Chapter 15

She sat with a cup of steamy hot tea that had gradually started turning warm.

Her eyes were positioned on a fixed point- the mantelpiece in front of her.

Strands of her silky shoulder length hair cascaded down her back.

She didn't utter any word nor did she sip from the cup in her hands.

She simply blinked after intervals of seconds.

Her mind was far away from her surrounding.

The thoughts that surfaced in her head could run a normal human being mad.

"Mummy," A little chubby gray eyed girl that had her black shiny hair tied in a ponytail approached Basma with a paper and a crayon in her hands. "Mummy when is nana coming home?"

Basma's head turned to look at her four year old daughter who was now sitted beside her.

"When is nana coming back home mama? She's been in the hospital for so long."Her first daughter entered the living room and walked to where her younger sister and mother sat.

Basma's eyes turned to her older daughter.

Her pale face immediately took a paler shade.

The hairs on her body raised as a result of the puff of cold breeze that generated within her.

Goosebumps surfaced her skin.

"Let's go and pay her a visit," The older girl spoke. "She must miss us as much as we miss her." she sat on the other side of the couch beside Basma.

"Yes mama let's visit her," Four year old Hana raised her head from her paper to look at her mother. "Look what I made for her." She held out the white paper that had wobbly drawings of four stickmen all in different colours with little scribbles and doodles.

Two of the stickmen were a bit bigger than the other two that stood beside them.

"This is me, nana, Sarah, you and..." she pointed at each of the stickmen with her crayon as she spoke. "Oh- I forgot to draw baba." She returned the paper to her laps and began scribbling again.

"Mama please let's go today," Sarah took a hold of her mother's arm and hugged it. "Only you and baba keep going to visit her." Her lips saddened.

Basma was numb at this moment.

Her stomach churned accompanying her wringing hands that held tight to her cup of tea.

She was lost in her own world.

Memories with Azeeza flashed her head.

She didn't notice her nine months old baby that was by her feet playing with her stuffed toys.

She wasn't even aware that she was still holding a cup in her hands.

The sound of one of the doors upstairs closing was heard following Haider descending the stairs with a cardboard box that contained some of Azeeza's clothes.

They were giving it as charity.

Sarah was still trying her best to convince her mother to take her and her siblings to visit their grandma in the hospital.

Once he reached the last step, he noticed what Sarah was doing then placed the box down and called Basma's younger sister's name.

"Yusrah." He called.

Yusrah stayed back to help out with the kids and few things around the house because of the toll the loss of Azeeza had taken on her sister.

Once Yusrah answered from the kitchen, he told her to take the girls up to their room.

Basma's eyes began filling with tears immediately they left.

It was as though she had been storing those tears while her daughters were there.

Haider settled down on the couch and Basma immediately broke down on him.

Her tears rolled down effortlessly in high volume.

"How would they understand Haider? They're only kids." Her face was buried in his chest.

Her tears didn't seem to reduce.

Haider gently collected the cup of now cold tea from her hands and put it aside before cupping her pale face and staring deep into her eyes.

He could see the hurt in her eyes.

The numerous questions that they held.

"We have to be strong together, okay?" He still stared at her before pulling her in a deep hug.

"Mama is actually gone Haider." Her cry choked her as she spoke.