Smoking

"SMOKING"

© SOHRAB AMAAN


I was broke, not just, because I was a writer. Well, that could be a reason, hahaha; everyone knows that is how we writers deal with life.

 

My look could give you an instant feeling that I was broke. Ummm... My messy hair, my unbuttoned shirt, a jacket with lots of dirt deep inside it, a jeans giving you smell. However, I was not that broke, because I had a book contract and no one could tell you that I had a book contract after seeing messy daily routine and me or my messy room or my messy life. They all look with the same point of view. I was a cigarette addict too; sometimes I did drugs for sleep.

One day I was walking around the streets smoking cigarettes back to back with messy mind.  Got stopped by a girl.

"May I know you?” she asked
"How do I know? I'm neither a God nor Devil, at least not yet." I said.

"Not funny this time, you owe some money from my sister" She said it like a landlord when the landlord asks for their rent of house.

"I owe my life to someone not money, can you be more specific about your sister?" at least I want to know the girl behind her arrogance.

"From how many girls have you borrowed money?" she asked with one eyebrow up.

"Ummmm almost 12 and 11 out of them don't even know me properly." I laughed at her.

"The one who know you properly, I'm her sister, but now she is in serious condition, so she wants her money back".

"Aahhh Aisha, So why she doesn't come to take her money? I don't even know you, I mean I don't even know that you're her sister.. what if I gave you money and you would turn to be a fraudster?".

“So you don't believe me".

"Nah"

"Ok come with me, I'll show you how broke and ill she is now, she is refusing to live in my apartment after all she is arrogant, and you know it right??" she asked.

 

"Yeah, I know lot of things about her, we were in a relationship for some time, then I borrowed some money from her and invested that money on my so called failed career" I said it in very sad tone.

"What? You were in a relationship with her. Now you do not even bother to see, where she is. and how she is doing with herself?” what kind of jerk you're??" she said it with anger.

"Jerk with master qualities!"

"What?"

"You asked what kind of jerk I'm so I'm the jerk with master qualities," we both laughed.

"So why did you leave her?" she asked it as if she is investigating on me.

"How can you say that I left her?" I throw a question to the investigator.

"Because I know her, she'll never leave anyone and how can she leave the man she loves the most?".

"What?” I was surprised.

"Yes, she loved you and you're the one and only man she loved in all her life"

I was shocked and now nervous too.

"Btw what's your name?" I asked her so that I can call her by her name.

"Alisha"

"Ahhh Aisha's sister, matching name, after all you were born into a typical Muslim family" I laughed hardly.

When I was going to see Aisha, I was quite nervous because it's been 5 year now, we haven't met each other.
We knocked at the door; a beautiful little girl opened the door with beautiful voice, “Ammi, Appi is here with a beggar".

Alisha hold that girl in her arms and said" "He is not beggar; he is a friend of your Ammi ".

Then said to me "Sorry for that, she's little confused by your messy look".

Now I felt embarrassed, at least I should have changed the clothes before coming here.

 

"It's ok" I said it gently.

"What's her name?" I asked.

"Tell him your name" Alisha said to the little girl.

 

 

"People call me Refreshment" but I have my original name too" Little girl said with giggle, her chubby cheeks was perfect to melt a devil's heart, her smile was giving me instance look of heaven's beautiful angel.

 

That time I wanted to hug her but I was not in that condition, as my clothes smelled.

"So tell me your original name or I'll give you a name, that I kept into my heart for my daughter." I was going through memories, how Aisha and Me used to imagine our life after marriage and we already decided our daughter's name.

"So first you tell me that name than I'll tell you my name," she asked.

Alisha "Talk to her and let me call Aisha".

"Ok" I was just lost with that little girl; I was feeling something in my heart after seeing her.

"But that's cheating" I said to little girl.

"So what? I'm beautiful so I'm allowed to do some cheating." She laughed hardly on this one.

And I was surprised how talkative that girl was, having same sense of humor as me, she should be tough competition. I asked myself and smiled.

"Ohhh I'll tell you that name."

"Tell then."

"Azraa." I was happy from inside after saying that name.

"What??" She shout with excitement.

"That's my name too!"

Now I was shocked, how it can be? I was confused and solving that hard puzzle, suddenly Alisha came, "Aisha is in the room, and she's not able to move from there, so you have to come to her room".

"Okay,” I held Azraa's hand and walked towards the room.

"Hi" I waved my hand and gave a smile to Aisha, She was not able to move from her bed, her room was looking so messy and she seemed too ill, looks like having lots of drugs or smoking habit.

Aisha said "Hi, come and sit" she had a stool with her bed so I sat there.

And Alisha said to Azraa " Baby Refreshment, we have to make something for the guest".

They both went out and we both were alone in the room.

"How are you?" she asked.

"Broke as before but now I can buy my own food for three times" I said to make her laugh.

She laughed slowly because her jaw were paining so she was not able to laugh hard
"It's ok, now you don't have to laugh at my jokes, I'm not trying on you this time" I threw one more.

"I wish you have tried after, I'll fall for you and I can fall for you now." I said it simply.

"So you loved me? Right? But still?"

"Yea still, I love you, How can anyone would not love you? You always make everyone fall for your talks..” she gave me compliment.

"Ohh please stop it I’m rude at times too, so people always leave me".

"People don't leave you, you push them to leave, same as you did to me, and you pushed me to leave you, so basically you left me." she was in anger.

"Now I get it why Alisha was saying that I left you, you said everything to her, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did. after all we are sisters." we both laughed quietly.

"Sandwicccchhhh" Azraa came with a plate and Alisha handed me the glass of juice.
Aisha started coughing and it turned into the worst I have ever seen.

Alisha gave her water and left Azraa and Aisha in the room, and took me to the hall.
"You're the reason for her illness." she started shouting.

"Me? How can I be? I haven't met her in 5 years" I was confused.

"You used to smoke lot of cigarettes per day and had physical relation with her, you know the reason smoker doesn't get ill as much as their loved one?"

There are so many reasons, but it's the 1st reason, doctor asked her to stop smoking while she didn't smoke even a cigarette in her life!" Alisha started crying while saying that.

 

I held her hand and hugged her just like a brother.

And I started feeling bad for Aisha, she wiped her tears and said more loudly" Did you know that when you left her, she was pregnant that time?”

I was surprised as hell.

"No! I didn't know that!"

 

I was about to run towards Aisha's room but Alisha hold my hand and say" Azraa is your daughter Riyan. But you didn't even look again how Aisha was dealing with life. And you know because of your smoking Azraa has cancer, she was born with cancer, you ruined two lives Riyan."

I turned to the main door  because I have to make myself worth seeing my beautiful daughter, she don't like dirty clothes, even I don't want to look like this in front of my daughter.

I had a haircut, bought some neat clothes and washed myself.

 

I dressed myself like a gentleman and made my apartment look beautiful and knocked again at Aisha’s door to see the beautiful Azraa.

 

Alisha was happy after seeing me; she gave me permission to go into Aisha's room where Azraa was talking to her.

Azraa did not recognize me after seeing me in that gentleman look.

Azraa asked Aisha "Ammi, who is he?”

Aisha held her hand and said "Your Dad!"

Azraa hugged me tightly. "I missed you so much Dad, where have you been all these years? Mom and I were waiting for you".

I just kissed her forehead and packed her and Aisha's bag.

Now I am not broke because my daughter gave me luck to be more successful. Now I am able to afford a high-class doctor for her.

- "SMOKING IS INJURIOUS TO YOUR HEALTH, BUT SMOKING IS MUCH INJURIOUS TO YOUR LOVED ONE THE MOST" -