36
"Do you want to go out with the guys tonight?" Meher looked at her friend who was preparing tea for herself before going to bed.
"Huh, n—no." Shahwar was already focused on her tea, pouring it into her cup.
"But come on Shahwar. What if we meet the hot guys who might be our soulmates?" She tried to give her a reason to get out of the house that she'd been staying in for more than a month ever since she'd come back to Barcelona.
"There's no such thing as that. I'm also a little tired so..." Shahwar shrugged her shoulders and walked out of the kitchen with her tea cup with Meher following behind her.
"There is, there is." Meher tried convincing her but it was all in vain.
"Meher, I have a headache. I'm going to bed. You enjoy." She tried to smile and then went to her room.
Ever since she'd been here she'd been desperate to do something to her life to make herself forget about him.
She wanted to forget about how much her heart craved him whenever she'd go to bed and there was no one beside her on the other side.
When she'd go out for her job interviews she'd see random couples on the streets that looked so happy and in love then it would remind her of how much she loved him.
How much his presence used to make her smile, too easily for that matter.
Her housemate Meher had already gotten a job last year after passing her final year evaluations as a chef at a fine dining restaurant.
Whilst Shahwar who hadn't completed her degree, her options were too uncertain for a job.
In Spain it was harder to even get a part time job.
Though Shahwar had tried to call the dean of her university and speak to him about letting her retake her course, he'd told her that it was not possible especially after such a long gap to resume from the same semester.
She had told Meher about her very successful marriage that was about to end officially any day in the coming week. Though she didn't know why had Ibaad been mailing her different sets of annulment papers which were always updated after one week with a new set of clauses.
She hadn't even read any of the clauses but the moment Ibaad would mail the document she'd read the subject on the mail and close it.
She wouldn't even open the papers. Though she had opened the first mail from him.
And had cried a lot in front of her friend holding the pen to sign.
After which Meher had to give her a sleeping pill for the night.
Shahwar had signed it and when she'd stepped out to post it back, her new mail had been delivered that very moment with the new set of papers.
By now she was just tired of it all. She had told Farhana about the divorce and when Farhana had said that she'd call the Kazmis to express her disappointment in them for treating Shahwar wrong, she had begged her not to do so.
Rehaan's parents and his sister were not at fault for anything that went wrong between them.
Their marriage couldn't work like many couples around the world who had taken a divorce.
She had told Farhana to not create a fuss about it back in Karachi.
Though Farhana's anger was at peak and it had been hard to persuade her for Dur e Shahwar.
The house that she and Meher had in Barcelona since she'd been sent there for her education, had been bought for Shahwar by her abba ji.
He hadn't wanted his daughter to live in the dorms or on some rented apartment.
Of course the house was quite huge with six rooms and almost everything like a pool, theater room, plenty of garden space and massive kitchen for his daughter, she'd asked her friend to stay with her to not feel completely lonely in that house there, as there was no one else in it except for her.
Before her wedding when she'd left she hadn't known that her departure would be for such a long period her friend had left the house after a few weeks when Shahwar had not responded to any of the messages she'd sent her.
Though when Meher reached out to her father's landline he had told her to go back to the house and stay there as Shahwar would've never wanted her to leave.
Shahwar envied Meher for having a conversation with her father before he had left them all forever.
A conversation that she herself could never have because of her own behaviour.
The marriage for which he'd let her be upset with him was now going to end.
What was the use of it all? Nothing. Shahwar had only gained pain and hardship.
She'd become so dull as a person now. She didn't even know what to do at times during the day.
If only her abba ji had just let her complete her degree and not thought of having a person in her life because she never had any blood relations who would stand by her after his death, she might've just been in grief of losing a father.
But now after losing the man she had fallen madly in love with she had started to feel uninterested in everything.
If only. She and Rehaan would've been a normal couple in their relationship. But they weren't.
These thoughts would cross her mind every night before she'd finally fall asleep. Life was hers to suffer alone.
···
"Where's Rehaan bhai?" Iraj had stormed into Rehaan's office but only found Ibaad standing there with some papers. "Ibaad? I need an answer."
"He is in a meeting with the lawyers." He replied.
"For the divorce?" She raised her brows.
"Yes." Ibaad had done his best not to give any personal remarks on the matter.
"Tell me more. Exact details Ibaad. I will fix his brain. I didn't cross the continent to watch him make us all suffer with his stupidity." She folded her hands on her chest.
"My apologies but I believe that is impossible ma'am." Ibaad rolled his eyes. His boss was a lost cause when it came to fixing.
"Just tell me. I know he's a stubborn man but just tell me." She reasoned with acceptance towards reality.
"Well, ever since Mrs Kazmi left he doesn't work anymore and the company has been facing losses for a while now since he doesn't even meet anyone for even a few seconds to sign documents or renew the contracts." Iraj stood in complete astonishment and silence at the first detail.
"Then, whatever time he spends here in this office is only to meet up with the lawyers and having long detailed discussions on the separation clauses. Till now we've sent four different versions of the documents to Mrs Kazmi." Ibaad gave Iraj the look that he was completely irked with his boss.
"He doesn't work? And what discussion is he having with those lawyers? Getting a separation document is the easiest Ibaad. What is going on?" She looked as irked as he was now.
"Apparently Mr Kazmi wants to give his entire share of business, money and properties to Mrs Kazmi.
The first document was sent to her with just the amount she'd receive that was decided on the nikkah document.
He hadn't known so he got a new set prepared with the transfer of account authorization on all his bank accounts when he found out.
Then he realized that was not enough so he decided to also transfer his housing properties on a newer document.
The newest one contains the legal transfer of King Jewels as well.
I don't know which version is being drafted now.
What else he is adding I have no idea about it but this divorce moreover seems like a wedding preparation rather than a separation to me.
" Ibaad finally exhaled after the detailed explanation.
Iraj shook her head with a sour faced expression, "Bilkul abnormal thay yeh aur ab yeh ek mashoor abnormal hogaye hain. King Jewels ki jagah 'King of Divorce' naam rakh lein company ka."
(He had always been an absolute abnormal and now he's a renowned abnormal. Instead of King Jewels he should rename his company 'King of Divorce'.)
"When will his meeting end?" She asked him the final question.
"We never know. It all depends on him. He has been making it difficult for the poor lawyers who have been working on an incurable case, since a month now." Ibaad shrugged.
"Mr Kazmi is not ever going to divorce her. He's just making a fool out of himself." Iraj huffed. "I'll wait here till he gets back. Stupid man."