Resurrected

by Natasha Nozer Mehenty

  She then gave back the phone to her friend. Her friends went out of the room and spoke to one another, “How long will Zaib pretend to be Sam and speak with her?”

  Zaib felt like he had come closer to Afrin by pretending to be Sam. He told to himself, “If I can get Afrin’s love by being Sam I would not mind pretending to be Sam for my entire life.

  Just then a second thought shouted, “I cannot play with Afrin’s trust and Sam’s absence. I am here to help my best friend’s wife and not to make her do anything wrong. I will tell her the truth very soon.”

  Next morning Zaib’s phone rang. His friend said, “Afrin has just delivered a child. But the child is not normal.”

  “What?” Zaib asked shivering. “What happened to the child?”

  “The child is born with both the legs paralyzed. The doctor said that this might have happened because of the physical and mental shock Afrin underwent right from the earthquake till her delivery, though they cannot be sure.”

  “But, how is Afrin?” asked Zaib with fear.

  “Afrin went mad after knowing that her child suffered because of her mistake. She became very wild and started throwing everything that came in her hand. She got angrier when the doctor said that such children born with disabilities do not live a long life.”

  “Oh God!” Zaib could imagine the poor mental condition of Afrin.

  “Afrin’s wild behaviour made everybody around her worried. She even threw a flower vase at the doctor. She was going to raise hands on the nurse but at that time she was given an injection and made unconscious. Before becoming unconscious she called out for Sam and kept crying.”

  “What do we do now? How do I help her?” Zaib panicked.

  “Zaib, how will you tell her that Sam is dead? She will never forgive you if she knows that you deceived her by speaking in his voice.”

  Zaib heard this and started shivering. He said in a worried voice, “But I did that with no wrong intention. Her health would have been worse because she did not have a strong mind to accept the truth. I did it in order to make things stable in her life.”

  “I know that very well, Zaib,” said a friend. “But Afrin needs support from her husband during her struggling days of life. You need to pretend to be Sam and speak to her for some more time till she recovers.”

  “Buddy, I do not mind pretending to be Sam even for my entire life if it is for Afrin’s benefit.” Zaib recollected that he had promised Afrin during college days that he was ready to die for her if the need arose.

  Few days passed by but there was no improvement in Afrin’s behaviour. So she was made to sleep more than usual. Every day she would call out to Sam in her sleep and start crying. She would behave rudely with everybody who visited her including nurses, doctors and even her friends. Her new born child was also kept away from her. Friends reported every single detail about her to Zaib.

  Finally one day, Zaib said, “Sam must return.”

  “How will you bring Sam back from the dead?” friends asked in surprised.

  “Leave that to me,” Zaib said with a smile on his face.

  CHAPTER 16

  DON’T CURSE YOURSELF FOR THE FAULT OF YOUR FATE

  Next morning, Afrin woke up hearing her child crying. She was shocked when she saw Sam sitting near her bed and playing with their child. She sat on the bed and kept staring at his smiling face. She had so many things to tell her husband but not a single word would come out. Afrin was overwhelmed beyond words.

  When Sam realized that Afrin was staring at him he took the child and sat beside her. “Good morning, my beautiful wife,” Sam wished her with a smile.

  “Good morning, my darling! I was dying to see you,” Afrin kept her delicate head on his shoulder.

  He kept his hand on her head and said, “Thank you very much.”

  Afrin with a confused face asked, “Thank you for what, Sam?”

  Sam kissed the small child in his hands and said, “Afrin, thank you for making me a father of this cute little daughter.”

  Hearing this Afrin started crying her heart out. Sam did not stop her either. He knew she needed to cry, to take all the frustration, anger and pain bottled inside her. When Afrin stopped crying she could not face her husband.

  “Afrin, what is there to cry? It’s not the end of the world. We faced such casualties, yet we came out of it all. Honey, we must not break down like this. We need to be strong for our princess. We will provide best treatment for our child. She will heal soon. We will never make her feel that she cannot do anything in life. We will help her lead a normal and happy life,” Sam said consoling her.

  “I am responsible for this condition of my child,” saying this she again started crying.

  “No! How can you blame yourself for whatever went wrong? It was destined to happen. Stop blaming yourself for the fault of your fate,” saying this Sam paused and looked at her. He continued, “Afrin nothing in this world can happen without God’s will. Everything happens exactly the way it is written in our destiny. We are just the characters of the play called life which has been created by the Almighty. It is all planned, and with every hardship there is joy not far behind.”

  “But, I still feel guilty for delivering an abnormal child.”

  Before she could say anything more Sam kept his finger on her lips. He said, “Afrin, our child is not abnormal but a highly blessed child. If God has given something less than the normal children it means that our child is blessed with some more talents than normal children.”

  He paused and looked at their daughter, “There is no need to feel ashamed. We have no control over such situations, no point to lay the blame on yourself,” saying so, he handed over the new born to Afrin.

  She looked at Sam and said, “I will name her Rose.”

  “Wow, what a beautiful name! It suits my princess perfectly,” said Sam getting up to click photographs of his wife and child.

  Sometime later, Sam and Afrin’s friends came over to meet them. They were relieved to see a much happier Afrin but were stunned to see Sam. They asked Sam to come outside to talk.

  “Who are you? We know that Sam is dead.” One of the friend caught duplicate Sam from collar.

  “Hey Kavi, leave me. I am Zaib.” Zaib released himself by pushing away Kavi.

  “You are Zaib?” Kavi shouted in surprise.

  “Yes” replied Zaib. He looked at his other friends and continued, “I underwent a plastic surgery to look exactly like Sam.”

  Hearing this, his friends were angry. “Zaib! What are you doing, what have you done to yourself! Aren’t you stretching the lie too far?”

  Zaib looked at them and said, “I didn’t have a choice, guys. Nobody will need Zaib, but Sam would be needed. Had I not lied, Afrin’s condition would have deteriorated. This is the only way I could think of, to salvage the situation.”

  Friends were surprised to see such a sacrifice made by Zaib. They hugged him and said, “Zaib, plastic surgery has changed your entire personality. You are no more Zaib. Agreed, you want to help her, but at the cost of giving up your own identity?”

  “I did all this for Afrin and her child. I have one request for all of you. Forget Zaib. I am Sam, call me Sam. I have legally changed my name to Sam Smith.”

  After three days, Afrin was to be discharged from the hospital. She gave this news to Sam when he came to visit her.

  She worriedly asked, “Sam, we have responsibility of one small child and ourselves. Where will we live?”

  Sam looked at her and replied with a smile, “Afrin do not get tensed. I have already made arrangements for our home in Chennai.”

  “You mean we will move to another town? Couldn’t you find any house over here in Mumbai? You have bought a house where we know nobody.” Afrin spoke in a sad voice.

  “Houses over here are very expensive; out of my budget. A house I purc
hased over there is cheaper and very big. I have taken it on loan. I shall pay the installments every month. Anyway, now you relax,” saying this he left the room and sat outside.

  One of his friends who heard the conversation also came out of the room and eagerly asked, “Zaib errrrr…. I mean Sam….. Why did you plan to shift Afrin to Chennai?”

  “Because, in Mumbai people already know that Sam is dead. They will understand that I am pretending to be Sam for Afrin. What if they tell her the truth?”

  “Okay fine, but can I help you to buy the house? I mean, if it is okay with you I would like to pay your loan amount for the house,” the friend asked hesitantly.

  “Thanks buddy, but there is no need. I have not taken any loans.”

  “But you just said it to Afrin that you have taken loan and will repay every month.”

  “That was a lie, otherwise, Afrin would have kept asking more questions to me for buying a house out of Mumbai.” Sam replied.

  “Zaib… oh sorry, Sam… hope Afrin never finds out about your lies. I shall pray for you.”

  “Thanks buddy,” Sam patted on the friend’s shoulder and went away.

  CHAPTER 17

  LOVING MEANS KEEPING THEM HAPPY

  Finally it was the day when Afrin took her few clothes in a suit case and started packing. Her friends also helped her out but her best friend Sana was not there. When she came in, she was her carrying many plastic bags in hand. She went towards Afrin and hugged her tightly.

  Sana said, “My dear Afrin, you will soon move to another town. We will miss you so much. These are few gifts from all of us,” and handed over those plastic bags to Afrin.

  Afrin’s friends had bought her choicest of clothes. She thanked each of them and said in a soft voice, “You all are like angels to us. Usually people come to you at the time of their crisis but look at you all. You all are true friends; none of you deserted us even for a minute. Thanks guys, not just for the clothes but for being such great friends.” Afrin took the new clothes and packed them in her suit case. She chatted with her friends till Sam entered the room. She was laughing and looked visibly happy.

  Sam said, “Today my queen Afrin is very happy.”

  Afrin went and hugged him. She told him about the gifts from her friends and he also thanked everyone.

  Afrin then went to the bathroom for shower and her friends looked at Sana and asked, “Sana why did you lie that the gifts are from us? We had no clue about all this!”

  “I did not buy these clothes” replied Sana.

  “Then?” her friends got curious.

  At this Sana looked at Zaib and said, “Zaib……… I mean Sam brought them to my house last night and told me to give them to Afrin.”

  “But Sam, why didn’t you directly give them to Afrin?” asked one of the confused friends.

  “That is because I do not want her to realize that Sam is rich even after everything of his got destroyed in the earthquake.”

  “Right. You are too kind, Sam. She will be happy with you,” saying so, they left.

  Soon, Afrin and Sam along with little Rose left town and went to their new home. Looking at the new abode, Afrin was amazed. “Thank you for buying such a beautiful place!” she hugged her husband tight but there was no sign of affection from her husband. Afrin noticed it but brushed it aside thinking he’s been through a lot the last few weeks.

  She let go of him and said, “I don’t want you to worry about paying installments. I too will find some job very soon. Then our problem shall be sorted out.”

  However, she heard an unpredicted reply from Sam, “Who is asking you to work over here?” then correcting his sentence he continued, “Afrin I mean you can work after Rose grows little older. How can you leave my small Rose alone and go to work? I will work for the money and you take care of the house and Rose.”

  Afrin agreed.

  That night Afrin cooked for both of them and they ate together. After dinner, Sam switched on the T.V. and got busy watching it. Afrin waited for him to shut the television but he didn’t. Finally she sat beside him on the sofa. Sam shifted away. She felt that Sam was not in good mood.

  She said to him, “Sam, I am going in the room to sleep.”

  Sam looked at her and said, “Please shut the door properly before going to sleep.”

  “You shut it when you come,” Afrin replied keeping her head on his shoulder.

  “No Afrin, I will sleep in the other room,” Sam pushed her away and continued watching television.

  “But, why not with me and Rose?” asked Afrin, worried.

  “Love increases when you stay a little away from each other. I read about this research in some magazine.”

  Afrin scratched her head with a confused look and went away to sleep. When she went to her room, Zaib quickly switched the T.V. off and went to sleep in the other room.

  Soon, this became a routine. Sam would wait till Afrin went to sleep and he would go to the other room to sleep. Afrin started suspecting that maybe Sam was cheating on her. She became sure that Sam didn’t love her any more.

  Sam tried his level best to explain to Afrin that whatever she was thinking was not true but Afrin did not trust him. She would often insult him and labelled him a horrible husband.

  Sam kept his calm. He knew where Afrin’s reaction was coming from. She took him to be Sam, her husband Sam. There is no valid reason why her Sam would want to be away from her for even a minute. But there was nothing he could do. Neither could he tell her his predicament, nor could he go near her and betray her. He tried staying away from home as much as possible, spending longer hours at work. This increased Afrin’s suspicion but this was the only way. Every night, he would cry his heart out in front of God, asking him to make his life peaceful.

  Years passed by…

  NOW

  One evening when Sam was returning from work in his car, he failed to notice a dog crossing the road. By the time he realized, it was too late but in a bid to save the dog’s life, Sam took a sudden left turn and unfortunately his car crashed against a tree. He was admitted in the hospital and had to undergo a surgery.

  If the surgery is successful, he would survive. When Zaib heard this, he wondered if he would live or die? What if the surgery was not successful and he died? What would then happen to Afrin? Who would look after Afrin after his death? Then Zaib recollected that Afrin had assumed him as her husband Sam. So she will be under misunderstanding that her husband had died.

  When Sam had been injured badly in the earthquake then Afrin had been unconscious because she had no strength to see her husband even being injured. Zaib got worried to think about Afrin if she realized that Sam had died, will she again go into depression? Who will help her to come out of that depression in his absence? What would happen to her daughter Rose?

  Zaib told himself, “Now my death will save me from Afrin. I may not be alive after my surgery to face her.”

  Zaib was lost in these thoughts when Afrin entered his room. She was about to cry when she looked at her husband lying on the hospital bed. She came near him and keeping her hand on his head told, “Sam, my dear husband. You will get well soon. I have also….” but Zaib stopped her in between and said, “Afrin I have made a diary on my life. I had started writing it since my college days. Everything that has happened with me from college days up till yesterday is recorded in it. Please go home and read it.”

  “But Sam, you are not well. So how can I go home and read the diary. I will read it after you get well and are out of hospital.” Afrin replied innocently.

  Hearing this Zaib got angry and said, “Afrin I request you to go and read it.” He then turned away his face from her and pretended to sleep.

  Afrin went away. She went home and searched for the diary in his room. Finally she got the diary from the drawer. She read about her college life, her marriage, Zaib’s fac
e surgery, etc. She recollected her entire past. Tears started flowing down her eyes as she kept reading the pages of the diary. After reading the entire diary she stood still like a statue.

  She was upset that Sam had died since many years and she was a widow. But she was unhappy to lose her friend Zaib also. She felt herself emotionally attached to Zaib. She prayed to God with all her heart and mind to save Zaib’s life. She later went to the hospital. Zaib was lying on his bed with his eyes closed. Afrin went to the doctor and asked about Zaib’s condition. The doctor said that the surgery was successful but he required rest to recover quickly. When the doctor went away Afrin sat on Zaib’s bed. She kept staring at him but Zaib was fast asleep.

  In the evening, when Zaib woke up, he saw the doctor checking him. The doctor said, “Congrats! You have got a new life to live happily. Your surgery was successful. Live long!” He went away.

  Zaib saw Afrin and he got scared. He wondered what would Afrin’s reaction be now. He was sure she had come to the hospital to scold him for pretending to be Sam and misleading her. Zaib wished that it would have been better if his operation was unsuccessful. At least he would be saved from facing Afrin. The only way now to save himself was to pretend to be sleeping. So he turned his face in the opposite direction where Afrin was sitting and shut his eyes pretending to sleep.

  Afrin was a good observer. She quickly understood that Zaib was pretending to sleep.

  She said “Zaib…” and she heard him saying, “Afrin can we speak later? I am feeling sleepy now.”

  “Zaib have you taken any oath to always lie to me?” Afrin asked him angrily. So Zaib did not have any more options to make excuses.

  He sat on his bed and kept looking at the wall to avoid an eye contact. Afrin pretended to be angrier and said, “Why are you staring at the wall. I am not sitting or hanging on this wall.”

  Scared, Zaib slowly lifted his eyes towards Afrin and said, “I do not have any strength to face you. For so many years, I had kept making you believe that I am your Sam. I know you will never forgive me for my sins and why should you? Before my operation I felt that I shall live no more because such surgeries are not always successful. I wish I was not alive to look at this moment.”