FROM NEVER TO HAPPILY EVER!

4.

Hooriya.

"Ashu. Take Hooriya to shopping beta. She has been holed up in the haveli for months now. Also show her the monuments in Vijayapet." Abbaji says admiringly to his son. And I freeze. What is he saying?

Their bond has only strengthened over the weeks. It's been a month since  Asad returned and he took every responsibility as a son. He didn't disappoint Abbaji when he asked him to join politics. Ever since then, they are both busy with Abbaji teaching him the ropes of politics and Asad trying hard to manage business alongside. He is rarely home during the day. The nights that he comes late, I keep a plate of food in his bedroom and he eats most times from it. Today was different since both father son duo came home by evening. They were chilling in the lounge and I had come to place their tea when Abbaji dropped the bomb.

Asad respects his father too much to deny his request and my thoughts were confirmed when he nodded at his father's request. He is a great son. I am sure he had been a great brother too. But I can see the reluctance clearly in his eyes. I am sure his father can too. He is just giving us time to adapt to each other. Which I don't think will ever happen. Wishful thinking you know.

After sometime, Asad comes in the kitchen where I was making snacks. He drinks water from the bottle in the fridge. What is he doing? He will catch a cold. He places the bottle on the counter turning to me.

"I am waiting outside." I am surprised he said that. I hand the stirring spoon to Rakeena and go upside to freshen. In a pista green kurta and straight pants, I walk down into the parking area. I climb into the passenger seat, buckling my belt and he zooms past the vehicles. From the corner of my eyes, I can see his hands on the gear system. He has long, slender fingers with perfectly shaped nails. The muscles of his left arm flex, as he changes the gears. He isn't using the GPS meaning he knows his place all too well inspite of not living here.

His sunglasses are perched on his nose. At the signals, he keeps his right arm on the window panel looking outside and whenever he is free his fingers drum against the surface they are kept on. From my angle, he looks like a Greek God with that natural pose. My heart seems to have forgotten it's rhythm. He is that seashore for my sailor self who has been aimless all her life. His one look is enough to make me putty in his hands. He looks relaxed, his posture calm and in control. I realise I like him this way, chilled out. Even if his face is blank, I can make out his mood with his body language.

He completely stops the car and I look around to see we are in a rather crowded area. Buzzing with shops and restaurants, this scene looks like a classic Indian bazaar.

I get down from my side and he parks the car at am empty space. Surprisingly, I take the lead and walk ahead looking around the place charged with energy and enthusiasm. A variety of people walking around, some laughing, some whispering, friends taking jibes at each other, couples holding hands and oldies sharing gossip. I am not sure what category we fit into, I am just happy I am here with Asad by my side.

" Haye haye, kya maal hai. Maza aagaya." I freeze in my step when I feel strong gazes on me. I look to my left, to see a pair of boys staring me down with a smirk on their faces. I shiver in fear, Asad. Wait. Where is Asad? I turn around to see where he is and I see him standing a few feet behind me doing something on his phone. Stupid Hooriya. Can't you stay with him.

"Kise dhund rahi ho jaan. Zara hamein bhi to dekhiye in kaatilana ankhon se." I hear his filthy voice again. I clutched my dupatta that is wrapped around my head in alarm.

I rush towards Asad, that's when he looks up from his phone and stares at me in confusion, probably looking at my alarmed face. Before I can hold his hand, I hear those dogs again.

"Arre aap hamein chodke yahan kyun agayi. Khun bhai, tumhari kuch lagti hai kya yeah?" The question was directed at Asad and I was hoping he would reply in an affirmative so we could get rid of them.

I look up at Asad in hope, I want him to tell these dogs to fuck off. I want him to claim me as his wife. At least tell them I am with him. Something, even if it's small. So that I know we made progress.

Asad backs off from me, his hands going into his pants. "Main nai janta ise." and then he turns around walking back to his car. The words hit home. Straight like a dagger, puncturing every vein in my body. I forget how to breathe, did he just?

Did he just say what I think he did? Everything blackens for a while, my vision blurs owing to the tears threatening to spill out. I hear the boys hooting.

"To mahutarma free hain. Chaliye ghar pe maze lutainge", his disgusting voice is adding to my misery. If I wasn't heartbroken right now, I would have answered them, put them in their place but all I can think of is his words.

"Kyu be. Akeli ladki dikhi nahin ke chedkhani shuru. Thane chalo, batata hun maze lutna", another loud voice call out in the middle. I look up to see a man in his thirties standing before us in a police uniform. The moment these dogs spot him they disappear. The man in uniform comes towards me with a soft gaze.

"Are you okay miss? Are you alone? "

I just nodded at him clutching my dupatta tightly.

"I will ask a female constable to drop you home if you want to."

"No thanks. I just needed help with those flirts. I will be on my way now. Thanks for the help though." He nods at me and I make my way towards where Asad came from.

I am not least bit surprised to see he has left with his car. What a gentleman. I continue walking on the streets inhaling the air of Vijayapet. It's not that bad after all. When I was a kid, my best friend Zayn and me always spoke of Vijayapet. While other kids hated this place just because their parents told them so, we on the other hand would find interesting facts about Vijayapet through internet just so we could be unique and different form other kids.

Zayn, my best friend. We were together since we were in nappies. Mom told me we were always joined at the hip. Even when we grew up, in spite of the stern Sarjung culture, we never let the societal pressure pull is apart. Our mothers always thought we would end up together, married and have kids. But life happened. And here i stand in rival land, with no protection whatsoever breathing freely. It should feel like a trap to me but it doesn't. It feels like I have finally understood what independence means. This right here, standing in the middle of nothing, knowing you are not answerable to anyone, knowing you can do anything and nobody would question you, is what I would call Independence.

Something I had yet to taste in the last twenty years of my life. I would never regret this marriage. It opened the world for me, gave me the freedom I desired. But only if As.... Don't go there Hooriya. Don't think about that jerk.

Him hating me was justified, him refusing to see me was okay, him rejecting to accept me was tolerable but him putting my self respect on the line and choosing this dirty way of taking revenge over me is not acceptable. In which horizon is it fair to let a girl in to the hands of vultures so they could destroy her for a petty revenge.

Asad Raheem Khan has many shades. The somber shade of a son, the red shade of a bleeding brother and the bright shade of a heir but today I witnessed a dark shade.

Dark, heinous shade of a cheap husband.