THIRD PERSON'S POV :

(Flashback)

Wearing a gray and black cotton suit which was full of wrinkles and two kitchen stains she was busy in beating the eggs. Her hair were tied up in the messy bun but some small length hearlocks were falling in her face and forehead making her irritated. She was wiping her forehead every now and then to brush off her hairs from her forehead. Putting the bread slices in toaster she turned towards the door of kitchen

"Hamdan... Come for breakfast, play with Shifa after coming back to school" Maryam yelled and pour the eggs on frying pan.

"I have to talk to him, but how would I start the conversation? I can't call him by name!" Maryam mumbled while pouring the tea in cups and biting the inner part of her cheek in nervousness. That was been 27 days of their marriage but she didn't initiate any conversation with Anwar, so she was confused to talk to him.

"Amma, what will I make for you in lunch?" Maryam asked while passing the cup of tea to her mother-in-law on breakfast table, then Passed the tea to Anwar without meeting the gaze with him.

"Cook something light for me" Maryam nodded on order and took her seat beside her husband to feed breakfast to Hamdan.

"Mummy not banana but apple" Hamdan said and Maryam nodded and cut the apply for him.

"Come on Hamdan eat it fast like a good boy" placing the apple slices in front of him Maryam said and Hamdan started having that, in the time being Anwar competed his breakfast and went to room and Maryam followed him.

"S.. Suniye" (li.. listen) She stammered in lower voice and Anwar nodded without looking at her.

"Bolo" that was a rude order as usually

(say)

"I.. I wanna go to my home..." Maryam said in hushed tone and Anwar looked at her suddenly.

"I will go just for few hours" she added suddenly as a clarification but his expression was unchanged. "Only if you give permission" she said meekly without looking at him, but her heart was beating fast because she was demanding for something first time in front of Anwar and he could refused very easily after scolding her ...

"Shall I go?" She added in almost no voice and listed her gaze towards Anwar, he stay silent and think for a minute

"No, don't go because Ham..." Anwar was saying when his sentence was cutted off in between

"Okay.... No problem" Mumbling the same Maryam made her way to the door of door.

'Can't he give me permission to go to meet my parents? I am working like a maid his house and I look care of his sister like a nurse.... Maids also get one day off.... He is treating me like a... Like a slave; invest for once then you are free to use for whole life' saying all those things in her mind she went to the dining area to feed Hamdan breakfast

"What happened? You are looking angry? Has Anwar scolded you?" Her mother-in-law asked and she shook her head immediately without looking up.

"Hamdan finish it fast, your papa is getting late because he is waiting for you" Maryam said to Hamdan while feeding him.

"Mummy will Shifa also go to my school when she start talking?" Hamdan asked happily and Maryam was occupied by thoughts because she didn't had idea how would Anwar treat Shifa? Shifa was just Maryam's daughter in that home, nothing else.

"Have this.... You talk very much" saying that Maryam said gave a bite to Hamdan. That is the best way to stop someone to talk... Fill his/her mouth with food.

"Hamdan are you ready beta?" Anwar asked and Hamdan nodded while munching on apple slice

"Mummy not milk... I don't like milk,"

"Hamdan drink milk, beta don't show your drama this time. Maryam mix chocolate powder in this" Anwar said the first part to Hamdan in scolding way and ordered the last one to his wife. He was also looking angry. Maryam turned went to kitchen to follow the order.

"What happened Anwar, any problem?" Anwar shook his head in the reply of his Amma's question

"Have she done something?" his mother asked with furrowed brows and Anwar smirked.

"I know very well how to handle her, she hadn't do anything." He informed his mother and sat down beside Hamdan while mumbling "Even she don't have guts to do anything." but his mother listened the same. At the same time Maryam came back with chocolate milk for Hamdan and passed the glass to him then made her way to the room

"She shows herself as a naive, but actually she isn't" His Amma said and Anwar shook his head

"I don't think she portray herself as a naive, I never felt she is a naive... Yeah but she is timid in front of us, she don't talk freely to us but not naive, in any way" Anwar said while glancing at his wrist to check the time but he wasn't wearing that.

"Maryam.." that was a loud and sharp call

"Ji, coming (yes)"

Maryam came out from the room and before Anwar open his mouth to ask for his watch.

"Your watch, a-ap bhul ga..ye the" passing the wrist watch to Anwar she said but when Anwar looked up at her she felt uncomfortable and her words stucked in her throat

(you forge... i..t)

"Dulhan make a cup of tea for me" Maryam nodded on order

"Aapne bulaya tha... Kuch... Kaam tha?" Maryam asked on slow voice and Anwar shook his head

(you summoned me,... Do you... Have any work?)

"No... Nothing important, Go and make tea for Amma" He said without a single hint of softless in his voice while wearing his watch, he didn't bother to look at her again

'Ofcourse I'm here for this work how can I forget? Do this think for Amma, do that for Hamdan... Take care of Rani and her children.... cook something special when Guests come.. I'm here as a servent not as his wife... I think I don't have the respect of wife in my destiny. There Aatish didn't had guts to took stand for me in front of his parents and now this man... He only treat me as a servant. I am tired of doing all these works, can't he understand my single emotion, I wanna go out of this house just for a few hours... But no, Don't go... He replied so fluently. And I don't have any other option except accepting his orders.' on one hand Maryam was frustrated and saying all these things to herself, while making tea and brushing off her hair from forehead with frustration but on the other hand...

"Amma, Kaam to Sara karti hai na ... Kya ho gya agar kuch time apni beti par lga deti hai to... Hamdan ka dhyan rakhti hai aur hamara sara kaam time par karti hai.. to bas kafi hai, ab uski beti sath me rahegi to thoda time to use bhi degi hi, woh bachchi bhi to chhoti hai abhi..." Anwar gave reply to his mother and she jerked her head

(She use to do all the domestic chores on time, and take care of Hamdan and do all our works on time, I think all these things are enough Amma.... Her daughter is also small she need her mother's time, if she (Maryam) is giving some time to Shifa then what's the matter?)

"Anwar Kam se kam tumse to esi ummed nahi thi... Bohot khatarnaak ladki hai ye, abhi to ek mahina bhi nahi hua shadi ko aur pta nahi kya kar diya hai usne, jo tum maa se behes kat rahe ho aur us ladki ki tarafdari kar rahe ho" saying that his mother made herself stand from the chair holding her anger

(Anwar at least I wasn't expecting this from you... She is such a cunning girl, its not even a single month of marriage and you are arguing with me in favour of that girl)

"Amma your tea" Maryam passed the cup to her mother-in-law and she got a glare in reply.

''Maaf karo bibi... Nahi chahiye mujhe koi chai waye" Maryam was shocked on sudden and angry answer, her mother-in-law jointed her palms in front of her while saying that words, then marched to her room while mumbling something but Maryam didn't understand what she said.

(Forgive me... I don't need any tea)

"Wha... What I have done? Why amma said like this?" Maryam asked to Anwar in hushed tone looking at the way from her mother-in-law left.

''Nothing happened, she is angry with me, you do your work I'm going'' saying that in same rough tone Anwar held Hamdan's school bag and Maryam nodded without looking at him, she was feeling angry on Anwar but she couldn't say anything to him.

"Hamdan tell me what do you want in lunch" Maryam asked when both father and son was on main gate and Maryam was their to close the door.

"Daal chawal"

"His menu card only contains Daal chawal and bread rolls" Maryam muttered while nodding and pushed her hair away from her forehead with the back of her palm.

"Amma se puch liya wo kya khayengi?" Anwar asked and Maryam nodded without uttering a single word

(Have you Asked to Amma what will she like to have)

"Kabhi Hamdan ke papa se bhi puchh liya karo ke unhe dinner me kya chahiye" Anwar said with a different shine in his eyes,but the coldness of his tone was unchanged.

(Ever ask Hamdan's papa what he wants for dinner)

"Ky.... Kya banau aapke liye?" she stammered after gulping

(wh..what do you want in dinner)

"That's your responsibility, you should know what your husband wants" saying that in the rude manner he mounted on his bike making Hamdan sat on his back and left the home in very next moment. But Maryam was standing there with shivering hands and marathon running heart on what Anwar said. That words were holding double meaning which was making Maryam anxious and uncomfortable.

===============

"Amma I'm going to pick Hamdan" Maryam said to her mother-in-law while carrying Shifa securely in her arms, and She got a nod in reply.

From the day when Shifa was crying laying on the floor, Maryam never left Shifa in home on trust of her mother-in-law, but she use to carry her daughter to pick Hamdan from bus stop.

"How are you?" Maryam was waiting for bus when a lady asked her and Maryam replied 'fine' with a small smile.

"I'm noticing you since many days, but couldn't found myself to talk to you" That lady said and Maryam passed an uncomfortable smile in reply. That lady was also come to pick her children from bus stand

"Is she your daughter?" Maryam nodded in reply.

"Hamdan's mother also came to pick him, she was very nice lady" That lady said and that time Maryam looked at her

"Do.. You know about Hamdan and his mother" Maryam asked in hushed tone and The lady nodded with a sad smile.

"She was my good friend, even we use to go one another's home too.... Actually it would be better to say that she use to come my home, but her mother-in-law... I mean your mother-in-law don't like visiters so Saba never invite me in her home" The lady said and Maryam just nodded while trying to pass a smile, but the smile was offended with her lips.

"I... I don't know anything about this." Maryam tried to drop the matter and looked at the road to wait for the bus.

"How is your mother-in-law with you?" Maryam think for a minute before replying

"She is good" Maryam mask a smile,

A smile which was screaming loudly that it was a fake one.

"Are you lying or she is really good with you?" The lady asked and Maryam was scared to shared anything to a stranger.

"Why are asking?" Maryam put another question in reply of her question

"Your mother-in-law was never good towards Saba, she told me many times... She use to treat her like a maid" That lady informed Maryam

'Amma treat me also like a maid' Maryam said to herself and looked at Shifa who was looking red due to hot weather. Her small forehead was full of sweat. Maryam clean shifa's face with Hankey and kissed her cheek

"Your daughter is cute. How old is she?"

"Five months" Maryam said with a smile, but she was feeling uncomfortable to talk to a stranger and that day bus was late.

"How is your husband towards you?" That lady asked and Maryam tried to conclude but she didn't understand if Anwar was good or bad.

"He is kind" Maryam mask the situation and the lady smile with a nod

"Saba also said about her husband that he didn't even glanced at her with angry sight in seven years of marriage, he is a good man."

"Yes he is good" Maryam mumbled and That lady smiled.

"It's the biggest satisfaction that at least one's husband is caring and loving."

"Ofcourse husband's love is very important for a good life." Maryam mumbled while remembering the time when Aatish showed his love every now and then but time changed everything and same Aatish didn't think about his wife and daughter and divorced her just for a comfortable life.

"Does Hamdan's mother talk to you about her everything?" Maryam asked surprisingly

"Saba's parents were passed away after sometime of her marriage and her only sister lives in abroad so she was alone here, and she use to believe me like a sister." Maryam nodded on that lady's reply

"Ohh.. It means She was very close to you" Maryam said in undertone and that lady nodded with a sad smile

"Yes indeed she was.... She always says that Her husband can't tolerate a single tear in her eyes, both love each other madly" The lady said and Maryam nodded with a sad smile, she remembered Aatish whom she loved from dept of her heart but he left her alone in between.

"I.. I am sorry I shouldn't said this... Now he is your husband" the lady suddenly apologise but Maryam smiled sadly and shook her head

"No need to be sorry... What reality is reality, I know how much he love her, whenever I woke up in middle of night I always found him, holding her photograph... He don't say anything but it's not a big deal to understand the situation of him" Maryam said in hushed tone and at the same time the bus arrived.

"Saba says that it doesn't matter for her how her mother-in-law treat her, because her husband loves her.... He never let her suffer in any situation" Maryam smiled with difficulty at the same time Hamdan came out from the bus.

"Give your bag" Maryam hanged Hamdan's bag on left shoulder and held his hand before walking towards the home.

'He never glanced his wife with angry gaze but he never look at me without glaring'

'He treated her lovingly but he talk to me without rudeness'

'He cared for her but in my case he didn't even allowed me to visit my maternal home for a few hours'

'Ofcourse she was his wife and mother of his child but I'm just a maid of his house and nanny of his son... I don't deserve any politeness from him...' with these painful thoughts Maryam entered in the room.

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No..

It's not end here....

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It's a double update so read next part too

😁😁

_Naaz Jamal