The hour of separation!

SCENE 6: SO WE DEPARTED.

June 2033

Sidharth is smiling mesmerized by the story. Omar is lost in thought. There are somewhere around twenty empty bottles of Budweiser on the table and a few empty peanut bowls. They are both slightly tipsy and very emotional. There is silence in the pub as Sidharth stares at Omar and Omar gazes aimlessly at a distant table.

Omar (gets up and opens the cold storage and gets a few bottles of beer)

We both realized there was no point in loving someone who can never be ours. We still looked at each other and smiled but our smiles carried a faint essence of grief in it. There’d be times when we’d hug each other to find solace in each other’s arms. Nevertheless, even that solace carried unrest for the fear of separation. (there is sound of bottles opening and clicking)

Omar gets up with his bottle of beer and starts waking around the empty bar.

We met every single day of the next one month. Not saying a word about that night. She’d changed, I realized, she wasn’t the Ayesha who wouldn’t stay indoors on a Saturday night even during subzero temperatures. She wasn’t the Ayesha who would down almost an entire bottle of Vodka and then danced to Bayonce’s ‘Single Ladies’ song on the bench outside my hall (smirks). She wasn’t like champagne, trying to get out of the bottle to bungee in the air, anymore. She’d sobered down, she’s started losing herself to her thoughts, to the fear of losing the man she loved. She wasn’t the Ayesha that had made me fall head over heels for her madness, she was different but I still loved her more than anything, more than ever. 

            He comes and sits back on the barstool.

Soon time passed and we saw lesser of each other. Somewhere in the middle February 2013, I submitted my final dissertation and along came my exams. I applied for jobs in London, Manchester, Leeds- anywhere and everywhere in the same country as her. But fate had different plans for us (shakes his head), I couldn’t manage to find a job in England and so I had no option but to move back to Pakistan a week after graduation. Back home, my mother had found a suitable match for me. She was my cousin and our alliance had been fixed soon after we were born. My mother tried hard to bow the seed of marriage in my head over the phone; nonetheless, I retaliated saying I was too young to get married. My parents decided to get us engaged and give us five years to know each other.

Dhrup got Ayesha with him as his date on graduation night. I knew she’d come there to see me. I was right, her eyes were fixed on me all night, and mine on her. I’d never seen her look like that before (Omar’s eyes light up and he smiles). She wore a red dress hanging off her shoulders by two delicate strings of pearls. Her hair weren’t a mess like always, they fell over her shoulders in layers and her legs that were always covered with bruises and bandages seemed like the most flawless pair of legs in the world. She learned about my return and engagement from a friend that night. I expected her to cry, to wail, to hit me and question me. But she did none of that, she just congratulated me and left the ball.

On my way back from the party, I saw her sitting on the bench we both usually sat and smoked on (starts staring at his bottle of beer). Wafts of smoke came out of her lips colored in red lipstick as she looked at me and said, “I’ve missed you Omar, and I’m going to miss you till the day I die.” We both looked at each other, we both knew what we wanted, we also knew what we wanted was wrong. But what had happened so far hadn’t been right, and our future didn’t carry justice for us either. And so, we made love

A tear falls from his eye, he quickly wipes it and smiles sadly.

Sidharth (confused) Made love. You mean you had sex?

Omar (embarrassed) Yes, we had (pauses and struggles to speak) we did that.

Sidharth (tipsy) Dude, hats off to you and your babe. Seriously man kudos. Oh and don’t you ever tell anyone (pauses) anyone, that I cried. Yeah? I got a rep to protect!

Omar (wiping his tears) I won’t, I won’t! You can count on me.

Sidharth Yeah, but you can’t.

            Sidharth doesn’t speak for a while.

Omar (worried) are you ok, kid?

Sidharth(clenching his fists) I’m a liar Omar. I’m not a good person.          

Bangs his fist on the table.

Omar (confused) What do you mean?

Sidharth (screams)I’m a fucking liar, and now, I’m an orphan (begins to howl). I’m the worst person in the world.

Omar (calms his down) Sid, Sid, listen to me. Listen. What happened? You can tell me, I’m a father figure, ain’t I? I told you my secret, didn’t I? Now come on, be a good boy and tell me what’s bothering you.

Sidharth (sobs) remember when I told you I’m here to meet a friend. I was lying. I’m actually in London to meet my uncle. My mom’s bestfriend.

Omar That’s ok kid, it’s not that big a lie. And hey, mind it, you’re not the worst person in the world.

Sidharth Really, then why did my dad never meet me? Twenty years and not a single phone call. Why have I never seen my father? And why did my mom never tell me about the man? You know it’s so funny (laughs sarcastically) I always thought Uncle D was my dad. Even though mom never said so, I always thought I was his son. But then, on my mom’s funeral (pauses and sobs) Uncle D told me he knows who my real father is and my mom wanted me to know about him after she left.

Omar keeps a hand on Sidharth’s shoulder sympathetically.

Sidharth- I’m here to meet Uncle D, no I’m here to find my father. To meet him once, to hug him and mourn my mother’s demise (pauses and wipes his tears.)  I don’t want to question him, I don’t want him to give me his name, I don’t want to be a part of his life. All I want is for him to call me his son, just once. I just want to tell everyone, “I too have a father.”

Omar hugs Sidharth tightly and lets him weep on his shoulder. He too gets emotional and sheds a tear.

Omar you might not have known me for long and all I might’ve given you is free beer but son, you can rely on me. Come here whenever you feel the need of a father and I shall be there for you. (pauses and smiles) I shall think I’ve helped the son I’ve always wanted but never had.

Sidharth (wiping his tears) Sorry, too much beer turns me into a girl. Where’s the bathroom? I need to pee.

Omar Go straight and then left.

Sidharth returns after five minutes. He goes to the bar and grabs four more bottles of beer.

Sidharth (teases) Ok, enough drama old man. No more crying, men don’t shed tears. So tell me, does your wife know about Ayesha? Moreover, did you ever meet her again?

Omar (smiles) Wife, hah! I didn’t marry.

Sidharth (shocked) What? What happened to ‘Miss Mom’s choice’?

Omar Miss mom’s choice had to marry another man. I tried hard, but Ayesha never left this head of mine and when I finally did manage to divert her thoughts, she refused to leave this heart (touches his heart and smiles sadly). I finally mustered the courage to tell my parents about Ayesha after four years of being engaged to Humera, my fiancée. They took me to be a disgrace to the family, the country and the religion. I was given two options- to marry the girl they’d chosen for me or (pauses) to never show them my face again. I (pauses again) chose the latter.

Sidharth (curious) and what about Ayesha? Did you see her again?

Omar Yes, yes I did. I got in touch with a friend of hers. She told me she lived in London. So I took whatever I had and came here.

Sidharth So what happened when you met her?

Omar begins to narrate again and loses himself in thought.