The elderly lady remained quiet a moment, letting that sink in, her eyes examining Zainab and me, holding hands.
"I'm happy for you," she said at last, gently.
"Let me be honest--I've heard him yelling at you. I've heard you crying. Screaming. So many times. I know he mistreats you. He's a brute," she added, her voice low but firm.
"I always wanted to intervene. But I never had the courage. I'm so sorry I couldn't help you, Zainab," she continued.
Zainab smiled faintly. "It's okay, auntie."
"You're such an angel. You deserve someone better than Sohel," she said, her eyes shifting to me with a thoughtful, scrutinizing gaze--measuring, and assessing me.
"Thank you, auntie," Zainab said, her voice warm and emotional.
Just then, the lift reached the ground floor, and as we all stepped out, the lady turned to Zainab again.
"I know he loves you deeply. At my age, I can make out when a guy is crazy about a girl," she said to Zainab, nodding towards me with a smile.
"Yes, he does," Zainab whispered with a smile.
"Well, I wish you all the happiness. Do keep in touch. And don't hesitate to call me. And if you ever need someone to support you--legal matters or anything--my husband and I will stand by you" she said.
"Thank you, auntie," repeated Zainab and hugged her, tears brimming in her eyes.
"Don't cry, Zainab. I know he will take care of you like the angel you are. May God bless the two of you always," replied the lady.
I too stepped forward, hugged her, and thanked her for her wishes and blessings. Then, instinctively, I bent down and touched her feet in respect.
Zainab, seeing my example, did the same, her eyes still glistening with emotion.
As we moved towards the car, the elderly lady quietly walked alongside us, a silent show of support.
Some of the apartment folks, saw Zainab walking with a big suitcase and a strange man not her husband. Their curious glances turned into snide miles and quiet sniggers, the kind that stung more for what was left unsaid than what was spoken aloud.
One of them called out, "Hello Zainab, are you going somewhere?"
Before Zainab could respond, the elderly lady stepped in firmly, "Yes, she's leaving. I'm so happy for her."
After we loaded her suitcase in the boot, we thanked the elderly lady again.
In the car, I noticed Zainab looking at her apartment building in a thoughtful and pensive manner.
I placed my hand gently over hers. "Shall we go?"
She turned to me and nodded. "Yes, Samir. Take me away from here."
***
"Where are we going?" she asked, as I was driving.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I've shifted houses. I'm living in a different place now, not the one you came to earlier."
"Good," she said with a hint of relief. "At least he won't show up there and create a scene."
That made me grin.
"By the way," she said with a teasing smile, "I've been thinking about your offer to move into the other room. Do you still want me to do that?"
"No, now I want you to move into my room now, with me," I chuckled, sliding my arm around her and pulling her close. I leaned in and kissed her.
"Watch the road," she said with a smirk, gently turning my face forward.
Later in the day, we visited my lawyer friend Neha, and apprised her on the situation and asked for her advice on how to proceed.
On hearing our case, she laughed lightly, "Oh no, not again. First it was Vishal, and now you?"
"Is it possible?" asked Zainab, anxiously.
"Of course," replied Neha. "Physical and mental domestic abuse is a very serious matter. You have every right to free yourself from him--you have a strong case."
***
Three days later on Monday evening, I was sitting on the sofa watching a cricket match, with Zainab sprawled out with her head resting in my lap, casually scrolling through YouTube videos, when my phone buzzed. It was Sohel.
In the last couple of days, Zainab had already got a number of calls, all of which she ignored.
I took the call, and put it on speaker.
"Bhai, where are you?" he asked.
I could sense Zainab stiffen on hearing his voice.
"At home," I replied.
I gently placed my hand over Zainab's mouth, to keep her from saying anything before the right time.
"Bhai, I'm facing a big problem."
"Okay, tell me," I said and winked at Zainab.
"I don't know how I missed. I should have told you earlier," he continued.
"Okayyy...?"
"I got married again, bhai."
"Okay, so why are you telling me this?" I asked curtly.
There was a long silence from his end and then he finally spoke, "Bhai, I know you're upset at how I spoke to you the last time. I'm really sorry about it."
"You piece of shit, I'm not upset at how you spoke to me. I'm upset at how you spoke to Zainab, and how you've been treating her. How dare you raise your hand on her?" I said, raising my voice.
There was another silence from his side.
When he spoke again, his tone was different. The preachy tone that I'd been hearing since college. "As her husband, I'm allowed to do whatever I want with her. You know that."
"I don't give a damn what you're allowed and what you're not."
Ignoring what I'd just said, he continued, "There's one other thing I wanted your help with, bhai."
"Okay, what's that?" I asked him.
"She's gone missing. When I came home from Lucknow, she wasn't there."
"Yes, I know," I replied.
Another silence.
"How do you know?"
"Because she's with me now."
"With you?"
"Yes."
Long silence.
"You bastard, how could you do this to me? I trusted you, and you are having an affair with my wife?" he started off, realisation creeping into his thick head.
Hearing his angry rant, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. And seeing me laughing Zainab also joined in, pulling my hand off her mouth and laughing just as hard.
Hearing us both laugh, there was a shocked silence from Sohel.
"You good for nothing namard, you failed Zainab in every way possible. You were supposed to keep her safe and happy, but instead you were beating her and abusing her? Instead of giving her Jannat to live in, you gave her Jahannam? Instead of treasuring her, you brought another woman into the house? It's you who is at fault here, you shit."
"She couldn't give me a baby. She's barren. Obviously, I had to bring in another wife," he replied, lowering his voice a bit, trying to justify himself.
"It's you who is barren you impotent bastard, not her. You're not good enough for her. You never were. She's a goddess, and she will give me a beautiful, healthy baby. She needs a real man, not an impotent loser like you. I won't be surprised after couple of years when your new wife also leaves you because you're not able to get her pregnant," I told him.
He cut the phone off immediately, hearing my taunts.
"So...I'm a goddess, is it?" Zainab asked after I'd put the phone down, with a playful glint in her eyes.
"Of course, my love," I replied, grinning. "You're nothing less than a goddess to me."
"Okay, this goddess wants to make a beautiful, healthy baby with you," she giggled, climbing on top of me.