Their Last Season

It had been days since the past revealed itself in front of her.

Her getting to know she had an aunt.

A cousin who had the same pair of eyes as her.

Her getting to know how heartless a person can be when it's between their honour and loved one.

Is love so fragile?

Is honour so sacred?

She wondered these.

She came back from college, all exhausted.

Keeping her bag on the table, she sprawled on the sofa, closing her eyes.

When she heard the doorbell.

She looked at the clock. It wasn't time for Hamza's return.

She frowned, wondering who it would be.

"Who the hell is disturbing my resting session?" she muttered, forming a pout.

When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Ammi, her mother-in-law, all smiling at her.

Sumaiya smiled wholeheartedly.

She gave her mother-in-law a way to get in.

After closing the door, she quickly hugged her mother-in-law,

who reciprocated it.

"Ammi, what a pleasant surprise!" she exclaimed.

Her mother-in-law laughed.

"I was missing my bahu, so I thought, why not surprise her?" her mother-in-law replied warmly.

"Oh! Where are my manners?

Sit down, Ammi," she told her mother-in-law.

She offered her water.

Her mother-in-law had come with a driver.

"Let's inform Hamza," she said.

"No, bitiya. Let's surprise him," her mother-in-law said.

She nodded.

"Let me cook something for you," Sumaiya said while standing up from her place.

"No, bitiya. Sit," her mother-in-law said, holding her wrist.

"But, Ammi, something has to be cooked."

"Let's order. You also came just now. By looking at the bag and your face, I can say that.

Bitiya, while taking care of others, never forget to take care of yourself," her mother-in-law said while caressing her face.

Sumaiya got overwhelmed.

She smiled while nodding her head.

She ordered food for dinner.

They were submerged in talking.

At 7 p.m., the doorbell rang.

Her mother-in-law opened the gate.

The moment Hamza looked up at the person standing on the threshold,

his eyes got wide, and slowly his lips curled up.

He bridged the gap and took his mother into his embrace.

They came inside.

Sumaiya looked at them in adoration.

"When did you come, Ammi?

Why did nobody tell me about your arrival?

Is everything okay at home?" he exclaimed without breathing.

"My kid, breathe," his mother said with amusement.

Her Hamza still behaved like a child sometimes.

Shaking her head, she began, "For starters, I came in the evening. It was a surprise for you, and everything is okay, bachcha," she said, the last line mimicking his tone.

He shook his head.

All of them laughed.

They had their dinner in peace.

Mrs Khan was exhausted, so she departed to sleep early.

**********

It had been two days since Mrs Khan had arrived.

It was late at night.

When Sumaiya woke up, she felt thirsty.

She reached for the water bottle on the table.

She saw it had an inadequate amount of water.

She got out of bed, holding the bottle.

She headed towards the kitchen.

While coming back, she heard someone whimpering.

She thought it was her hallucination.

She shook her head.

But then she heard a cry.

She looked towards the direction and realised it was coming from Mrs Khan's room.

Her heart got heavy.

Is Ammi alright?

That was the first question which popped up in her mind.

She hurried her steps, and reaching the door, she turned the knob.

She couldn't see anything.

The pitch-black darkness in the room made her shiver.

In the centre, on the bed, Mrs Khan was lying down.

Her hands were raised near her head.

Her legs were straight.

She was struggling as if trying to free herself from something.

Again and again, she was banging her hands on the bed.

She got goosebumps.

She realised her mother-in-law was suffering from sleep paralysis.

She hurriedly switched on the lights.

She reached near her mother-in-law.

"Ammi, wake up. It's me, Sumaiya."

She tried.

"Are you listening to me, Ammi?" she said while touching her hands in order to wake her up.

But Mrs Khan wasn't listening to her.

She saw her lips moving.

As if saying something.

Sumaiya brought her ear near her lips.

"Ayla... meri jaan... forgive me.

Forgive me.

For keeping quiet."

Sumaiya couldn't understand.

Why was her mother-in-law asking for forgiveness from Ayla?

But here, the concern was Mrs Khan.

She again tried waking her up.

When she saw nothing was working, she screamed Hamza's name, hoping he would hear it.

Hamza stirred in his sleep.

He heard his name being called out.

He saw the space beside him empty.

He understood it was Sumaiya.

Getting onto his feet, he came out of his room.

He saw his mother's room light was on.

He hurriedly reached there.

He saw his mother struggling in her sleep, and Sumaiya was trying to wake her up.

He understood what was happening.

He reached near his mother.

He quickly sprinkled water from the bottle onto his mother's face.

His mother gasped, and her eyes flew open.

Hamza quickly engulfed her in a hug.

"Everything is okay, Ammi.

You are doing great, Ammi."

He whispered soothing words to his mother.

Once she slept, he made her lie down and, correcting the comforter, blowing dua over her, and kissing her forehead, he switched off the light, letting her sleep.

Sumaiya was looking at all this.

She couldn't understand Hamza's calm demeanour.

They came out of the room.

Once they reached their room, Hamza turned towards her.

"Ask what you want to."

She gazed at him.

"Why are you so calm, Hamza?" she asked, voicing the question that had been bothering her.

He took a deep breath, as if bracing himself to reveal something inauspicious.

Or something he didn't want to talk about.

"Ammi gets possessed by a jinn sometimes," he said.

It took her a minute to realise his words.

And let them sink into her mind.

"What?" a whisper escaped her mouth.

"Yes, you heard it right."

"Hamza, do you really believe it?" she asked carefully.

Hamza looked at her.

"Sumi, jinn are mentioned in the Qur'an. We can't deny that."

He tried making her understand.

She shook her head.

"No, you are getting it all wrong."

She shook her head again.

"I do believe in jinns. They do exist. No Muslim in their right mind would deny the Qur'an."

She stopped.

Hamza frowned.

"What I mean to say is, do you really believe she is possessed?" she reframed her question.

"Of course. I have been seeing her like this since childhood.

And Bijaan told me this," he told her calmly.

"Hamza, she is not possessed.

A person who is possessed doesn't just get fine after getting sprinkled with water and a hug," she calmly stated.

"She is suffering from sleep paralysis," she informed him.

Hamza looked at her.

Her words made sense.

"But, Sumaiya... Bijaan..."

"Can't our elders be wrong? They don't know about mental health, but you do know."

She looked at him.

"Sumi, I thought this had stopped.

I saw it after so long," he said, exhaling.

He sat down on the bed.

"Hamza, are you okay?" she asked.

"How can I be so ignorant that I couldn't see Ammi's suffering?" he whispered while palming his face.

Sumaiya sat near him.

"Hamza, haven't you told me you saw it last time when you were a child? You didn't know," she tried soothing him.

He looked exasperated.

She put her hand on his shoulder.

"Let's sleep, and let's talk about it tomorrow," she said.

He nodded.

She was about to lie down to sleep.

She closed her eyes.

When-

"Forgive me, Ayla..."

The words echoed in her ears.

Her eyes flew open.

She realised.

Ammi was talking about Ayla.

Asking for her forgiveness.

While citing the reason.

Her mind wandered.

Why was Ammi saying she had kept quiet?

She thought to talk about it in the morning.

She closed her eyes.

But her mind kept wandering.

When sleep finally engulfed her, she didn't know.

*******

The sun cascaded its light on the clouds.

The chirping of birds could be heard.

The soothing wind was caressing her face.

She was watering the plants when she heard footsteps behind her.

She turned back.

She saw her mother-in-law standing there with her glowing smile.

Looking at her, last night flashed before her eyes.

She gulped.

She smiled back at her.

"Assalamualaikum, Ammi," she greeted her mother-in-law.

Mrs Khan warmly greeted her back.

They both headed towards the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

It was Sunday today.

So, a feast would be prepared.

While whisking the eggs, she began,

"Ammi, Ayla Appi died due to the rupturing of a stone, so...?"

Her mother-in-law cut her off.

She saw her mother-in-law's jaw tighten.

Her body stiffened the moment Ayla's name was mentioned.

"No. Ayla died due to tuberculosis," Mrs Khan replied.

Sumaiya frowned.

"Hadn't she died due to appendicitis?" According to Hamza.

Or due to a gall bladder rupture?

Now she was hearing that she died due to tuberculosis.

Sumaiya was confused.

"Ammi, are you sure?" she asked carefully.

"Sumaiya, I am her mother," she said firmly.

Sumaiya nodded.

Her mother-in-law excused herself.

Once she was out of her sight, Sumaiya exhaled while holding the slab.

How could one person die due to different reasons according to three people from the same family?

She couldn't understand.

It was time for breakfast.

The three of them were sitting at the table.

The tension in the air was thick enough to be cut with a knife.

She saw her mother-in-law sitting extremely silent.

Breakfast was finished in silence.

Once they were done with breakfast, Hamza moved towards his mother's room.

"Ammi, can we talk?" he started without beating around the bush.

"Yes, beta," his mother replied warmly, though she sensed the tension.

"Ammi, you were again in the same condition as you used to be when we were children," he began.

All the colour drained from Mrs Khan's face.

He saw her gripping the edge of her dupatta.

"Ammi, you are suffering from sleep paralysis," he began while holding her hands.

His mother remained silent, just gazing at him.

"Can we meet a psychiatrist-a doctor who treats mental health?" he asked.

His mother withdrew her hands and stood up.

"A psychiatrist?

Do you think I am mad, Hamza?" Her voice carried an edge.

Hamza stood up, shaking his head.

"No, Ammi.

You are not.

You are just ill," he tried telling her.

"Get out, Hamza," his mother said firmly.

Hamza was taken aback by her reaction.

"Ammi..." he began.

"Hamza, I said get out."

She repeated.

He begrudgingly walked out.

He saw Sumaiya standing there.

He shook his head.

"I need to be alone, Sumi," he said with the utmost respect.

She nodded.

She looked at the closed door, recalling her mother-in-law's reaction.

And she didn't know why, but she felt it had something to do with Ayla.

She was certain about one thing.

Ayla's death was not as simple as it seemed.