CHAPTER 1: Summons from Lucknow
Seher looked out of the window dismally at the rain.While her classmates had fooled around,playing,watching movies and what not once the boards were over,she had holed herself in the attic,studying madly for NEET.The exam had gotten over the previous week but the rains had started immediately after ,leaving her cooped up inside the house with a cranky grandfather and permanently stressed out mother.A crash from the courtyard jolted her out of her reverie.She ran to the corridor outside her room and peered over the railing,just in time to catch her grandfather yelling at their sixteen year old househelp,shaking his fist in the air while the girl trembled.There was a growing puddle of milk on the floor.
Seher winced in sympathy as her grandfather's voice hit a crescendo.Ten long minutes later,the girl was dismissed.
"Kausar!" ,he yelled, his voice booming throughout the expanse of the house.
Seher watched her mother walk in, her head covered and eyes downcast,avoiding all eye contact.
"Clean up this mess.And suno,I'm going to the club.Don't expect me to return till midnight.One more thing, today's quota for milk is over.Don't you dare buy any more.",he said gruffly and walked away.
"Ji Abbaji."Kausar whispered to the floor.She then looked up and pulled a face at his retreating back.Seher bit back a giggle and decided to go downstairs to help her mother.
"Here Ammi,let me help you.",she said,taking a rag from the storeroom.
"Idiot!" muttered Kausar darkly,"he gambles away everything at that club of his and then scrinches on the household expenses."
"Leave it ammi, that milk is horrible and spoilt most of the time.I think we dodged the bullet this time,otherwise all of us might be in the hospital with diarrhoea."
"And I won't have to work,"sighed Kausar wistfully before turning gloomy,"As if your grandfather would even let us go to the hospital in the first place.Stupid man!"
Seher shook her head and between the two of them,they had the floor clean in an hour.
That night,Seher watched her mother carefully lock their bedroom door before settling on the mat on the floor.She took a deep breath and started an age old argument.
"Take the bed this time,Ammi."
Kausar simply ignored her and started praying.Seher sighed and fell asleep.
At around midnight, both of them were woken up by the harsh rattling of the doorknob.Seher held her breath ,wondering if it would give away ,before the perperator on the other side gave up.In the last 14 years,the door knob had given out around 14 times ,and her Ammi still had the scars to prove it.Seher shuddered and lay back down, not wishing to see the expression on her Ammi's face.Both of them were asleep before long.
The next morning, Seher offered her namaaz and looked out of the window in thought.The rain had stopped,perhaps she could join her friends today.She gingerly peeked out of the room,checking if the coast was clear.No dadu, she heaved a sigh of relief and slowly made it down the stairs.Her mother was busy in the kitchen,She just had to inform her before leaving.With a huge grin, she sauntered off when suddenly her grandfather called out.
"Kausar!Seher!Come here quickly.I've got important news."
Seher joined her mother in the courtyard where he stood with an open letter.
"Parvez has written.He wants the two of you to come to Lucknow.Pack your bags.He's coming tonight to take you with him." and he walked off.
Seher looked at an equally dismayed Kausar.Parvez Baig was a walking disaster.They were officially done for.She quickly muttered a prayer to the benevolent God listening up there,promising she'd give up watching films if the train her father was travelling on suddenly exploded.
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