THREADS OF LOVE

Bhaiyaan's Outrage

"SHAHISTA AHMED! Could you please tell me were where you at 10 o clock in the night?", said bhaiyaan in a dangerously soft voice. Thats the problem when bhaiyaan is angry he never shouts rather he lowers his tone further down.
"Bhaiyaan.. i.. i..", i stammered.
"Why are you stuttering, can't you speak properly Madame?"
"Bhaiyaan i was at my new job .", i spoke with my head down.
"And when exactly does your "new job" ends?", said he.
"Uh.. it.. it ended at 4:30,", said i slowly. Bhaiyaan looked at me angrily. "Then i also has to go to a coaching for a postgraduate exam i was planning to give, that ended at 7:30.", i added quickly.
"Where is coaching of yours?", said bhaiyaan sitting on the sofa.
"Sharjah..", i mumbled softly .
"What, i didn't hear it?", said bhaiyaan.
"Sharjah!", said loudly not looking in his eyes.
I closed my eyes and waited for his rage but none came. I was surprised so i looked up and that was a grave mistake
For if looks could kill i would be long dead. Bhaiyaan was glaring at me with a glaze as sharp as a blade.
"Explain yourself, otherwise you are getting into serious trouble.!"
"Bhaiyaan i.. i..,"
"You what!," he shouted, "what persuaded you to work in Sharjah when you could have worked very well in Mleiah , and who gave you permission to stay outside the house till 10pm?"
That was when i broke down, bhaiyaan has never screamed at me, and hearing him shouting like that, i just couldn't control myself. I started crying and sat down on the sofa sobbing.
"Bhaiyaan i am sorry, but i didn't want to work in Mleiah. I didn't want to work in a place where everybody knew bhabhi," i said crying uncontrollably, "bhaiyaan i didn't want to be just recognised as Rizwan bhaiya's sister , people would judge me all the time. I didn't want to work with the lady whom i hate, i felt suffocated and so i decided to work in Sharjah."
I ended with tears streaming down endlessly from my eyes. All the feeling came tumbling out from me, I couldn't contain them in.
I waited for him to say something but he didn't.
"Bhaiyaan!", i said still crying, "please say something!, please!"
"What should i say Shahista!", said bhaiyaan softly "i never knew my young sister was so disgraced that she couldn't even bare to be called Rizwan Ahmed's sister. I always thought that you , just like me was proud of bhaiya"
I looked at him in despair, "no bhaiyaan!, that is not what i meant, i am not disgraced!"
"It's your decision then, who am i to interfere,", said him and he rose from his seat and started to leave.
"Bhaiyaan no! No!, you got me wrong, please understand.", i cried.
He looked at me one last time and then retreated to his room.
I sat there on the sofa and cried and cried and cried for hours.
Finally after what seemed like hours my tears dried up and my crying turned into small hiccups, that i stopped crying. The phone rang then, i picked up it was khala.
"Asalaamoalikum Shahista!", said khala.
"Waalekumasalaam khala!" Said I.
"Shahista!, where your crying? What happened Beta!, she said sounding worried.
It was no use hiding it from khala because i knew eventually bhaiyaan would tell her everything.
"I fought with bhaiyaan.",I confessed.
"Why Beta?", asked khala.
""I.. I.. lied to him khala, actually i hid the truth from him.", said i softly.
"What did you hide? Tell me dear.", she said softly.
Hearing her gentle voice my heart constricted, i felt so guilty about lying to bhaiyaan that i told get everything about my new job location, my reason behind it and most importantly his reactions. Khala didn't say anything just listened to me patiently.
Finally when i had ended narrating, she said, "you know Shahista you have done a very grave mistake today." I felt silent i was lost for any words.
"You have not only lied to your brother by hiding the truth from him but you have also broken his heart by saying you are disgraced by this family."
"Khala!, i didn't meant it that way, please don't say that i am disgrace, !", i said with tears again threatening to pour down my face.
"Whatever, you thought doesn't matter now, the fact that you were inconsiderate is wrong . Now go and apologise to your brother and if he says you need to quit your job then so be it!", she said firmly.
"Yes khala!", i sighed i knew it was the correct thing to do.
"Text me after you talk to bhaiyaan, okay.? Allah hafiz!"
"Allah hafiz khala!", said I and hugged up the phone.
After putting down the phone, i haphazardly wiped few streaks of tears from my face, i knew this was going to happen someday but i just hadn't realised  bhaiyaan would react so bad.
I sighed and mustered up courage, "its your farhaan bhaiyaan, why are you scared of him?", said i to myself.
With this thought i got up from the sofa and made my way towards Bhaiyaan's room which was on the ground floor towards the eastern side of the house. When i reached his room, i knocked.
Since nobody replied from inside, i went inside the room only to find it empty.
Then i realised he may be in his study which was in the first floor, right to my room .
I took the stairs and reached the 1st floor i saw bhaiyaan in his study. He was sitting on his chair with his head turned away from me, murmuring something to himself.
"Bhaiyaan!", i said softly.
He turned towards me with an expressionless face.
"I am sorry about my decisions , i didn't meant to disrespect anyone. I will go and give my resignation today.", said i softly with my head down.
Bhaiyaan got up from his seat and walked towards new, "when is your postgraduate exam?", said he.
"3 months from now, bhaiyaan!", said i.
He closed his eyes concentrating as if he was thinking about something deeply.
He finally opened them and looked at me and said, "i will accompany you to your job tomorrow and see your workplace, and then if i find it okay, i will allow you to work in Sharjah but for only 3 months, alright."
I was speechless and so happy. I hadn't thought bhaiyaan would agree to this after our fight.
"Thank you so much bhaiyaan, it means a lot, and of-course i will show you everything tomorrow!", said excitedly.
Bhaiyaan laughed, "happy now?, go back to sleep now, we need to wake up early tomorrow."
I nodded and hugged him excitedly, he hugged me back and patted my back.
Finally i broke my hug and went upstairs to my room very happy that the matter of my job was resolved. I was sure that bhaiyaan would not disapprove of my work place, since it was very comfortable.
I yawned, it was very getting very late. I had to sleep in offer to wake up early tomorrow.
I quickly changed my clothes and freshened up. After coming out of the bathroom, i went to pick my mobile with the intention of leaving a text to khala that my fight with bhaiyaan was resolved . It was to late to call her, but i know she would be waiting for my text.
I laid down on the bed with my mobile at hand, i scrolled and found a new text message from an unknown number. It said;-

                           HEY SHAHISTA!
                           CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU AGAIN TOMORROW.
                           SAVE THIS NUMBER, AND DM OR CALL ANYTIME YOU WANT :-)
                                  
                                       - FROM YOUR GREEN EYES STRANGER
I laughed when i read that, i almost forgot about Faruk. I quickly saved his  number in my mobile. Reminding myself to ask him how did he knew about the green eyed stranger part.
I then texted khala about my talk with bhaiyaan, and she texted back saying she was proud of me. We talked for a very short while then my eyelids started dropping, i said goodbye to her saying i was very sleepy.
I put the phone down on the adjacent bedside table, turned the lamp off, made myself comfortable in my bed and then drifted to deep slumber.