Chapter 5. The Condition

Third-Person POV

After passing through the lawn, their footsteps halted as they stood in front of a large, brawny door that led into the house. Both of them were nervous. Ammara was nervous because if they were rejected from this place, they would probably have nowhere else to live. She was utterly worried for her daughter.

Zahra was nervous because her subconscious kept signaling something amiss. Moreover, she did not want to let anyone humiliate her mother. She knew her Dada wouldn't easily accept her mother and allow them to live here. They'd have to pass through a great ordeal to stay.

Ammara's hand reached for the doorknob. She turned it and pushed it inside. The door opened, and they both made their way into the house. They were left in awe. A very modernly designed lounge left their mouths agape.

Zahra looked around and spotted some boys and girls sitting on cream-colored sofas at the center of the lounge. All of them were chatting and laughing haughtily. They looked to be between 18 to 25 years old. They were too engaged in conversation to notice their presence.

Zahra wondered where to go next. They couldn't be standing here all day. So she decided to approach them. As soon as she moved, a man in his early fifties came running down the stairs and proceeded towards them. Zahra stopped and looked towards her mother. Her mother knew who he was.

"Haider bhai, Assalam alaikum," Ammara greeted.

This caught everyone's attention in the room, and all those lads turned and looked at their Taya Abu and them, conjecturing who these two ladies were.

"Wa alaikum salam. Kia haal hai beta? Umeed hai k sab khairiyat hai!" (How are you dear? Hope everything is alright!) He warmly welcomed them.

"Allhamdullilah," (By God's grace.) Ammara replied.

"Mujtaba kidher hai aur kesa hai? Kia wo saath nahi aaya?" (Where is Mujtaba? And how is he? Didn't he come along?) He asked softly and looked expectantly towards the door, hoping his brother would appear.

On hearing Mujtaba's name, tears brimmed in Zahra's eyes. Her throat was clogged, and her vision blurred. Her heart wrenched for her Taya who was expecting his brother to come through the door. Little did he know, he was never going to come.

'Kaash Baba Kaash ap way uss darwazey sei Andar aajaye,' (I wish Father, I wish you could come through that door) she thought with dismay.

Before Ammara could say anything, Haider's attention diverted towards Zahra, who was trying hard to control her tears.

"Zahra!" He exclaimed.

"Kesi ho beti? Kitni bari ho gyi ho MashAllah!" (How are you daughter? MashAllah, you have grown up!)

Zahra was overwhelmed by his warm gesture. When he called her "beti," it reminded her of her father, and she could not control her emotions anymore. Her arms moved on their own accord and gave him a tight hug. She felt as if he was hugging her father, which made fat tears roll down her eyes, soon replaced by big sobs.

Haider only wondered why she was crying and rubbed his hands on her back to soothe her. He let her cry to her fullest, and she cried her heart out on her Taya Abu's shoulder. The whole room was enveloped in silence. Only her painful big sobs could be heard. Zahra hugged him tightly like he used to hug her father whenever he came back home after a day or two.

Her Taya resembled her father in all ways, and that was enough to make her emotions spiral out of control. She could feel her father's scent around him. She didn't know it, but she found an unfathomable connection with him. He was very much like her father.

Her big sobs grabbed everyone's attention, and all the heads were turned towards their Taya Abu and the crying girl. Everyone pondered who she was and why she was crying so wholeheartedly on his shoulder. The ladies of the house, who were working in the kitchen, hearing somebody's sobs, immediately came out.

The scene in front of them left them baffled. They knew about Ammara and Mujtaba, but they had no idea that Ammara would be returning to the haveli with her daughter. They too contemplated what Ammara was doing here again, and that too with her daughter. And why was her daughter crying so painfully? And where was Mujtaba? And why were they carrying bags along with them? All of them kept looking towards them.

After crying heartily, Zahra felt her tears die down. She cleaned her wet face with her hands and got off Taya's shoulder. Her face was blotched, and her eyes were swollen red. 

Haider didn't feel it was right to ask her why she was so disturbed; instead, he comforted her more. Zahra wiped her tears properly and, after settling herself, looked around to find everyone's attention on her. She cast her eyes down and uttered, "I am fine."

"Okay, beta, Agha Jaan is waiting for you both in his study," he said empathically. He was about to ask about Mujtaba, but something inside him stopped him, and he kept quiet.

"Let's go," Ammara quietly said and grasped her daughter's hand, who tightened her hold, indicating she was nervous. Haider ushered them both to his father's study. Meanwhile, no words were exchanged, and when they reached the door, he knocked and heard a harsh "come in."

He opened the door, let them both in, then followed behind and closed the door shut. Zahra was nervous and fidgeted with her fingers while looking down. She didn't dare to raise her head. She always did that whenever she was trepidatious or apprehensive.

"Why are you here again, Ammara bibi? To destroy the peace of our house once again?" an old man's voice coldly and calmly said. Zahra figured it out; it was her dada, Shabbir Murtaza Syed, who hated her mother to no extent. She was furious at him for disrespecting her mother, and her head shot up rebelliously to counter him. She found him sitting on his chair on the other side of the table, sipping his coffee.

Ammara noticed the rebellious posture of her daughter, but before she could say anything, she squeezed her hand, indicating that it was not the right place. Zahra immediately got the signal and internally calmed herself to say anything.

"Mein yaha par kisi ka sukoon barbaad krney na hi pehlay aaye thi mein buss yaha madad ki talash mn aaye hu," (Neither did I come to destroy someone's peace before nor now; I just came here to seek help) Amara said softly yet confidently.

"Is your husband dead that you came here for help?" He mocked.

After listening to his words, Zahra hardly control her tears. She tried to emotionally shut down after her father's death, but whenever his topic was brought up, her emotions couldn't seem to get in control. And right now, she was trying her best to keep control of her feelings.

"Yes, he died two days ago," Amara said with a sharp edge at the end of her sentence, implying she was close to crying. But Zahra consoled her by squeezing her hands.

"What?" Haider, who stood close to the door, asked in total bewilderment.

"Yes, his blood pressure shot up, which... which caused a heart attack," she replied without looking towards him.

"Why didn't you inform us?" Haider asked in complete shock.

"To honor his will. His last words were not to inform his father of his death," she said, looking down.

Haider's throat clogged, and before tears could escape, he immediately left the room. His mind couldn't digest the fact that his younger brother was no more.

And now both of them were left alone with the old man, who put up a facade of looking unaffected by the news of his son's death. Zahra saw this in his eyes. He was deeply saddened by the news of his son's death but maintained a calm composure outside.

"He was dead to me long ago, and if you're here to inform us of his death, then you've done so; the door is there, you may leave," He coldly stated.

"We have nowhere to go; I am left alone with my daughter."

"Did your husband make you live on streets that you have nowhere to go?"

"We were in debt, and that we couldn't pay back, so those people took our house."

"Whatever, I don't care. Leave my house, right now!"

"I need a place to live. Please let us live here!"

"Let you live here?" He sarcastically questioned.

"Yes, please. I have no place to go." Her voice was small and shaky.

"The answer is a big fat no. You may get out now," he calmly told.

"Where would I go all alone with my daughter? Please let us live here!" Her voice was desperate.

"Do you think I care? Go wherever you want to but not here!"

"Please! Have mercy; where would I go along with my daughter? I have no place to go!" Amara begged.

Zahra's eyes were already spilling tears seeing her mother begging. She was broken witnessing her mother so helpless and vulnerable.

"If you're playing an emotional card by bringing your daughter here, then you know that I disowned my son; now you both are not related to me in any way."

"Mama, we should go," Zahra spoke; she couldn't bear this anymore. But Amara ignored it.

"Please let us live here; we're left alone in this world. Please, I beg you to give us some space in your haveli," Amara's eyes were now filled with tears.

She was doing all this for her daughter. Where could she probably go? On the streets? She could not let her daughter live on the streets. No. Never. The only option was to beg him to give her a place to live.

"Please."

"I'll let you live here only if you agree to my one condition," he suddenly spoke.

Amara's eyes sparkled. She now had hope that there were some chances of living under a roof. She knew how cunning and manipulative Shabbir Murtaza Syed was, but in this situation, where he was her last hope, she had no choice but to agree to whatever he said.

"I'll do as you say," she said.