two

The next morning, Zaryab woke up to an empty bed. The sheets beside him seemed untouched as if they had not been used but, he knew better. Even in his tired slumber he could feel his wife restlessly turning and twisting the entire night. Naturally Darya was a very stiff sleeper, she slept in a mummy rigid manner and often then times he felt like he was hugging a log in his sleep.

He wanted to ask her if their baby was troubling her, if she felt uncomfortable but he wasn't ready to hear the hostility and emotionless tone his beloved now possessed.

Freshening up, he headed downstairs. Today on a mission to find out what had actually happened. His mother sat at the head of the table, with his sister and brother occupying the other seats. His wife was nowhere in sight.

"Arey Zaryab, Why didn't you meet me yesterday when you came?" His mother asked upon seeing him as soon as they exchanged greetings.

"It was very late, Ammi. I was tired and I knew you'd be asleep." He replied, his eyes darting towards the kitchen to see if his wife would make an appearance.

"Chalo, theek hai. Kaam hogaya tumhara khairiyat se?"His mother questioned, pouring some tea into the cup in front of him.

"Jee.."Just then, his eyes darted towards his wife who had entered, wearing a visibly old dusty brown salwar suit, a huge beige chadar covering her upper body. Her beautiful eyes were lowered as she walked around the table tending to the needs of his siblings and mother, finally coming to his side and placing a fluffy hot paratha on his plate.

"Bhabhi, I told you I didn't want papaya in my fruit bowl today!" His sister, Shanzai spiked up pushing the piece of papaya directly onto the table.

"I told Naima to not add it, she must've forgotten. Give it to me, I'll bring you another bowl." Darya replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I am hungry! What is this? I am going to be late for the meet up with my friends." Shanzai sulked, her face turning to an annoyed one.

"Eat a paratha, Shanzai. It's not a big deal." The second oldest of the house, Badar interjected.

"You eat a paratha! Look at the amount of oil in it? I am going to puke." Shanzai yelled out like the brat she was causing her brother to glare at her.

"Looking at your face everyday also makes me want to puke, do you see me complaining?" Badar said, pushing a piece of paratha in his mouth.

"Oh shut up—" she began to retort but their mother's reprimand boomed, causing them to break it off.

"Bhabhi, waise aaj gravy acchi bani hai, ek aur paratha dedein." Badar complimented smiling at his sister in law who nodded, rushing off again into the kitchen.

Zaryab had never been fazed by all this, his family making Darya work. It was what daughter in laws in his family did, they never ate with the men. But, seeing his pregnant wife run around while his family ate well, churned something in him. The appetising paratha on his plate seemed to taste like cardboard as he barely chewed on it.

"Darya, tum dahi aur salad kha lene parathe ke saath. The gravy has a lot of oil and spice, it will give you heartburn." Her mother in law smiled sarcastically when she returned back with a fresh paratha. Nodding, Darya again returned to the kitchen.

Zaryab clenched his jaw at that but remained mum, finishing his breakfast, he hurriedly walked back to his room calling for his wife from there. As he paced across the room, rummaging through things, Darya appeared her head bowed.

"I am taking you out when I return in the evening. We will go shopping for the baby and you. Then we will have dinner okay?" He said, his eyes darting towards hers trying to seek the answers for questions he was scared to ask.

"I have a lot of work today, you go if you want." She replied, turning around and picking up the discarded clothes on the bed and folding them.

Shell-shocked Zaryab eyed his wife in frustration. Usually shopping and dinner would always put her in a good mood. Infact, she would be the one to constantly demand they go out somewhere and spend quality time and it would be him making excuses for work, so when she denied him now, it was a kick to the gut.

"What is wrong, Dari?" He gently asked turning her to face him, the clothes still in her hands putting a distance between them. "Why won't you tell me? I was gone only a month and now you behave like this when I am back. I don't know what to do."

"There is nothing to tell, Zaryab. Nothing is wrong. Everything is fine." She replied giving him a tight lipped smile, her eyes hollow and dark. Unfamiliar, sending a chill down his spine.

"Then prove it, let's go out tonight."

"Will that put you at ease?" She questioned.

"What?"

"If i go out tonight with you, will you stop asking me what's wrong?"

Scoffing, Zaryab left her arms that he was holding.

"I will only stop asking that, when you will go back to being your normal self."

"I am normal, Zaryab." She replied with a blank face.

"Yeah sure." He scoffed again, gathering his stuff for the office. His mind reeling with annoyance and anger. Trying to find a solution to what was happening but she was clearly refusing to help him out. "We are going out tonight, Be ready."

Zaryab had been gone on a month long business trip a few days after they found out Darya was pregnant. In the years that they had been married, he would take such trips every few months and in those times that he was away, his contact with Darya would be irregular and minimal .He would try calling her everyday but barely a few words would be exchanged before he would have to leave for work again. This time around it was the same and Zaryab didn't think much of it.

Darya was always the life of the party, she was extroverted and could hatch up conversation and make friends like it was breathing for her, while he was the opposite, he always depended on her to make efforts for a conversation because it didn't come to him as naturally as it did to her. So her silence pricked in more than many ways now.

That day, Zaryab found himself so immersed in work and returned home only a little before midnight. As he walked through the silent dark house it didn't strike him that he had proposed plans with his wife. Just as he entered his room, he realised what a huge blunder he had made. His wife sat on the sofa, dressed in a soft off white chiffon suit, a hand placed on her belly protectively.

Sighing breathlessly, he walked to her and placed a hand under her head that was tilting to the other side. In a jolt, she woke up, her kohl lined eyes fluttering open in drowsiness.

"I am sorry, Dari." He remorsefully replied, kissing the side of her forehead. "Maaf kardo."

She remained mum, her red lips parting ever so slightly.

"Khaana lagaoon?" She questioned, a few beats later, not acknowledging his apology.

"Maine kuch kaha hai tumse." He replied, his eyes boring into hers. The unfamiliarity and indifference in them was making him so uncomfortable.

"Kya?"

Was her response as she got up moving past him, removing the dupatta from her head as she stood in front of the dressing table removing the little jewellery she wore.

"Aren't you angry at me? Shout at me, tell me I made a mistake." Zaryab got up as well, standing behind her.

"You hate it when I annoy you with temper tantrums, Zaryab." Another slash to his heart. Of course, he did.

Grabbing her shoulders he turned her around to face him. His grim firm. "Since I have returned you are behaving like this. Why are you hell-bent on ruining our marriage?"

A sadistic half smile curled up at her lips, her words clear and unnerving when she spoke.

"I am ruining our marriage? What are you doing to even make it work, Zaryab Ahmed Khan?"

Dumbfounded at her outburst he stood silent and she continued. It was the damn breaking loose. The reality being thrown back to him face.

"You wanted a perfect wife who doesn't complain and have your brain, I am being it. Your mother wants me to slave around the house and taunt me for existing, I am enduring it. My parents don't want me at home because guess what, It is not my home. Seh rahi hoon na sab kuch chup chap? Itne saal aapke saath normal hoke mujhe kya mila? Aapki duniya mein normal ka jo matlab hai na? Wo na mai kabhi samaj paayi aur na hi mujhe ab samajna hai."

(I am tolerating all this silently no? What did i get after being normal with you all these years? The definition of normal in your world is something i could never understand and now i don't want to also.)

He poked her finger at his chest and pushing him back, eyes bloodshot. "Dard ho raha hai na idhar? Mujhe bhi hua tha, par aadat padh jaayi gi aapko. Kyuki jo Darya ko aap chod ke gaye the, wo normal waali Darya? Wo mar chuki hai. Aur pata hai kisne maara hai us Darya ko?"

(You are feeling pain here no? I was also hurting just like that, but you will get used to it. Because the Darya you left behind, the normal one? She is dead and you know who killed her?)

"Khair chodein. Waise bhi aap kar hi kya sakte hai. Now this is how it's going to be. I am not going to put any efforts into this god-forsaken marriage and I don't care if I ruin it."

Whiplash. That was what Zaryab felt, when she stormed into their bathrooms after bombing him with her words. It shook his entire existence.

She returned a few mins back, as he stood reeling in the shock, she silently shut off the lights and lied down on her side of the bed.

Zaryab's life felt exactly dark at the moment, the woman he loved so very much, the light in his life was slipping past his fingers. His mind replayed scenarios where he realised he had wronged her and the list wasn't short, what caused the breaking point was something he still couldn't figure out.

—-

"Zaryab, acchi lag rahi hoon na? Aap time pe aa jaana aaj. Its my friend's wedding, please don't forget."

"I can't make it today, sorry. Go with the driver."

"Zaryab! You always do this. How can i go with the driver? He is not my husband. You promised m—-"

"Aesi gandi baatein tumhare manhoos dimaag mein kahan se aati hai? Understand i have so much work to do right now. I might not be able to come home tonight at this rate, is that what you want? Tum ye ek aur masla mat leke baith jao."

"You always have work, I told you this a month back, what will my friends think."

"Stop taunting me now. It's seriously annoying yaar. Grow up. Either go with the driver or stay back at home...actually you know what Ammi will mind you going out all alone so late. Don't go, i will take you some other day."

"Zaryab..."

BEEP BEEP BEEP

——

"Ro rahi ho?"

"Nahi"

"Naak laal hai tumhari, jhooti."

"Sardi ho gayi hogi."

"Phir jhoot."

"Ammi ne phirse bacche karne ki baat ki."

"Accha?"

"Taane de rahi thi, kos bhi rahi thi."

"Tumne kya kaha?"

"I told her it's not in my hands."

"And in whose hands is it?"

"You only don't want kids so soon and i have to hear the taunts."

"I don't want to share you with anyone."

"And you don't care if i get taunted by your mother on a daily basis."

"She is just worried, Dari. You know she means well, don't take it to heart."

"Today she told me she wants to get you remarried to Yashma."

"Yashma is like my sister."

"She is your ex fiance."

"Paagal ho tum, with how many tantrums you throw do you think I will remarry? Tumhare andar itni wahiyat personalities hai ke mujhe tum ek se hi 4 nikkah qubool ho gaye hai."

"Haan haan, aap bhi bol lein. Mai hi milti hoon sabko, chalein ice-cream leke dein ab."

"Nahi yaar, I am sleepy."

"Phooti kismat meri, ese bekaar shohar hai aap, kasam se muhabbat na hoti aapse to aaj mein yahan nahi hoti."

"Yes, you would've been selling chai somewhere. Badi aayi, chup chap so jao."

—-

okay a very weird chapter but its something. thoughts on Zaryab?

what is Darya going to do?

—