2013

FORSAKEN
The story of innocence
This is the world where ugly ducklings remain ugly. And in such a world is born a girl who does what she knows that she cant and yet sets out on a perilous journey of betraying everything she believed in except her faith.she spins a web around herself. A web made of cruelty around her, treachery around her, tragedies around her. And is stuck on whether she can make it out of the web or not. This is the story where a girl is forsaken everything she believes and every one she loves

CH.LIKITHA REDDY [Type the company name] 1/21/2013

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MEETING FUTURE

alia! Did you pack your bag? Dont forget to pack the burqa

along with you. Why are you so tensed, Ammi? We are going to London only for a few days, isnt it? Oh come on, its alright Ammi! I know how to pack my bag for a short stay! replied a girl of about thirteen or fourteen. The mother stared back at the girl with large black guilty eyes. Dear, promise me you wont fight and yell when I tell something to you Ammi, whatever may happen I wont shout at you because I can see that you are quite tired. So its alright for me whatever you are going to tell me. And a pair of beautiful swan like black eye balls stared back at the mother in diplomatic understanding. Aalia, my child, it will take many years for us to return back to our country. I hid the news from you that your father got a job assignment in London. It will take many years for abba to complete the assignment. And he cant bear to leave us alone here. So, we are going along with him. But dont worry; abba has enrolled you in a nice school in London. So you have nothing to worry about! Now the beautiful eyes turned glassy, her lips curled and she started to play with her long black hair. The mother felt nervous that she might cry for hiding the truth from her. She loved her daughter too much that she could not bear to see her cry. A fatal mistake. But she was surprised when she saw the child wipe her tears away when she said, Ammi, its alright I dont mind it. Besides, abba needs us a lot when he goes to that
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alien land. I will surely miss our lovely valley and my friends, but life means to adjust whatever happens to us. So, I wont mind coming with you both to London. And the girl quietly walked away, with her mother watching her leave. Aalia, is it true that you are leaving? Everyone are discussing about that only. But, we are not ready to believe that. Aalia was sitting on a small mound covered with grass and it was shadowed by a large apple tree. She sat facing a Clearwater pond in which the water was so pure that you could also see the fish which swim inside the pond. She tilted her head so that her friends could see only half of her face. The girl who shouted while running was surprised to see the tear stained face. She stopped for a second, reduced her pace and moved slowly towards Aalia and sat beside her. She gently placed her hand on the weeping girl and quietly said to her, so, its true. The rumors we heard were true. You are leaving the country. Silence prevailed for a few moments. The swan-like black eyes looked at the girl who spoke as if they were searching for something in that silence. Those eyes looked as though it wanted to convey thousands of messages but were being stopped by some invisible force. You never informed us as soon as you knew! You dont know how much we all love you. All that you did is cry your head off and wait for us to know the truth ourselves! Aalia dropped her eyes in shame. She started to say something but couldnt. Her friend understood how she was feeling and gently patted her on the back.

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I simply did not know how I should inform this to you. I could not get myself to do it. I am such a selfish person and you all still love me!Croaked Aalia and shook her head in disbelief. Shehnaz, I am a coward. I am afraid to leave this lovely valley and go to that foreign place. I know I am being stupid. But I am going to lose you all! That is a very high price for me to pay at this young age. Shehnaz stared at her friend as though she never saw her before. Tears started to flow from her eyes. Soon, the place was filled with sounds of sobs coming from her friends. The boys maintained their distance and watched the drama in silence. Many of them averted their eyes so as not to see the girls crying. Some of them left the place. They did not come intentionally to see the first girl from their valley who is lucky enough to go to London. The boys, who were sturdy and insensitive, came to fish in the lake. Normally Aalia would shoo them away. But they so wanted to fish in the pond that they could not stop themselves. But when they came to the pond, they saw this drama unfold in front of them. Most of them did not feel sorry for Aalia as they thought that she was being stupid. They felt that going to London was a great gift given by god. So, many of them walked away and only Parvez, Mahmud and Nabi were left. Mahmud and Nabi were eager to fish while Parvez was quietly watching Aalia. He made a detailed study of her in those few minutes. They had never met each other personally. And this was the first time he saw her from this close (they were hiding behind the apple tree). He saw that she was unattractive but beautiful in her own way. She loves talking a lot and hates to leave the valley. Tragedy wipes away the little
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ugliness she has and makes her look more beautiful. She doesnt care much for her long black silky hair. And the type of hair she possesses is generally never found in that region of the country. All the girls in that region had curly chestnut colored hair. Their lips were always rosy due to the cold circumstances and even the cheeks were always rosy and the skin was always fair. But Aalia was completely opposite to these descriptions of girls. She was a little close to the colour of wheat grown in the neighboring state of the valley has. Her eyebrows, eye lashes and eyeballs were black and not the traditional brownish eyebrows, lashes and electric blue eyeballs. According to what he had heard, she was fourteen, but was a little tall for her age. The skin never turned rosy due to cold nor did the lips. Her lips were a pale shade of pink and not the common red found on the lips of other girls. In short, she never looked like she belonged to the valley. Parvez would have stood there staring at her for hours, had Mahmud and Nabi not tapped him and signaled that they should leave. When Parvez laid a step back he had unknowingly stepped on a twig lying on the back of his feet. The crack sound produced by the twig made the ladies forget their sorrow for a moment and they turned their heads to find the source of the noise. All they saw were three boys. Two of them were already running away and the third was staring at them defiantly. Aalia noticed in those few moments that those boys were actually spying on her and that the boy who didnt run away was a little older than her. Perhaps fifteen or sixteen. He was decent and good looking too. He had thick eyebrows and a fair complexion. But besides that, she noticed nothing else of his facial features. He looked at her with sympathy as though he had always known her.
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But those looks irked Aalia and she glared at him. Parvez! What are you doing here? exclaimed Shehnaz and she quickly wrapped her head in a black cloth and wiped her tears away. I just came to fish he answered in an apologetic tone. He felt stupid for spying on her. And dint dare confess, after he saw the glare which Aalia had given him. He felt sorry for Aalia because now he understood how she exactly felt. This was her valley. Her birthplace. Where she had played since she was a child. She had run through the tulips, swam in the pond, gossiped with her friends, laughed with her loved ones. This was her motherland. The place where she had caressed trees talked with animals and sang with the birds. This was the only place in which she had stayed all until now. She had played with snow, climbed the hills and heard her voice echo. This was the place where her ancestors had always stayed in their life and even after their death. Their essence was breathing from the soil. With such memories all around, who would want to leave a place with which their whole life is tied up with? Aalia seemed to read Parvezs mind and gave him a slight nod. He turned and walked away slowly. His mind and heart were filled with her thoughts. Whatever may happen, he would never forget that devious glare he received from her. As though, she had vented her feelings on him. Her eyes, dark black, the purest form of black, which were flashing, made a deep impact on him. The golden skin on her face had contracted. Made her look like a dangerous foe. And for a few seconds, even Parvez was frightened of her. When he was trying to sleep that night, the image of her glaring at him flashed before him, and he woke up suddenly.
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Aalia was walking agitatedly in her room, which was made completely out of rosewood. With only a week left for them to leave the valley, she was quite vexed. She walked to the drawer and pulled it open. There it was! The only gift her grandfather could give to her because he never lived after her 8th birthday to give her another. She had never celebrated her birthday until she turned 8 years and her grandfather felt that it was time for the family to have a small celebration. How vividly she remembered that day! Her aunts fussing over her. Uncles dignifiedly wishing her birthday greetings. Old ladies combing her long black hair and commenting to her mother that she needed to take proper care of this unusual hair as it might be a symbol of luck which had been bestowed upon the family because her father had received profits from an international construction firm where he worked as regional managing director. And the ecstatic moment when her grandfather beckoned her to come closer and held out a blue ribboned box indicating that she should open it. Her black eyes widened with amazement when she saw a beautiful handmade Swiss penknife. She cut everything in her sight for the next few days. From vegetables to twigs, from her own hair to her mothers antique chair. Her family was terrified whenever they saw her holding the penknife in her tiny fists. Everyone was fed up with her mischievous antics. Everyone except her grandfather. Her grandfather swelled with pride when he used to see his granddaughter playing with the knife. He used to say that one day she will reach the heights and achieve greatness. They both used to go for long walks on the ghat road holding each others hands. They had long whispering conversations which amused everyone as they both always said that they were secrets. Whenever they both had eye contact, a mischievous grin appeared on their lips as though they knew something which the others dint know. He taught her how to make beautiful sculptures out of rosewood. And gradually it became a hobby for her to
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make wooden sculptures whenever she felt sad or was reminded of her late grandfather. She fondly remembered the curt nod with which he responded when someone called him Colonel Sahib or Colonel Abbas sahib. For her, her grandfather Abbas Siddiqui was the universal role model of courage, wisdom and strength. He had bravely taken part in a war and even won it. He still had his battle scars and he showed them with affectionate pride. He loved the expression Aalia had on her face when she stared at his scars with astonishment and worriedly asked him does it hurt, dada? the child never showed traits of her father. It was with great difficulty, Col.Abbas thought, his son had come up in life. He had to work very hard to remove the defects in the character of his teenage son. His son used to be filled with every ounce of racial discrimination, hatred toward fellow beings and he was such a coward that he never accepted these faults inside himself. Col.Abbas always knew that if he did not correct his erring son, his reputation of being liberal would be tarnished. But, Aalia proved to be a fun loving girl with a sense of independence. She was very much self-possessed and did not like it when her grandfather scolded her father in front of her own eyes. It was common for colonel Abbas to scold his son but he found it amusing when Aalia daringly confronted him saying that all are equal and made her towering grandfather apologize to her father. So, nobody was surprised when Col.Abbas left of his property to Aalia and to his son and daughter in his will. Though everyone thought that Aalia was lucky because she had become rich, she could never ever recover from the blow of losing her grandfather at a tender age. For those few months, she felt as though she had a best friend and a confidante who never exhausted the amount of
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stories he had, to tell. The 8 year old child spent many sleepless nights and often cried out for her dada. If she saw an old man with neatly trimmed white hair, she ran to him and hugged him saying dada I knew you would return but was always disappointed in her mission of finding her dada. She always remembered the day he showed a photograph of a young boy of about 18 to 19 years and said that it was his picture when he was a young man. Gradually, she came to resent her grandfather for leaving her. She never forgot him or his memories. They haunted her from many years and she knew that they would haunt her. That day when she was sitting on mound which used to be hers and her grandfathers favorite place she was badly reminded of him, and was sick of leaving him when he was helplessly lying in his grave since six years. But she was still upset that she had glared at Parvez.

THE LOST PARADISE

The most dreaded day ever in her life had approached in the form of tomorrow. They were leaving to a port town nearly 550 kilometers away from the valley they lived in. everything was set. A few local perfumes, photo albums, Aalias and her grandfathers most prized sculptures, the handmade Swiss penknife which her grandfather gifted her and her grandfathers large square brown spectacles were safely packed in Aalias bags. Her mother, Sumaiyya, packed hers and Aalias burqa; the same local attar which Aalia had packed; a finely carved rosewood ornament box made by none other than Aalia; her husbands , Aalias and her clothes, and even a large packet full of saffron.

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What the others dint know was that Aalia was carrying her grandfathers photograph along with her. She dint want to leave any of her grandfathers memories behind. Ammi, can I visit Shehnaz and the others? Please! Aalia added when she saw that her mother raised her eyebrows. Her mother seemed to ponder over this for a moment and said alright, but make sure you come back early. I dont want you venturing outside after its dark! replied her mother. Aalia rolled her eyes in mock exasperation and ran out of the house. Shehnaz, are you there? Oh! Can I come in? Aalia quickly added when she saw that Shehnaz was cropping the thorns from the red roses. Since when did you start asking questions to come into our house? I never said that if you leave you will become a stranger! replied Shehnaz, surprised by the new courtesy paid by her friend who normally barged into the house without notice and hugged Shehnazs mother as soon as she entered. But all this happened previously. Today her friend was asking permission to enter the house and walked in without giving the customary hug to Shehnazs mother. She even seemed absent minded while she was walking. She gave a tiny smile to acknowledge the questions put forth by Shehnaz. Then she immediately pursed those unnatural pale pink lips of hers. She knitted the wide less dense black eyebrows of hers as though she was deeply rooted in some thought. She slowly lifted the eyes and Shehnaz was startled to see tears in those usually merry eyes. Shehnaz felt her lips trembling and tears came automatically in her eyes also. Aalia quickly wiped her tears away and took the thorn clipper and started clipping the rose thorns away. Shehnazs mother silently caressed the miserable girls dark black hair and then spoke, Dear, life is like this rose. In its initial stages, the rose is covered with thorns to protect it from any harm. But once the thorns
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are cut away, the rose is exposed and it is left to fend off for itself. Now the time for your thorns to be cut has approached. So, be prepared dear. Only the almighty knows the working of the world. We are just his puppets. She gave a kind smile to Aalia and motioned Shehnaz to take her outside and stroll outside for some time. Shehnaz held her friends hand and helped her get up. Aalia smiled weakly at Shehnazs mother and murmured her apologies for having put them at such discomfort. She looked into Shehnazs electric blue eyes which were filled with sorrow. She kept the thorn clipper back in its place and pressed Shehnazs fair hand to indicate that she wanted to leave along with her. They both held their hands together and walked out of the little wooden cottage as Shehnazs mother silently prayed to the almighty for a safe departure of the child. Aalia and Shehnaz reached the silent grove. It was one of their favorite haunting places. But it was a long time since they had come to the grove. It was not exactly a grove but actually a small natural garden where a variety of wild plants like daffodils grew. But not a single butterfly could be seen. And this is the main reason Aalia and Shehnaz chose this place to be their groups meeting spot. Aalia and Shehnaz were afraid of butterflies. They loved rolling on the slight slope of the grove. They picked the strawberries that grew on the plants and popped them into their mouths. Then they closed their eyes so that they could forget the rest of the world and concentrate and enjoy the sweetness of the strawberries melting on their tongues. They could feel every nerve of their bodies explode with pleasure when they sucked in every bit of the rich creaminess of the strawberries. The juicy red liquid would sometimes spill over from their mouths and fall right onto their dirty dresses. They used to pat their faces wet with the dew collected on their
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palms by running them on the soft green grass. There was never any kind of noise in the grove except the sound of children playing, hence the name silent grove. But today they did not do any of their usual activities except the picking of strawberries and packing them so that Aalia could take them along with her when she goes to London. Aalia said to Shehnaz that she wanted to meet a person whom only Shehnaz could bring. Shehnaz agreed immediately and asked who the person was. Parvez. Aalia closed her eyes expecting a wave of questions. But all that she got was OK. Aalia had to wait only a few minutes as Parvez was nearby fishing in one of the numerous ponds in the valley. But Aalia was always proud that her Clearwater pond was the most pure and had the most number of fishes than any other pond in the valley. As soon as Parvez came Aalia got up from the small mound on which she was sitting and came forward to greet him. All this time her head was wrapped in a cloth and she had to remove the cloth which was covering her face so that he could see who he was speaking to. He got the message, and dint dare to stare at her face. Shehnaz smiled at both of them knowingly and moved away to give them privacy. But this put Aalia to even more embarrassment. Aalia waited for a few moments before she could start but Parvez did not give her the chance and started saying I heard from Shehnaz that you wanted me to come to you. Aalia was surprised by the indirectness of the question. So using all her cunning, she did not jump to the actual matter immediately. Yes, the thing is that I want you and Shehnaz to look after my pond. You know, I dont want anyone to fish in it or throw their rubbish in it. Hence, I am assigning you and Shehnaz this difficult task
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before I leave. I undertand that all my beautiful plants will die and rot because no one will water them so I want you to take care of them as well. Dont think that this is done without payment. I will be sending Shehnaz a box of sweets from London, which they call as chocolates and you will be getting a 10 paise coin every month. And I think that its quite good payment all in all for the services which you will render to me. All that you have to do is go to the valleys inn every Saturday in the evening and introduce yourself to the innkeeper there. It is all arranged between us and has agreed to look after the payment matter obviously not for free. If you face any kind of problem involving your payment, you may report it to Shehnaz. And, dont get away with the false thought that nobody will inspect the work you have done. Shehnaz has agreed to come and see your work once in two days without informing you. And she finished breathing heavily. But Parvez understood that this was not a request. It was a command. An order given in a very royal manner. He marveled at the tone in which the order was given. That dignified composure. That obvious manner. It all startled him that a small time village girl who attended the local grammar school could even give orders. He understood that the times were changing and that he was standing in front of a girl who was a proof of that. But then a sudden thought came to his head. And he knew that Aalia was anticipating this question. He looked up into those intense black eyes which were staring defiantly at him. Why do I receive this fortune from you, may I know? I dont remember the last time we even spoke to each other before this meeting. And if you ask about a meeting, well, it was not exactly a pleasant one with you weeping and glaring at me!

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As soon as he uttered the last sentence he wished he dint. Aalia had gone brightly red and the eyebrows contracted. The eyes were flashing and her lips curled. With hot furiousness she replied For some actions, there are no reasons He stood there in a dilemma wondering what he should do to get her back into her previous mood. He considered coaxing her, but they were not well acquainted to do that and hence it would be inappropriate. He thought that the best thing to do is remain silent and utter a word of apology. But there seemed to be no reason for uttering an apology as her eyebrows were getting back to their normal position and the tiny smile was coming back on her lips. Shehnaz, who was standing a little far from there, could see that her friend was angry and nodded to Parvez in an assuring sort of manner. Parvez knew that it was important to keep his self composed posture intact so that it would not look as though he cared about her being angry at him. But he didnt know why he was not able to bring himself to do it. He looked square into her eyes and calmly said, If my words or actions had caused you to feel hurt, I sincerely apologize. I have this dangerous habit of uttering things without thinking of the later impact. Aalias tiny smile fully resumed at this fully fledged apology and she nodded to show her forgiveness. I dont know myself why I trusted you with the responsibility of my precious garden and pond. I dont know. It was just an unknown instinct. What could the reason be, I simply dont know. She looked at Parvezs face but was not looking at him. Her stare was fixed at him but her thoughts were somewhere else. Parvez cleared his throat to show his discomfort at this unprecedented silence. Aalia seemed to come back at the sound of the harsh breaking of air.
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So that is the purpose of your calling me? asked Parvez. Aalia nodded to show her agreement and smiled at him. Parvez smiled for the first time and Aalia was taken back, as he looked like fully grown man. Come to my house tomorrow early morning and I will give you the instructions on how to take care of my garden. She wrapped the black cloth around her head, and that was a dismissal. Parvez walked back to the pond where he was fishing with his friends and spent rest of the afternoon in deep thought of the conversation and silently praying for the morning to come as quick as possible. He did not understand the reason on why she chose him, though he was the most brilliant boy in the valley. He felt that it was a riddle that would require a lot of time to solve. Bearing these thoughts in his mind he silently proceeded to his house and waited for the early morning sun to bathe the mighty mountains to signal everyone to rise for the new day.

CHAPTER III
This plant requires a lot of manure and let me inform you that it blossoms only once a year. Aalia was squatting beside a tiny plant and was holding its roots out to show Parvez. I wanted you to identify the different plants present in my garden and how to take care of them so I sculpted them on a few wooden boards and am going to plant these boards beside the plants. Its all written on the boards, you see, how much water to pour to that specific plant, how much manure to apply and et cetera. All that you have to do is read and understand, said Aalia pointing out to a few boards. Parvez stared wonder-struck at her.
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How did you even manage to do all of this? I mean that you are supposed to leave today, isnt it? And you called me for my training today. I dint sleep the whole night, simply Aalia replied. Look, Parvez. I trust you with my garden. Its one of the most important things of my life in this valley. It had always kept occupied. It never left me to grieve even in the saddest of my times. My garden always had life in it. I want you to help it continue that life. Looking at her, Parvez was deeply moved. The dark black intense eyes became smoky with sorrow. The dark purplish pink lips were pursed. Her jaws were clenched. She looked as though she was fighting with herself. He extended his hands to pat her back but thought the better of it. It would be improper. But Aalia was noticing all his feelings. She was lost in her thoughts and turmoil of feelings. Slowly she seemed to come out of her trance. Because you will be doing so much of hard work, I will give you and Shehnaz a bonus. You can take the fruits and vegetables of my garden. I am sure you wont have to go to the market once the harvesting season comes. Only you and Shehnaz are allowed to fish in my pond. And that is only once a week and you can fish no more than 10 fishes. That means you both can take 5 fishes each. My fishes are fat enough to produce a hearty meal and my fruits and vegetables are considered to be the best in the valley apart from the wild ones growing in the silent grove. She said with a smile. Yes, my mother was complimenting your vegetables when she returned to our home after having few light snacks your mother prepared for her. She even brought back a few with her. They were the best I ever ate. They were literally melting on my tongue he said with a happy smile.
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They have to be the best. After all, who is their farmer! she replied with a proud gesture. But Parvez was looking greedily at her vegetables. Oh come on! You dint even start yet and you are eying my vegetables already! she said with mock irritation. Couldnt stop myself he raised his hands in a helpless gesture. You are so lucky. I cant help but be jealous that you will enjoy my fruits and vegetables. But I cant let them go waste by not allowing anybody to even touch it. She said with a sad grin. The merriness in Parvezs eyes instantly vanished. Anyways I dont want to trouble you with my troubles. Hence, lets get on with the work! They continued with their work till it was afternoon. For Parvez, it was the most agreeable morning he had ever spent n his memory.

CHAPTER IV
Aalias father, Maqbool, stared into the horizon from where the sun was rising. He felt a strange pang of sorrow deep in his heart. But his masculine superiority kept him away from showing his sorrow to the women of his family. In a few hours the family friends would arrive to give them a royal sendoff. It was arranged that his sister Ayesha would live in the house with her husband and son once they left. Maqbool loved his sister but she was always cold to Aalia. Perhaps, it was because their father had left almost everything in his property to Aalia and Maqbool and Ayesha got nothing more than a few pennies. It
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was common knowledge that Ayesha had great plans for her unwilling son, Rashid. Everyone started filing into the house. Of course, Ayesha was the first one who came into the house dragging her husband, Iqbal, and Rashid. They had packed their huge bags and were waiting for the Siddiqui familys belongings to move out from their respective places. Ayesha was basking in full glory of returning to what used to be her former home. Ayesha too, like Aalia, a little unusual in the valley. She had none of Aalias features, except the lips. She was stout. Regally stout. Though one could call Aalia somewhat lean, she had inherited the unusual lips of her aunt. Ayesha had the chestnut hair of the women in the valley. She had usual electric blue eyes of the others. But it was her lips and her stoutness which made her unusual in the valley. Though Aalias unusual dark skin, black hair, coal black eyes and pale pink lips made her look handsome, Ayeshas features made her look more or less like a freak, though it was Aalia who was supposed to be the freak. Aalia was the apple of the family. She was cheerful, intelligent, witty. Not to mention, really rich. She was talented. Everyone liked to be in her company. They liked to touch her long black and silky hair; her beautiful swan like velvety black eyes. But Ayesha resented her. Until she was eight years old, Ayesha was Aalias favorite aunt. But once Abbas Siddiqui had died and his will was disclosed, naming Aalia his successor, she was upset beyond words. But she did not show her anger on her face lest it should enrage her brother. She was always planning on how to make her son, 2 years senior to Aalia, the successor.

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So, Ayesha was acting lovey to Aalia. Not knowing that Aalia was the better actor of the two. That Aalia was wary of her but even at such a young age, had the sense not to express anything. Second came the Faizal family. The family head, Rasool, was a childhood friend of Maqbool. And the wife, Sania, was a classmate of Sumaiyya. Soon, the uncles and aunts followed them. The neighbors. The family friends. Everybody. Everyone they knew had come. And to Aalias surprise, Parvezs family too had come. All these people were received with warm hugs from everyone in the family except from the women. Women hugged women. Very soon, the house was split into three groups. The living room was occupied by men and Maqbool headed them. The dining hall was taken by the women with Sumaiyyas encouragement. Aalias room was conquered by the children under the leadership of Aalia herself. Rashid as usual admired the books and the neatness presented by her room. Aalia smiled acknowledging the compliments. She silently agreed on the character of the successor of her room. Rashid was good fellow. Warm hearted and soft spoken. He had nothing but good wishes for others. Aalia, though distant to him as the society demanded, knew that he possessed none of the traits of his mother. Of his father, she heard her father telling her mother that he was hopeless. He was always in debt. Perhaps because of not knowing how to financially manage his business or because of Ayeshas inability to control the lavish expenditure which, Iqbals small salary, could definitely not satisfy. Aalia went out to get sharbat, a drink for the children present in the room. Just as she was about to enter the kitchen she saw Shehnaz and
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her family coming. She forgot all dignity, screamed and ran to the door to hug her friend. Shehnaz, though embarrassed, did not protest on her friends behavior. Maqbool gave a kind and benevolent smile to the pair of them. The children in the room ran out to see what the commotion was all about. The women had the sense that the men could solve any problem that might eclipse and did not move from their places. When Aalia and Shehnaz broke away from each other they both were doubly embarrassed to see everyone staring at them. Aalia, with a quick judgment, decided to ignore everybody and act as though nothing happened. She caught hold of Shehnaz and took her into the kitchen. shehnaz, I will miss you dearly. I dont have words to say at this moment. It hurts me so much to go away. Tears were running down aalias face. Her black eyes were glassy. The lips were trembling. why do you cry so much? and seeing that aalia was offended, shehnaz quickly added Who says that we cant contact each other? Look I will surely miss you the most when you will leave but I understand that you are sufferer because I have others to find substitutes in, but it will be like a new birth for you in that strange country. But aalia dont you ever forget your culture, your life here. I will die than give up my t

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