Must Read: The Silent Lover - Season 1 - Episode 52

7 years ago

Must Read: The Silent Lover - Season 1 - Episode 52

Once she was settled, Zeest had put her artistic religious talent to teach children, transforming them into a new generation, which was very much familiar with ethics and religion.

Those children were a bright precocious and constant challenge to Zeest. Their parents had selected the finest school for their worldly education but unfortunately had paid no attention to their basic religious knowledge.

Those children were experts in alphabets, basic science and grammer but were duffers in even first-step essential knowledge about their faith. But Zeest loved rising to that challenge, determined those children would turn out to be responsible and productive humans and muslims.

That day, when Aariz returned to his home, he was feeling more tired than usual. As soon as he pulled the door of his room open, his eyes and ears came across something he was not prepared to face.

Zeest was praying.
But that was not the thing that suprised him, as he’d never seen her missing her prayers. It was her style, the way she was praying and above all, the choice of her words that suprised, even shocked him.

With her eyes closed, tears flowing down her soft, smooth cheeks she presented a very holy picture to him. Her black scarf was surrounding her glorious face like dark clouds surrounding the moon.

“Oh Allah, help me overcome those obstacles which are in my way toward a successful life.” She was saying and crying at the same time.

As his uneasy glance went to her, he noted that she was so absorbed in her prayers that he was sure she didn’t hear him entering.

“Oh Allah, there is no one who will listen to me, except You. And this feeling is so touchy, so sentimental, that there’s someone who is there always for me. There’s someone, who hears everything and sees everything, and someone who understands. Oh my dear Allah, keep me and my husband away from the sins in the best possible way. Oh my creator, help us all, in seeking guidance toward true eternal path. Oh Allah, may my parents-in-law achieve all the health and prosperity they deserve.

Enlighten my husband’s heart with the glory of light.”
Breathlessly, he stared at her as she prayed for divine guidance with her eyes closed.

“My dear Allah….. I don’t want him to be unhappy. I know we haven’t always been as close as I’d like to but I wish for the best future days for both of us.”
He was in her prayers.
What else could one ask for?
He looked at her for what semmed like endless moments. She was looking so holy, so innocent while praying. She wore a plain, white cotton jumper shilwar and a big, broad black scarf surrounded her face like dark rainy clouds surrounding the moon. She looked so wildly beautiful; her glassy eyes closed, guarded with thick, and curved lashes, her expression modest and natural.

It was not just beauty that was present on her face. It was something else too, but what? He couldn’t find out. He felt ashamed of himself.

He hadn’t prayed for so long. Last time he prayed was on Eid day, last year.
Just then, he noticed her tone had changed.

She was now reading something, perhaps some poem.

I just want few moments from my own life,
Moments, which I could hide from myself,
And then dedicate it to ‘him’,
Who holds a name-less relation with me!
Who gives me thoughts, when I can’t think anything!
He……who makes me feel myself when I feel nothing.

He, who is not mine, but is in me.

Listening to her wonderful words, Aariz realized a few things for the first time.

Since Zeest came to his house, she brought a new life for everyone. She had simply brought a big change in everyone’s life. After all, that’s what the word ‘Zeest’ meant……. Life!
Before she came, his mornings used to start with music. But now, her fragrant, musical voice poured sweet essence of Quran into his ears every morning before he leaves his bed.

Everything seemed to be under control now, whether it was his home’s monthly budget or his mother’s blood pressure. Even his room was very neat and clean now. Everything seemed to be at its exact place now, well-organized and well-arranged. She was the best cook he had ever seen, expert in making different good ‘finger-licking’ eastern and western dishes. His father had already become a big fan of her.

“Mother, Chicken Qourma, without salt is for you, and this sugar free Kheer is for you, father.” As he remembered her instructions and comments, an involuntary smile came to his lips.

She was taking care of his hypertensive mother and diabetic father at the same time and both had improved a lot since she came into their home.

Her beauty, her laughter, her cries pulled at him like a physical force and in spite of all his intentions, and whether he liked it or not, his life had assumed a new purpose, and a new meaning.

“How are you always able to sum up my problems?” He wanted to ask, but the ego of his mind was stronger than this honest thought of his heart.

It was true. This girl named ‘Zeest’ had brought a big revolution in his home in such a short time.

“I didn’t know you were here.” Her voice broke the chain of his thoughts as he shook his head, only to find her staring at him with questioning eyes.

“Y….yes.” He said, keeping his briefcase on the table and loosening the knot of his tie. “There wasn’t much work to do in the office today. So I returned early.”
“I see.” She gave him a nod of understanding.

“Well……” He wanted to say but couldn’t find the appropraite words.

“Yes?” She asked, her heart praying at the same time, not knowing what was new in his mind today.

“Thank you so much.” He said automatically. “You fulfilled your promise.”
“Sorry?”
“I mean.” He came to stand in front of the dressing table, giving himself a critical look. “You convinced my mother for my second marriage. That was not an easy task.”
“You are welcome.” She smiled soberly. “But do you remember your promise too?”
“Huh….what promise?” He turned his face toward her.

“You said you won’t divorce me. You won’t seperate your name from mine.” She looked into his eyes with hope and expectation.

“I don’t need any share in your property or wealth.” She added in the same soft, sweet tone. “All I want is your name.”
Yes, Aariz Ali, I will be content with the feeling, that, atleast our names are attached with each other. She thought
“Why do you want that?”
“Because…..” She closed her eyes for a second. “It was my father’s wish.”
“Just your father’s or is it your wish as well?” He wanted to ask, looking closely into her big eyes, trying to find any traces of longing or love. Had she fallen in love with him? He thought for a second.

Unanswered questions haunted him, questions he couldn’t block from his mind.

What were Zeest’s true feeling? Did she care for him……really care?
Their relationship had come to an end. He had nothing to offer Zeest. All he was interested in was returning to Komal as soon as possible.
No woman in her right mind would want to live with a man who loved another woman continously.

Anyway, who said Zeest was interested in him?
He sensed she had her own problems. She had suffered too.

But right now, this poor girl was getting over-emotional. To him, she was like other typical middle class conservative and fanatic eastern women, who think that their husband is everything for them.

Well, it’s just a matter of time. She’ll soon feel a need for a husband and children and ask for divorce definitely. He smiled inwardly and agreed.

“Yes, I remember.” He gave a short answer, taking his brand new glasses out of his jackets’s pocket. He never actually worn spectacles before. Just today, he met his ophtalmologist gor a recent attack of short eye sightedness and his doctor had suggested contact lenses or glasses for his eyes.

He brought the thin neat metal frame to his eyes and set the spectacles on his nose with care and deliberation.

“You look good in glasses.” She commented against her will, only to wish she had kept her mouth shut, He whistled slowly, shooting a brief glance on her reflecting image through the mirror but said nothing.

“Okay, anything else you want from me?” He asked, releasing his tie and allowing it to flap over his shoulder.

As he spoke, Zeeat realized that despite of all his anger, fury and cursing, she liked his voice.

She wasn’t sure how it had happened—maybe it was the dark sound of his voice. When he was not angry there was a velvet quality to it, as if it belonged to another person apart from the man she knew. She often hung onto the sound of his voice, remembering it afterwards.

She cleared her throat and stated, “I do want something for myself. But, I don’t want it from you. I want it from my Allah and I’ve already told him.”
“For you, however.” She added in a whisper. “I’d like to suggest only one thing.

“What’s that?”
“Don’t miss your prayers. It’s best for your depression.”
On her suggestion, he glared at her for a long time. Unable to meet with the intensity of his gaze, she had to take her eyes away from him.

“Okay, I’d think about that.” Unexpectedly, he murmured in a low voice, his tone calm.

“Sometimes,” He gave her a long, in predictable look as he spoke. “I really ask myself this question.”
“Which one?”
“Can’t you ignore me?” He asked and then added.

“I’m sure you can, just as I do.”
“I can sure try to ignore you, but your insults are hard to ignore.” She said in a low voice, her gaze touching the floor. “As they say, an injury is much sooner forgotten than an insult ”
His brows rose upward on her sudden remark, and she knew instantly that he was getting into his ‘mood’ again.

“Okay.” He muttured sharply. “Do whatever you like. But, you are an unwelcomed guest. Keep that in mind.” He cautioned, signaling an end to the discussion.

“I’m also an unwilling guest.” She wanted to say but her brain refused her heart’s suggestion.

She’d never in her life saw a man who was so hard to reason with. But she had to admit he had a point, this was his house.

The slamming of the door told her he was gone.

To Be Continued…