chapter 9

Author's P.O.V

Flashback

Hana was in her class. When the bell rang for lunch break she ran to Rahmaan's classroom. She wanted to have lunch with him. It was their routine having lunch with each other. In playground. When she came to his classroom. She didn't find him outside while Rahmaan always stood outside waiting for her.

"Hey, can you call maan," Hana asked when she saw a boy came from his class.

"Who is maan? We don't have a classmate named maan" he said and looked at Hana.

"Umm... I mean Rahmaan" she said slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, Rahmaan. He is....."

"I am here hanu" Rahmaan cut that boy off. And came in front of her.

"Maan. I was waiting for you here for a long time" Hana said and pouted.

"Hanu sorry. I had some homework to do. My next period teacher is very dangerous. If I don't show him my homework then he will throw me out the of class"

"It's okay maan," she said smiling.

"Hey, but his name is rahmaan.., right? Then Why are you calling him maam?" That boy asked.

"Umm... I.."

"Because for her.. I am her maan... it's my nickname given by her," he said smilingly. to that boy.

"Ohkay," that boy said and walked out.

"I think I should start calling you Rahman...." She was saying looking at the floor. She didn't like the idea of calling him Rahmaan. 

"No!! You won't!" He literally shouted. Cutting her off in the middle.

"But.."

"I am telling you hana... I am your maan and you can only call me maan..  understood?" he asked sternly. And Hana being Hana nodded her head obediently.

"I will always call you maan" He smiled and they started walking.

As they sat next to each other in the playground. Hana looked at him.

"Maan.. why do you like this name?" Hana asked looking at him. He turned to her.

"Because you gave me that name. And hanu I just love hearing maan from you.. it feels like... maan belongs to you" he said smiling widely.

"You tell me... why you call me maan?" He asked.

"Because..... Maan belongs to me" Hana said giggling.

Flashback end

******

Hana was hurt when Rahman didn't recognize his nickname which she gave him. She couldn't believe that Rahman could forget this. She was still lost in her thoughts when Rahman chuckled and spoke. 

"How can I know mama!? It's not like that maan is my....." He trailed off when something hit him."Rahmaan... Maan..... It's me?" He whispered more to himself than anyone.

He looked at Hana in disbelief. and when their eyes met two tears escaped her eyes without her knowing. When she knows that she can't hold her tears back. She runs outside. But stopped when she heard Shabana voice. She was out of their sight. Still standing on the side doorway she 

Heard them talking or should say arguing.

"Yes!! it's you, Rahman! How could you forget that nickname which was once your favourite?" Shabana can't believe that her son forgot that name which was given by his Hanu his wife with so much love. How can he!!?

"Mama... How can I remember when since 8 years no one called me maan!? And why are you guys looking at me like I had killed someone?" He raised his eyebrows questioningly. And rolled his eyes. But no one answered. so he shrugged and again busy on his mobile.

"Yes you killed my innocent Hana's happy mood" marziya yelled glaring at Rahmaan and put that fruit salad bowl on the table angrily. And walked toward him. "Tell me, Rahman, what else you forgot?" She asked as she stood in front of him. He stood up and looked at her confusingly. He doesn't know what was happening here. They all were Looking at him like he really killed someone.

"Aapi..."

"Or should I asked. Do you remember anything?" She asked but she was afraid to know his answer. 

She knew Hana loves him more than anything. Hana can't take any rejection from him. She will break if he says that he didn't remember their nikah.

"What do you mean aapi?" he asked seriously.

Marziya didn't want to ask directly. About his nikah. Because she was scared to know his answer. So she turned around to go muttering"leave it" but then Ahmed spoke.

"About your nikah" all turned to Ahmed. Shabana looked at Ahmed and shook her head. She had a feeling what was coming next. So she was scared to drag that topic.

"Nothing Rah...." 

"My nikah?" Shabana was saying when rahmaan cut her off.

"Yes! your nikah" Ahmed said sternly. As he stood in front of Rahman crossing his arms.

"Don't tell me, Baba, you guys fix my marriage without telling me?"  Rahman said with a surprised tone and then start laughing.

A gasp escaped Hana's mouth when she realised what Rahman means. It's mean he forgot their nikah. Her breath hitched. Her heart stopped beating. She can feel Sharp pain in her heart. She covered her mouth with her hand to stop her sob. 

"Rahman your already married," Ahmed said making a straight face. 

Rahman looked at his father for a second he tried to control but couldn't hold his laugh back and burst into a fit of laughter.  

"Accha....the-then....wher-where is my-my beloved... Wife?" He asked between his laugh. 

Shabana and marziya's eyes filled up with tears and Fathima looking at him still shocked. While Riya knew that would have happened when anyone talked to him about his nikah. She knew that Rahman is no longer Hana's 15 years possessive husband. 

While Hana stood there still. She never thought that Rahman could forget their nikah. She had a feeling that Rahman might be... just might be wouldn't be ready for their official marriage announcement. But she never in millions of years thought that he would forget their nikah. 

She falls on the ground. Silently listening to everything.

"Stop this nonsense Rahman"Ahmed yelled when Rehman didn't stop he laughed.

"Ok Baba... But.. that was a hilarious joke" he said still trying to control his laugh.

"I am not joking Rahman," Ahmed said sternly. Rahman looked up his Baba for second and then his mother and marziya and saw tears in their eyes. He realised that they were not joking. "What you mean by that Baba?" He asked. He tried to think about what happening and where those topics came from. And then a realisation hit him. 

Hana.

She called him maan. And when he said he doesn't remember who is maan Hana cry and run outside. 

Why she cried?. And most importantly if maan was his nickname then why did hana attached her name with him? And why suddenly all of them behaving like that. Are they still!...? 

And suddenly something flashes in his mind.

"Why did hana attached her name with me? Oh I know she has a crush on me... right?" He said trying to make a joke.  "Your name was attached to her a long time ago," Ahmed said.

"Huh?? Baba, I don't know what you are saying. Just stop all this for now because I am hungry" he said and walked towards the door.

"Rahman! you were way mature when all that happened!. so don't try to pretend like you don't remember anything" Ahmed yelled without turning to Rahman he knew that Rahman remembered everything and want to escape from this.  

while Rahman stopped on the doorway close to Hana. When Hana feel his presence near her she quickly stood up to go but stopped when she heard a shout

"Yess!!! Yess!! I was way mature to remembered what had happened 10 years ago! And what you're saying!" He finally blurted out. 

"Then why are behaving like that Rahmaan?" Shabana asked surprisingly.

"Because mama I didn't remember that crap. When Baba said I am married that's when I tried to understand what he was talking about. And then I recognized that nikah which had happened 10 years ago. When I was 13. Seriously? And what's more shocking for me is that you guys still believed in that crap" he shouted at first and then chuckled.

"Rahmaan!! That was not a crap! it was your nikah you are talking about." Shabana snapped at him. she can't believe her son considers his nikah as crap. Her son!? Who was never tired if calling Hana his wife. How can he forget everything?

"Whatever" he shrugged and walked out before they could say anything else. while his parents behind him keep calling his name to stop him.

Rahmaan was out of the door when he felt someone's presence behind him. He turned around and saw Hana standing there, eyes filled with tears. He felt bad for a second but when he recalled his parents' behaviour towards him on the very first day when he came here after 8 years. He felt anger rising him.

All of this happened because of her tears. He thought, glaring at her. And walked out of the house. Leaving broken Hana behind him. A loud sob escapes her lips and she covered her mouth.

"Hanu" Marziya saw her standing there when she was walking toward Hana's room. To check up on her.

"Aapi..." Hana couldn't say anything so she just hugs her aapi tightly.

And Marziya immediately took hana to her room. Because she didn't want anyone to see her sister like this. She wanted Hana to be strong in front of everyone. No matter what. Rahmaan was still their son and Hana was their daughter in law. And in the end, they will support him. So she has to be strong for her baby sister and make Hana strong in front of everyone. 

As they stepped in Hana's room. Marziya closed the door and made hana sit on the bed with her.

"Aapi... I..I.. didn't...wanted... this to hep.... happened" Hana said sobbing. "It's.. all m.. my fault"

"No Hana it's not your fault baby. It's Rahman..." She didn't let marziya complete her sentence. "No!! it's my fault aapi!! If I could control my emotions and that stupid tears then it wouldn't have happened in the first place." Hana said in loud voice.

"Nahi bacche..." Again she cut her off.

"Yes aapi! it all because of me. Baba brought that topic because he saw my tears and you know na they can't see me crying. And Baba thought maan was the reason" Hana said while tears falling her cheeks.

"He was Hana," marziya said angrily.

"No! He was not! How can you think my maan would hurt me intentionally? He just forgot that name. Anyone can. He said na... no one called him maam for 8 years so he forgot.. that was not a big deal... but now I made everything more complicated for maan. He... "

Hana was kept blaming herself. When marziya cut her off. "Stop it, Hana.!! That was not your fault. Did you heard me?" Marziya said sternly." but aapi.." hana was saying but marziya shook her head. "No hana. Look at me." Marziya cupped her face and make her looked up at her. "Hanu. He did not only forget that nickname which you gave him but he forgot you! You hana! Your relationship with him. Your nikah with him. You were there right. When Rahmaan said that this nikah is just crap for him" Marziya said with a tear in her eyes.

"No aapi. I told you na.. he is distracted. He will come back to me aapi when he realises...." Hana was saying with a small smile on her lips. When Marziya shook her head and said." Hana stops this blind trust on him. He is not that same rahmaan whom you married. He is Chang...."

"Stop it aapi!! He came back after 8 years for god sake!! Why you can't get it!" 

Hana shouted at marziya in frustration. She didn't understand why marziya keep saying that Rahman has changed,  Rahmaan forgot her. Rahmaan forgot their nikah. Marziya didn't say anything. She keeps looking at her sister, who was blinded by love. Rahmaan's today behaviour clear everything in front of Marziya. She knew Rahman would never accept their nikah nor Hana. And that scared her more. Here her sister has blind trust on her nikah while for Rahmaan, their nikah is nothing but crap.

"Aapi I am sorry" Hana apologized when she saw her aapi didn't say anything. She thought she hurt her. And looked down feeling shame on her behaviour.

"No hanu... Don't say that baby. It's ok. I know how much you love him and you're married to him. So you have 

every rights to stand up for him." Marziya said softly with a small smile. Cupping her face. "I'll pray for you. I hope your trust and blind love for him will never break" marziya said and kissed her forehead. And stood up

She walked towards the door but before going she turned and saw her sister who was gazing her Locket lovingly with a small smile. A tear escape marziya's eyes.

I hope he will come to you before you broke meri jaan. Marziya prayed in her heart for her sister. And walked out of her room.