Taabindagi (Sequel Of Sharar)

Twenty-Seven

"Maama, aap fikar na karein, papa ajayenge." Eifa reassures.

(Mama, don’t worry. Papa will come.)

Shyra manages a faint smile, appreciating her daughter's attempt to ease the atmosphere. However, her worry deepens as she wonders why Kabir hasn't returned yet.

Finally, unable to contain her concern, Shyra turns to Ehan, who sits quietly in a corner. "Ehan, tum kyu nahi gaye apne papa ke sath hospital?"

(Ehan, why didn’t you go with your Papa to the hospital?)

"Maama, main office mein nahi tha, site pe gaya tha. Mujhe nahi pata papa kab gaye. Aur phir unke sath Kian aur Shahnan hain." He explains.

(Maama, I wasn’t in the office, I was at a site. I didn’t know when Papa left. And Kian and Shahnan are with him.)

"Inhe itni derr kyu lag rahi hai." Shyra sighs. Then she looks at her kids.

(Why it’s taking him so long.)

"Achha chalo, tum log fresh ho jao, main khana lagwati hoon." Shyra set aside her concerns for Kabir and focused on her children's hunger.

(Alright, you all freshen up. I’ll get the food ready.)

"Mujhe bhook nahi." Eira refuses to eat.

(I’m not hungry.)

"Eira, Lily ghar pe hi hai." Shyra, with a mix of exhaustion and frustration, scolds Eira.

(Eira, Lily is home.)

It seemed as if Eira's cat had suddenly decided not to recognize her. Lily had refused to go near Eira. She neither came to her during the day, nor at night.

"Gaddar Lily." Ehan tch. "Itne saal ki mohabbat ka yeh sila diya? Pehchan bhi nahi rahi humari Eiru ko." He appeared sympathetic to Eira, softly patting her head. But Eira slapped away his hand.

(Traitor Lily.)

(Is this how she pays back all these years of love? She doesn’t even recognize our Eiru anymore.)

"Main toh hairan hoon ussey ab tak Sharfa yaad hai, kitni choti thi jab yaha ayi thi woh." Eira said.

(I’m surprised she still remembers Sharfa. She was so little when she came here.)

"Matlab Lily gaddar nahi bas ussey apni purani wafa yaad agayi." With amused look, Ehan asked.

(So Lily isn’t a traitor, she just remembered her old loyalty.)

A small wave of laughter breaks through the tension, but both Shyra and Eira remain concerned. Shyra, despite her scolding, softens as she notices Eira's genuine distress. "Eira, ajayegi Lily. Fikar na karo, chalo dinner karlo."

(Eira, Lily will come to you. Don’t worry, come have dinner.)

As the family sat to have a meal together, Shyra finds it difficult to eat without Kabir by her side.

Eira, despite her earlier reluctance, manages to eat a decent amount, though her concern for Lily still lingers. Ehan, seemingly unfazed by the situation, eats heartily, maintaining a cheerful facade to uplift the somber mood. Meanwhile, Eifa, mirroring her mother's sentiment, takes only a few bites, not wanting to add to Shyra's worries.

It was so late; she didn't know if Shahnan had eaten or not. Eifa looked at the food on her plate. Her heart refused to eat anymore. She pushed the plate aside. "I'm done."

•••

Eifa was tired, but sleep was nowhere in her eyes. Restlessness stirred within her like an unsettled tide. Hoping to calm her nerves, she stepped out onto the balcony connected to their room. The night air was cool, brushing against her skin. She had brought a book with her, anything to distract her mind from wandering. But the words blurred before her eyes. A strange sense of unease and quiet disappointment had settled over her.