the name of the person who was driving. I want all details right away Ibaad." His secretary looked at him and then nodded.
"Sir I think you should change your clothes." He handed him a bag with clothes. Rehaan's shirt was soaked in blood mostly and some parts of his pants too.
"Stand here and don't move till I come back." Rehaan told him although he knew with Ibaad he didn't have to use words to say what he was supposed to do.
When Rehaan came back Ibaad was still on the same spot outside the room where Shahwar was.
The doctor hadn't yet allowed anyone to see her and Rehaan was growing impatient.
When the doctor came back again Rehaan almost yelled at him accusing him of doing something to his wife and not being truthful which was why he hadn't been letting him see her even after many hours.
Ibaad had to interfere and pacify the situation.
Two more hours later Shahwar was shifted to a private room and Rehaan was permitted to see her.
Only when he saw her face he finally felt the peace that he needed to survive on.
??