CHAPTER 7 - GIRL FORGOTTEN

Aliza was finding it increasingly difficult to cope without her husband. Few days she wept in memory of her parents and a few days in memory of her husband. But none of that stopped her from carrying on her daily activities. Whenever she spoke to her mother over the phone, she reinforced that her in-laws' house is her home now and that she must get used to living there with or without Ahmed. She even visited her parents one day but couldn't obtain permission to stay there overnight.

'Arey, Aliza. If you stay there, who will take care of us? And without you, nothing runs properly in this house. You can go again another day.' Aliza's mother-in-law knows exactly how to make her come running. Aliza's schedule has not changed ever since Ahmed left. Only her sleeping schedule has moved from 10 to 9 pm, but the work remained the same. 

With diminishing visits from Ahmed, his phone calls, too, started slowing down. Sometimes, they didn't have much to discuss and held on to the receiver until one of them decided to end the call. During their last call, Ahmed had told her that he was planning to get a mobile phone, a new device that comes without a wire and that it would be convenient for him to call her any time. He said it is completely hands-free and can be carried in a pocket. 

'But I will come to Bangalore in a few days, right? Why do you need to get it now?' 

Ahmed did not answer.

'What happened, Ahmed ji? When shall I plan my travel?'

'Aliza, I spoke to my parents, and they feel they won't be able to take care of themselves without you. Now that you have been caring for them so well that even you know what kind of medicines should go when, they would go downhill without you.'

'Oh.'

'Aliza, say something.'

'But I thought since I am married to you, being with you should be my priority.'

'This is just for now. Maybe I will try again after a few days. Trust me. We can work through this.'

'You say this all the time.'

Aliza knew Ahmed's words were just eyewash and that she would never leave this house until she decided to take matters into her hands.

On the other hand, Ahmed started liking his Bangalore home. On weekends he was invited by Cyra's mother to lunch with them, and Ahmed found it irresistible because her cooking was too good. She served him home-baked biscuits and cakes along with the scrumptious meal for a few days. Ahmed was jovial and never found it difficult to mingle with others. Sometimes he took them both shopping, and a few other days, he brought them gifts from the local store near his office. He also got a few gifts for Aliza and kept them safely inside his locker. 

Of all the things they spoke about during lunch and dinner, Ahmed's family topic was never one of them. He never got to talk about his mother, father, sister, or wife. All they spoke about was how biryani founds its way to India, who would be the prime minister in the next 20 years, and which among them would be able to run faster. Neither Cyra nor her mother found it necessary to inquire about his background, and they were not too keen on sharing their own too. Ahmed was just happy he found another family away from his family. 

Cyra and her mother kept his homesickness at bay, and he found himself getting comfortable with them day by day. Ahmed knew they were nothing like his family's women because they were very outgoing and educated. They did not follow certain rules that the women in his house did. But he liked his newfound friend and family in Bangalore in a way he couldn't explain. For every roar of laughter that erupted across Cyra's dining table, an ocean of tears was streaming into Aliza's bedroom. She missed her husband dearly, and she could do nothing about it. Unaware of each other's existence, both women accepted what fate brought them into their lives.

To be continued…

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