Naima's Ruksati

Lahore. 20th February, 2016

She was walking down the aisle with Mustafa and surrounded by family. She hugged her granddad and bowed down to get his blessing hand on her head. Then happily hugged her mom, her cousins, her aunts. It looked like a happy farewell with Naima actively acknowledging the arrival of the departing moment. She seemed calm and composed.

Then as we neared the exit, I came in the way of her hugging queue. I kissed her on her cheek and then hugged her tightly. The hug stayed on for longer than usual, I realised she wasn’t leaving me.

Then I heard a sob as we parted.

‘Arre rone dein, mann halka ho jata hai’, I heard someone.

Then I noticed that other hugs had become moist. As the procession neared the car, her eyes had started to glisten with sadness.

I came face to face with this painful parting feeling for the first time in life. I was standing neutral all this while, a mere spectator. But after that quiet sob at the end of the long hug, I was drenched in emotion. She had left me gravely confused. I thought I was just another friend but she treasures me more than just a friend. Her Abbu had told Papa how Naima had never had a close friend after Faislabad before coming to Oxford and that she was so touched to have finally found a friend. I was thinking at that moment why the sob had landed on my shoulder. Did the parting also have something to do with me? The sorrow was of leaving her parents, her siblings behind – but somewhere in that family tree, had I also silently sneaked in? I cried impulsively at seeing her in that condition, more after the car left.

Kranti noticed and offered her shoulder saying ‘Pagli, rote nahi hain’

I felt stupid for a while and laughed it off after wiping my tears.

After the Ruksati, we came home. The house felt strange without Naima. Then a call from Naima’s in-laws came. Her Abbu told us they had invited everyone over to their house. I went along with her Ammi, Abbu, Bara bha, Chhota bha and Bhabhi.

I felt as if I had become a part of Naima’s maika family.