Jaana : The Girl He Loved Too Much

Chapter 13

Sitara placed her hand in his as he helped her out of his jeep halting at the fair ground. "Easy Jaana" he said lifting her sharara to save it coming under her sandals. "T-thank you" she muttered slowly and he smiled a bit.

She moved along his side looking at her hand engulfed in his. A strange feeling masked her heart, what is this she is feeling. His touch seems so secure. How is it possible, that the man who invoked her deepest fears can give her the sense of safety. The man who is making her aloof from the world can give her the sense of belongingness.

Her eyes waivered from her hand to him. There was a certain kind of peace, a contentment on his face. Why won't it be, he is holding his biggest treasure. For the first time he took her out. His heart was fluttering like a teenage boy on the first date, while Sitara's heart was beating like a humming bird getting nervous at every breath she takes.

She tried to shift the concentration from him to the fair as they moved along the fair ground and a smile came to Sitara looking at the colorful shops. The shops were all decorated with colorful drapes and tents. Vendors from different cities have come to exhibit their products. Everything is available, from clothes, to toys, to furniture, to spices. Children were running around surrounding the ice-cream vendors, pulling their parents for towards the giant wheel for the rides. People were laughing watching the acts performed by various street artists, shopping, eating the street food of different cities.

"Salaam Khan Saheb" a voice broke her trance and she saw a shopkeeper greeted him. She was surprised to see that he recognized him. As far as she knew no one has never seen him, but apparently that's not the truth. He nodded at the vendor and she noticed that every vendor greeted him. Did they all know him? How? she couldn't understand.

"Where you would like to start?" his voice broke her contemplations and she looked at him not understanding the question. "I mean what my Jaana wants to buy, from which shop shall we start." he clarified lifting her chin with her finger. "No-nothing I-I don't want to b-buy anything" she stuttered and his face fell. He knows she wanted to come here but the fact that she didn't want to come here with him, breaks his heart. She however, was feeling so scared that what if she makes a wrong move. She don't want to make him angry. She don't want to be a prey of a gangster's anger who feels its okay enough to carry a gun in a fair. Already she was on the edge due to his test back at her house.

"Faizan" he nodded at Faizan and he left from there making a call.

"Salaam Khan Saheb" an old man came towards them and greeted Shahzain. There was a frown on Shahzain's face seeing him "Sheik chacha (Uncle) what are you doing here? Why are you here in this heat. You need to rest, isn't that what the doctor said. Why are you here? Where is Afzal?" he asked the old man. The man do look old and tired, like he is sick from quite sometime but what surprised Sitara was Shahzain's behavior. His worry seems genuine. How? How can a gangster worry about the health of a spice vendor. And how come these people are coming and greeting him. Why are these people not scared of him? She thought. "Khan Saheb you know the situation of the house is not good, this fair is the biggest source of our income in the whole year. If we do not set up shop here then how will we earn. The roof of the house is still leaking-" his cough broke his sentence. "Easy chacha" he said and patted the old man's back. He gave him his handkerchief, to wipe his mouth. "I know why you need to set up shop here, but why Afzal is not doing it and you are doing it. Your son is old enough to handle it now" Shahzain asked him. "Khan Saheb Afzal...he-" "Tell me chacha what happened?" "Afzal do not come home anymore. He just spend everything in gambling and drinking and only come home when he is out of money" Sitara saw Shahzain's hands balled in a fist. Shahazain cringed at the thought that how can a young man leave his parents in poverty and sickness in old age. He took out his wallet and gave him a bundle of currency notes "Here chacha go home and rest. This will cover the sale of your whole week in this fair. And I will send someone to take care of the roof." he told him patting his shoulder with a soft smile. Something that Sitara doesn't know that he is capable of, smiling. "And chacha Afzal will come home by night. I promise you, hmmm" he said and the old man knelt in front of him "Arre chacha ye aap kya kare" (Uncle what are you doing?) Shahzain said shifting back. "No Khan Saheb you always do so much for us. Every time whenever we are in need its you who help us, thank you. Thank you so much. Our own son do not care about us but you never leave us." the old man started crying and Shahzain sat in front of him. He held his shoulders and stood him up and hugged him. "C'mon chacha am I not like your son?" he said and "Ofcourse you are" "Then its my duty right to take care of you. Don't worry. Just remember to send me sevaiyan made by chachijaan (Aunty) on Eid" Shahzain said with a light chuckle and the old man nodded. He wiped his tears and turned to Sitara.