Washma
Washma slowly entered the room. Though the room was brightly lit, the pregnant and extremely overloaded Tajwar was sleeping as if it were her first and only slumber in a lifetime.
She gazed at her friend with loving eyes, thinking about how much she missed her loved ones. No matter how peaceful this place was, they didn't belong here. She was drained by their condition, but not by their homeland or their people.
After a moment of lingering gaze, she took a slice of apple from the plate beside her and brought it near her mouth. But before she could take a bite, Tajwar sniffed, grabbed it from her hand, popped it into her mouth, and ate it. All of this happened without her even opening her eyes. Then she turned over and started snoozing again.
For a moment, Washma was stunned by her action....then she burst into laughter. But even then, Tajwar didn't open her eyes.
"Dozing sack... you've become an elephant you know... Even in your sleep, you never let go of a chance to eat," Washma said between chuckles, giving her a gentle jolt to wake her up.
"Oh, Washma,....
it's you. I thought an earthquake had come," Tajwar squinted and tried to drag her heavy body into a sitting position ... but failed miserably.
"Wah, Tajwar... what a cold response to me and to an earthquake both. I am extremely disappointed in you." Washma shook her head dramatically to show her disappointment.
"Exactly how I felt last night when I came to see you and you were sleeping," Tajwar forced her groggy eyes open and looked at her.
"But I am a gentle lady, so I let you rest, thinking of your exhausting journey. But you, little earthquake... I have clearly failed to teach you manners. We'll be standing face-palmed in front of your man for this." A note of regret curled through Tajwar's words.
"Don't worry, that day will never come. Can't you see Agha Bi kept me out of pairing?" Washma said proudly.
"That....and she kept Mir Khan Wazir out too. Maybe she's thinking of pairing the two of you," Tajwar said, grabbing the remaining plate of sliced apples and starting to munch.
"Don't you dare say that! Long before that, I'll commit suicide." Washma even jabbed her index finger in warning.
"Why? What flaw do you find in him?" Tajwar asked, her tone full of mock outrage.
"He's handsome, educated, daring....and the crown prince of the Wazir tribe. The girls here are mad for him. Even our maids can't help but steal glances at him, their eyes shining like they're looking at a hero from a ballad." She popped the last slice of apple into her mouth, licking the juice from her fingers with satisfaction.
"That's exactly why I don't want him!" Washma declared, sitting up straighter.
"I'm not ready to die a slow, miserable death like the other poor souls who fall for him. I'll marry someone who takes me far from this place. Marrying Mir Khan Wazir means a rotten, suffocating end. And if I somehow survived that, one glare from Spina Bibi would finish me off on the spot!" She clutched her throat and mimed a dramatic hanging, letting her tongue loll out for effect.
Tajwar's laughter rang out, rich and unrestrained. "That, my friend, is the truest thing you've ever said. I've never seen either of them smile.."
She broke off mid-sentence.
The air shifted.
Spina Bibi's figure filled the doorway, her presence as heavy as the silence that followed.
Tajwar's words withered in her mouth.
Washma straightened, her playful spark dimming, her face smoothing into a pensive mask as if the joke had never existed.
"Washma, step outside. Dai Safia is here to check on Tajwar..." Spina's voice was calm but carried the kind of sternness that left no room for questioning.
Washma gave a small nod and slipped out of the room. At the doorway, Dai Safia was already waiting, her hands resting on her hips.
"Safia, check her thoroughly ... and make sure she moves around a little. Give her some light exercise. If she keeps lying in bed all day, delivering the baby will become difficult."
"Ji, Bibi... don't worry. Every child of the new generation of the Wazir tribe has been born in my hands. Even Bibi Washma ... I still remember..."
Dai Safia loved boasting about her skills, but Spina Bibi's face didn't even flicker with interest.
"Safia, did I ask you about Washma's birth? Stop praising yourself and focus on your work." Her tone was clipped, each word carrying a quiet warning.
Dai Safia's smile faltered. She quickly obeyed and stepped inside, shutting the door behind her.
Washma's gaze followed Spina Bibi.
She had always been like this .... no warmth, no softness. Her face a mask of stone, her voice an iron command. She dressed only in plain black, as though color itself had no right to touch her.
People called her Spina Bibi because of her unnaturally fair skin... spin meaning "white" in Pashto.....but the truer reason for the name might have been the cold, unyielding nature that defined her. One thing about her was beyond doubt .... her absolute, unwavering loyalty to Agha Bi.
Washma was still lost in thought when Spina's gaze suddenly snapped to her.
"Washma, why are you standing here? Unmarried girls should not be around pregnant women."
Here it comes... another absurd, suffocating rule.
She bit back a sigh, gave a silent nod, and turned to leave, her footsteps heavy with unspoken defiance.
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