Of Broken Hearts and Tears

Chapter 33

A huge shoutout to @Queen0226 for the most comments in the last updates. The comments weren't 200 yet but I felt generous so I thought why not update.

The 200 comments offer still stands!

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Enjoy!

"Zayan, look at your hair beta. It's getting so dry. When Areesha wasn't married, she used to oil your hair and now you don't even bother." Zayan's mother chided him and he groaned. He had returned from his office an hour ago and he was so tired after the long day at work.

"Ma, my hair is fine." He groaned as he switched the channel with the remote.

"Get the oil from the cabinet and I'll oil your hair." She said.

"I don't want to get my hair oiled." He said. He hated to put that hair oil in his head.

"No get up, and get it. Or you are going to go bald one day." She said thumping his back.

Reluctantly, he got up and dragged his feet to the washroom to get the hair oil.

He returned with the bottle and his mother made him sit on a cushion on the floor as she unscrewed the lid from the bottle. Zayan spread his legs in front of him and crossed them as he switched to the movie channel and rested his head on his mother's lap.

"Your father used to love it when I massaged his hair." His mother reminisced with a fond smile and his eyes snapped towards her.  She never used to talk a lot about him. 

"Mama..." he started but she wasn't listening to him as she stared into space with a sad look on her face.

"You are so much like him, Zayan." She said looking down at him as she caressed his hair. Zayan felt a tinge of pride and happiness surging through him. For any other person it might be ordinary hearing that he was like his father but to Zayan it was very special. 

All his childhood, he had thought that his parents weren't his biological parents so they loved Areesha more but with time he had grown out of those feelings. So now as his mother said that he was like him, he felt so happy, as if he was worth something.

"I really wish he was here with us today. He would have been so proud of you and Areesha." She said swallowing deeply as tears threatened to overcome her. It was so hard without her husband and she wished that she had had more time with him.

She sniffed and blinked back her tears. 

"Mama?" A voice sounded from behind and they both turned to see Maya standing in the doorway.

"There's a call-" Maya halted as she looked at Zayan and his mother.

"Who is it?" The older lady asked discreetly wiping away her tears.

"Oh it was some Aasia Aunty. She said she wanted to talk to you. The call is on hold."

"Oh, Aasia. I'll go take the call. Why don't you oil his hair?" She said handing the bottle to Maya.

Reluctantly, Maya took it from her as her mother-in-law went to take the call.

"I'll do it myself." Zayan said quickly and thrust his hand forward to take the bottle from her. He knew she wouldn't want to do it.

"It's alright. I can do it." She said as she sat on the sofa. 

She poured some oil on her palms and dabbed it on his hair. 

A heavy silence enveloped them as Maya spread the oil across his hair with her fingers. Zayan sat there staring at the LED screen but not taking anything in. He increased the volume a little trying to get rid of the tangible silence that surrounded them.