Hiraeth

Chapter 54

Here you go as promised!
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It was around 11am when there was a knock on the door of hana and Zamid's hospital room. The room was crowded with hana's tayis, mother, sister in law and Dadi jaan too! Zamid was having some soup silently with zeeniya sitting beside him on the bed. Hana was getting some serious scoldings from her mother as she was not eating anything since she woke up. She was asking for a toothbrush first as she can't eat without brushing her teeth first. Her stubbornness finally got her scolding that she deserved as no one was home to get it for her or to buy a new one at the moment.

The knock was a saviour for her from her angry mamma! Her mother glared at her but then got up from the bed and opened the door to check who was it. When she saw that it was police, she greeted them and had a small chat with them. After that, hiba closed the door and informed everyone that they have to leave as the police was here to get hana and zamid's statement about the whole incident.

Everyone left except hiba and the policemen entered after a brief knock.

"Assalamualaikum! I am Asad Zohaan! And this is my team mate, officer Sajid Kazi! We are working on your case! How are you both feeling now?" Officer Asad said after introducing himself and his coworker. He was a man of big bulky stature but with a friendly smile on his face.

"Yes we are okay! Allhumdullillah! Please have a seat, officers!" Zamid replied with a nod and serious face. He was anxious to know what happened with hana too.

"I am sorry but we would like to know what happened to you from the start! I know it is not the right time but we can't delay it further! So I hope you will cooperate!" Officer Sajid asked the question after sitting on the sofa that was placed in the room. Hiba was sitting on the bed beside her daughter, hana. Hana was looking at Asad with a smile. Asad smiled back but then turned his attention back to Zamid as he started to tell what happened till he blacked out due to pain before the ambulance could arrive.

After noting down his statement, everyone turned to look at hana. She became a little nervous but then told everything without any interruption.

"After I blacked out at Ibrahim bhai and Hanan's apartment, I was woken up by a bucket of cold water. When I came a little to my senses, I saw I was tied to a chair by my hands behind the back of the chair. The place was lit with only one light and there was nothing else in the room. Two people were there and one of them had the bucket. He was a young guy! Around 22 or 23 years old! The other was very old person! Around baba's age! His hair and beard were almost white! The young guy was saying something in another language, probably Arabic so I didn't understand him! He became angry at me for some reason and then slapped me on my face. The older guys scolded him and then said something to him after which the young guys started to talk in Urdu! He said that I have to marry him as Hanan married his sister! It was some sort of a tradition for them but I refused! He became more angry and the older guy also got angry! The younger one started to hit me and said that he will ruin me if I won't agree to have Nikkah with him as the Qazi was going to be there at any moment! I again refused and the older man just went out of the room after getting a call on his phone! The younger man started to become physical with me! I tried but I could not do anything to free myself! That man tore my shirt and in my defense, I kicked him very hard there! After he recovered a little, he started to chock me and I blacked out from the lack of oxygen! When I woke up again, it was due to pain! The pain was so unbearable that I didn't know what happened as everything was blurry! But I remember Zamid bhai and hanan trying to keep me awake! And that's it! I woke up in the morning today and my family came to meet me and bhai jaan! And that's all!" She finished with a smile as if she was telling a story. No body commented on her behavior but everyone was feeling sorry for her! Hiba was crying again after hearing what her daughter went through.