11. A Marathon Of Nightmares

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~Hooriyah

It was quarter past 4a.m and the dark starry night had already spread the wonderful hues in the dimly lit bedroom, which were formed due to the subtle mixture of light coming from the street lamps outside and the full moon which dazzled flawlessly on the sky. The long off white and light purple drapes tranquilly danced along with the silent rhythms of the cool breeze coming from the half opened windows. As the unsynchronized waves of wind intersected with the beautifully dangling red colored heart shaped wind chimes, a soulful and melodious tinkling sound was produced which was enough to add a magical twist in the already spiritual and romantic atmosphere.

And that's when the peaceful and mesmerizing chants of this beautiful spell eventually broke as my fragile soul was finally dragged towards the land full of despair, pain and thorns.

Thorns so pointy, that they might tear your flesh apart!

I started sobbing like a little child trying hard to save myself from the horrible reality which I was being exposed to, one by one.

Three different and extremely pathetic scenarios started to revolve around my mind simultaneously, causing me extreme pain, as if my blood was terribly being drained out of my body, ripping my soul apart.

"Baba! Baabaaa!!" I screamed in between my painful cries.
My eyes were still closed as I tried to struggle through my nightmares.

"Baba please come back! Please don't leave us! Baba"

I screamed mercilessly as streams of tears escaped through my already shut eyes. I hiccupped and moaned with pain between my sleep as my hands curled helplessly into a fist, clenching the bed sheet underneath me, in an extremely wild manner.
Still not able to come back in my senses, I murmured again and again,

"Ya Allah!!! Help! Help me Ya Allah!"

I cried like an abnormal crazy woman as I turned my face towards the right, then left, and then right again. I could feel those warm drops of tears trickle down through my earlobes, wetting my earrings and then running down through my awfully stiffened neck as I fidgeted from one position to another trying my best to erase the dark memories which were sucking my soul like a dementor's kiss!

Peace was something highly unreachable!

My whole face was drenched with tears as my arms flailed and waved in the air with hopelessness and desperation, as I tried to scream but the words seemed to be imprisoned like an innocent prisoner inside my voice box.

"Don't leave me like this.... Don't leave me! Please I had been waiting for you since 18 years! Please don't do this!"

The second nightmare made me mumble under my breath as the waterfall of my helpless tears started to badly drench the pillow I was sleeping on. I started shivering and sweating simultaneously as I started to kick the blanket which had partially covered me, with my weak legs which were slowly embracing numbness as the sweet jingling sound of my anklets twinkled in my ears.

This pain seemed to be immortal.

It wasn't ending.
It wasn't stopping.
It wasn't reducing a bit.....!
The pain was killing me, as if someone was brutally slitting my throat again and again, again and again, again and again until the last drop of blood from my body was drained out.

The hopelessness insanely ran through my veins like a venom and bit every single fragment of my skin mercilessly like a deadly anaconda.
I was watching three different nightmares at the same time. The stress and anxiety was so much that if I say that I was about to go through a cardiac arrest any time, it won't be wrong.

"Baba please! Don't go Baba!!! I will die Baba!!" I cried as more layers of pain danced across my body.

"Shahveer don't leave me, don't do this, don't humiliate my character,I love you, I beg you! Don't make fun of my feelings!" I hiccupped as I moved towards my left, stretching my neck as much as I could with helplessness while my eyes were still tightly shut.

The third nightmare tragically started to interrupt the first two.

"Raniyaa! Raniyaa don't go there, it's dangerous Raniya stop! Come back Raniya don't do this!" I shouted again trying to stop a five year old girl who was walking towards a building set on an extremely disastrous fire.

And when I was at the verge of bearing this unbearable pain, I finally shouted with a terribly loud, pathetically horrible and extremely painful scream!

"BAAAAABAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

My eyes burst opened as I got up from my pillow while my arms were flailing and were stretched straight in the direction of my nose, as if I was trying to stop someone.

As I breathed heavily and wiped the sweat from my forehead, I tried to recognize my surroundings one by one as my lungs gasped for air. I looked at my right, then left and then towards my front.

"Baba!" I murmured as a tiny lonely tear escaped my eye.

He wasn't here.

I was in Lahore. He was in Murree.
I recalled.

"Raniya?" I almost whispered.

"Who is Raniya?" I tried to recall that unfamiliar name and face of an innocent and beautiful little girl.

"Ya Allah!" I cried as I pursed my lips with a squeaky sound, trying my best to forget that terrible marathon of soul-shaking nightmares.
A thunderbolt of pain ran across the full length of my body as I started weeping again.
I recited Auzubillah three times and blew it on my left shoulder, but the tears were not going to stop so soon.
I cried for few more seconds as I didn't know what else to do. I wanted to call Baba but he must be asleep. I wanted to hide myself somewhere where no one could see me. I wanted to cry an ocean out of my eyes to let my heart feel lighter. I wanted someone to hug me tightly and kiss me to sleep. I wanted someone to wipe my tears off which had made my eyes swollen as if they were stung by a bunch of honey bees.

I placed my head on my knees and started reciting as many verses as I could to ease my pain, and slowly the lonely heart started to feel better.

A polite knock on my door was enough for me to realize that I was safe, and had thankfully escaped the land of terror now.

But who must be there at 4 a.m?

I sluggishly dragged my horrified form towards the door and opened it to see who was knocking.

To my utter shock and amazement it was the most unexpected person out of all!

There he stood.

Shahveer don't leave me, don't do this, don't humiliate my character,I love you, I beg you! Don't make fun of my feelings!

The marathon of my dreams started to appear before my eyes again as if a 3D movie was being played in a cinema.

I finally held my forehead in my hands, trying my best to forget everything.

"Hey___" He snapped his fingers making me jerk and bringing me back to my senses.

"Yes?" I asked, as he eyed me curiously.

"Are ...are you okay?" He stared right in my eyes.

"Yes... Did you come here to ask this at 4 a.m?" I asked with annoyance, as I didn't want to face him right now.

"No!" He paused.

"It's just that, I heard some screams from your room, that's why I knocked!" He responded innocently.

My eyes popped out with horror.

Oh God? He heard my screams?

This..... is....so...... embarrassing!

"I was just passing through the corridor, and I heard you screaming!" He added.

I finally lifted my lowered gaze up to face him, to which his eyes widened with amazement.

"Were you crying?" He tilted his head while raising one of his eyebrows.

"N..No! I just ...just..." I stammered.

He remained silent, trying to examine each and every facial feature of mine.

"Just saw a nightmare!" I finally blurted out.

After a silence of few seconds, he burst into a hysterical laughter.

"A nightmare? Hahhahahah!!!!" He laughed as hard as he could as I stared him without emotions.

"Are you done? Can you excuse me now?" I asked angrily.

"I'm sorry, by the way what was the nightmare about? Those monsters from the ice cream parlor?" He laughed again.

Loosing my patience, I angrily tried to shut the door but this cunning man tightly grabbed the door knob, stopping me to do so.

"Come on don't be mad at me !" He smiled.

"Never laugh on someone's helplessness, there is something called as Karma too!"

I eyed him angrily to which he paused for few seconds as if he had gone completely speechless.

"I don't believe in Karma though.
It's just a myth. Nothing like Karma exists in real life! Anyways, do you want me to send Alizeh here, to accompany you?" He smirked.

"No I'm fine, Goodnight!" I turned to go back.

"Listen, I'm sorry!"

I stopped as my heart melted at the way he apologized.

"You better take some sleeping pills if you are facing problems while sleeping." He seemed concerned.

I chuckled.

"No thanks! I don't take pills for sleeping, they cause adverse effects on my mind " I smiled.

"How?" He asked with amazement.

"I start having hallucinations!" I chuckled as if I was sharing a joke.

"Hmm__Interesting!" He smiled.

"No it's not. It sucks! Just like these pathetic dreams"
I mumbled under my breath as I sighed with pain which he was quick to sense.

"Hooriyah!" He moved an inch closer to which I took a step back.

The way he called my name, was enough to speed up my heartbeat and make my senses go wild.

"Listen to me, nightmares are temporary, they don't have any connection with the real life. So don't even give a damn about them and just chill!" He smiled politely.

How I wish I knew that he was wrong!

"They aren't real?" I asked childishly.

"Of course not! They have nothing to do with the reality! So don't take these stupid things serious. Now go and sleep or do you want me to give you some more lectures on nightmares?" He replied.

I burst into laughter as I felt my heart getting lighter by every passing second.

This man, was a gem.
A gem of paradise!

"Goodnight!" He smiled and turned to leave.

"Veer!" I stopped him to which he looked back at me with amazement.

"Oops, sorry Shahveer, thanks a lot!" I smiled.

"For what?" He narrowed his eyes.

"For making me feel better!" I smiled to which he nodded.

"I'm honored!" He smirked in his signature style and finally left while whistling an awful tune.

Not fully satisfied, but still my heart felt a lot more lighter and better than before.

With an enlightened mood , I finally laid down again on my bed, ready to surrender myself to a deep and peaceful nap.

But before my eyelids started to embrace numbness, I thanked Allah for sending the one who is so dear to my heart as a medicine for my ailments when I needed them the most.

Little did I know ,that the medicine he gave was soon expected to turn out to be the biggest ailment of my life!

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Time flied like an eagle and the days of wedding started to come near.

The mansion was being decorated with uncountable orange marigolds, white and pink roses, golden fairy lights and red royal carpets for the guests.

It was Alizeh's mehndi today and she was going to be married four days later. The lounge was full of her relatives, friends and cousins where the elderly ladies were busy singing songs and beating the drums professionally. The resplendence of the atmosphere was extremely beautiful, enough for every heart to be enlightened. Alizeh was sitting elegantly on the beautifully decorated stage as her friends came one by one and congratulated her.

Everyone else was busy in their chores while I was preparing some besan k laddoo with Mrs. Shehroze for the guests.
The only person my eyes were dying to have a glance of, since a week, was the one who was continuously hanging out with his friends who had arrived from UK to Pakistan a week ago.

Perhaps, they were more important than me?

Was I even important to him?

Lost in my thoughts I failed to notice the entry of an extremely worried Shehroze Uncle.

"Oh come on Jahangir? I am waiting since five days and you haven't come to Lahore yet? The wedding's after four days and today is Mehndi, and here you are delaying it again and again! " Mr. Shehroze was angrily talking to my Baba on his phone, which abruptly started making me worried.

Mama, Baba and Iman were expected to come to Lahore five days ago, but don't know why, they were continuously making excuses and delaying their arrival.
Whenever I used to ask Baba, he would say that there is some pending work in the school, but he will come as soon as he finishes it.
But this was getting really late.
And I was getting nervous too.

"Oh Yaar, you promised me that you will come at least one week before the wedding, and now you are saying that you will come day after tomorrow? I wanted to spend these occasions with my childhood best friend yaar and after so many years, you are making excuses like this? I'm afraid I don't have any other choice, but to come straight to Murree all by myself and pick you up and forcefully bring you to Lahore!" Mr. Shehroze announced his final decision.

As he continued to argue with my Baba, after few minutes he immediately stopped talking and there was a complete pin drop silence.

"Is that so?" He finally spoke, while a worried expression was plastered on his face.

"You should have told me that you weren't feeling well. At least I should have come there!"

I immediately stood up as soon as I heard that Baba was not fine since few days.

"Uncle, please let me talk to Baba!" I hurriedly came towards him and begged him to give his phone as my eyes started to twinkle with tears.

He nodded and gave me his cellphone.

"Hello, Baba, what happened? Didn't you take your medicines properly? Tell me Baba, what happened to you? Why aren't you feeling well Baba, please tell Baba?" As soon as I grabbed the mobile, I stormed Baba with a flood of questions to which he started laughing which immediately melted my heart away.

"Arey my stupid princess, I am absolutely fine. Just a bit fever and flu that's it. And that's why I wasn't telling you, because you start panicking without any reason. I was just having a light headache and____"

"And?" I interrupted Baba.

"And _____" he paused.

"And nothing else dear, I will get well soon!" He chuckled innocently.

"Baba I am coming back to Murree right now!" A painful tear escaped my eye and Mrs. Shehroze immediately stood up from her place and came to console me.

"Not at all stupid! You will leave your best friend's wedding just for the sake of this little silly headache of your Baba? I won't like this at all. There should be someone from our family at least, if you will come back, do you know how much it will hurt Shehroze and his family?" Baba tried to convince me.

"I will get fine my Hoor, don't worry sweetie. Now smile quickly!" He laughed.

I smiled while wiping my tears off.

"I love you Baba!" I whispered.

"I love you more. More than anything in this world okay? Now enjoy the wedding and don't stress yourself by thinking about me, I am a young smart man, what will happen to me? And if my daughter is always busy praying for her Baba, can anything ever harm him?"
We both chuckled.

"Baba, if I heard again that you are not feeling well, I will leave each and every single thing and come back!" I mumbled weakly.

"It won't happen, have fun princess, don't worry, your Baba loves you, Allahafiz princess." He blessed me with lots of prayers before ending the call.

"Allahafiz!" I replied weakly.

.................

The loud beats of music started making the atmosphere extremely irritating.

The mixed gathering, dance practices, hooting and screaming audiences and highly annoying multi colored disco lights were enough to make me feel extremely bored.

I wasn't fond of such things, Alhumdulillah.

Ladies of all ages were dancing with men of all ages. Alizeh was elegantly dressed and smiling while talking to her fiance.
Shahveer was busy laughing out loud on pathetic jokes and hooting like crazy spoiled brats, with an awkwardly and boldly dressed Soniya and his squad which had recently came from Manchester.

The same squad which had played a significant role in his character's deterioration.

I kept sitting silently on the staircase as I watched Shahveer dancing with his extra energized friends. Some of them were so-called Muslims and some were not.
Some were busy smoking while some were busy staring and flirting with the ladies. Something which was extremely awkward for me.

Suddenly a polite tap on my shoulder brought me back to my senses.

I turned towards my right to see that who had interfered to entertain a silently sitting and boring Hooriyah?

"Hey, you must be Hoor right?" She twisted her hair strands with her pointed finger and eyed me with her piercing gaze.

The last time we had a glance of each other was when she purposely slipped a glass full of orange juice on my beautiful white frock, two days before and didn't even dare to apologize.
Why did she come here? Wasn't she enjoying the party few minutes before? And how did she know my name?

I nodded.

"Well I am Soniya, Shahveer's extremely close, very very close friend!" She rolled her eyes due to which I wanted to vomit on her face.

"Oh, hi soniya, how are you?" I tried to act polite.

"Absolutely fine, meet my friends, James, Carlos, Priya and Devlina!" Some more of Shahveer's

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