Hiraeth

36

"ABEER, SLOW DOWN." Her voice came out both frantic and rushed, as she tried catching upto her toddler who ran around the garden in a concerning speed. While everybody else there seemed to be busy with the brunch, she was having a hard time looking after him and his exuberance. 

"Sitara, fruits?" Her bhabhi called her out, pointing at her half finished plate of fruit salad and cupcakes that were there only because her son liked picking up every single of them. 

She let out a skittered sigh, watching him join Ayla and his cousins who were much more grown up than the two of her children and that brought her a sense of comfort. She could finally eat something. 

Her gaze travelled towards her husband as she pulled back her chair, casually watching him seated afar at one corner of the table and mostly conversing with his elder brother. The white kurta that he wore was managing to draw her attention at him from time to time. 

"Bombay is too hot, nah?" Her bhabhi playfully fanned a newspaper at her face, watching it gleam under the sun turning pink as beads of sweat trickled down her forehead from all the running and chasing. 

"I seem to enjoy it." She smiled, moving her fork around the sliced papaya and strawberries and looked over the kids with the corner of her eyes. 

"I still have some shopping left for the shaadi. Would you like to join?" She softly asked, thanking a staff for bringing them tea in the meanwhile and Sitara began to ponder for a while. 

"Oh, don't worry about the kids. I have Renuka, she had looked after my children too and is very good at her job. Rehaan is also here." She somehow managed to understand her dilemma and explained, trying to bring a sense of convincement in her.  

"Is anybody else coming too?" She slowly asked, trying to lower her voice a little and saw her cheeks pull up as a faint smile was scattered all over her features. 

"Why, you don't like them?" She asked, responding in the same manner and her eyes widened in both shock and embarrassment. 

"No, I didn't mean to say that." She tried to politely correct her intendment as her face flushed in embarrassment but felt a gentle pat on shoulders, asking her to relax.

"Chill, nobody else is joining except Misha. She has to get some alterations done." Minahil informed, still rubbing her hand on her shoulders assessing the hesitance overpowering Sitara. She noticed that people made her uncomfortable and the reason behind it wasn't alien to her. 

"Zain, no. Don't remove the leash. Ayla and Abeer and playing there." She observed her hurriedly getting up from her chair, yelling at her son for trying to unleash the dogs as both the kids kneeled on the grass at a distance, keenly watching. 

"He doesn't bite, mom." He explained, earning another glare from her as she resorted to sending him away with the dogs for a while. It was evident that Zain didn't like to believe that his pets were a potential threat to anyone. 

She left for her room after a short while, assigning the kids to a caretaker and began doing her makeup. She wasn't very keen on going onto that shopping trip but out of everyone else, it was only Minahil who was being nice to her and she didn't want to let her down. 

She couldn't fathom that even after hours of her arrival here, nobody except her and a few others had initiated even a faint conversation with her. It made her regret her decision of coming here, just like her husband had told. He insisted on going alone but it was her who wanted to play the good wife, making attempts at ensuring a place in their hearts and now thought nothing of herself besides a fool. 

She was still halfway at working on her lips when the door knocked first and then slowly opened, making her tilt her eyes on the mirror before her. 

She rubbed her lips together, trying to blend the lipstick well as he closed the door and settled down on the bed without exchanging a single word with her.