I HATE you too

Marriage; an eternal bond between two souls, looking for solace in each other, a relationship that is believed to be formed way before we are born, unlike blood relations that are bestowed upon us at birth. 10 years ago, she was in the same situation where she is right now, alone and restless. No family, no friends to console her. Coincidentally, it was the same day she was married to Amaan Hashmi with only guilt and remorse in her heart, but this time, she was not in his mansion; she was not the same old Asmaira she was 10 years before. There she sat in some random room of the central jail, going through her release formality. No one came to pick her up, no one came to let her know they were with her in truth and darkness, and most importantly, there was no Amaan Hashmi with her. She still remembers that fateful day like it happened yesterday, 5 years ago, when she lost everything. After completing the formality, she was handed her belongings she carried the day she was brought to the jail. Her gaze fell on her ring, the same finger ring which Amaan had gifted her the year Raina was born. Raina, how will my baby be? She thought. She was brought out of her trance when the jailer said, “I have seen you in these past 5 years, Asmaira, and I can see you didn’t belong here, but I can’t go against the court order. I wish I could have let you out earlier.” “It’s OK, Uncle Khan. Because of your help, I am going out of this place earlier than I was sentenced to. Instead of 10 years, you helped me get released in only 5 years,” Asmaira said. If it was old Asmaira, she would have beamed at the jailer’s gesture, but something changed in her; there were no emotions left in her. Although she was grateful to the jailer who proactively worked on her case and shortened her term from 10 to 5 years, she still couldn’t feel anything for him. She could never trust anyone after all that happened to her; she doesn’t have anything in her emotions. “Forget your past and move forward in life. You are lucky to get another chance in life. Many unlucky women in jail couldn’t get their freedom back,” he advised her. “I see my daughter in you, Aashi. If you need any help, don’t hesitate to ask me. I am always there,” he added, noting her hollow eyes. I am always there. Asmaira hates this sentence. This sentence has ruined her life, and she will never in her life believe those shallow words. “I know, tell Mrs. Khan, I’ll visit her soon,” and with that, she left. There she stood on the road: Alone. She had been planning for this day; she needed answers, needed closure. Why was she left behind? Why did she have to suffer so much for no crime? Why did Amaan leave her when she needed him the most? She stopped a cab nearby and boarded the taxi. The entire journey, she was staring out of the window, her face without any emotions. Her once crystal clear eyes were hollow, her innocent face lacked any feelings. The timid and naive Asmaira was lost in the past 5 years, and the one that was released from jail today was some other person. She came out of her thoughts when the cab reached her destination: Hashmi’s mansion. She noticed it was unusually bright; one could see the party decoration from afar, but what was the occasion? She thought while walking over. She was stopped by the bulky bodyguards outside the mansion. “Who are you?” one of them asked rudely. “I am here to meet Amaan,” she replied with the same tone he used. “Who Amaan?” he raised his eyebrow on seeing some woman in ragged clothes addressing the owner by his name. “Amaan Hashmi,” she said indifferently. “Get out of here before I push you,” he was trained not to entertain any fiasco. “I’ll not go unless and until I meet him. Tell him Asmaira is here,” if it was old Asmaira, she would have backed down, but that was not the case anymore. “Listen, whoever you are, we are not allowed to send anyone in, even if you are Miss World, though you look more like Miss World of slums,” he mocked her. Asmaira noticed a familiar face at a distance, and she immediately shouted out, “Ishaal, Ishaal.” The bodyguard had enough of the drama and harshly pushed her to the ground. Asmaira still didn’t back down and started shouting Ishaal’s name. Meanwhile, at a distance, Ishaal felt someone calling her name, and the moment she turned in Asmaira’s direction, she saw no one. “Get out of here, you crazy b***h,” two guards dragged her by her arms and threw her on the ground. A pair of hands pulled Asmaira up. Her palm and elbow were scratched with the force she was thrown. She dusted her clothes while looking at the one who helped her. It was an old woman who was giving her a sad smile. “Don’t take their words seriously dear, we are poor people. We have no right to hold pride in ourselves,” she said while helping Asmaira with her belongings. “Are you also here to receive the free food and gifts they are going to distribute today?” she questioned Asmaira. “Yes,” Asmaira lied. She had to see Amaan today, and she had decided she would not leave unless she met him. “Well, I am also going there. Come along.” “What is the celebration today?” Asmaira asked the old lady, just to get some information. “I don’t know much, dear, all I know every year on this day, they hold this grand party and also give food and gifts to people like us.” When Asmaira didn’t reply, she continued. “The young couple who gave the food to us is really kind and beautiful. God bless them. Unlike their guards, that couple never degrades us. They say hello and smile at us.” Asmaira saw a long queue, at the end of which she could make out a couple, probably husband and wife, handing over the gifts to the poor people standing in line. She couldn’t see the face, though. She was looking out for a way to enter the mansion and didn’t notice their faces. “You look sad, my dear. Are you OK?” the lady asked. “Yes, I lost something here. I came to get it,” Asmaira replied while gazing here and there looking for an escape; however, when she turned her face to ask something to the old lady, she froze. She saw a familiar face, the man who was giving away the food was none other than Amaan. On her instinct, Asmaira didn’t move out of the queue as she was planning to. When she was almost near him, she heard a baby crying in the distance, which caught his and the lady’s attention. Before Asmaira could comprehend, the old lady said, beaming, “that’s the husband and wife I was talking about. It’s their son that is crying. He is a charming child.” Amaan said something to the woman, and she left to look after the baby. When it was the old woman’s turn, she bowed her head to Amaan, who immediately recognized her and smiled gently. “How are you, Amma?” he asked her genuinely. “By God’s grace, I am doing well, and thanks to you, I have a decent job to look after my family.” She said. “Good, let me know if you need any help,” he said. “Actually, this girl was harassed by your guard. She looked like she needed help,” she said, to which Amaan replied with a frown on hearing his guard misbehaving with anyone, “Which girl?” The lady looked confused and turned around to point towards Asmaira, but there was no one.