A wanderer Episode 18

 

“Ashal...! Can you tell me one thing...! Why are you so concerned about me and my relatives?” Maham had probed Ashal with scrutinizing eyes.

“Why the concern? One is a debt, and the other is a favor,” Ashal answered absentmindedly.

“There’s no favor in friendship,” Maham said, looking intently at Ashal.

“You're right; I'm just trying to repay the favor you did for me. I may not even be able to talk to Abba anymore. You had them agree. It feels like a dream that my marriage has happened. And with the one I wanted.”

“Have you talked to Haris Bhai?” Maham asked.

“A little while ago, I got a call from him; he said to learn to speak English quickly. Soon, I'll call you over.”

Happiness started to cascade down Ashal's face.

“Maham, before your wedding, I won’t go anywhere, not to Manchester or anywhere else.” Maham remained silent upon hearing this. She got up from her spot and sat in front of the vanity. Maham's cat-like eyes had red streaks. She looked into the mirror, her eyes hungry for sleep.

“Sit down easily. Your stitches haven’t even been removed yet. Don’t you feel any pain?” Ashal had gently asked.

With the same carelessness, Maham shook her head negatively while sitting in front of the vanity.

“The mirror can only show the face of the person sitting before it, not their pain… Once Haris said that,” Ashal said while sitting in front of the mirror, looking at Maham’s reflection.

“What pain are you talking about?” Maham asked seriously.

“The pain that is in your heart and has now descended in your eyes like blood. I swear, if you cry right now, blood tears will fall from those beautiful eyes of yours.”

“Mrs. Haris Malik…! You’re repaying my favor, but whose debt are you paying?” Maham consciously changed the subject.

“I'll tell you that some other time.” Ashal tried to deflect the conversation.

“Why do you always push things off to some other time... why not now?” Maham tried to maintain eye contact with Ashal for a long time, but Ashal didn’t look in her direction at all.

“I feel both happy and annoyed. Happy because you have never spoken ill of your parents. Annoyed because I always believed that I knew everything about you. Ashal, I don't want a favor in return, and as for the expiation for your parents' sins, it doesn’t fall upon you. Whatever your parents did to Morgan, his parents did the same to you, so what kind of expiation is this? Uncle Hakim just told me all this a few days ago.”

Fear knocked at Ashal’s face for a moment. In the next moment, she remembered Uncle Hakim and said, “Maham…! Abba says he is proud of me. I think if Uncle were alive, he would be prouder of you. A ruined person who is associated with you, you are marrying him only because it’s a question of your deceased father’s honor. I have killed my living parents in my own eyes, and you are keeping your deceased father alive.”

Ashal’s phone beeped with a message. She read the message.

“Look, here’s a message from him.” Ashal got up from her place and stood in front of Maham, presenting her mobile. A number saved under the name “M”.

“Can I call you?” was the message. Maham read it. Ashal asked with her eyes. Without answering, Maham handed the mobile back to Ashal.

“Yes,” Ashal replied, grabbing the mobile and typing her response. Within a minute, Morgan called.

“Hello, Mr. Morgan…!” Ashal said stylishly and simultaneously turned on the speaker.

“Yes, Ashal…! How are you?” Morgan’s voice echoed in the room.

“I’m fine,” Ashal replied with a British accent.

“Mr. Morgan…! Are you alright? You always call me ‘you’. Today you address me as ‘you’—is there a special reason?”

“Today I felt that I should call you ‘you’.”

“Why is that?” Ashal asked Morgan teasingly, glancing at Maham.

“Ashal…! Those we consider ordinary may be special to someone else, and those we call ‘you’ are actually ‘you’ to someone else as well. Anyway, let’s move on. I need to tell you something.”

“Tell me,” Ashal said, shrugging her shoulders.

“I want to apologize for yesterday's conversation. I spoke to you harshly,” Morgan confessed openly.

“You’ve always been this angry young man. Where did this romantic hero come from today?” Ashal asked in surprise.

“When I see a smile, I feel like smiling back.”

“What if that smile belongs to someone else?” Ashal asked while looking at Maham’s face.

“Then… I’ll manage my life with that smile,” Morgan replied softly.

“Mr. Morgan…! Don’t mind, but you both seem crazy to me. It’s quite an outdated kind of love. I want to bring you two together; if you need any help, I’m here for you,” Ashal offered her assistance.

“On one side is the arranged relationship set by Master Mahmood, and on the other side is my love. Let’s see who wins,” Morgan said, while Ashal listened closely, but Maham was silent.

“If the relationship breaks… love will win automatically,” Ashal told Morgan the secret to winning love.

“Ashal…! Your friend doesn’t love the one she is arranged with. She surely loves the person who arranged it. Uncle Hakim told me about this. I’ve hated my parents my whole life. Now, I don’t want to clash with anyone’s love for the sake of getting my own; besides, love is won with sincerity, not cunningness.

Let me tell you one thing, Ashal, I have the last ten years' history of Chaudhry Shamoon, with audio and video. I know Maham won’t refuse even if he gives her an excuse. I could also make Chaudhry Shamoon refuse, but I won’t do that.” Morgan expressed his love principles, which Ashal didn’t like.

“Is there a mental hospital between Lahore and Gujranwala? I’m depressed, and you both don’t seem to care. Next month, Morgan…! He is getting married.” Ashal insisted harshly on the marriage. Just as patiently, Morgan replied:

“I know.”

“You know... okay... bye,” Ashal said angrily and threw the mobile on the bed.

“Why are you angry?”

“Are you asking this? Next month, you’re marrying that beast, Chaudhry Shamoon. During the day, that donkey has tobacco-filled paan in his mouth, and at night, he has a glass of alcohol in his hand. His reputation is awful in the whole area. Why are you compromising? I can’t understand you. Maham, I’ll tell Abba, and he’ll speak with Shamoon’s father.”

This time Ashal was somewhat annoyed.

“Forget about the marriage... just tell me why did you save his number as ‘M’?” Maham got up from in front of the vanity. She picked up Ashal’s phone from the bed. To calm her down, she gently caressed her cheek with love and with great affection sat her down on the bed. Maham, just like Morgan, displayed patience. She said all this gently, in pauses.

Surprise spread across Ashal’s face.

“I asked you something,” Maham said, shaking Ashal and asking again.

“What did you ask?” she replied as if waking from sleep.

“Why did you save his number as ‘M’?”

“Make me some tea,” Ashal ignored the question.

Maham called Momena, and she came with tea a little while later. During drinking tea, they didn’t exchange any further words.

“Why did you name your school ‘M’?” Ashal asked in return instead of answering.

“Abbu used to say that the entire universe came into existence through the two M’s. He said that the journey that started with ‘M’ reached its destination with ‘M’.”

“Starting with M… M… I don’t understand.” Ashal asked in surprise.

“From Makkah to Madinah... then from the mosque to the minbar and mihrab... from a Muslim to the rank and honor of a Mu'min... from a mother's love to the essence of ‘man’... from Muharram to love... then from beloved to chosen one.

From Makkah to the ascension of Muhammad (Peace be upon him)... everything begins with ‘M’ and finishes on M. In the vision of love and ecstasy, it is the same beginning and the same end: The same Qur'an, the same Furqan, the same Yaasin, the same Ta-Ha.”

Ashal held her breath while Maham spoke.

“Did your uncle really say all this?” Ashal inquired eagerly.

“Yes…! Abbu had great love for names starting with M. That’s why he named both of us sisters starting with M: Maham and Momena.”

“Oh Maham…! All the names in your family have two M’s: Mahmood, Maryam, Momena, Maham, and Chaudhry Shamoon has one ‘M’. Morgan even has two... I don't know about yours, but I’ve got answers to all my questions now. Alright, I’ll take my leave,” Ashal said and walked away without saying anything more.