One more time : Where Oblivion meets Obsession

#30 – HOW DARE YOU!

All Myra's friends left and Shahmeer drove to his Mansion.

"I don't get you." Myra said. "What was the need of all this?"

"So that the whole world knows that you are mine." He said casually.

"And what would that change?"

"It would give me happiness and peace to my conscience."

"I don't know how you survived in this business with such a load of 'conscience'. Before you kill a person, you have to kill your conscience."

"You may be right. But not every person is worthy of being felt by conscience". He drove inside the iron gates of the Mansion and Myra was nervous now.

'What would his family be like?'

She stepped out and saw Rajat's car had already been parked. He was here already. Does he live here? Because all these days when she stayed here, he was here… early in the morning and late in the night too.

"Love?" Shahmeer's voice brought her out of her trance.

"What?" She asked.

"They mean a lot to me to stop so I request you not to do anything to upset them."

"I don't care Shahmeer. For me this marriage is nothing more than a deal."

"I know. But please let them think that this is a love marriage. Especially my Nani Maa." He requested.

Today she saw a new shade of him. Every moment she spent with him displayed him in a new light. Which face of him should she believe? Is he the same person who tried to strangle her in anger or the person who selflessly took care of her for days in that jungle or this person who is so vulnerable and soft in front of his family that he is requesting her when he could just threaten her.

***

"Rajat, drop it now? What is the surprise? Why have you gathered all of us?" Nani asked, irritated while others looked on.

Fiza was least interested. This was the same woman because of whom she got kidnapped.

"Nani Maa, I have to tell you something huge." Rajat said excitedly.

"What is it?" Nani asked.

"Today we had a business party and you know what it was for?"

"How would I know Rajat? You have been grinding on this sentence for so long?"

"In this business party... Boss got engaged."

"Mere Allah!" Nani breathed heavily. "Did I hear it right? Did you say engagement?"

"Yes. Nani."

"How did all this happen all of a sudden?"

"Not all of a sudden Nani." He said dryly. "It's all been going on for six months"

"Six months? And Sham didn't tell me? He has changed." She complained.

"A lot." Rajat agreed. They were talking they heard a voice from the door.

"Nani Maa… Meet Myra Grey. My fiance." Nani looked towards them and was shocked for a second. Myra was nothing like she had expected. She knew Shahmeer well. She knew his choices, his expectations from his wife well. She was afraid now. Was this some business deal or some political agreement? Shahmeer would never like a girl like that. Her clothes, her culture, values, everything was so different.

All her thoughts and worries fainted seeing Shahmeer brightly smiling. He entwined their fingers and walked towards Nani. Myra walked with her head raised high and a smug look on her face. She wasn't the timid, shy girl like Shahmeer always wanted.

"Nani Maa. This is my choice. The girl I'm in love with." Myra's head snapped in his direction at those words. She did not expect him to introduce her so respectfully and with admiration.

Nani placed her either hands on their heads as a blessing. "aabad raho." (may you prosper). She looked at Shahmeer and said, "your taste changed." And Myra couldn't understand if it was a compliment or a taunt.

"Myra this is my... fathers second wife." He said a little bitterly. "Mrs Khan."

Mrs Khan huffed like she had expected such hostility. "Hello. Myra. Nice to meet you." She smiled considerately.

"And this is my brother Ammar and my sister Ayeza."

'Ammar' She whispered to herself and closed her eyes.

Amaan's voice reverberated in her ears.

'If we have a son, his name would be Ammar… derived from Amaan.

And if it's a daughter, her name would be a combination of our names… Amaan+Myra is Amyra.

They both burst out laughing at their own silliness.'

They both greeted her with an awkward smile. They both were twins and looked around 17 to 18 years old. Ammar's eyes, his Innocence... he looked so much like her brother Hassan.

"And you know Fiza and Rajat."

"Yes. Of course she does." Fiza said bitterly.

"Glad you remember." Myra retorted.

"Come on love. We have to go somewhere else.

"You won't let us talk to her?" Nani asked.

"Not today Nani." He replied with a smile and asked her to come with him.

"Wait a minute." Nani called. "Myra, Rajat announced your arrival all of a sudden. If I had known, I would have done preparations for you. This is the first time I'm meeting you." She pulled a ring from her finger and placed it in Myra's finger.

Myra was about to return it when Nani said, "This is a token of my love. Keep it." And Myra couldn't argue further.

***

"I am tired now. Drop me to the hotel." Myra asked, leaning back in the passenger seat..

"Yes soon. There is only one place remaining."

"Now where?" She asked, irritated.

"You will see." He took her to his Private hospital. She could say he owned this place because of the way people were greeting him as he walked like he was some celebrity.

They stopped in front of a ward which was heavily guarded and slided the Blinds away from outside and Myra was shocked. "Matteo?"

***

"You do know that you have a room apartment right in front of this one?" Nisha asked Bryan.

"Yes. But I was feeling lonely." He said making a pout. "You don't look tired at all."

"I get refreshed at weddings. All my tiredness goes away." Nisha said excitedly. "I thought I would be the first one to get married Among Us but Myra beat me to it."

"Did you have any success with the biodata you put on that matrimonial profile?"

"No. I can't find anyone who can understand me... no emotional connect."

"I think that's because you're going too fast."

"What do you mean Bryan?"

"What I mean is... you should go step by step. First see A guy, then start dating, then get to know each other, then get engaged and see how your relationship progresses. Honestly Nisha… live in relationship is like a trailer of a marriage. If it works, then only one should dare to get married."

"I don't think so. I'd rather not put my data on a dating website."

"Why? I demand to know."

"Look... finding a profile on a dating website is like finding a used car in the classifieds. And I'm not a used car. Nor do I want a used car."

Bryan was irritated. He Loved dating… not commitment, just dating. "Now that's not true. You can find a good guy on a dating website."

"Really? Give me one good example."

"Look at me. Am I not a good guy?" He said with a pout and Nisha rolled her eyes.

"No you are not a good guy Bryan."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because…" She looked here and there like finding some words to frame a sentence and then said, "close your eyes."

He did.

"Now… Imagine you get married to the prettiest girl on the planet."

"Ooo." He drooled with closed eyes.

"Done?"

"Yes. Now imagine you have a daughter."

"Ahuh." He nodded.

"She's growing up. Beautiful like her mom."

"Hm."

"You're spoiling her. Now she's all grown up. Happy?"

"Yah."

"Now imagine she's dating a guy just like you."

"No!" He snapped out of the daze.

"Happy?"

"No!"

"Then change already! Duh!"

He got up frustrated with his nightmare and walked out throwing a pillow at her while Nisha chuckled.

***

—Shahmeer's Mansion—

Shahmeer. Nani stood against the window. She kept staring at the moon and thought, 'My Sham is like this moon in my life. He is the light, the peace in the darkness of the night and I have always prayed that the woman in his life would be the same for him.

The first time I saw Myra with him today... she was different. But Sham loved her so much. What if she leaves him? What if they are not able to walk together in the walk of life? It would break Shahmeer's heart. But I cannot talk to him about this. He would not be able to see anything because of the cover of his love. All I can do is pray that he does not regret his decision.

He is a man and men are dominant, strong egoistic, ruling and that's why God made women different. They are gentle, caring, submissive and loving. They are not weak. Just different. That's what keeps the balance of nature.

And if women are like men, it totally ruins the phenomenon of a relationship. If both are dominant, headstrong, egoistic, bold then how will their arguments end? If no one loses, compromises, how will this relationship progress?

It's never fifty-fifty in a marriage. It's always seventy-thirty, or sixty-forty. Someone has to sacrifice so that the other gets what he wants. Someone has to say sorry for the argument to end. Someone has to lose so that the relationship wins. Someone has to be in love despite the flaws. Someone has to work harder to keep things rolling smoothly; while the other effortlessly sails along for the ride. And that is always the men. They are not used to working hard on relationships. Or maybe they are not that strong emotionally. They give up easily.

To turn a house into a home, to turn a wedding into a marriage is a woman's task.'

With those thoughts, she walked to the bed when a hand held her medicines and a glass of water. She looked up to see Shahmeer standing there with a smile. "Why do you forget these Nani Maa?" He asked.

"So that you come on the pretext of reminding me." She said with a smile. "Sham? Sit."

"Yes Nani Maa." He asked.

"Are you happy with this marriage?"

"Happy would be an understatement. I feel like the world is at my feet. I never knew one person could be so important. Even today I feel like, if she goes away I would die."

"Allah na kare (God forbid)." Nani said, placing a hand on his mouth.

"Nani Maa, I know she is different. Different from what you had expected, different from what I had wanted but she is everything to me."

"Does she love you with the same passion as you do?"

"She may not love me now but she will soon."

"I hope so. I will pray for you Sham. My blessings are always with you."

"I know Nani Maa. That's what has shielded me from so many problems." He said with a smile and left.

***

Myra walked to the hotel corridor Towards her room. She could not take her mind off what happened a while ago.

Shermon was pacing in the corridor waiting for her.

"Mye? Thank God you are here. Tell me what happened?" He asked curiously.

"Nothing Sherry. I just met his family and left."

"Mye, are you ok?" He asked, seeing her answer in a dull tone.

Myra nodded. "I just need rest."

"Ok and did you get any link to Matteo?"

She looked up at him and said, "I didn't." and walked to her room, closed the door behind her. She was hardly composing herself in front of Sherry. She leaned on the door and breathed heavily.