48

It took Abba more than two hours of begging before Mama agreed and let him took Aisha with him. He didn’t tell her what he was going to do or where he was taking Aisha, and Nasir wasn’t there, she would have paired him with them. She first looked at Aisha and asked her “Aisha, do you want to go? If not, you can stay at home, I won’t force you to do something against your wish.”

Aisha looked at Abba and saw how edgy he seemed and she reluctantly nodded her head. She realized being afraid of Abba won’t be sweet if she took along the habit for the rest of her life. It would only mean that he was still torturing her mind without actually doing anything, and she thought that he didn’t deserve that from her. She wanted to give it a try, maybe she can walk out of Abba and all that living with him had made of her within just a few minutes they’re going to drive with and wherever he was taking her. She knew he did not talk apart from Aisha and Humana.

Throughout their drive, he didn’t utter a word to her and nor did she. She was as his Adam’s apple kept bubbling up and down and his lips were moving slowly and she got a hint that he was praying. He seemed anxious as if he wasn’t moving. And Aisha was sure if he wasn’t the on that was driving, he would’ve yelled at the driver and asked him to drive even faster.

The moment she saw them driving into the huge entrance of ATBU, Aisha nearly opened her door and got out. But she stood still, stoically. She watched as Abba drove past the places she had her life crushed in, forever. Aisha closed her eyes and she inhaled a deep breath. He parked in front of the VC’s house and turned to look at Aisha.

“You aren’t to come out until I do, I want you to meet someone. If you’re Aisha, you won’t come out. Please?” He was pleading with her, and today she heard the soft tone he always used on Nuriyya on her. Even though it didn’t appeal to her, it was such a pleasure he used it for her, even once.

She nodded her head and Abba walked into the house. She was nervous, afraid that if he entered the house and asked for Humaira he won’t see her. But the moment he asked one of the maids, “Please, can I see Humaira?” His heartbeat at an unhealthy rate as he waited to hear the answer she had. She looked reluctant at first before she looked inside the house and came back.

“I’m sorry…” he wanted to scream, but he kept calm and waited for her to finish her sentence and prove him as a mad man. “Sir, Humaira is asleep and we aren’t allowed to wake her up until she does that on her own accord.” The kind of breath Abba withdrew wasn’t human. It was a breath that held too much hope and anxiety.

He stood up and walked to the maid, desperately looking into her eyes. “Please, wake her up. Tell her that I’m here to see her and it’s urgent.” He kept looking at the parking lot, afraid to go and see there was no Aisha, she had changed into Humaira; yet again.

“Whos should I tell her?” She asked, and Abba looked around before he muttered, “Psycho. Tell her Psycho is here and it’s very urgent.” She flashed him a confused look but still nodded her head as she disappeared back into the house.

Abba couldn’t wait any longer, he walked out with tentative steps and still found Aisha seated on the chair he left her. He stood between the parking lot and main entrance before he walked back inside the house to see if the Humaira he came for was Humaira or Aisha playing as Humaira.

It took her a few minutes before she walked through the corridor and as soon as she walked into the living room, still in her pyjamas with only a kimono dropped on. Her face was evidence of someone that was sleeping and she caressed both her eyes before she looked at him, “Psycho, what is it? I thought the police are trying to find you guilty for Rafiq’s murder again. What is it?” She stifled a yawn as she was trying to seat down but Abba stood in front of her.

“This is more serious than the police. Please, Humaira, come out with me to the parking lot, I have someone I urgently want you to meet.” She looked at him with a confused expression plastered on her face, and Abba didn’t wait for her answer when he held her wrist and guided her out of the living room.

“Hey, Psycho, I was sleeping when you asked that maid to wake me up. Be easy on me.” She whined and shrugged his hand off her wrist. They stood in front of his car but there was no Aisha. He turned at 360 to look at Humaira but yet; the aura, charms and charisma spoke Humaira.

“This is unbelievable. Aisha, I can’t belie…” His words got tied as Aisha walked from a narrow path holding a lily as she sniffled on its scent. He looked at Humaira then Aisha, by Allah Abba wanted to scream at the pitch of his lungs, because he knew he was hallucinating. There was no Aisha and Humaira. It was only Aisha that changed into Humaira whenever she wished.

Humaira looked at where he had his eyes bulged out at, staring in utter confusion and bewilderment. Her gaze followed his, and she nearly lost her balance as she took some steps backwards. Her palms naturally went to mouth and for the first time in her life, she felt her heart skipped a bit. There was no way this was going to happy. This seemed not to be real. Maybe she was still sleepy. She rubbed her eyes again and as she opened them, she walked to where she stood and her relaxed expression changed when she saw the look Abba was flashing her.

Aisha got bored of sitting alone in the car and wondered who was the person Abba wanted her to meet. She thought he might be a scholar who would validate their marriage again because judging by the way Abba had gone nuts these days, she knew nothing was impossible to be expected from him. She spotted a line of flower vases in a narrow pathway and walked there to take a look. By the moment she was back, she saw Abba looking around in an agitated and anxious way, and that freaked her out.

She rushed to where he was and stood with her head hung down, “I’m sorry, Ya Abba, I went to take…” The gasp that escaped from the lips of the one standing by his side which she didn’t notice was what brought Aisha’s attention to him or her. “Innalillahi!” Was what escaped her lips as she lost her balance and fell to the ground.

She felt her heart beating radically and Aisha could swear she saw her standing by Abba’s side with a flustered and bewildered expression on her. She was sure this wasn’t human. She watched with intent and horrific eyes as the creature looked at Abba that stood there motionless and spoke, “Psycho, are you seeing what I’m seeing? Another version of me?” It appeared that she wanted to brush it off and regard herself as the psychopath this time because it was surreal to be true.

Aisha was more taken aback when she heard her voice, she looked exactly like her and spoke like her. What was going on? Abba had a clone made for him so that he can have his Humaira while she peacefully lived as Aisha? This was so confusing that Aisha wanted nothing but to feel herself on her bed, cuddling with her blanket.

He regained back his sanity and looked at both women, he first pointed at Aisha and asked, “You are?”

Aisha gulped down a lump in her throat and she answered, trying so hard to change her voice so it didn’t sound like her’s. “I’m Aisha.” He only believed that because he saw the outfit she came out, and Humaira was still in her pyjamas with a kimono dropped over.

He heaved a sigh and turned to look at Humaira, “And you?” even though she was struck with bewilderment, she glared at him and scoffed before she answered.

“I’m Humaira.” Even before she said that he knew she was the one.

Abba took a step back and pointed at the two women, aiming the question at the two of them. “You’re Aisha, but no one is allowed to call you Humaira apart from your mother. And you’re Humaira, but no one is allowed to call you Aisha but your father. I think a shroud will soon be enshrouded. How do you feel seeing each other?” It felt good, so good that he had finally solved what he thought had made him gone nuts. As confusing to other’s as it was, it was to him as well.

Humaira looked at him and flashed him a square look, “Wait, do you mean you see her too? I thought I was only hallucinating.” She shook her head and rubbed her eyes when Abba disappeared into his car, he knew he had to give them some time alone.

Aisha was still slumped on the ground without able to take her eyes off as well as not being able to think. Humaira took a step until she reached where she was and stretched out her hand for her, reluctantly. She still wasn’t sure the other version of her slumped on the ground was real. Aisha gulped down the lump in her throat and decided to give it a try, she placed her hand in Humaira’s outstretched hand and they all felt electrocution as Humaira lifted her.

“So you’re real?” Was the first thing she asked Aisha, looking directly into her eyes before her eyes began scrutinizing her features in an attempt to find something that differed them. But she guessed there was none. They looked the same.

“I thought I was hallucinating, but how? Ya Allah, I’m so confused right now that I don’t know what to think.” Aisha looked around, away from Humaira’s scrutinizing gaze.

“Can I hug you, please? I just want to make sure if you’re real.” Humaira asked and Aisha hesitatingly nodded her head before they engulfed each other in a hug. It was the most soothing hug Aisha had ever felt and she didn’t know when tears startled spilling out of her eyes.

They broke apart and Humaira had her eyes misty as well, she had never felt this warm within. Whoever this lady was, she had a deep soul connection with her and it felt as though she had been missing from her life. Because she was sure she felt a void hole in her heart getting filled when she hugged her.

“What’s your name again? Please, I’m confused.”

Amidst her tears, Aisha laughed at how Humaira was rumpling her hair in an exasperated manner. “My name is Aisha, but Mommy calls me Humaira. I guess you’re the Humaira Ya Abba keeps talking about?” They were looking into each other’s eyes with beautiful smiles on their faces.

“Yes, you’re right. Daddy too calls me Aisha. And you’re the Aisha that Psycho was once married to?”

“You’re the Humaira he kept mistaking me for, and that regained me back my freedom. I should thank you.” Aisha leaned in with a chuckle as she hugged Humaira. It felt surreal yet so not true.

“It’s evident that we’re twins, identical twins for that. But Aisha, I don’t know whether you grew up in an orphanage because my mother died while I was five, Daddy is still alive though.” They were now seated on the chairs that were placed beside the parking lot, eagerly wanting to know more about each other. They might not be related by blood but they were surely created as soulmates.

“I grew up without a father, he got burnt in a fire outbreak. But Mommy is alive, she looks so much like us. I don’t know whether it’s coincidence or it meant something."

“I’ll have to ask Daddy. Like, Woah!” Humaira got speechless once again, placing her hand on Aisha’s face. Aisha threw her head back in laughter.

“Stop this, Humaira, I’m real.” They both laughed and when Abba asked Aisha to come together with him so he can take her back home before Mama thought he kidnapped her or even killed her, they felt sad. They didn’t want to separate. Even though they were indifferent condition, as they stood in front of each other saying their goodbyes, they felt as if they see their reflections through the mirror.

On their way back home, Aisha was silent but yet her mind was filled with Humaira’s thoughts. She wished Mommy was there, she would’ve asked her who Humaira was and if they were twins. She needn’t ask though, it was clear they were.

Abba stared at her through his peripheral view and saw how a small smile was playing on her lips. She looked at ease not like before. “Aisha,” he called out, and she looked at him. It felt so calm knowing he now knew the one to call Aisha and not Humaira and the one to call Humaira but never Aisha. “Have you told Mama that we’ve never slept together?” He was nervous as he asked the question, and he made Aisha too.

She shook her head as her lips naturally pursed into a pout. “No, I haven’t. Why?”

For a brisk moment, he turned to look at her before he turned his eyes back on the road. “Because I know I have no chance with you anymore, but please don’t stop me from pursuing Humaira, she’s the one I love now. We can peacefully start over and I’ll get married to Humaira while you go back to Nasir.”

Her eyes bulged out at him, Na-what? “Nasir? Like, say things clearly please.”

He chuckled and swerved the steering wheel to the left before he answered her, “Yes, Nasir. I know you two were in love before we got married, Aisha. I had to get married to you not because I loved you but to use you to get away from Baba’s wrath, I’m truly sorry. Yes, I admit that I adore you then, even had lustful desires for you, but it felt wrong to sleep with you because deep down I know I used you, tortured you and put my brother in pain. That’s the only thing I could do to him, not to get close to his beloved. And I’m glad I didn’t because I wouldn’t have gotten a chance to be with Humaira.”

Aisha was about to talk when he cut her off, “Please forgive me, Aisha. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness but for the sake of Allah and Humaira, forgive me. Can we start over?”

Aisha heaved a sigh and felt a huge knot in her chest loosening, this was so much for her to take in a single day. Humaira, and now Abba asking for her forgiveness. She nodded her head reluctantly at him, “Yes, let’s start over.” She knew she didn’t only grant Abba’s wish, she set herself free as well.