The Creatively Frustrated

(This is a lengthy story based on actual facts. Episodes will be posted over a span of a few weeks. There are going to be NINE episodes in total. For Episode 6 click here . Enjoy!) Episode 7 Maheen is in the parking lot of the hospital. She takes out the keys from her purse and collapses on the driver’s seat. She leans her head against the steering wheel and breaks down. She cries and sobs, her shoulders shake violently with grief. She wipes her tears with the back of her hands and starts the car. Images are flashing through her mind, Sadiq holding her hand against his cheek, Sadiq spinning a bra in his hand, drunk; Sadiq beating her. She accelerates her car out of the hospital and sees an addict by the road side. She stares at him. Suddenly it occurs to her, her eyes widen in realization. She remembers the welcome party that her cousin Eemaan gave her in America. Her memories play in front of her eyes like a movie; the skinny guy coughing and then administering the morphine and th...

(This is a lengthy story based on actual facts. Episodes will be posted over a span of a few weeks. There are going to be NINE episodes in total. For Episode 5 click here . Enjoy!) Episode 6 Maheen is walking in the hospital. She looks at her watch. She is five minutes late. She approaches the receptionist who tells her to wait. Maheen sits on a sofa. She picks up a magazine about motherhood and flips through it. “Mrs. Maheen Sadiq?” A nurse announces her name. Maheen stands up and follows the nurse into the doctor’s room. “Hello Maheen! How are you feeling?” Dr. Mehnaz, the doctor dealing with her pregnancy, asks. The nurse leaves closing the door behind her. Maheen sits on the chair opposite the doctor. “I’m feeling good.” “Is anyone here with you?” “No. I came alone.” “Maheen… I’m afraid I have very bad news. It would have been better if someone from your family was here.” Maheen stares at the doctor for a few seconds. “I can handle it Dr. Mehnaz. Tell me what’s wrong.” “Do you ...

(This is a lengthy story based on actual facts. Episodes will be posted over a span of a few weeks. There are going to be NINE episodes in total. For Episode 4 click here . Enjoy!) Episode 5 Two years have passed. Maheen is sitting in front of the mirror in the master bedroom. She is genuinely happy about something. A smile lingers on her face. She dabs perfume on both her wrists and looks at the wall clock. It is 8 ‘o’ clock. She walks in the kitchen, where the cook is busy preparing food. “Sadiq will be here any moment. Is the food ready?” Maheen asks. “Yes ma’am sahib. I have taken great care in cooking the food today. After all, it is sahibs and your first wedding anniversary.” The cook replies confidently. Maheen goes back into her room and looks out the window. She is lost in thought. Her memories of the past two years are not pleasant ones. She remembers how she fought with her parents when they had forbidden her to marry Sadiq, the images flash through her head. According ...

(This is a lengthy story based on actual facts. Episodes will be posted over a span of a few weeks. There are going to be NINE episodes in total. For Episode 3 click here . Enjoy!) [Pssst… Apologies for such a delay in the post. Exams are around the corner, scavenging on my brain.] Episode 4 Bahadur walks into his home like a zombie. He stands there at the door, watching his mother and sisters. No one notices that he has returned. “Bahadur! When did you arrive?” Amma asks. Bahadur just stares at her as if he’s gone deaf. His mouth is slightly open. His face shows no emotion. “Bahadur…?” “Uh… Yes… Yes I just came. Where’s Abba?” “He hasn’t come back yet. He’ll be late.” Amma goes towards the stove and stir’s the pot. A gush of steam makes eerie faces in the air. Bahadur sits on the charpoy and Baji brings him a glass of water. She sits beside him while he drinks. “What happened?” She whispers. “Nothing happened.” He whispers back. “Don’t lie to me! You look like you’ve seen a ghost. D...

(This is a lengthy story based on actual facts. Episodes will be posted over a span of a few weeks. There are going to be NINE episodes in total. For Episode 2 click here . Enjoy!) Episode 3 It’s the wedding day. Maheen is sitting in her room, in her gorgeous rust colored lainga . The top has no back only straps, which bind it together. She is arranging her hair. When she is done, she stands up, examines herself one more time in the full length mirror. She is more than satisfied with the reflection. She strolls towards Eemaan’s room, knocks on the door and enters. Eemaan is sitting on her bed. Maheen sucks her breath in at the sight of her. She is adorned in a traditional blood red sharara . Precious stones are embroidered on her dress in intricate flowery patterns. “You look absolutely beautiful.” Says, a gawking, Maheen. “Are you sure I look ok? Because I think the man who did my make up over did my eyes. And I don’t think my lipsticks color matches my dress. And the dress, do you ...

(This is a lengthy story based on actual facts. Episodes will be posted over a span of a few weeks. There are going to be NINE episodes in total. For "Episode 1" click here . Enjoy!) Episode 2 Maheen wheels her bag out of San Francisco airport and looks around to see if anyone’s here to take her home. Right then a Lamborghini stops a few feet from her and from it emerges Eemaan, the 20 year old bride-to-be. She is clad in a pink sleeveless top and white Capri pants, a glittering pink hand bag hangs from her shoulder and her long dark hair flows down to her waist. “Maheeeeeennnn!!!!” she screams excitedly running to her in 5 inch high heels. She throws her arms around Maheen’s neck and kisses the air next to both her cheeks. “Oh. My. God. Maheen! You have gotten so sexy in the last year! My, My! Look at that figure! How do you do it girl? If only you wouldn’t tie that luscious hair of yours in that pony or bun or whatever it is, guys would be falling all over you- But I heard...

(This is a lengthy story based on actual facts. Episodes will be posted over a span of a few weeks. There are going to be NINE episodes in total. Enjoy!) Episode – 1 A dark haired, tall woman with exquisite features and a flawless complexion walks in a queue to board her plane. She looks impatiently at an old man in front of her moving inch by inch. “Damn these wrinkled creatures!” She mutters under her breath. Finally her turn comes and she hands over her boarding pass to a man. She over takes the old man, her heels clicking as she treads quickly in the tunnel towards the airplane.   She gracefully sits in her spacious passenger seat in the First Class cabin and notices a little boy sitting next to her. “Great! First the old buffoon and now this boy will make my flight miserable.” She thinks irritatingly. Maheen is 25, with apparently no interest in children or old men. The plane taxis and takes off. The seatbelt sign is still lit. It feels to her as if somebody is ja...