Possession by Laila Ali (best authors to read txt) 📕

"Baba uthain na baba! apni ankhein tw kholain!!" she cried wholeheartedly in front of the lying corpse.

(Papa wake up! open your eyes!!)

"Amma dekhain na!! baba ko jagayein!! baba uth jayein gey! Please wake him up," she turned towards her mother who looked almost lifeless showing her state of stupor.

(Mama look at him!! wake him up!! he will wake up)

"BABA!! MERAY BABA!! MJEY AKELAY NA CHORAIN! MEIN AP K BEGHAIR KIA KRU GI??" Her eyes were red and her whole form was shaking with her sobs.

(Papa, my papa, don't leave me alone. What I'll do without you?)

The whole room was filled with her desperate pleas and cries. Last night, she had dinner with her father and in the morning he was no more. He died due to a heart attack, The reason for his heart attack was the constant stress and hypertension which increased the blood pressure and eventually myocardial infarction.

"It's time for the janaza" her cousin, Daniyal spoke from behind which made her cling to his father's dead body like her life was dependent on it.

"No!! No! He is alive!! No!! I won't let him go! Please don't take him!!" Her aunt moved forward to help her to get off of her father's body and with full resistance she finally moved and hugged her aunt tightly and cried on her shoulders.

The men in the house took the janaza and headed for the graveyard while she cried and cried till her tears died down. Her mother couldn't seem to get out of the trauma and immediately locked herself in the room after all the guests left which came for the funeral. She took sleeping pills to escape reality, leaving her only daughter on herself.

It was noon but Zahra still has locked herself in her room. She could not accept the fact that his father is no more. The bitter reality was eating her from inside deepening the hollow pit in her heart in which she was encaged for the last 5 years. Her parents were all she had. That doesn't matter to her that they were poor but she only craved happiness and attention from her parents. And after her father's death, she only wanted to die along with him. She had no wish to live. She was so connected with her father and always tried to do anything to make him happy. She always looked up to him and wanted to be like him. A man full of self respect and dignity who would do anything for his family.

She was just thinking about the memories she had created with her father and that made a fit of sobs hit her hard. And big sobs raked her whole form and she was a crying mess now. A knock on the door ceased her sobbing and diverted her attention. She only wished her father is knocking on the door.

"koun hai?" she asked in her heavy voice which was all hoarse due to crying.

(Who is there)

"Mein Daniyal"

(Its me, Daniyal)

"Daniyal," she whispered.

On realizing he stood there, she immediately stood up and ran towards the door, unlocked it, and gave Daniyal a bone-crushing hug. Her emotions took a toll and she started to cry wholeheartedly on his shoulder. He was left bewildered, it was the first time, her love had hugged her or touched her. Nonetheless, he patted her back to soothe her. His heart wrenched on seeing her vulnerable state.

Daniyal was her cousin by her mother's side and they both deeply loved each other. When her parents were working hard to earn money he was always there to dismiss her loneliness and gave her the best company ever and since then they both realized they were in love and their relationship begin. He was the only man whom Zahra trusted other than her father. Despite being in a relationship, Zahra didn't permit him ever not to touch her in any way neither she allowed him to even hold her hand.

"Shhh Zahra sab thk ho jaye ga. Don't cry." Daniyal said soothingly.

(Shhh Zahra, everything will be fine)

"mein kesay na rou, meray baba chalay gaye mje akela chor kar." With that, her sobbing renewed.

(How come I don't cry? My father left me leaving me all alone)

"mein hu na Zahra, mein hu tmharey saath aur hamesha rahun ga"

( I am with you Zahra and always will be by your side)

"mje kabhi mat chorna Daniyal mein tmhare beghair nahi jee sakti" Zahra said. "Promise me you'll never leave me"

(Never leave me alone Daniyal I cannot live without you)

"I promise, I swear on my life I will never leave you but first relax and calm down. Please stop crying Zahra, my love" Daniyal cooed her.

"Ehm Ehm" someone faked cough as a gesture to make their presence known.

Zahra lifted her eyes and saw Shoaib Bhai, the elder brother of Daniyal standing there. She immediately left Daniyal's shoulder and reached for her dupatta which was on bed inside the room.

"Assalam Alaikum Shoaib Bhai," She said in her heavy voice, and her eyes cast to the floor. Anyone could easily say she was nervous.

"Wa alaikum salam." He turned to Daniyal, "Daniyal ammi (mother) is calling you downstairs. Go now"

Daniyal nodded and headed downstairs. Zahra on noticing that she'll be alone with Shoaib immediately tried to follow Daniyal and when she walked past Shoaib, he abruptly grabbed her elbow and whiffed in her fragrance to intimidate her. Zahra forcefully let her hand go of him and ran downstairs. While he only smirked as he has won something.

She was facing this harassment for the last 5 years. Whenever she went to her aunt's place his eldest son, Shoaib would harass her. But she kept quiet because she thought at the end she will be accused of a bad character. Moreover, her parents used to be too busy to give her any time and they lost her trust. She became hesitant about telling anything to her parents and they were also covered in heaps of works to note any changes in her daughter. Zahra noticed that her parents were overburdened on something so she does not want to increase their burden and henceforth kept quiet.