Ya Amar (My Moon)

Eighteen

Tubassum stared at me then back at Aaban. Her hands dropped to her sides clenched around the fabric of her sea green kameez. Slowly, her legs moved then she was walking towards us. I was shocked to speak. Aaban was calm beside me looking at Tubassum. He cleared his throat then threw his head high, a self-pleasant smile on his face. I knew I did nothing wrong. The accusing look in Tubassum's eyes was not true. I wrapped my scarf around my neck securing it on my head and adjusting my clothes. Fury flamed in her eyes. Tubassum stopped in front of me. I saw how her pointed jaw tightened.

"You w***e" she spoke, her voice shaking. "So this is what you have been doing? Cheating on your husband with his cousin" she accused. I looked at her appalled. What an accusation?

"Look Tubassum, what...." I began to speak.

"Shut up! Today, everyone will know who you are" she shouted

"Tubassum, what you saw and what you are thinking are both wrong. There was nothing going on between us. This is a misunderstanding" I defended myself but Tubassum grabbed my hand. She pulled me along with her and began to march towards the kitchen door.

"Leave me alone!" I struggled.

"I should leave you" her chest moved up and down. "Today, everyone will know what kind of w***e you are" That sounded so ridiculous. I knew I was supposed to be scared but I was not. I did nothing wrong. The only fear that was stilled ebbed inside my body was the fear of almost being taken advantage of.

"Leave me alone Tubassum" I tried pulling my hand from her hard grip.

"Mama! Papa! Nani! Mamu! Bhai! Everyone!" she called out as we walked into the living room.

"Have you gone mad?" I yanked my hand away from her grip. We were standing in the middle of the living room with everyone's eyes on us but that was the least I cared about.

"You are the mad one here" she screamed pointing a finger at me. "Do you know what she was doing in the kitchen?" she looked around her. Each face had a confused look.

"Will you stop shouting Tubassum" her mother scolded. "Where are your manners?"

"You should be asking her that" Tubassum said. I wrapped my hands around my chest and looked away.

"Whatever you had seen was wrong. There was nothing going on there" I spoke defending myself.

"Really harlot? You b***h. You were not satisfied with your husband and decided his cousin was the right person to have an affair with"

"Will you shut that running gutter of yours?" I barked getting angry. What's going on? "How dare you accuse me?"

"It is because it is the truth"

"Will you tell us what's going on here?" Nani spoke.

"Nani, I...." Tubassum cut me off.

"She was romancing Aaban in the kitchen" she shouted looking at Aaban then back at me.

I don't know what had caused so much anger in her. Maybe it was jealousy. She had seen the wrong thing. I knew the way Aaban was hurting me, anyone from behind would have thought some immoral acts were going on between us. I huffed. Everyone gasped, their eyes grew wide.

"Will you stop being judgemental?" I shouted. "Stop throwing such a dirty accusation at me. You saw the wrong thing" I moved closer to her already getting furious. Tubassum laughed.

"Noor, won't do that" Nani voiced out, her voice not more than a squeak.

"Really?" Tubassum stepped closer towards me pushing her hair back. "You want to deny what I saw. You are calling me a liar when you are a liar and slut" she laughed. I wanted to grab her by the neck and rip her throat out. I clenched my fists then unclenched them.

"Tubassum I will..."

"Just shut up?" Ayat mami shouted. I whirled around to look at her. "I knew it. I knew something was going on. So you are cheating on Amir you w***e!" she shouted.

"Will you stop accusing me?" I shouted frustrated. "She saw the wrong thing and stop rubbing salt on my wound Mami"

"Ask him. Ask Aaban. He will tell you everything" Tubassum said pointing at Aaban.

"There is nothing to ask" Ramlah Aunty chipped in. "I noticed too. The way she looks at him and tried to get his attention" she said like the hypocrite she was.

"Aunty I beg you, stop this" I said. "Tubassum saw the wrong thing" I breathe out. "And it is best you stay out of this. I won't allow anyone of you accuse me of what I did not do"

"I saw you kissing him and it is the truth" Tubassum said with affirmation.

"Enough of this!" I shouted tears burning my eyes. It was hard to be accused of what you did not do. The disappointed look and shock on everyone's face worsened it. They felt as if I had broken their trust. I did nothing wrong and I was accused of doing it. "I was not doing anything with Aaban. Aaban was hurting me. He was trying to kiss me. I was trying to push him away. Because I had refused to allow him, he wanted to do it with force" I defended myself.

"Reshma, take the kids inside" Khalu ordered. Quietly, Reshma and the kids left the living room.

"Tubassum is right" Aaban said walking towards me. He had an innocent look in his eyes as he looked at my wide ones. "Noorie and I were kissing and making out" he said.

I felt as if something had been broken on me. He lied. The bastard lied.

"You have gone crazy Aaban" I said too surprised to even cry. "Is this how far you will go in making me miserable" My voice was low. "How could you...."

"Will you shut up? I knew you were wrong for him right since I set my eyes on you" Ayat mami moved towards me.

"Because you are who? A seer?" I asked moving closer to her. This family is annoying at one point. Water threatened to run down my face but I was not ready to cry. I did not want to and I won't so I pushed them back as much as I could. Her eyes threw accusations at me.

"Ayat" Rizwan mamu called to silence his wife. She threw him a dirty looked and turned back at me.

"How could Amir marry someone like you? I knew you were just pretending" hatred dripped from her high pitched voice "You were a slut and a cheat"

"Ayat" Rizwan mamu called, his voice firm and warning.

"Don't you try chipping into this Rizwan" her eyes were icy. Since the day I came to London, Rizwan mamu and his wife have never been in good terms. The silent war between them revealed everything "Just because your husband has not been around, you decided to sleep with another man" she spat. "I knew you did not marry him because you love him. You married him because he is rich. Swindlers like you......"

"Since you do not know a single thing Mami" I cut her off staring at her making sure we made eye contact. "I will advise you to shut up" words came out one after another through my gritted teeth. "There is nothing going on between Aaban and me! And about me being a swindler, I do not know Amir is rich before I agreed to marry him! It is best if you stop throwing allegations at me" I warned.

Seriously, what does she take me for? Someone that will keep quiet while she rants insults and allegations at me. Why does she hate me? I don't blame her since she has a foolish sister who obviously is head over heels for my husband who refused to accept her heart.

"You are such a spoilt brat" Shazia walked up to me rocking her hips. Her eyes were cold at the same time flickering with a look I knew so well. "You lack respect. Wow, what a show you have been putting on for a while" she clapped her hands.

Wow, now the queen of sluts wants to feel among and rain insult on me. What did I do to see this day?

"This is not my fault" I croaked out.

"Don't you dare accuse my brother for every single thing? I have also noticed for a while how you wink at him, send him kisses through the air and try to make him notice you"

"Stop this right now Shazia. You know nothing" My hand twitched beside me.

"My brother said it. You were kissing and making out. Stop trying to defend yourself because the cat is out of the bag" she turned around laughing.

"Does that mean he is saying the truth? Your alcoholic of a brother was the one harassing me. What does he think? That he will get away with it and allow me to take the blame"

"Noorie" I heard Nani's voice. Slowly I turned to her. "I know you won't do such a thing but I will ask you a question" her voice shook. "Is there anything going on between you and Aaban?" I swallowed.

"Nani" I called taking a step closer to her. "No, they are lying"

"Nani, don't allow her manipulate you with her innocent eyes and look" Tubassum chipped in again.

"Shut your mouth Tubassum!" Khala ordered with a warning look.

"Isn't this amazing?" Shazia spoke again. "Just see how much nemesis has caught up with you. Amir could not satisfy you and you resorted to cheating on him" she laughed and looked back at me apparently pleased with what was happening. "You are just so wrong. I am glad every single thing about you is out. Your dead mother must be disappointed with you in her grave. She really had done a bad upbringing. She had brought you wrong and just look at how she ruined you today. I am sure she must have advised you that being a gold digger is the best thing"

"Shazia!" my hand twitched moving up in the air before dropping on Shazia's smooth cheek. It resonated through the quiet living room like a clap. "Don't you dare say a single word about my mother or I will rip you apart!" a tear fell.

"You w***e! How dare you slap my daughter?" Ramlah Aunty pulled me around to look at her. What? w***e has now become their favourite word.

"Ramlah Aunty!" I shouted another tear falling.

"Is she not right? Amir has chosen a wrong wife. If my daughter had married him, no low life woman will cheat on him. All your pride, dignity and shame, where are they now? She is right. You are a w***e, a cheat, a prostitute, a...."

"That is enough Ramlah!" Aunt Caroline said walking towards us, her eyes red with anger and her face contoured with fury. "Oh my God! You are just so dumb and full of evil. You are calling her a w***e?" she laughed facing her cousin. "How do you know a w***e? Is it because you are one?" Aunt Caroline grinned. "Shazia deserved a slap and it serves her right. You have forgotten that just the way a dog will recognise its own, a w***e will also recognized a w***e" more tears trickled down my cheeks hot against my skin. I hate this.

"You are speaking of dignity and pride. Where were yours when you were having an affair with you husband's elder brother and younger brother? Where was your pride when you were sleeping around with different men? So when you speak of dignity, shame and pride, reason well because you do not have any"

"Noorie did nothing. As she has said, Aaban had been the one chasing after her. I knew the way Ramlah had pushed and planned with Aaban and Shazia to seduce Noor and chase her away from home. I knew how Aaban had tried touching or doing sinful acts with Noorie but she had slapped him the first time. I had witnessed that with Reshma. The second time, it was with Sahibah. I knew every single thing. The way she had kicked him in between his legs, slapped him and give him warnings which your goat of a son had refused to listen to because he had a mission to complete" She turned around to look at the bewildered family. Shazia and her mother were shocked to know their plan had failed.

"You are spewing nonsense Caroline" Ramlah Aunty said swallowing.

"Really?" Aunt Caroline sneered.

"You stooped so low Ramlah. You really lack any shame" Aaliyah khala spoke. "I knew you were shameless but I had thought you still had little pride in you but it seems every single thing had evaporated from you. I am disgusted" she grimaced. "What did you think? That Amir will marry your shameless and characterless daughter if you end up throwing his wife out of the house?"

"Cousin, I know you so much" Aunt Caroline continued. "The way you slept around the neighbourhood with different men and boys during our youthful days. You seduced any man you want to have in your bed. Your parents had thought marrying you out will make you stop but they were wrong. You seduced your brother in laws taking them to your bed. Aaban belong to your husband's elder brother and Shazia belong to your husband's younger brother. Now, tell me who is a slut between you and her" she pointed at me. "Who is the prostitute, characterless b***h, a cheat and whatever you had to say between you and the innocent girl?" She paused. Ramlah Aunty was shaking, her face beet red due to the revelation. I could see the shock on both mother and daughter faces.

Oshi! She had the right to insult and accuse me when she had done worse than that. That was why I hated living in a house filled with people. Everyone knew what was going on in each other's life. It was very annoying, very bad for my liking and something I had never thought about.

"Your husband Jubril knew he had married a characterless w***e so he ended his marriage with you and threw you out of his house. He remarried and you were jealous. You tried every way to ruin his marriage but failed" she laughed. "Is that how miserable you are Ramlah? Out of pity, Aunt took you into her home. You raised your children just like you. You made your son a womanizer, a drunkard and a lazy bone. He sleeps with women around and made sure he gets or r***s those that had refused to get into bed with him. Your daughter, you raised her to seduce any man and use what she has to get what she wants. When it comes to money, you made sure she used her body and she throws herself on men. Your children became characterless just like you"

"Exactly" Aaliyah Khala chipped in "Is it a daughter who lacks everything called shame the one you want for Amir? Is it the lady who goes to hotels and sleeps with different men on different days you want Amir to marry. You are a loser Ramlah" I was already a water work mess. I was relieved everything was out but the fact that I had been accused was still painful.

"Shut up" Ramlah Aunty croaked out.

"Is this not just enough?" Khalu joined. "The way you have tried to split our family apart is not enough for you. Our money, accommodation and the way we tried to endure people like you and your children had not made you soft. You have tried every single way to make us sad but you did not succeed and still did not back out"

Ramlah Aunty had tears running down her cheeks. They were tears of disgrace and anger. She stared at me throwing me a dirty look as her daughter did the same thing. Tubassum like the copycat she was did the same thing. Ramlah aunty was speechless. She does not know what to say or how to defend herself. I had never thought she would cry or feel defeated. I had never thought someone will throw the truth on her face. To be sincere, I was elated.

"You are a just too pathetic" Aunt Caroline spoke. Nani sat down watching the drama unfold. She had not tried to stop it as the look on her face said how much she was enjoying what was happening.

"It serves her right" Nani muttered to no one.

"You own no house, no car, no job, nothing" Aunt Caroline continued "You rely on others for everything and keep growing fatter like a pregnant elephant looking like a witch. And you" Aunt Caroline pointed at Tubassum. "Tubassum was just a pawn in their game. Shazia had deceived her to go to the kitchen when she knew Aaban had gone there to meet Noor. Tubassum" she called walking towards Tubassum who was already shaking. "You think I do not know what's going on between you and Aaban?" She stared at the girl.

"What do you mean Aunt?" Tubassum asked, her voice trembled a bit. She avoided her parents' and brothers' concentrated look.

"You are dating Aaban, Tubassum" Aunt Caroline said bluntly.

"What?" Tubassum laughed nervously. "What do you mean? Where did you hear that from?" Aunt Caroline smiled.

"Little princess, you think I have not seen enough to know that you are lovers. Last night, you were in his room"

"What a lie?" She denied. "You saw the wrong thing"

"Really? Who was putting on pink salwar kameez yesterday? I saw you walk into Aaban's room"

"Wh...Wha....What...I...I....I" Tubassum stammered.

"What is she saying Tubassum?" Suhaan Khalu asked, giving her a hard look.

"Papa" Tubassum breathes out shaky. "She is lying" her voice shook.

"Do you mean your aunt is lying?" Aaliyah Khala asked.

"No mama, but there is nothing going on between Aaban and I"

"Then what were you doing in his room last night?" Sami bhai asked.

"I...I went to return his flash drive to him" her forehead became damp. I could see the way her chest hauled up and down due to fear.

"In the middle of the night? What were you doing with his flash drive?" her father asked.

"I... I..." she choked, her breathing came out faster. "I needed it for a work so I lent it from him. I wanted to return it to Shazia but Shazia had a night shift so I took it to him instead.

"And that day when you were at a hotel and restaurant with him? That day you were kissing Aaban in the kitchen? Those nights you spent in his room? The dates you were having with him pretending to have night shifts at the hospital?" Aunt Caroline threw questions at her.

While the whole drama happened, the workers lurked around to know what was happening. Now, it will be their talk for the next few days

"Aunt...Aunt..." Tubassum choked again. "You...you...I....I...he...I...you...you" the way her eyes were wide and lips gapped tells she was shocked someone knew about their affair.

"Speak up!" her father roared.

"Papa" she bursted into tears.

"Are you having anything to do with this boy" Suhaan Khalu asked pointing at Aaban with disdain.

"I..." Tubassum gagged her hand flying over her mouth. "I...I...Papa" she gagged again.

"Are you alright?" her mother asked taking a step closer to her.

"There...." She gagged again, a frown on her face.

Her eyes showed fear. She looked at the faces in the living room before spinning around and dashing down a hallway gagging. Weeping, I spun around and ran towards the foyer, up the flight of steps to my room then shut the door behind me with a loud bang. I collapsed on the bed and let out my anger and frustration through my wails and tears.