Resurrected

by Natasha Nozer Mehenty

  Hearing this Afrin sat beside him and said, “How will you die just like that? I said special prayers to God to save you.”

  “You might have prayed to save me so that you can shout at me and take revenge on me with your anger. That is acceptable because I had only misled you,” Zaib replied in a sad voice.

  “No Zaib, I am not angry with you at all though I am sad about Sam’s death.”

  “So have you forgiven me, my dear friend?” asked Zaib looking into Afrin’s eyes.

  “I forgave you immediately after I read your diary. But now I will not leave you unless you give me true answers to my questions,” Afrin commanded

  “What questions, Afrin?” Zaib panicked.

  “Why did you make Sam accept my proposal, when you too loved me immensely? Why did you always solve our conflicts?” Afrin asked with a confused face.

  At this Zaib replied softly, “Because I wanted Sam to not lose an opportunity of getting a worthy girl like you in his life.” Afrin shook her head and said, “Do not tell me a lie. You did all this keeping my happiness in your mind. You did all this just for me. Isn’t it true?”

  At this Zaib did not reply but simply nodded his head.

  “My next question is why did you leave our hometown after I got married to Sam?”

  Afrin posed another question which made Zaib start sweating even in the cold weather. He looked down and said, “My business had more scope in Chennai. I also wanted to start my independent business.”

  Hearing this Afrin shook her head again and said, “No Zaib, the real reason behind your shifting to Chennai was me. You wanted to be away from me. Isn’t it true?”

  Zaib nodded his head again.

  Afrin continued, “While I was in the hospital why did you tell everybody to hide the truth of my husband’s death from me? Why did you imitate Sam’s voice and speak to me when I was in the hospital? Why did you send that letter to me in hospital with Sam’s name and made me believe Sam is alive?”

  “Just to make you live and not die mourning about Sam’s death.” Words fell out of Zaib’s mouth before he could even think something.

  “But why, Zaib? What difference would it be to you even if I was dead?”

  Zaib now got angry. He looked at her and said, “How can I let you die in my presence. The reason behind it is that I had promised Sam to take care of you and your baby even after his death.”

  “So Zaib if you had not promised Sam then you would really not bother to take my care after Sam’s death? Why are you lying, Zaib? You had started taking my care since our college days. Even today you care about me and you will take care of me and my daughter Rose till you are alive. Giving promise to Sam is just an excuse to hide the truth. Am I wrong?”

  Zaib couldn’t reply and so he just nodded his head. Afrin went on with her questions.

  She asked, “Zaib why did you do a face surgery and pretended to be Sam. Why did you undergo that surgery and change your looks forever? Did Sam also tell you to do it?”

  Zaib replied slowly, “No Afrin nobody told me to do it nor did I want to undergo such a painful surgery. But still I did it for…” and he stopped.

  Afrin looked into his eyes and asked, “Why did you do it for me?”

  Zaib started looking towards the trees outside the windows and said, “I had no other option to bring you out of depression. I thought that after looking at Sam your life would be normal again. You needed to live a normal life because you had an infant daughter to look after too.”

  Afrin looked into Zaib’s eyes and asked “But why did you make your life abnormal to make my life normal? Nobody would have bothered to take so much care of me. Then why did you make such a sacrifice for me?”

  Hearing this Zaib just kept staring at the wall. He didn’t reply at all. But Afrin could understand everything from his silence.

  She patted Zaib’s arm and said, “I have my last question waiting for you.”

  “Ask,” Zaib replied breathing fast.

  “Zaib, you pretended perfectly to fit in my husband’s shoes. You even proved yourself to be a good husband and a very nice father.” Zaib smiled after hearing this praise.

  Afrin continued, “Zaib when I had started suspecting you, thinking that my husband was cheating on me and blamed you with so many allegations at that time why did you not shout back at me? Why did you silently accept all my false allegations on you? You could have at that time itself told me that your husband is dead and so do not make my head spin anymore.”

  Zaib took a glass of water and started drinking it. He put down the glass and said, “Afrin how could I shout at you? The situations were not in your control either. You just reacted due to such circumstances. If I would have been equally rude with you then our fights would have increased. You would have eventually started hating your husband. I couldn’t let you hate Sam. So it was best for me to be quiet and avoid heated arguments.”

  Zaib’s words touched Afrin’s heart. She kept staring at Zaib for some time.

  At that time a nurse entered the room. She was taking out medicines for Zaib. Afrin asked her, “When will Zaib get discharge from the hospital?”

  The nurse smiled and looking at her said, “Very soon mostly within a week.”

  Afrin went to the balcony and kept looking at two birds sitting on a tree. They were chirping as if two lovers were lost in their conversation.

  “Afrin, will you eat apple?” Zaib asked while cutting slices of apple.

  “No my darling, you eat,” Afrin replied. Hearing the word ‘darling’ the knife fell down from Zaib’s hands. Before he could bend to pick it up, Afrin came and picked it up herself. She washed it and then took away the plate from him. While slicing the apple she was lost in her own thoughts.

  Zaib joining his hands said, “Afrin please, please forgive me for my sins. After getting out of the hospital I shall leave you and Rose back in Mumbai. I have already told an agent to find a house in a good locality in Mumbai. You both live there happily. I promise you shall never meet me again. I will remain here in Chennai.”

  “But I have not yet punished you,” Afrin said wiping out the knife.

  “Of course, you can punish me. I will accept any punishment.” Zaib said in a sad voice.

  At that time Afrin sat beside him. She kept a slice of apple into his mouth. Zaib felt awkward. He tried to take the plate from Afrin’s hand but she didn’t allow him.

  She said, “Zaib you will be served apple only by me.”

  Zaib wanted to change the topic so he asked, “Afrin, you did not mention your punishment.”

  “Oh yes, I have decided to punish you by always keeping you in front of my eyes.”

  “I did not get you?” Zaib got confused. But Afrin clearly stated, “Zaib I mean we will stay in the same house and live the same life as before.”

  “No Afrin, that is impossible!” Zaib said firmly.

  “Why, Zaib? What is wrong in it?” Afrin asked worried. She continued, “Zaib do you have somebody else in your life with whom you want to stay separately?”

  “No, that’s not the reason. In fact, my life was so busy that I had no time to think about my life partner.”

  “Then why do you disagree to stay with me like we used to stay?” Afrin got curious.

  Zaib looked at her and said, “Afrin how can we live in the same house when you already know that I am Zaib and not Sam. I was forced to stay with you because I was playing Sam’s role in front of you but now I will not play the role of your husband. You are my best friend’s wife not my own wife.” Zaib spoke the last line with great difficulty. Afrin did not like this argument.

  At this Zaib said, “Afrin do not worry. In Mumbai, I shall arrange everything for you. I shall pay all expenses for you and Rose. You won’t have to face any short fall ever.”

  Afrin now got angry and asked, “Zaib, w
hy do you continuously insist upon my going to Mumbai?”

  Without losing his calm, Zaib replied, “Afrin it is true that I want you both to stay in Mumbai because I feel guilty whenever I see you in front of me. I am attached to you and Rose after living under one roof. If you are in Chennai, then your memories will not leave me and if I come to meet you my sins will not leave me in peace.”

  Afrin looked into his eyes and asked, “What sins have you committed?”

  “I have cheated you, misled you….”

  “Shut up, you mad man,” Afrin replied angrily. She continued, “You have cheated me, you kept telling me lies for a divine purpose. You did not have any guilt in your mind. You tried your best to keep me happy. If you lie to, or cheat somebody with the intention of pulling out that person from any suffering then it is not called a sin. It is a good deed. You have saved my life otherwise I would have been still struggling with depression.”

  She then took a glass and started pouring water in it. Zaib looked at her and said, “Afrin I have acted like Sam and made you believe I was your husband. That is nothing but a sin.”

  Afrin, keeping the glass aside said, “Pretending to be my husband and taking any kind of wrong advantage of it would have been a sin. You have loved Rose just like Sam would have done. In fact, Rose loves you more than she loves me. You have acted like my husband but did not touch me even by mistake. So you have done no sins.” Afrin replied with a smile and drank the entire glass of water.

  She came back and sat on Zaib’s bed. She kept her fingers in Zaib’s hair and started playing with it. Zaib again felt awkward. So he picked up an apple and told her to cut it for him. Afrin took the plate and kept it aside. She looked at Zaib and said, “Zaib let us get married. I have fallen in love with you.” She then hugged him but he pushed her aside and said, “Sorry Afrin, I can never marry you.”

  Afrin got confused and asked, “Why? Are you already married?” she started laughing. But Zaib was serious in replying. “Afrin if you would have said this to me in our college days I would have happily married you but not now.”

  Afrin got more confused. She taunted him, “So you cannot marry me now just because you feel old?”

  “No Afrin, the reason is that you are my best friend’s wife. I have promised him to always keep you happy and keep you safe. I cannot take advantage of his absence and marry you.”

  “Zaib I really love you for this reason. You have never taken wrong advantage of any situation.” Afrin looked into Zaib’s eyes.

  He told himself, “After today’s conversation I will never be able to forget Afrin. I feel like I am falling more in love with Afrin but I shall have to keep myself away from her. Afrin shook Zaib’s shoulder and asked, “Didn’t you promise Sam to always keep me happy? But you have turned away from your words.”

  Zaib looked at her with a confused face but then thinking about his mistakes he said, “You have been unhappy, because of my mistakes. I am sorry…” Afrin stopped him and said, “You can still correct your mistake.”

  “How can I?” Zaib asked in a nervous tone.

  “I love you and I will be the happiest person to get married to my love. You cannot deny me for keeping me happy.” Afrin went and kissed Zaib on his cheeks. Zaib’s face turned red and he started blushing. He had no words to express his happiness. Afrin was taking pleasure in observing his happiness.

  She took out a ring from her purse and bent down on her knees. She proposed him saying, “Zaib, will you marry me?”

  Zaib stood up from his bed and took her in his arms.

  Afrin said to him, “After reading the diary written by you and knowing your struggles, any girl in this world will fall in love with you.”

  Zaib hugged her tightly and said, “Afrin I could not even dream of this day when I could win your heart. You never had any place for me in your life so I kept myself away from you.”

  “We shall get married soon. Now you relax my dear and I am leaving to arrange for our marriage,” she winked and went away.

  CHAPTER 18

  ALINA IS BACK

  It was 6.30 a.m. and a lady with a suitcase pushed the door of Zaib’s room. In hurry, she banged herself against the table kept beside Zaib’s bed. Zaib’s sleep got disturbed. He opened his eyes and after looking at the lady he felt that she might be relative of some patient who was being treated on the opposite room.

  He shut his eyes again and felt sleepy. At that time he heard a soft voice, “Sam, did you not recognize me!”

  Zaib felt somebody was speaking to him in his dreams. He finally fell asleep. The lady kept the suitcase upon a cupboard beside Zaib’s bed. She took a chair and sat next to his bed. She kept staring at Zaib continuously for some time. Finally she lost her patience and she shook Zaib.

  Zaib woke up and looked at her. He was still in his sleep therefore he could hardly open his eyes wide enough to look at her. He sat on his bed and saw the lady staring at him.

  He said, “Have you come here to meet me? But I can’t recognize you.”

  The lady kept staring at him and said, “Sam, did you also lose your memory after the accident?”

  Zaib got a little scared realizing that the lady was speaking with to him assuming that he was Sam. The lady smiled and said, “Sam I am Alina. Remember how much we loved each other, back in collage at Switzerland? Do you remember me now?”

  After hearing this Zaib, recollected Sam telling him how Alina had been a disloyal girlfriend.

  Without revealing the truth, he replied firmly, “But Alina, you had left me for some other guy. I did love you, but you never loved me.”

  “Yes Sam, I had realized this mistake after getting married to Rody. After few years of my marriage he divorced me,” Alina looked upset.

  He asked, “Why did he give you divorce?”

  “Seems like Rody married me only for my looks and my wealth. After I became mother of two kids my weight increased. I was no longer as beautiful as I was before marriage. To add to my misery, after my father’s death all his wealth went to my brother. I did not receive a penny. When my husband didn’t find me of any value he took custody of my two sons and divorced me,” Alina replied and got lost in her past memories.

  Zaib continued the conversation by showing sympathy towards her. He said, “That must have been difficult for you…”

  The lady came out of her memories and said, “After the divorce, even my brother didn’t allow me to use any of his funds to settle down in my life. Fortunately, he allowed me to stay with him.”

  She took a deep breath and said, “After that I started searching for you.”

  “Why would you search for me?” Zaib replied spontaneously and forgot that he had to speak on behalf of Sam. So he corrected himself and said, “I mean after your divorce why did you remembered me?”

  “That is because my guilt of cheating you was eating me up and I felt like apologizing to you for my mistake. When I met your best friend Cary, he told me that you had shifted to India. I later got to know that you had shifted to Chennai. When I went to your house one paralyzed girl told me that you met with an accident and got admitted in the Teresa Hospital. So I came rushing here with my suitcase.”

  “But why did you come from Switzerland to India? Did you come just to apologize to me?” asked Zaib.

  At this he heard an unexpected answer. Alina took Zaib’s hand and clasping it in both her hands said, “Sam I have come to say sorry as well as get married with you. I know you had true love for me and true love never dies.”

  Zaib pulled away his hand and said, “I have forgiven you but I do not love you anymore. Nor will I get married to you.”

  Alina got angry. She caught Zaib by his collar and said, “I came all the way here to become your wife and now you are disowning me. I will not listen to you.”

  Zaib clasped his head in his hand and got lost in deep thoughts.
When he was about to reveal the truth that he was Zaib and not Sam, Afrin came inside the room with a bouquet of red roses in her hand. Zaib looking at her got his answer.

  He looked at Alina and said, “Alina, I cannot marry you because I will be getting married to Afrin. I only love her truly and we will soon get married.”

  Afrin got confused looking at Zaib. She signaled him enquiring what was happening. At this Zaib said, “Afrin, this lady is Alina. Alina, from Switzerland…”

  At this, Afrin responded without any thought, “Oh yes, I have read about her in your diary. She is Sam’s ex-girlfriend.”

  “Did Sam make a diary and write about me?” Alina asked Afrin.

  Hearing this question Afrin looked at Zaib. He gestured her to say yes. Afrin understood and took control of the situation. She said, “Yes Alina. Sam made a personal diary in which it is written that you were the only girl whom he had loved before I came into his life.”

  Hearing this Alina smiled and pulled Zaib’s cheeks saying, “So I was your first love….”

  Then she got angry and shouted, “But only I will marry him. Nobody else.”

  Alina went towards Afrin and asked Zaib, “Sam tell me, is this girl the only one whom you now truly love?”

  Zaib happily nodded his head and said, “I truly love her and I can’t live without her.” Hearing this, angry Alina took out a gun from her pocket and kept it on Afrin’s head. Zaib got scared, it sent shivers down his spine.

  Alina said, “Zaib, now let her die. Only if she dies I will have space in your heart.”

  Hearing this Zaib feared more. He was afraid to lose Afrin. He joint hands in front of Afrin and pleaded, “Alina please kill me if you want but leave Afrin. Please do not hurt her even by mistake.”

  Alina looked at Afrin cunningly and said, “Sorry Afrin, but the reason behind your death will be my love for Sam.”

  At that time an idea struck her mind. She looked at Alina and said, “I will be grateful if you kill me.”