Episode 5

Lost in You

The palanquin finally stopped in front of the gate.

Naima, Rahima, and several neighbors were already waiting outside to welcome the new bride.

But Asha wasn't coming out.

Minutes passed.

Still nothing.

The atmosphere became awkward.

Standing nearby, Wasek's growing irritation was becoming increasingly obvious.

Finally, Naima walked over to the palanquin and gently pulled back the curtain.

"Asha," she said softly, offering a warm smile. "Come out."

Asha nodded.

Like the obedient daughter she had always been, she slowly stepped forward.

As her feet touched the ground, her mind felt strangely empty.

A new house.

A new family.

A completely new life.

How was she supposed to belong here?

It was strange, wasn't it?

A person's life began in one place, surrounded by familiar faces and endless memories.

Then one day, they were expected to leave all of it behind and start over somewhere else.

To build new attachments.

To call strangers their own.

As soon as Asha stepped out of the palanquin, Shamim nudged Wasek.

"Stand beside your wife."

Wasek hesitated.

For a brief moment, he considered ignoring the request.

Then he remembered his sister.

Naima would never forgive him if he embarrassed the bride on her first day.

Reluctantly, he moved beside Asha.

Naima smiled.

Holding a sweet in her hand, she first fed Wasek.

Then she turned and fed Asha.

Afterward, both were offered water.

The welcoming ceremony was simple but heartfelt.

Soon, Asha was led inside the house.

The first place they took her was Azmal Sahib's room.

He was resting against a pillow when she entered.

Asha immediately lowered her head.

"Assalamu Alaikum."

Then she bent respectfully to greet him.

Azmal Sahib placed a trembling hand on her head.

His eyes softened.

"May Allah bless you, my daughter."

He prayed for her sincerely.

From the depths of his heart.

At that moment, he felt content.

His daughter was happily married.

He had met his granddaughter.

His son-in-law was successful and respected.

And now his son had married the girl he had secretly hoped for.

The desire to see his daughter-in-law before leaving this world had finally been fulfilled.

Yet amidst all the happiness, one thought still hurt.

If Shahara had been here today...

This house would have been filled with even more joy.

The thought made his chest tighten.

After a moment, he looked at Asha and spoke gently.

"From today, this home belongs to you too."

Asha listened carefully.

"If your mother-in-law were alive, she would be the one telling you these things."

His voice carried quiet sadness.

"She would teach you every corner of this household."

A smile appeared on his face.

"But don't ever think you're alone."

He pointed toward the door.

"We're all here for you."

Asha lowered her eyes.

"I know you're a good girl."

Azmal Sahib continued.

"You'll manage everything beautifully."

Despite his reassurance, fear remained inside her heart.

Would she really?

Could she truly belong here?

Later, Naima brought Asha to her room.

The room was surprisingly large.

Everything was neat and carefully arranged.

Fresh flowers decorated the bed and furniture.

The soft fragrance filled the air.

It looked exactly like the bridal room Asha had imagined as a child.

Yet sitting there alone felt nothing like her dreams.

Minutes passed.

Then nearly an hour.

No one returned.

The heavy bridal sari and jewelry felt unbearable.

Despite the cool weather, sweat gathered on her forehead.

Her throat felt dry.

The silence only made her anxiety worse.

Outside, Wasek stood on the veranda.

A cigarette burned between his fingers.

Smoke drifted into the night air.

The sight suggested this wasn't his first cigarette.

Back at his hostel, one of his roommates smoked constantly.

Wasek had always criticized the habit.

The roommate would simply laugh.

"When life gets overwhelming," he used to say, "take a few puffs. You'll feel the difference."

Wasek had never believed him.

Until tonight.

Tonight he was willing to test the theory.

And strangely enough...

It seemed to be helping.

At least a little.

After finishing the cigarette, he finally entered the room.

The sound of the door startled Asha.

Her heart jumped instantly.

Then the smell reached her.

Cigarette smoke.

Asha wrinkled her nose slightly.

Without saying a word, Wasek walked straight into the bathroom.

A few minutes later, he emerged looking refreshed.

He barely glanced at her.

As though she wasn't even there.

He crossed the room and sat down on the sofa.

Silence followed.

Asha felt helpless.

There were so many things she wanted to say.

So many conversations she had imagined.

As a young girl, she had dreamed about her wedding night countless times.

In every dream, her husband had smiled.

Spoken kindly.

Asked about her.

Tried to know her.

Reality was proving very different.

Gathering courage, she slowly approached him.

Then lowered herself respectfully.

She was about to greet him formally when Wasek abruptly pulled his feet away.

"What are you doing?"

His tone was sharp.

Asha immediately froze.

"I..."

She looked down.

"Someone told me I should greet my husband properly."

Wasek frowned.

"There's no need for that."

His answer felt colder than she expected.

Asha quietly stepped back.

After a moment, she asked,

"Aren't you going to pray?"

Wasek looked at her.

"You can pray."

She hesitated.

"I heard married couples should pray together."

For the first time, he seemed slightly surprised.

Then his expression returned to normal.

"You can pray now."

His voice remained distant.

"I'll pray later."

He leaned back against the sofa.

"And I'd appreciate it if you stopped bothering me."

The words struck harder than he intended.

Without another glance, he stretched out and lay down on the couch.

Asha stood there silently.

Her chest felt heavy.

Still, she said nothing.

She simply gathered her clothes and entered the bathroom.

After changing out of the bridal sari into a simple cotton one, she performed ablution.

Then she prayed.

Alone.

By the time she finished, exhaustion weighed heavily on her body.

She hadn't slept properly the previous night.

Most of it had been spent crying.

Tonight wasn't much better.

Eventually, she lay down on the flower-covered bed.

Her eyes burned with sleep.

Yet sleep refused to come.

The room was unfamiliar.

The house was unfamiliar.

Even the man sleeping a few feet away felt like a stranger.

Everything felt wrong.

Everything felt out of place.

She turned onto her side and stared into the darkness.

Her heart ached for home.

For her mother.

For her father.

For Rini.

The tears she had been holding back finally escaped.

Quietly.

Silently.

So no one would hear.

And somewhere in that unfamiliar room, beneath a blanket of flowers and loneliness, Asha cried herself through the longest night of her life.

To be continued...

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