‘Your love and care reminded me of the man who adopted me, Syed Baba. I don’t know why the lord is toying with a shattered earthen pot like me,’ Bibi replied between sobs. Shahida patted her forehead and helped her lie down on the bed. Allah Rakha settled down on the wooden floor next to the bed. Before going to sleep, he said, ‘In a bookshop, both Gita and Quran sit next to each other. They never quarrel. The ones who fight in their names are those who have never read them . . .’
After the women had drifted off to sleep, the old man quietly exited the room and closed the door gently behind him. He cleaned up the blood spots on the floor, rearranged the kitchen and went back to his apartment. The next morning, he went back to Bibi’s house again. But before he could knock, Shahida opened the door and signalled him to remain quiet. ‘She’s sound asleep, let her rest,’ she whispered. ‘Once she’s awake, let’s all go to the gurdwara. She will find solace there,’ she said. Allah Rakha nodded in agreement and returned to his house. Shahida sat down on the floor and began praying. With tears in her eyes and a prayer on her lips, she said, ‘If you’re there, Allah, and listening, then please don’t test my child any more. Send her a good husband. She needs to live the beautiful life that you’ve blessed her with. Thank you.’
7
These two incidents—one in Pakistan and one in India—had shaken Bibi. They had both resulted in violence and gore. One day, she sat in her prayer posture, with her legs folded beneath her, her eyes closed and her palms on her knees, and analysed her actions in minute detail. It was difficult for her to fathom what had transformed her from a quiet, god-fearing woman into a savage beast in a flash. In the case of the SHO, she had continued to attack him even after blinding him in one eye, nearly killing him in the process. On both occasions, in a fit of anger, her mind had let her animal instinct take over her rationality. The sudden rush of blood in her veins had miraculously made her lift the heavy flowerpot with ease and smash it with full force on his sensitive parts. Something similar had happened with Ismail where she had set him on fire even after stabbing him.
She was surprised and disturbed to realize that deep within, her subconscious mind was not troubled by the far-reaching consequences of her actions. On the contrary, she felt vindicated. Seeing her attackers lying helplessly on the ground, begging for help, had made her sigh with satisfaction. There was no fear in her heart or mind. She was, as if possessed by a demon, out to settle all scores.