TWO

As I kept walking beside Sabreena I couldn’t stop myself to stop gawking at the beauty of the mansion. Every piece of architecture and even paintings were giving the touch of royalty and tradition along with the modern touch as there were glass walls which were enhancing the beauty of the corridors. They were extremely rich and they liked to show that too.

“Assalamualikum ma’am.” Sabreena said after knocking at one of the doors as she was in front of me so I couldn’t see the inside of the rooms.

“Walikum Asalam. Another one is here again?” A rough but warm voice came as Sabreena got a greeting back as she stepped aside so I could be visible to the woman in her fifties. She was lying on the bed with the duvet covering her feet. Her hairs were all white as they showed the wisdom just like the sparkle in her eyes. She was old but the sparkle in her light was dim not dead. I didn’t like how I felt warmth in her eyes as it should be the other way round.

“Yes, she is here.” Sabreena said as she gestured me to come inside and as expected the room was also dripping royalty even in its simplest state.

“Assalamualimum.” I said with as much respect as I could as it wasn’t forced. The aura around that lady made me bow my head a little.

“Walikum Asalam.” She greeted me back eying me from top to bottom as I fidgeted my fingers getting overwhelmed under her gaze as I looked down at myself and doubled check my outfit. I wasn’t wearing anything that could offend an old religious lady. I was wearing a short brown colord skirt with white blouse as there were same colord brown tights underneath with sneakers covering my shoes. I had a brown colord silk scarf around my neck. My hairs were in a bun without any makeup except a small amount of tint so that I could look a little presentable.

“She came all the way from the airport and ready to start your first session. I hope you don’t give her a hard time.” Sabreena said with a small smile on her face as she smiled at me apologetically. I didn’t know I would have to come and get to work directly but I didn’t have any problem in working. I had done tons of work in my life and that too with an empty stomach. I was alone and I had to do that for myself. It was my uncle who sent me here and prepared me for the revenge so that the soul of my family could be in peace and these people couldn’t think of doing anything like this again that could leave someone so vulnerable like me all alone in this cruel world and that too for a girl.

“Of course. As soon as she doesn’t try to sleep with my son.” Johara bibi grumbled as I gasped at her words.

“Why would I sleep with him? I don’t sleep with boys. It’s so inappropriate. There should be a wall between a man and a woman.” I said as I blurted out what I learned from my mother when she was alive.

Sabreena and Johara bibi stared at me for a few seconds making me confuyse as I was so close from running from there as sleeping with a man was inaprropriate. I thought these people were religious but my thoughts didn’t reach their completeion when Sabreena spoke up.

“Aren’t you here from Qatar?” Sabreena asked as I shook my head in yes.

“Have you worked for someone else before?” She asked as I shook my head. Obviously, I was here based on my experience and refernce letters that my uncle arranged for me.

“For who?” She asked with disbelief in her eyes.

“My uncle and his clients.” I answered as it seemed like an investigation.

“What does your uncke do?” This time the question came from Johara bibi.

“He is a tailor.” I answered looking at both of them like looking at a tennis match.

“How many friends do you have?” Sabreena asked trying to reach somewhere.

“I-I was h-homeschooled and I couldn’t make any friends during my therapist course because my uncle was strict about that. He didn’t like the upbringing of today’s kids.” I said as I knew my uncle was struct but he was the one who acted like a family when I was wandering around in the streets of Qatar not knowing what to do. The home we had in Qatar was taken by a mafia and I didn’t know at that time that I could also go to the police. I spent nights in the streets as I at that time realized the worth of shelter and warmth in those nights of winter. My uncle found me cleaning someone’s car in exchange for money as I was extremely hungry. He cried seeing me as he said the daughters of Mirza’s were destined to rule in their home and here, I was trembling in old and dirty clothes. His strictness was bearable as he knew what was good for me and what was not.

“So, you didn’t have any friends to talk about boys. Makes sense.” Sabreena said as she exchanged glances with Johara bibi.

“So, you are saying that you wouldn’t show your cleavage to my son on and off?” Johara bibi asked with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

“NO!” I gasped as I couldn’t help but place my hand on my cleavage. My eyes became teary as they didn’t asl any question for my uncle prepared me. He was preparing me for months about to how to act and how to speak but here they were asking such alien questions. I didn’t like her son at all as because of him I had to go through this interrogation.

“We shouldn’t mess with her mind. It should be the way it is. And about that friend thing…” Sabreena turned towards me as she smiled mischievously. “…we can be friends so I can enlighten you with the current pleasures of the world.” She sounded generous but there was something I should be afraid about and I didn’t know at that time what was it.

“Don’t you dare. Girls like these are hard to find.” Johara bibi said as Sabreena left the room chuckling and closed the door behind her.

“S-should we start?” I asked as I was getting nervous with the scanning eyes of her. His son’s eyes were not like hers but the intensity of them were the same as if they knew why I was there. My eyes were getting teary as my uncle prepared me for everything as about how to not hide my identity as there could be a lot of Mirzas so they wouldn’t know that I was the one who they ruined thirteen years ago. Also, about how to not brag about having so much experience in therapy because I didn’t have any. I just graduated from college and I practiced on my uncle’s clients who were old ladies having backache so I had my hands trained on them. I was naturally good at the massaging and the rest of that I learned in my course. My uncle managed to recommend me here through one of his clients as I didn’t know how he did that because two days ago he just came and handed over me the tickets and asked me to get ready for the revenge. He told me to not get scared from anyone but at the same time he didn’t let me interact with people as he thought that they would ruin my mood. He said he had sharpened my thought and mind but now hearing these people I got to know my uncle had missed the major part of life and that was role of a man in a woman’s life. He even taught me how to shoot and how to attack with a knife as I had gotten injured myself in that process. The scars of which were on my body as evidence but I still missed one part and that was men.

“We will start with the basics.” I said as I made her sit properly while her wheels chair was placed at one side of the bed.

“I have done the basics. I am doing it for years.” She informed as it seemed like she was herself bored of doing it but we always had to start from the basics as that was the rule.

“Then you are not doing with hope.” I said what I assumed was right as my uncle would have killed me with throwing daggers at me as he didn’t like the philosophical things.

“What?” She looked above at me with amused eyes as I lowered my gaze to glance at her paralyzed feet.

“My mother used to say that there wasn’t any therapy that could treat you if you are not hopeful. Miracle alw…”

“Miracle always comes from hope.” She completed my sentence as I looked at her with amazement when she added. “My friend use to say that.” She smiled with shocked expressions scanning my face.