Oh! My Darling Teacher

Ep#9

Zulqarnain POV:

I rushed to the emergency after asking the receptionist about Hira. She was awake when I reach there. She was staring at the ceiling, with no such thing as tears in her eyes, her face is completely emotionless and if it wasn't for her breathing, she would have been mistaken as a sculpture or a dead person because of her pale face.

Ami, on the other hand, was sitting beside her, holding her hand. I clear my throat to get Ami's attention. Her head snapped towards my direction as she heard and shakes her head in the negative, stopping me from coming forward. I nod in acknowledgement and silently look at her from a distance. The freshness I saw on her face that day is nowhere to be found. But she isn't crying or panicking like a typical person usually does when their only family member dies, leaving them alone. She was calm as she had always sounded on her calls, no matter how serious her father's condition is. Maybe she has prepared herself for this day, but still, her calmness is somewhat scary.

"I need to go. Baba must be waiting for me." Hira said, staring at the ceiling.

What the...

"Beta you should stay here until the doctor discharge you." Ami says, squeezing her hand lightly.

"No, Auntie. I shouldn't let Baba wait anymore. He was in a hurry to go. So, I better send him off quickly too." Her voice wavers for a second before she collects herself again. She is complaining and she is angry at her father for leaving her. Going through the stage where a person gets angry after accepting a loss.

So she isn't in a state of denial...

This thought brings relief.

"I need to go. Tell me where Baba is?" She asks, getting up.

"Beta (child), your neighbours are taking care of everything. You don't have to worry."

"Oh!" She pauses for a minute. "Do you know where my phone is?" She asks, looking at Ami.

"I have it." She returned her phone and said, "An elder neighbour of yours told me that they have contacted your family."

"It doesn't change anything. They won't come" Hira murmur and makes a quick call to a guy named Hassan and if I remember correctly, that guy is her friend.

So she doesn't call her family...

Suddenly I felt a strange irritation when her facial expression relaxed on telling Ami that her friend is coming.

Why didn't she think of me?

I am her friend too...

I wanted to ask her, but it isn't the right time and besides, right now I have to meet that Hassan guy first.

~*~

"I will take care of the funeral arrangements." I say to Hassan, walking outside the waiting area of the hospital. I met Hassan a few minutes ago. He has the same height as mine, normal body, and has dusty brown hair. All in all, he was an average-looking guy, but he has the aura of those simple Pakistani caring men who can be trusted with everything and for some reason, I didn't like that.

"No, wait. Let me handle it." He says, coming after me.

"Is there something wrong with me doing it?" I frown.

Why can't I do something for her?

"It's not like that. Actually, I was thinking that if you could take Hira home. I came with a bike so I cannot take her home. Our friend, Saba and a few of her neighbours are already there. I will take care of things here and besides, you don't know her relatives too. It will be problematic if they come here to collect the body." He calmly explained to me everything.

I nodded in agreement after a brief moment. I don't like this guy. He talks about Hira like he is her guardian and why is he so mature???

I ask Ami to bring Hira to the car. I still didn't talk to her nor go in front of her. It may seem foolish, but I am reluctant to face her. I went out to the parking area and waited for Ami and Hira at the entrance. Hassan accompanies Hira and Ami to the car and after many scoldings from him and Ami, Hira agreed to go back home without collecting her father's body.

She sat at the back with Ami and kept looking out the window, lost in her thoughts throughout the drive. She didn't even spare a glance at her surroundings and she didn't even notice me too. But I am not upset about it, because right now I don't have any idea of how can I introduce myself or talk to her right now.

We reach her home at sunrise. She silently gets off the car and walks towards her home with heavy steps. She stumbles upon her feet many times in this short distance but regains her composure over time. Something she is used to doing, I guess. Both Ami and I also follow her silently.

I wish there was anything I could do for her...

~

"I am worried about Hira. That girl barely says three sentences in the past three days. Even yesterday, when her phuppo (father's sister) said that she will be taking her home, Hira didn't object. She just sat there, detached from the world. Her friend told me that she doesn't like her relatives. They are selfish and greedy and I also saw that myself."

"Hm!" I say absentmindedly.

I know what she is talking about. I was also surprised to see their thoughtlessness when they came late in the morning. What sort of relatives leaves a girl alone with her neighbours and friends when her father had just passed away. Are they even worthy of taking her to their home?

"Ami?"

"Hm"

"Can we bring Hira home?"

"What?" She froze with her eyes fixated upon me.

"I am not saying that she should live here for long. But at least I want her to stay in peace until she recovers from the shock and made a proper decision for herself." I tried to convince her.

"Beta, what are you saying? Her phuppo is taking her home and she will get married soon to her son."

"Wait, what...? She is not engaged."

"No, she is not. But she has to marry someone sooner or later. So, why not her cousin?"

"That is not a question, Ami. The question is why her cousin? Because her father died and she has no one? So she should go with others' decisions? That's not right, Ami. She is a living person and has the right to make her own decision."

"Of course, she has, beta and no one is going to force her."

"Aren't you saying that she could make the decision without any pressure while living in their house? Is this even possible?" I mocked.

"Then what do you want, beta?" Ami sighed.

"As a friend, I want her to live her life to the fullest and be able to make decisions freely."

"I also want this, beta but..."

"But what?"

"She cannot stay here. You and Ahmar both are grown, boys. Living with a young girl under the same roof who is not your relative is not right."

"Ami, she can live on the upper floor and besides, can't you put these lame reasons on the side for a few days to save a life? She can also live as our paid guest."

Come on Ami... Say yes...

"Hm! That sounds much better."

Thank God!

~*~

"Hello, Assalam o Alaikum."

"Wallaikum Assalam." I was disappointed when Hira didn't answer my call. Instead, it is her friend, Saba.

"Can I talk to Hira?"

"Hm, wait..."

"Assalam o Alaikum." After a minute, I hear Hira's dull voice.

"Wallaikum Assalam. How are you?"

"... Alhamdulillah."

"What were you doing?"

"Packing my stuff to go with phuppo."

So, she decides not to fight...

"Hira, can I ask something?"

"Hm."

"Do you trust me?"

"Huh?"

"I ask, do you trust me?"

"Yes." She says without hesitation and a smile forms on my face.

"Then get ready, I am coming to take you. You will be moving to our upper floor as our paid guest."

"...what?" she says after a long pause.

"You heard me."

~*~

"Hira, do you even realize what are you saying?" Hassan says, quite irritated.

"I know." I answer nonchalantly.

"No, you don't. Living with an unknown man doesn't make any sense."

"I am not going to live with him. I will stay on the upper floor of his house, which is unoccupied." I say rather arrogantly, but when he didn't respond, I had to change my attitude.

"Listen, yar. I only have two choices right now. Go with phuppo, live every second in pressure and might end up getting married to my jerky cousin, or I could accept what Zulqarnain is offering me and it's not like I am going to stay there forever. I will find a good job, which can give me residence too."

"This girl has lost her mind." Saba said, leaving the room.

"Hira, you know who he is, right? If the media finds out, then..." He shakes his head disapprovingly.

"Yar, you know better than anyone else, Hassan. My life has always been uncertain like now. The choices I was given in life had always been either tough or uncertain. And I had always taken the uncertain one because it always led me to a certainty. It would always lead to an end. Unlike the other choice, which is nothing more than limbo. Besides, this is my life, my decisions, and my mistakes. I will not allow my so-called elders to make decisions for my life."

"It is your life, but the way you are trying to take is not the way our society goes and what are you going to tell your relatives?"

"I don't remember the last time I care about this society and my relatives can drown themselves in the sea, as I care."

He looks at me in disbelief. "Don't give me that look. You have seen them too, right? How they were calculating the money that they can get after selling my house stuff. While I was struggling to find a hand of my relative who can pat my head and tell me that I am not alone. Shouldn't they be staying with me here on the first night after Baba's death? Isn't that how families should do? But do they? They were the last ones to come to Baba's funeral, shouldn't they have been the first ones to come?

Why was my Baba's body left for you to collect from the hospital when he had nephews? They want me to go with them so I won't be alone. But are you seeing anyone here besides me, Saba and her Ami? After all this, you are thinking that I will not choose the second option life is giving me?" All of the events of the past three days start circling in my mind again and tears start dripping from my eyes. I quickly turn my face so he wouldn't see me crying. I hate crying in front of others.

"...there is no winning from you, Hira. Do as you like but promise me, you will call me twice every day." He finally agrees.

"Promise."

"Good. Zulqarnain is a nice guy but still... Be careful. And get ready, he will be here soon."

"Wait, how do you know him?"

"I met him in the hospital."

"He came to the hospital?" my eyes widened.

"Yes, he was already there when I came and he was the one who brought you home."

"Huh? I thought that was Auntie's driver."

"He was Zulqarnain. Don't you remember?" I shake my head negative.

~*~

Zulqarnain's POV:

Hassan helped me in putting Hira's stuff in the car and left with his fiancé after saying farewell and giving me a warning look. Hira and I are now left in awkward silence. I glance at her and find her looking back at me with her tired and baggy eyes.

"Assalam o Alaikum. I guess I don't have to introduce myself, right?" I say, stretching the back of my neck.

Why the hell am I being so nervous...?

"Wallaikum Assalam." She tries to smile but failed.

"Come." I open the door of the passenger seat and she hesitantly gets in, mumbling 'thank you'.

I also get in and after giving her a glance, I start the car. All the way home, I keep stealing glances at her while she was busy looking outside. I open my mouth several times to talk to her but words never came out. I never thought that it would be so hard to talk to a girl and especially Hira.

I have been anticipating such a day when I can talk to her face to face but now I am sitting silently like a dumb person. And this stupid excitement inside me is making it worse.

Cursing myself under my breath, I stop my car near our house entrance.

"This is my house. And the upper portion you can see from here will be yours from now on." I say, coming beside her as she stands nervously, holding the door of the car.

"Shall we?" I ask her and she nodded, clutching onto her shoulder bag.

I lead her to my house, hoping that it will be a new beginning in her life...