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Originally published: 11th September 2020

Thirty One Point Five Years Ago

For two years Fatima Ali had wanted a child, and she regularly faced taunts from her mother-in-law and Saira. Her mother-in-law wasn't as bad as Saira was in regards of making Fatima feel useless because she didn't have a child even two years after marriage. 

It didn't matter that Fatima was the most successful female in her own family, having struggled to get a proper medical education. The costs had been great but her father had worked hard to provide her tuition fees, even if her own mother hadn't supported her. She'd passed all her exams with flying colours and was recognised nationally as a woman who had struggled to her lower middle class roots to achieve her dream of being a doctor. 

Even though she was a successful, intelligent woman, the taunts of everyone around her were depressing her, and was starting to lose hope and faith. Ali noticed her changing behaviour, and he knew that in Islam one must not despair and lose faith in the mercy of Allah. He took her for Umrah, a pilgrimage in the Holy city of Makkah. Unlike Hajj, which is once a year, Umrah can be done throughout the year, and is completed within hours.

A year later, a few months after she started work in a private clinic, her first work place, she gave birth to her first child, a son. Fawad, meaning 'heart', meant the entire world to her, and was the greatest blessing of her life so far. 

At that time, she and Ali lived in a different house with her in-laws. Mansoor Uncle, her father-in-law was a quiet and reserved man, and he tended to stay in his own room, fed up by the family politics that surrounded him. Fatima's mother-in-law, who she referred to as 'Ammi Jaan', as her husband did, was an unpredictable woman and could either be caring or very cruel, depending on her mood. The worst one was Saira. None of Fatima's children ever found out the truth about her life, but the fact was that Saira had been engaged at the time to a man that she had been completely in love with. Fatima chose never to tell this to her kids, to maintain Saira's privacy, despite her Nand's treatment of her.

Although it didn't matter to her whether she had a boy or a girl, as long as the baby was healthy, Fatima couldn't help feeling a little proud, and even a bit arrogant, that she'd had a son. The first grandchild of the entire family was her son. She was under the mistaken belief that this would increase her value in the eyes of her in-laws, but the truth was a lot more chilling. 

****

It was the wedding of Nilofar, Fatima's Nand, who was also her best friend in the family. Nilofar was marrying a Canadian banker, and would be moving to Vancouver after Valima. The Nikaah had been performed the year before, and now that the paperwork was ready, the wedding date had been set.

"Give him to me." Saira roughly snatched a few weeks old Fawad from Fatima's arms. "It's your best friend's wedding, so go help Ammi Jaan out." 

Fatima watched her son looking uncomfortable, clearly disliking the way he had been snatched from the comfort of his mother's arms. She didn't protest though, because all her life her mother had taught her not to talk back to her in-laws. She watched, upset, as Saira walked away with her firstborn.

Arif, Saira's fiance at that time, had witnessed the entire thing. Being a family lawyer, he was unhappy with Saira's behaviour and had approached Fatima, who stood miserably at the entrance of the wedding hall. "Assalam Alaikum, Fatima Bhabi." 

She looked at him, surprised. "Walaikum Assalam." She averted her gaze. 

"She should not have done that." He shook his head in disappointment. "I didn't know that Saira could be so heartless." 

Fatima instantly came to Saira's defence for a reason that was unknown to her as well. "No, Arif Bhai, it's not like that. Saira is just very attached to Fawad." 

He didn't say much after that, but a couple of days after Nilofar's Valima, Arif broke off his engagement to Saira.

"I'm sorry, Uncle, but I cannot marry a cruel woman." He declared in front of Mansoor Uncle. 

"She wouldn't treat her own children like that!" Ammi Jaan defended Saira, weakly. "She'll be a good mother, a good wife." 

"A good person doesn't need to be related to someone to treat them right." Arif argued. "Yet here, Saira is treated her own brother's wife and son like that. That little boy is a newborn, and Fatima Bhabi is the one person he needs right now, but this wasn't the only time I'd witnessed Saira behaving like this with them. She acted similarly on the Valima. She just snatched the little kid out of his mother's arms and walked away." 

"Why didn't you tell me any of this?" Ali asked his wife quietly.

"I didn't want to create problems, Ali." She replied, not looking at him.

After Arif left, Saira had thrown a full-on tantrum, screaming and shouting. She had started accusing Fatima of intentionally causing her engagement to end. 

"You don't even deserve to be a mother!" Saira pointed a finger at Fatima. "Today you ruined my life and tomorrow you'll ruin your own son's life. People like you can't see anyone else happy, even their own family." 

Nilofar, who had been visiting to bid her family farewell before she left for Canada, overheard her and instantly spoke up. "Who are you to decide who deserves to be a mother or not? Allah blessed Bhai and Bhabi with a child. Are you questioning His decision?!" 

"You stay out of this!" Saira turned on her. "This is none of your business anymore." She turned back to Fatima. "Fawad is the child of our family, and I don't think she should be raising him." 

"Wait a minute." Ali held up a finger. "How dare you say that my wife is an unfit mother for our own child? Who are you to judge her?" He turned to look at his parents. "I've made a decision, Baba Jaan, Ammi Jaan. I'm moving out of this house with my wife and son. I will not raise my son in this toxic environment." He glared at Saira again. "Have you considered that maybe it's your own attitude that messes things up for you? Instead of blaming others, look in the mirror first." 

Saira fumed in silence.

****

While Ali got estate agents to search for a house for his family, Saira and her mother made her life miserable for Fatima. While Ammi Jaan was not in favour of Fatima giving up her child for Saira to raise, she blamed her daughter-in-law for Saira's engagement being broken off.

Fatima was on maternity leave, and should have been looking after her child. Instead, she was cooking for the entire family- all the brothers lived together at that point, cleaning the house and going grocery shopping. Meanwhile Fawad remained in the 'care' of his Phupho. 

His mother was miserable, often finding herself crying from exhaustion and from not having her baby near her. Every time she heard him cry, which was a lot, because he was being kept away from his mother, she rushed up to him, but unless he needed to be fed, Saira sent her away. The constant crying of the baby had made Ammi Jaan cranky, and she just ignored all the drama around her, telling them all to shut up and let her watch TV.

While Ali had taken some time off as a part of paternity leave, he'd had to return to work earlier than intended, because in those days, the neurology department had a bit of a shortage in doctors.  Every mistreatment with Fatima had been done while he was either out house hunting, or at work.

Finally, Ali got another week off, which he spent at home to make up for the time he had lost out with his newborn son and wife. 

"Let me take care of Fawad. You must be tired." He'd said to her after breakfast on his first day at home.

"No, I'm okay." Fatima protectively clutched her baby son.

"Fatima, you've been handling him all this time." Ali said, gently. "Let me look after him for a change."

That made her burst into tears. In a few seconds, she started sobbing loudly.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned, wrapping an arm around her.

"I h-h-haven't been looking after my boy." She shook her head, tears endlessly escaping her eyes and streaming down her face. "T-They didn't l-let me." She ended up telling her husband everything that she had been suffering the entire time.

He immediately took her back to where his mother and Saira sat, watching a cooking show on the TV. "How dare you, Saira?" 

Saira frowned. "What did she complain about this time?" 

"You have no right to keep my son away from his mother!" Ali accused her. 

"Fawad is the child of this family!" Saira snapped. "He should be raised with our family values!" 

"Fawad is our son, mine and Fatima's!" Ali shouted. "We decide how he's raised, not you." 

Saira looked taken aback by this, not expecting this from her brother.

Ali looked at his mother. "I'm going to move out with my family in two days, and from now on, Fawad, and any future kids we have, will only come here if Fatima permits it, until the kids are old enough to decide for themselves." 

"Beta, you're being dramatic." Ammi Jaan said.

"No, I'm finally standing up for my family." He sighed, wearily.

Mansoor Uncle, who'd been observing all this quietly, returned to his room, closing the door softly behind himself.

****

The day Ali and Fatima were leaving, Mansoor Uncle pulled them aside quietly, and handed his son a cheque. "This is your share of your inheritance. This might come in handy when you both start your new lives together." 

"I'm sorry it had to be this way, Baba Jaan." Ali said. "But I had to do what was right for my family."

His father nodded. "I understand. This family politics is the reason why I stay to myself all the time." 

With that they left for their new home in Defence. Initially, they were paying the rent for it, and it was expensive, but with time as their positions and salaries increased, they could comfortable live there. By the time Fariha was born, they'd bought the house, which they still lived in.

****

PRESENT

Jasmina's POV

"Hania!" I sat up, gasping. 

It was the middle of the night, and the room was dark apart from the small battery-powered nightlight placed on the dressing table, close to Hania's cot. Fawad, who'd returned while I'd been asleep, was fast asleep himself, his back towards me. As of yet, I didn't get the chance to talk to him.

I moved across to the foot of the bed and peered down into Hania's crib. She was asleep on her back, one hand resting beside her cheek, while the other was curled into a fist over her blanket.

I had no idea what was going on in this family, but it was nothing good. All I knew was that if Saira Phupho attempted to take my daughter away from me, I'd have a meltdown.

For a brief moment, I considered giving my pearl earrings and the money that Saira Phupho wanted, but then I chastised myself, internally. I'm not paying to be able to spend time with my daughter. From today onward, nobody will touch my daughter without my permission, and I'm going to make it clear to Fawad.

During the day, I had to speak to Nilofar Phupho and find out what exactly was going on.

Taking another look at Hania, I climbed off the bed, almost falling over in the darkness due to the shortage of space. On one side was Hania's crib, Fawad was asleep on the other side, so I just had a tiny bit of space to get through, and this was over the raised edge of the foot of the bed. In the darkness, it was basically impossible to navigate my way to the bathroom. By the time I finally got to the bathroom, I sighed in relief as light flooded the room. 

As I was washing my hands, I felt like I heard a noise out in the hallway outside the bedroom and the bathroom. Unlocking the other door that led outside, I opened it and peeked out, but there was nobody there. I headed out and looked up the stairs. The light was on, so that Dadi could get up easily to go to the bathroom. I turned the other way and glanced towards the gate, going over to make sure that it was locked. Feeling creeped out, I went back into the bathroom and locked the door before returning back into the bedroom. I missed our flat, my in-laws' house, my parents' house, anywhere but here.

You know what? If I was being honest, nothing scared me more right now more than what Saira Phupho was planning. I can tolerate being in this dark and unfamiliar place, and I can deal with the weird chill that I'd felt running down my spine as I'd stood outside just now. Sometimes humans were scarier than the unknown. A woman who would happily take a baby away from its mother was capable of pure evil, and I just wanted to run away from here with my family. Unfortunately, it still wasn't safe enough for us to leave.

I climbed back into bed, and the feeling of safety returned, feeling Fawad's presence. I wrapped an arm around his waist, snuggling closer to him. Breathing in his scent, I drifted off back to sleep.

****

"Fawad, I want to talk to you." I spoke the next morning, as we prepared to go upstairs for breakfast.

"Everything alright?" He looked up at me concerned as he cradled Hania in his arms.

I adjusted my dupatta, and turned to him. "From now on, nobody will hold Hania without my permission."

He raised an eyebrow at me, as he glanced down at Hania and then back up at me.

"You're not included in this, you weirdo." I rolled my eyes. 

"Okay, care to explain?" 

"Your beloved Phupho told me that if I don't want to do any housework around here, I should give her my pearl earrings and some more money." 

"She what?" He looked confused. 

"She and I had a bit of a... disagreement." I explained. "Either I pay up and not do any housework and spend the day with Hania, or I do housework and leave Hania with her for the whole day." 

His jaw clenched, and he was quiet for a few moments, looking thoughtful. "Jasmina, either way you won't be doing any housework. If anyone has a problem, they can come and speak to me about it." 

"I don't mind doing housework, Fawad, that's not the point." 

"No, if she's going to treat you like that, then you won't be doing any housework at all." He said, firmly. "If you respect me at all, you will do as I say. If Dadi asks you to do something, that's a different matter, she's an elderly person. Otherwise, you won't do anything but take care of Hania." He shook his head. "Sometimes I think that Ammi was right about keeping us away."

We headed upstairs for breakfast, and the only conversation that occurred was between Fawad and Dadi. After breakfast, Fawad went downstairs to change as he had work, while I sat with Dadi as she chatted about random topics. I enjoyed talking to her, she seemed like a sweet person. I was so desperate to get up and help clear the table with Saira Phupho, but I was bound by Fawad's words. The guy did literally anything and everything for me, the least I could do was listen to him. I averted Saira Phupho's glare as I was feeling embarrassed.

Luckily, Nilofar Phupho returned from visiting the uncles' houses then, and we started talking. She held Hania and doted over her, giving her duas. 

"Assalam Alaikum." Fawad entered, all dressed up for work.

"Walaikum Assalam!" A wide smile appeared on Nilofar Phupho's face. "It's been such a long time, beta. Look at you, our handsome doctor." Handing Hania over to me, she got up to hug him. She was a petite woman, barely five feet tall, and he bent down so that she could run a hand over his hand, giving him blessings.

"You were asleep when I came in last night, but Jasmina told me that you were here and I couldn't believe it." He kept an arm around her shoulders as he straightened up.

"I can't believe you're the same little boy who intentionally terrified his mother by leaning over the railing on the roof." She smiled, nostalgically.

I smiled as he laughed. 

"Yes, Phupho. Ammi says that I've almost caused her a lot of heart attacks, so it's ironic that I chose cardiology." He grinned.

She walked over to the charpai and lifted up her purse. Pulling out a thick wad of cash, she returned to where I sat with Hania, and waved half the money around in circles over my head and Hania's, before handing it over to my husband. "Give this as a sadqah to someone in need." The rest of the money she handed over to me. "This is for you and Hania, as I've seen you both in person for the first time."  

I looked up at Fawad, who nodded at me, before I accepted the money. "Thank you." 

"Ma Sha Allah, your girls are beautiful, Fawad." Nilofar Phupho ran a hand over my head. 

"Ma Sha Allah." He smiled fondly at me. "They really are." 

She lowered her voice as she grabbed his hand. "Don't worry about them. I'm here. I won't let anything unfair happen with them while you're at work." 

"Thank you, Phupho. I really appreciate that." He said, before leaning down in front of Dadi. "I'm going to work, Dadi. I'll be back late, so I'll see you tomorrow, In Sha Allah." He kissed her forehead and she smiled at him, blessing him. "Allah Hafiz, Phupho." His gaze turned to me. "See you tonight, Jasmina. Allah Hafiz." 

"Oh, dear." Nilofar Phupho gently took Hania from me. "Jasmina, beta, he clearly wants to say goodbye privately. Go and see him out. I'll take care of this little sweetheart." 

Dadi laughed lightly and I blushed hard. Fawad grinned as we headed out and down the stairs. 

Once we were downstairs, he turned to face me. "You'll be okay, right?" 

I nodded. "Don't worry. Nilofar Phupho is here as well now, so there's nothing to worry about." I pulled the dupatta up, covering my head, as I prepared to head out to the car with him. As I began to head to the gate, he grabbed my hand and pulled me back towards him.

"Dil, dimagh, sab par aap ka kabza hai. Bus ab jaan hi baki hai, ab woh bhi le laingi aap." He whispered, pulling me into an embrace.

*Translation: You already have a control of my heart, my mind. I only have my life left, and you'll take it too.

"What did I do?" I whispered, resting my chin on his shoulder as I stood on my tiptoes, blushing at his extremely romantic words.

"I don't know, I'm just feeling a lot of love for you right now." He kissed my cheek. "Oh, by the way, I forgot." Taking my hand, he led me to our room. 

"What?" My heart pounded hard, and I felt like we were a newly married couple, sneaking around just to have a few private moments together.

He opened the cupboard and pulled out a shopping bag, the kind you get from grocery stores. "Here you go." 

Confused, I peered into the bag and gasped. There was a variety of snacks in there, including my favourite chocolate biscuits. I couldn't help laughing. "What's this for?" I looked up at me and saw him stared at me in amusement.

"I know you get hungry at night, when you get up to feed Hania." He put a hand on my cheek. "So I picked these up for you on my way back last night." 

"Allah!" I set the bag down onto the bed and threw my arms around him. "I love you, Fawad." 

"I love you too." He chuckled. "I know that as someone who specialises in the heart, I should not encouraging your unhealthy snacks habit, but I wanted to see this expression on your face. You're so adorable when you get excited." 

"This is so romantic." I whispered, overwhelmed.

"Me bringing you a bag of snacks from a grocery store is romantic?" He raised an eyebrow.

 "No, you being so considerate about me, that you picked up my favourite snacks in the middle of the night, on your way back from a long shift, is romantic." I kissed him deeply. "I'm sorry that I gave you more stress in return." I continued kissing him.

"No, it's good you told me." He said after we'd pulled away for air. "You don't owe them anything, Jasmina. You do things out of respect, that's different. But you don't have any obligatory duties towards them. The only one who should be an exception is my Dadi, because not only is she an elderly, but because of her status." He pulled me back towards himself and kissed me again. 

As we kissed, we stumbled into Hania's crib and the little teddy bear that played soft lullaby music when a button on its tummy was pressed, started playing the music for 'Rock-A-Bye Baby' inside the cot, causing us both to start laughing. 

"She's not even in the room and she's saying 'how dare you two focus on each other while I'm under the same roof?'." I giggled, as he rested his forehead against mine.

Kissing my forehead, he realised that he was getting late. "S**t, I better go."

"You better start minding your language." I said, as I walked him out.

He simply winked at me as we headed down the narrow alley. I watched him get into the car and drive off.

I thought all my problems were sorted now that Fawad knew about it. If Saira Phupho said anything to me, I'd simply tell her to speak to him directly.

But this is my life, and nothing is that simple in my life.

****

I was sweeping the downstairs floor, and only because we were using it. Hania was asleep in her cot, so I figured now was a good time to do it. 

Suddenly, the grey gate burst open and a bunch of excited girls came in, in school and college uniforms. "Assalam Alaikum, Bhabi!" They cried in unison.

"Walaikum Assalam." I raised an eyebrow as they looked at me expectantly.

"Saira Phupho said to come over immediately." One of them said. "She said that you wanted to hand out some of your make-up to us." 

"What?" I asked in disbelief.

"That's very nice of you, Bhabi." A girl around seventeen said. "Your make-up must be branded."

What was Saira Phupho up to? Was she actually competing with me? 

"What would you all want branded make-up for?" A voice at the top of the stairs made us all look up. Nilofar Phupho was coming downstairs, frowning. "All of you go home and change, and stop this nonsense." She shooed them all off before looking at me. "Don't mind Saira. She's practically an elderly person, but she's still as immature as ever. I'm sorry about her behaviour." 

"You don't have to apologise, Phupho. She's older than me, it's fine." 

"You really are the perfect match for Fawad, you know?" Smiling, she headed back upstairs.

I didn't understand what Saira Phupho planned to do, but I got my answer later in the afternoon.

****

I took Hania outside in the narrow alleyway, and she was staring up at the barely visible sky in wonder, as if it was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen.

"This world has the most incredible views, meri jaan." I whispered to her, as I paced up and down the narrow alley. "You have a lot to see, In Sha Allah." 

As I approached the end of the alley that led to the main street, I overheard a few of the girls from earlier talking.

"Saira Phupho was so embarrassed." One of them was saying. "She said that Bhabi changed her mind because she didn't want to give us her branded make-up." 

"What a snob!" 

"She's a Defence girl. She grew up in a mansion, so of course she looks down on the rest of us." 

"What is she doing with Fawad Bhai then? He's so nice and down-to-earth." 

I felt humiliated tears fill my eyes as I overheard a bunch of Fawad's teenage cousins gossip about me negatively. What sort of poison was Saira Phupho brewing in their minds?

I decided that I'd had enough, and I needed to talk to someone how would really know how to handle this situation. I headed back inside the house. Closing the door of our bedroom behind me, I grabbed my phone and dialled.

"Hello?"

"Assalam Alaikum, Fatima Aunty." My voice broke. "I need your help."

****

Would the Saas-Bahu pairing be reunited over this drama? Would Jasmina's mother-in-law even help her?

Thank you for reading and don't forget to vote!