Contacts OF Hearts

Ali Offers To Drop Dua Home

Annie is sitting in the canteen at Urdu University. Her class has just ended, and she’s chatting.

Annie says to Dua, "Dua, do you know it’s my birthday?"

"Yes, yes, you told me," Dua replies.

"Hmm... but you didn’t tell me when," Dua adds.

"Yes, yes, that too. You need to know that. You didn’t tell me the date," Annie says.

"My birthday is in two days. You have to come. I’m telling you now so you can start preparing. I’ll still come to your house and take you with me."

"Look, I’ll try to come, but I can’t promise I’ll go with you. Mom won’t let me. Mom... I’ve never gone to anyone’s house. So no, I won’t be able to come," Dua says.

"Oh come on, Dua! Every single time you say no to everything! Just come, please. My family is amazing. You’ll blend in with them so well, you’ll love it. And I know you’ve never attended family events, never gone anywhere with family. But just treat my family like your own. Please, please, please, please, please, for my sake!" Annie pleads.

"Annie, it’s you... you always force me to agree to everything. But whatever Mom decides, I’ll do that," Dua says.

"You just agree. Getting Mom to say yes is my responsibility," Annie insists.

"Fine. Okay. We’ll see," Dua concedes.

The two of them keep sitting there, talking. Then Ali’s call comes in. They get up and head out of the university gate. Ali is standing right there.

Today, when Dua sees Ali, she doesn’t walk forward. She lets go of Annie’s hand right there.

Then Annie says, "Hey, come on. At least meet my brother."

"Have you lost your mind, Annie? What am I supposed to do by meeting your brother?" Dua asks.

"Nothing will happen. Come on. Let’s say salaam to brother. And I’ll tell him to drop you home," Annie suggests.

"No, no. I’ll go by myself," Dua refuses.

"There’s nothing to it. Come on," Annie urges.

"No, Annie. It doesn’t feel right. Coming and going with someone every single day. Absolutely not. I’m not coming. I’ll go on my own," Dua says firmly.

"Fine. Don’t come. But at least come say hi. Say salaam to brother. What will he think of me? What kind of friend do I have who doesn’t even say salaam?" Annie argues.

"Come on, please, please, please," Annie begs.

"Okay," Dua finally agrees, reluctantly.

So, against her will, Dua walks behind Annie and goes over and stands in front of Ali.

"Hello, brother," Annie greets.

"Hi. You kids are here?" Ali replies.

"Yes, brother," Annie says. Dua doesn’t say anything, so Annie nudges her with her elbow and signals her to say salaam. Ali is watching all of this. Anyone else, and Ali would’ve said there was no need to force a salaam. But this was Dua, and Ali was desperately waiting to hear her salaam.

Dua looks up and says, "Hi. How are you?"

"Hello. I’m fine. How are you?" Ali responds.

"I’m fine too," Dua says, and then falls silent, standing there.

Ali keeps looking at her. Dua can feel his gaze perfectly. To Dua, Ali’s eyes have always felt that way... because the way Ali looked at her was never normal.

"Okay, then I’ll go now. Annie, alright?"

"Yes. But if you’d like, we can drop you off. Anyway, your house is on our way," Ali says to her.

Annie can’t believe her brother is actually offering to drop a girl like this on his own. But then she ignores it.

"Fine. That’s why I’m saying it. Yes, yes, Dua, brother is saying so, so please come. We’ll drop you home."

"No, I can’t go."

Then Dua turns to Ali and says, "Thank you. My mom has forbidden me. I can’t go."

"As you wish," Ali says.

Then Dua heads toward the bus. Ali keeps standing there watching her until she gets on the bus. Only when she’s seated on the bus does Ali finally feel at ease. He gets in the car and drives toward home, but the entire way he’s only thinking about Dua. Dua’s face feels like it’s right in front of his eyes.

Now he goes to the university to pick up and drop Annie with a genuinely happy heart, because he gets to see Dua. He spends the whole day just waiting for that when will he go to pick Annie up from university, when will he drop her. And that’s how his whole day passes. And when Dua appears in front of him, it feels like all that waiting finally paid off.

......

"Why don't you do any work? You should be doing something. How will this go on?"

"Who said I don't work? Who told you that I don't work?"

"If you do work, then where does the money go? You don't bring anything into this house."

"Because you don't deserve it. That's why I don't bring anything into this house. You deserve to stay in this condition."

"Oh, so now I deserve this? Before you were making big claims of love, and now I deserve this?"

"It was my mistake to love you. I'm regretting it now. Otherwise, don't talk back to me."

He grabs her arm and twists it. She cries out in pain, "Leave me! What are you doing? My arm hurts."

"Let it hurt. I've put up with you for so long. I've tolerated you a lot. I can't tolerate you anymore. So don't talk back to me. Whatever little I bring, consider that enough and be grateful. I'm leaving now."

"Where are you going? I'm alone the whole night. I'm alone the whole day. You come for just a little while and then leave. Don't you have any feeling for me at all?"

"No, I don't have any feeling for you. When I think it's necessary, I come. And that's more than enough. So don't talk back to me again."

He leaves her there crying and walks out.

She had gotten married, but her whole life was spent in this darkness. Her husband changed right after the wedding day. She didn't understand what to do because now she belonged neither here nor there. Staying with him had become impossible for her, and she couldn't go back either.

.......

Breakfast is being made in the kitchen. Reena is there too. From the kitchen doorway, she sees Ali and Ali looking at her. She thinks to herself, "Hmm, Mr. Ali. Now watch how I win your heart. I’m going to get so behind you, so after you, that you’ll be forced to fall in love with me and to accept me."

She says it in her heart and immediately pours tea, adds water, and walks away.

Then, "Mr. Ali"

"I’m just making it for myself," she says casually.

"Okay, make it." Right now there’s still some time before lunch, so she makes the excuse that she’s making tea for herself. She never even drinks tea. She puts it on a tray and leaves from there, and immediately heads toward Ali’s room.

Ali has just come in. He’s sitting and taking off his shoes and socks.

"Ohh God, it’s so hot today," he mutters. He picks up the remote and just keeps pressing buttons. Then the sound of the door opening comes. He looks and sees it’s Reena. He lets out a cold breath and immediately turns his face toward the wall. He quickly takes off his shoes and socks, shoves them under the bed, and takes off his... He’s completely ignoring her.

Reena says to him, "I brought tea for you. You must be tired, Ali."

Ali gives no reply. He gets up from there, plugs his mobile in to charge, and comes back and sits in his place. He’s completely ignoring Reena.

"What? Can’t you understand? I’m talking to you. Can’t you see me?"

Still, Ali gives no reply. He puts both hands under his head and lies down on the bed.

Reena sets the tea on the side table and says, "Drink it whenever you feel like," and she’s about to leave when Ali calls her back.

"Listen to me."

Reena perks up. She thinks maybe Ali has finally realized her love. That he wants to say something to her. She turns back and says, "Yes, tell me?"

"Take this tea away from here."

Reena’s expression changes instantly. Because what she had thought... it was nothing like this.

"I made it for you"

"I don’t want it. For God’s sake, take it away from here. I think you’ve forgotten the slap from the other day. So take this away from here, otherwise I can give you another slap too."

When he says this to Reena, tears instantly fill her eyes.

"Don’t you value my love at all? Why can’t you see my love?"

Then Ali says, "Love is visible when it’s for the person you love. I’ve told you a thousand times that I’m not interested in you. Then why? Why? What is it that I’m lacking, that you have zero interest in me?"

"It’s not about lacking anything, Reena. It’s about eyes. It’s about interest. I don’t have even a bit of interest in you. I’ve never looked at you like that."

"So what? Nothing happens"

Ali picks up the teacup, walks out of the room, and puts it on the table in the corridor. He grabs her arm, pulls her out of his room, and says, "Get lost. If you ever dare to come into my room again, I will talk to your brother and to your mom and dad. And no one will be worse than me then. This is my final warning."

And he goes back into his room.