Must Read: The Silent Lover - Season 1 - Episode 37

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: The Silent Lover - Season 1 - Episode 37

A call on Sunday morning from his maternal uncle’s town shattered all of Aariz’s plans.
“You’d best come down at once, Mrs. Ali. Your cousin took ill during the night, and……” Someone told his mother.
“I’m on my way!”
Crashing down the receiver, Mrs. Ali motioned him to stand up and left hurriedly to her room to change.

It was Sunday and he was sitting with his father on the breakfast table, chatting about current affairs of the country when the call came.
“Abbas uncle?” He questioned his father, quite unfamiliar with the name.
“Yes.” His father said. “Your mother’s cousin, the eldest son of her aunt.”
“Oh I remember now.” Aariz sighed. “The same man who had a massive stroke attack a few months ago right?” Aariz asked.
“Yes.” Mr. Ali told him. “Due to some complications and family disputes, your mother’s family and his family didn’t go along well. Still, he has visited us a few times but you were in U.S. in those days.”
“But he is not my real uncle.” Aariz said, confused at his mother’s reaction to see Abbas uncle instantly.

“I mean, he is just a cousin of my mother. Why is she so desperate to visit him?”
“There is something else too.” His father smiled gently. “She never hid it from me and I always appreciate her for that.”
“And what’s that?”
Mr. Ali sighed and lit up his cigar.
“Your mother and Abbas were very close to each other since their childhood. Often, your mother used to go to his village to spend vacations with his family. They both got very close, perhaps even loved each other.”
Aariz was suprised as his father talked about his mother’s past affair so casually, without showing any discomfort or displeased remark. He searched his father’s face for any sign of anger or jealousy, but he looked quite normal.
“They both wanted to get married, ofcourse. But your mother’s parents were not happy with their relation.”
“Why?” Aariz felt sad for the two.
“Thy said, they didn’t want to give their daughter into the same family and also…..

Abbas Hasan was not established then. So they accepted my offer, rejecting him.”
“Oh.” Aariz was truly shocked as his father gradually revealed the hidden story.
“But then, your mother started a total new life with me, always preferring me on anyone else like any typical traditional eastern wife would. She never disobeyed me and always respected me and accepted me as her husband.”
“But father, don’t you see how she’s behaving with me now?” Aariz asked stifly, looking clearly disappointed due to his mother’s strange behavior. “If she’s been a victim of the same thing, she’s supposed to care more about my feelings then.”
“But your mother’s case was different.” His father went on, explaining. “Abbas was her cousin. He was from the same sect and community but you want to bring a totally different girl into our family.”
“So what Dad?” Almost against his will, his temper began to surface again.
“Take your time Aariz.” His father said simply, giving his arm a reassuring sq££ze.
He wanted to laugh.

“Take time? For what?” He smiled painfully and said, ” Parents and elders talk weird at times. When we don’t have someone in mind, you tell us to hurry, not to waste our time, and when we finally begin to like someone, you say take your time. This is really funny.”
He then heard the sound of approaching footsteps and from the corner of his eyes, he saw his mother coming into the dinning hall.
He thought of his mother’s behaviors lately and frowned.
“Aariz, you’ve not changed yet?” She asked in a quick manner.

He stifled a groan. Komal’s call from London was expected any moment. His uncle couldn’t have picked a worse time to get sick.
“Mother, you can take father with you.” He said under his tongue.

His mother scanned him with piercing eyes. “No.” She reiterated. “You’re going with me and that’s my last word on the subject. Now get down to your feet…..and watse no more time.”
“Go with her.” His father tapped his shoulder with affection. “Be gentle with your mother, she’s already been hurt alot.”
He then whispered slowly.
“Your uncle is leaving this world.”
******************
The traffic was thin, this being it was a cold, wet sunday, and they were soon out of the city and belting across flat landscape.

Mrs. Ali sighed and closed her eyes, not wanting to talk. Aariz glanced at her but said nothing.
He knew that she was depressed and tensed. Not only she was worried about her sick cousin, but was worried about him too.

After a long, tiring journey, he was glad when his mother announced that they were not very far from their destination. They made a five-hour trip north to their city with the top down and Aariz was beginning to feel the effects of being totally windblown.
“How much more, Mother?” He asked with total disinterest.
“Not much, we’re almost there.”
The maroon Honda Accord flew past the fields of gently swaying sugar cane, the purple flowering tops announcing time for harvest.

The air was thick with the sweet scent of sugar as plantation owners torched their crops to rid it of weeds, leaves and other pest before harvesting. It felt like a peaceful dreamland, he had to admit.

The farm was totally isolated, hidden from the world by majestic sand dunes and a young forest of trees on their left and a deeper, wilder wood to their right. A peaceful and calm serenity surrounded the whole place. Birds chirped in the branches of the graceful old trees and honeybees droned sleepily among the flowering shrubs.
“Now turn to the right.” She told him as he swung the car in that direction.
“This is it.” She told him as she unbuckled the seat belt.

The last house on the left appeared and Aariz stopped the car at the driveway entrance.
Many children in dirty cloths gathered around their car to touch it, and looked at them with astonishment in their eyes.

Poor villagers! He thought. How can one live in such a small town, totally isolated from luxuries and facilities of city life.
He house belonged to Abbas Hasan, the tough 60 year old cousin of his mother. Although, she had insisted a lot and invited him many times to come and start a new life in the city but he refused to even consider such an option.

Widowed at an early age and never remarried, he was very much happy in his village and with his people.

Aariz had met him only once, and that was in his childhood. So he didn’t know much about him. Although during the last three months, he heard his mother saying he was suffering from a stroke.

As he followed his mother toward the main door of the house, his eyes were drawn suddenly to an upstairs window. A curtain had been pulled partly back and they were being watched by a woman, probably.

He didn’t pay much attention to that, and rather suspected that the hidden, imposing figure belonged to some maid.
Someone opened the door, and they got in.

The house was full of people, but most of them were villagers. All of them had gathered around a bed, on which, lay an old, weak man.

As they moved nearer, Aariz could now clearly see what he looked like. He was propped up with pillows, and a man with stethoscope and medical box, probably his family doctor, was seated beside him. As he approached him with his mother, he could see a bright lively twinkling in the old man’s eyes.
“So you are here.” He sighed loudly, as he saw Aariz’s mother, and from the way he looked up at her, Aariz could very well guess that they were very much familiar with each other, even more than he thought.

His hair must have been black at one time but was now totally white, as fine as spun silk around his spare-boned face, gloriously decorated with a fine, medium sized beard, which suited him really well. His skin was wrinkled and his body was thin—-yet as Aariz came forward to shake hands, he moved with unmistakable grace and his face held charm.
“How could I leave you in this condition?” Mrs. Ali replied, tears glistening in her eyes. “This is Aariz, my son.”
“Wow, my son.” He tried to straightened himself up, but couldn’t, his eyes gradually narrowing until they settled on him and then spread wide again.

Aariz visibly responded, his face softening as he lept toward Abbas uncle and hugged him affectionately.
“Do sit down, my dear, sit here, near me.” Abbas Hasan told him, taking a short pause to cough. “My eyesight isn’t as good as it was, and I like to be able to see my guests.”
“You’re a carbon copy of your mother, same features, same grace…..” He brought his trembling fingers to touch him, his shaky hands caressing Aariz’s cheeks slowly.
“You people can leave now.” Abbas Hasan told the surrounding people in a weak, low voice. “Thank you so much for you co-operation and support. Don’t forget me in your prayers.” He gasped.

Slowly but quietly, they left the room, leaving three of them alone in the room with the doctor.
“So, how’s your condition?” Mrs. Ali asked desperately, her face clearly showing how much worried she was.
“I don’t have much time, now.” He tried to smile.
“Don’t talk like this.” She said quickly, and then turned to his doctor.
“Doctor, what do you suggest?”
“Stroke combined with angina and T.B has made his conditiom worse. He really needs to be shifted to the city hospital as early as possible.” Doctor told them.
“That’s why I’m here.” Mrs. Ali said, giving Abbas Hasan a worried look. “To take him with me.”
“No.” Abbas Hasan shook his trembling hand. “It will be of no use now.”
There was a slight movement on the light green curtain hanging on the door.
They all noticed it.
“Take the cups.” Abbas Hasan told Aariz, pointing toward the curtain. “I’m sorry, right now I can’t offer anything other than tea.”
“Don’t talk like this, Abbas.” Mrs. Ali cried out in pain. “We understand. There was no need for this either.”
As Aariz left his chair and reached near the curtain, he heard the musical sound of bangles striking together.
Someone was there. Some female was definitely there, behind the curtain.

Almost like a flash, someone brought the tray containing teacups and biscuits in front of him from behind the curtain. It was so fast and sudden that he couldn’t even see the hands of the person offering him the tray. Shrugging his shoulders, he returned back to his mother and uncle.

They slowly sipped their tea in silence.
“It’s been a long time since I last saw you.” Mrs. Ali cast Abbas Hasan a look of pure longing and sympathy.
“Yes. But still seems like yesterday.” He tried to smile in answer.
Aariz shifted uncomfortably on his chair.
He had no interest in whatever these two elders were talking about.

Feeling odd, uneasy and bored from their conversation, Aariz rose from his place to leave the room. There was a gallery leading towards the balcony. Aariz made a short survey of the house as he stepped toward the balcony.

There were four tiny rooms, the kitchen and lounge seperated from the two bedrooms by a short, narrow hall. At the far end of the hall was a bathroom. It was a small but yet, very neat and clean house.
“Beauty lies in simplicity.” Staring at the old but well-arranged furniture, Aariz thought.
Once outside, he breathed into fresh fragrant farm air. This place is absolutely and naturally beautiful, he thought. He looked at the farm fields and surrounding lush green mountains and came to a stand at the balcony to have a better view of the village and its people.

Aromatic pines and Mango trees surrounded the village. Beyond the house were fields and dispirited-looking cattle, heads dropping in the downpour. But despite of all that beauty, for him, there was nothing to do here.
“I would return first thing in the morning.” He told himself.

Taking short sips of his tea after long intervals, he was truly enjoying the beautiful natural countryside, without having the slightest idea of what was going on behind him.
“I saw your girl, a long time ago.
She couldn’t be more than seven or eight at that time, right?” Mrs. Ali asked, looking into his teary eyes.
“Oh yes.” Abbas Hasan smiled weakly. “She’s twenty one now.”
“I imagine it’s been a struggle raising a child on your own.”
“It hasn’t been easy.” He groaned.
“Angina, stroke, and now this tuberculosis.” He began to cough. “I just have only one wish now, may my Allah choose some nice man for her soon. She is very simple and compromising.

Just then an idea strucked her, didn’t even think twice about it, she spoke almost immediately.
“Don’t talk like this Abbas.” She felt heart-broken at his condition, tears running down her cheeks. “Allah has already made a great match for her, a very nice guy.” She smiled through the thin film of tears in front of her eyes.
“Really?” Abbas Hasan shifted in his bed to turn his face toward her, his face appearing even weaker due to incertainty. “Who?”
“We have our Aariz.” She said proudly.
“Aariz?” Abbas Hasan’s eyes began to wrinkle with an everlasting hope. “But….”
“Why?” She looked at his dry face with her wet eyes. “Don’t you like him?”
“I do like him. I love him. I still love each and everthing that belongs to you.” Sentences came slowly out of his mouth. “It’s just that I don’t think they match each other.” He went on. “My daughter has been born and raised here in the village, while your son has been in U.S. for his studies. Also, your status is very high, we’re middle class financially.”
“I don’t care about that.” Mrs. Ali shook her head, as usual very much sure about herself. “They are definitely suitable for each other, as they have the same blood, same roots…..”
“Think twice, Sadia.” He murmured, like he was still unsure. “I don’t want to spoil your son’s life.”
“It will only make him more mature.” Stated Mrs. Ali thoughtfully. “Infact it will make his life beautiful.”
“But what if……” He said in a weak voice, still having some serious concerns about her decision.
“No ‘what ifs’.” Mrs. Ali raised her hand to stop him from further arguement.
“Don’t worry about your daughter. She’s my responsibility now.” Mrs. Ali announced in an emotional tone, her voice thick and heavy.
“Wait, I’ll go and get him” She finally said and then left the room to look for her son.
“Aariz, where are you?”
He whirled at the sound of his name being called out in a scream.
But now he realized from his mother’s distressed state but nothing simple was going on there.
“Aariz, you’re getting married right now, with your cousin.” She dropped her bombshell.