Truth About Dua's Father
1870 Words
It is night time. Nazima is standing in the lounge, holding Dua's father's photo. Tears are pouring from her eyes like rain and she is talking to that photo.
Dua is in her room, while Nazima is standing outside in the lounge.
"What should I tell Dua? Yes, what should I tell her? That her father is not dead, but that he is dead to us? Should I tell her this?"
She is crying and talking to the photo:
"You had to ruin my life, and you did. You even ruined our innocent daughter's life. That child has yearned for love, affection and relationships her whole life. All because of you. Only because of you.
I am so unfortunate that I had to tell my daughter that her father is dead, when her father is actually alive. But her father never once cared about his daughter or his wife.
What kind of a person are you? I don’t even want to keep this photo of yours in my house. But I had to tell my daughter something, right? That’s why I kept just your photo in this house."
Nazima is crying and she says,
"It was such an unfortunate day, the day I married you. I wish I had never met you. I wish I had never fallen in love with you and we had never gotten married. Then neither I nor my daughter would have had to see these days.
You probably don’t even care. You must be living your life peacefully today too. God knows where.
But my daughter’s and my entire life has been ruined."
Nazima had done a love marriage. Her parents had passed away in an accident during her childhood, so Nazima used to live with her maternal uncle and aunt. They had raised her. Nazima wanted to do a love marriage but her uncle and aunt were against it. But she insisted anyway and got married for love.
She did get married, but her uncle and aunt, who were her only support in the world, cut off all ties with her.
And after getting married, Nazima went to live with that man.
At first everything went very well. But within a month, that man started showing his true colors.
He would come home very late at night, and sometimes he wouldn’t come at all.
He didn’t care at all whether Nazima was alive or dead.
He used to beat Nazima. Even if he was angry with someone else, he would take out all his anger on Nazima.
Even then, Nazima kept living with him patiently because she had no other option.
She had no one in the world except her uncle and aunt, and she had also left their house because of this man. So where would she go now?
That’s why that poor woman endured everything quietly.
But this man’s cruelty kept increasing day by day.
Nazima got pregnant. She was about to become the mother of his child, but that man didn’t care about her at all.
He didn’t take any care of Nazima’s health. Nazima used to do all the housework the whole day, because of which her health was getting really bad.
She even talked to him about it, but he didn’t care about her even a little and said,
"You are not the only girl in the world who is becoming a mother. Do the housework quietly."
Even then, Nazima practiced patience and didn’t complain at all.
But that man was becoming more and more cruel and oppressive day by day.
Nazima thinks about all this and tears start flowing from her eyes even more intensely than before.
Nazima looks toward Dua's room. She keeps the photo there and goes to Dua.
Dua is sleeping. Nazima runs her hand through Dua’s hair and kisses her forehead, then comes back.
She looks up at the sky through the window outside and says:
"What was this innocent child’s fault in all of this?
The punishment that was meant for me, should have been given to me.
Why did this poor innocent child have to go through it?
She has never seen any relationship, never seen anything.
She has just spent her whole life alone, with me.
Oh God,
Don’t make my daughter’s fate like mine.
Give her a very good life partner in her destiny.
Someone who gives her love, respect, and above all love."
---
Reena lay face down on her bed, the stinging imprint of the slap still burning on her cheek. Tears slipped silently, but her heart was screaming.
"Ali... how could you? You had no right to hit me. Never. I will never forgive you for this."
She refused to see it. Refused to admit the truth that she was the one who had run to another boy and thrown her arms around him. And not just any boy. A boy who had warned her again and again. A boy who couldn’t stand her games, her drama.
But in her world, she was never wrong. So the blame had to land on Ali.
Her voice trembled, but her words were sharp as glass.
"Ali, you don’t deserve my love. You don’t even understand it. But fine. I’ll make you understand. I’ll make you feel it so deeply that you won’t be able to breathe without me.
Mark my words, Ali. This is Reena Khan speaking. I will have you. And when I do... I’ll have you wrapped around my little finger."
She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, ran her fingers through her hair, and picked up her phone. Her face was calm now. But behind those eyes there was fire .
Anus slipped out of his room in silence. His heart was pounding as he made his way toward her room, step by careful step.
He had only one thought in mind no one should see him.
Everyone was in their rooms. Rarely did anyone come out at this hour. But still, caution was everything. And he was being careful.
Finally, he reached her door.
It wasn’t locked. Just closed.
He pushed it open, slipped inside, and locked it behind him in one quick motion.
She was lost in the world of sleep, completely unaware that Anus was here.
If she had known, she would have created chaos by now.
Anus moved closer, slow and silent, until he was standing right beside her bed.
She was sleeping there, so peaceful.
Anus sat down on the floor next to the bed and just... stared at her.
"Ohhj, you crazy girl... how beautiful you are," he whispered to himself.
A few strands of hair had fallen over her face. Anus gently brushed them away and tucked them behind her ear. Then he stayed there, watching her like that.
"Why do you torture me so much, you delicate girl? Your beauty drives me insane. I wish... I wish you could understand."
The AC was running on full blast. The room was freezing.
She didn’t even have a blanket over her.
Anus reached out to fix the blanket for her and that’s when her eyes snapped open.
Seeing Anus right above her, she panicked.
A scream tore from her throat but Anus was faster. He clamped a hand over her mouth instantly.
She couldn’t scream. But tears started falling from her eyes in seconds.
Slowly, Anus removed his hand.
".Be quiet. Don’t say a word," he said softly.
She shoved him back and scrambled away, pressing herself against the headboard.
"What are you doing here? At this hour? What are you doing to me? What do you want?!" she cried out between sobs.
"I’m not doing anything, I swear," Anus said quickly. "I swear on my life, I didn’t do anything to you. I just... I just came to your room. That’s all."
"How can I believe you? How can I trust you?" she choked out.
"If I had just put a blanket over you, your eyes opened. If I had done _anything_ else to you, don’t you think you would’ve woken up then too?" he said, his voice rising.
"Then what are you even doing in my room at this hour?!" she demanded, still crying.
She got up from there and stood by the wall
"Don’t you dare act like you don’t know what you were doing."
Her voice cracked, tears sliding down her cheeks.
"What were your hands doing on my waist for so long, Anus?"
He stepped closer. The room felt smaller with every step he took.
he said, his voice low, dangerous. "Stop crying and listen to me. Nothing happened.
But if you keep looking at me like that, with those wet eyes... something _will_ happen."
She flinched.
"Then what are you doing in my room at this hour?"
"I came," he said, leaning in until his shadow covered her, "to remind you who you belong to."
Her breath hitched.
"Who I belong to?"
"Yes," Anus whispered. "You. And the way you skipped breakfast this morning? The way you hid from everyone?
That was because of last night, wasn’t it?"
At the mention of last night, her eyes fell. Guilt. Shame. Fear.
And God, he loved seeing her like that. Undone. His.
He braced both hands on the wall on either side of her, trapping her.
"Listen carefully," he murmured against her ear. "If you ever try to run from me again... if you ever skip a meal, or cry in a corner because of me... I’ll find you. And I’ll make sure the only person you think of is me.
Got it?"
"I... I understand," she whispered.
"Good girl." He pulled back, but his eyes didn’t leave hers.
As he turned to leave, her voice, small and defiant, came from behind:
"There’s no one worse than you."
He stopped. Turned.
His gaze pinned her to the wall. She immediately looked down.
Anus exhaled, dragged a hand through his hair, and walked out.
The door clicked shut behind him.
And in the hallway, he smirked to himself:
"Stubborn girl. You have no idea what you’ve done to me."
The moment Anus walked out of his room, Annie bolted toward the door and locked it instantly.
She pressed her back against the door and let out a shaky breath.
"Oh God... what does this boy think he's doing? Why does he torture me like this?"
Annie had feelings for him too.
But she was convinced Anus didn't feel the same.
To her, he was just messing with her.
Like a bad boy who enjoyed getting under her skin.
Anus came into his room and lay down on his bed, putting both hands under his head.
"Ohh , this girl... what even is she? So dumb."
The truth was, Anus loved scaring Annie.
The moment Annie got scared, Anus felt a strange thrill.
He never really meant to hurt her or be that angry.
But when she trembled in fear, it made him feel... good.
So on purpose, he would scare her even more.
Then he would lie there, thinking about her beautiful memories, and slowly drift off to sleep.
Lost in his own little world... lost in the valleys of his thoughts about her.
- Writer
