Shattered Chains

9.0

"Decisions make us after we make them!"

~ Unknown

─── ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ ───

Ali came back home all worn out. It was late night and yet Ayesha was awake worriedly for her son.

"Ali. Where have you been?"

"I didn't find her, mom."

"She must be gone by her will." Ayesha did not underestimate the seriousness of the situation but she was worried for her son. She only intended to make him calm.

"Till I don't hear it from her, I can't remain calm!" Ali retorts sternly and yet calmly.

"I will make food ready. Come fast," Ayesha was about to go to the kitchen.

"I am not hungry, mom," Saying this he left for his room.

As Ali stood in the stillness of his room, the dim light casting shadows on the walls, he couldn't escape the haunting thoughts that danced in his mind remembering the memories where she cried or their interaction. The rejection of food from his concerned mother echoed the void within him, matching the emptiness he felt.

He sighed and went to take out a night dress. While searching for his shirt, his eyes involuntarily fell on the red saree, a vivid reminder of a night that seemed both distant and painfully recent. He remembered how he saw her in it the first time. He was stunned to see her and then the way her cheeks matched up the red saree. That one saree carried the essence of her laughter, the sweet talks, and the fleeting moments of connection. The vibrant fabric stood as a strong contrast to the looming darkness that surrounded his present. He took his dress out and got changed. He sat on the bed.

Turning his gaze to the desk, the divorce papers lay there which had been lying there since last night. Each sheet held the weight of their shared history, and Ali found himself torn between his family's expectations and his own wish.

"Regret is taking over at the edges of my consciousness in the form of an ache that intensifies with every passing moment. I questioned the choices that led to this stage. The promises made during the wedding, the time on that stupid date, now reduced to ink on cold paper. Guilt  now feels  like a shadow to me. I questioned if this was the right path, if severing ties with her was the solution. Yet, the answer is enforced to be yes. The walls seem to close in, echoing the unspoken grief that filled the space. Every time I close my eyes, I see her teary eyes coming up to my memories. She was my dad's daughter-in-law, and with that title came my responsibility. I wish that fight wouldn't have evolved. At least she would have been here, safely."

As he lay on the bed in the quiet room, Ali got surrounded with a sea of emotions – regret, guilt, responsibility, and an inexplicable longing. The room became a silent witness to his internal struggle, the impending divorce papers being another burden. Sleep eventually took over him, but the memories and thoughts that danced on the edge of his consciousness were restless, haunted by the specter of what was lost and the uncertainty of what lay ahead.

─── ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ ───

Diary Entry - [08.09.23]

Dear Diary,

Things haven't changed much. Considering merely a few days passed by. I was going through you to see I slept halfway through telling what happened on the date night. The night was long. The memories and talks of it still echo in my mind like ghostly whispers. That red saree feels like a reminder of it.