24-01-2026, 02:40 PM
(This post was last modified: 24-01-2026, 02:42 PM by matiba2025213. Edited 2 times in total. Edited 2 times in total.)
Chapter 45: Maya (Act 1)
The thin mattress on the bed of the storage room was a poor substitute for what he has at home, but exhaustion had claimed Rahim the moment he’d lain down. His sleep was a deep, black pool, but not a peaceful one. Images swirled in the dark water of his dreams: Sari’s terrified eyes in the alley, the crunch of his fist meeting Risal’s face, the rhythmic clatter of the train wheels sounding too much like a desperate heartbeat.
He surfaced from the dream with a gasp, disoriented in the absolute darkness of the windowless room. The air was thick and still, heavy with the scent of dried spices and old wood. Then he heard it again. A soft, hesitant knock on the wooden door.
Sari. The thought was his first, instinctive reaction. Perhaps she’d had another nightmare. He swung his legs off the mattress, the cool packed-earth floor a shock against his bare feet. He didn’t bother with a shirt, padding to the door in just his loose sleep trousers. He pulled the door open, expecting her small, frightened frame. “Sari? What’s wro...”
The woman standing there was not Sari.
Silhouetted against the indigo night, she was taller, her form curvy and substantial. The faint light from a distant kerosene lamp caught the silver threads in her dark, sleep-tousled hair and the worried gleam in her eyes. It was Maya, Sari’s mother. She wore a simple blouse and skirt covered by a thin, faded cotton robe she held closed at her throat with one hand.
“Rahim-ji,” she whispered, her voice low and hushed, carrying on the humid night air. “I am sorry to disturb you.”
“Maya? Is everything alright?” he asked, his voice rough with sleep. He instinctively stepped back, granting her space to enter the small, sheltered doorway, a gesture of privacy from the sleeping household yards away.
She didn’t move from the threshold, her eyes scanning the dark room behind him before returning to his bare chest. Her gaze felt like a physical touch, tracing the lines of his torso. “I have brought you fruits & water to drink.”
“Thank you,” he said softly, leaning a shoulder against the doorframe.
“What you did for my daughter… bringing her home, protecting her…” Her voice wavered, thick with emotion. “We can never repay you.”
“There is no debt,” Rahim said, his tone firm but gentle. “I am just glad she is safe with her family.”
Rahim was acutely aware of his own half-naked state, clad only in his boxers. He grabbed a t-shirt from a nearby hook and hastily pulled it on, followed by a pair of shorts. His movements were hurried, his mind racing. He turned to Maya, who stood awkwardly at the door.
“My husband sleeps like a log,” Maya murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she clutched the thin robe tighter around her frame. Her gaze lingered momentarily on Rahim’s bare chest before she quickly averted her eyes, a faint blush warming her cheeks even in the dim light. “He hasn’t stirred once tonight. Sometimes I feel… so alone, especially with taking care of the baby.”
Rahim nodded, leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed casually over his chest. “I can imagine it’s not easy,” he said, his tone gentle. “But you’re doing a great job, Maya. Sari is lucky to have you.”
Maya offered a small, appreciative smile, though her eyes still carried a hint of weariness. “Thank you, Rahim-ji. I brought you some fruits and water,” she said, holding up a small woven basket. “I thought you might get hungry or thirsty during the night. The storage room is so far from the main house, and it’s difficult to come in without waking everyone, including the baby.” She chuckled softly, the sound warm and inviting. “You’d think after four months, I’d be used to his little cries, but…”
Rahim laughed lightly, the tension in the room easing slightly. “Babies have a way of making sure they’re heard, don’t they?” He stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter. “Please, come in. You didn’t have to go through the trouble, but thank you.”
Maya hesitated for a moment before stepping into the small room, her sandals whispering against the packed-earth floor. She set the basket on a low wooden table near the bed and straightened, her robe shifting subtly with her movements. The fabric clung to her curves momentarily, revealing the ample swell of her hips and the soft outline of her full breasts beneath the thin blouse she wore underneath. Rahim quickly looked away, feeling a pang of guilt for noticing.
“It’s no trouble at all,” Maya said, smoothing the fabric of her robe self-consciously. “You’ve done so much for our family. It’s the least I could do.” She glanced around the sparse room, her eyes softening. “You shouldn’t be out here alone, though. It’s not… comfortable.”
Rahim shrugged, offering her a wry smile. “It’s not too bad. I’ve slept in worse places.” He pulled a chair from the corner and gestured for her to sit, then perched himself on the edge of the bed across from her. “Besides, I didn’t want to disturb anyone by staying in the house.”
Maya settled into the chair, her hands resting delicately in her lap. For a moment, there was a comfortable silence between them, broken only by the faint hum of crickets outside. Then she spoke again, her voice hesitant but curious. “How far ahead is Lina in her pregnancy?”
The question caught Rahim slightly off guard, and he leaned back, his expression thoughtful. “She'll deliver soon and I think she’s a bit nervous about it all.”
Maya nodded knowingly, a soft smile playing on her lips. “It’s natural to feel that way. I was terrified when I had Sari...I was only eighteen then.” She paused, her gaze distant as if lost in memory. “Her father and I got married young, and she came along right away. The other two followed a bit later.” She chuckled softly, shaking her head. “And this little one… well, let’s just say he was a surprise.”
Rahim raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “A surprise?”
Maya laughed again, the sound light and melodic. “Yes, very much so. I didn’t expect to be pregnant at thirty-seven. It’s… different this time around. My body doesn’t bounce back like it used to.” She adjusted her robe subtly, her fingers brushing over her chest where the fabric clung slightly damp from leaking milk. “And breastfeeding is its own challenge.”
Rahim cleared his throat awkwardly, unsure how to respond as he noticed the faint wetness on her robe. “I can imagine,” he said finally, his voice neutral but his eyes betraying a flicker of discomfort. “Lina will have her hands full when the time comes.”
Maya’s gaze lingered on him for a moment, her expression softening. “She will,” she agreed softly. “But she’ll manage. Women are stronger than we sometimes realize.” She paused, her eyes dropping to her hands as she fidgeted with the edge of her robe. “It’s just… some days, it feels like no one notices how hard it is.”
There was a vulnerability in her words that made Rahim’s chest tighten. He leaned forward slightly, his voice earnest. “I see it, Maya. You’re doing an incredible job. And you’re not alone. Sari loves you, and your husband must appreciate everything you do.”
Maya’s smile was bittersweet as she met his gaze. “Thank you, Rahim-ji.” She stood abruptly, smoothing her robe once more as if trying to compose herself. “I should get back before the baby wakes up. But if you need anything else…”
Rahim rose as well, standing a respectful distance from her. “I’ll be fine, thank you,” he said gently. “And really, thank you for the food and water.”
The thin mattress on the bed of the storage room was a poor substitute for what he has at home, but exhaustion had claimed Rahim the moment he’d lain down. His sleep was a deep, black pool, but not a peaceful one. Images swirled in the dark water of his dreams: Sari’s terrified eyes in the alley, the crunch of his fist meeting Risal’s face, the rhythmic clatter of the train wheels sounding too much like a desperate heartbeat.
He surfaced from the dream with a gasp, disoriented in the absolute darkness of the windowless room. The air was thick and still, heavy with the scent of dried spices and old wood. Then he heard it again. A soft, hesitant knock on the wooden door.
Sari. The thought was his first, instinctive reaction. Perhaps she’d had another nightmare. He swung his legs off the mattress, the cool packed-earth floor a shock against his bare feet. He didn’t bother with a shirt, padding to the door in just his loose sleep trousers. He pulled the door open, expecting her small, frightened frame. “Sari? What’s wro...”
The woman standing there was not Sari.
Silhouetted against the indigo night, she was taller, her form curvy and substantial. The faint light from a distant kerosene lamp caught the silver threads in her dark, sleep-tousled hair and the worried gleam in her eyes. It was Maya, Sari’s mother. She wore a simple blouse and skirt covered by a thin, faded cotton robe she held closed at her throat with one hand.
“Rahim-ji,” she whispered, her voice low and hushed, carrying on the humid night air. “I am sorry to disturb you.”
“Maya? Is everything alright?” he asked, his voice rough with sleep. He instinctively stepped back, granting her space to enter the small, sheltered doorway, a gesture of privacy from the sleeping household yards away.
She didn’t move from the threshold, her eyes scanning the dark room behind him before returning to his bare chest. Her gaze felt like a physical touch, tracing the lines of his torso. “I have brought you fruits & water to drink.”
“Thank you,” he said softly, leaning a shoulder against the doorframe.
“What you did for my daughter… bringing her home, protecting her…” Her voice wavered, thick with emotion. “We can never repay you.”
“There is no debt,” Rahim said, his tone firm but gentle. “I am just glad she is safe with her family.”
Rahim was acutely aware of his own half-naked state, clad only in his boxers. He grabbed a t-shirt from a nearby hook and hastily pulled it on, followed by a pair of shorts. His movements were hurried, his mind racing. He turned to Maya, who stood awkwardly at the door.
“My husband sleeps like a log,” Maya murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she clutched the thin robe tighter around her frame. Her gaze lingered momentarily on Rahim’s bare chest before she quickly averted her eyes, a faint blush warming her cheeks even in the dim light. “He hasn’t stirred once tonight. Sometimes I feel… so alone, especially with taking care of the baby.”
Rahim nodded, leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed casually over his chest. “I can imagine it’s not easy,” he said, his tone gentle. “But you’re doing a great job, Maya. Sari is lucky to have you.”
Maya offered a small, appreciative smile, though her eyes still carried a hint of weariness. “Thank you, Rahim-ji. I brought you some fruits and water,” she said, holding up a small woven basket. “I thought you might get hungry or thirsty during the night. The storage room is so far from the main house, and it’s difficult to come in without waking everyone, including the baby.” She chuckled softly, the sound warm and inviting. “You’d think after four months, I’d be used to his little cries, but…”
Rahim laughed lightly, the tension in the room easing slightly. “Babies have a way of making sure they’re heard, don’t they?” He stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter. “Please, come in. You didn’t have to go through the trouble, but thank you.”
Maya hesitated for a moment before stepping into the small room, her sandals whispering against the packed-earth floor. She set the basket on a low wooden table near the bed and straightened, her robe shifting subtly with her movements. The fabric clung to her curves momentarily, revealing the ample swell of her hips and the soft outline of her full breasts beneath the thin blouse she wore underneath. Rahim quickly looked away, feeling a pang of guilt for noticing.
“It’s no trouble at all,” Maya said, smoothing the fabric of her robe self-consciously. “You’ve done so much for our family. It’s the least I could do.” She glanced around the sparse room, her eyes softening. “You shouldn’t be out here alone, though. It’s not… comfortable.”
Rahim shrugged, offering her a wry smile. “It’s not too bad. I’ve slept in worse places.” He pulled a chair from the corner and gestured for her to sit, then perched himself on the edge of the bed across from her. “Besides, I didn’t want to disturb anyone by staying in the house.”
Maya settled into the chair, her hands resting delicately in her lap. For a moment, there was a comfortable silence between them, broken only by the faint hum of crickets outside. Then she spoke again, her voice hesitant but curious. “How far ahead is Lina in her pregnancy?”
The question caught Rahim slightly off guard, and he leaned back, his expression thoughtful. “She'll deliver soon and I think she’s a bit nervous about it all.”
Maya nodded knowingly, a soft smile playing on her lips. “It’s natural to feel that way. I was terrified when I had Sari...I was only eighteen then.” She paused, her gaze distant as if lost in memory. “Her father and I got married young, and she came along right away. The other two followed a bit later.” She chuckled softly, shaking her head. “And this little one… well, let’s just say he was a surprise.”
Rahim raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “A surprise?”
Maya laughed again, the sound light and melodic. “Yes, very much so. I didn’t expect to be pregnant at thirty-seven. It’s… different this time around. My body doesn’t bounce back like it used to.” She adjusted her robe subtly, her fingers brushing over her chest where the fabric clung slightly damp from leaking milk. “And breastfeeding is its own challenge.”
Rahim cleared his throat awkwardly, unsure how to respond as he noticed the faint wetness on her robe. “I can imagine,” he said finally, his voice neutral but his eyes betraying a flicker of discomfort. “Lina will have her hands full when the time comes.”
Maya’s gaze lingered on him for a moment, her expression softening. “She will,” she agreed softly. “But she’ll manage. Women are stronger than we sometimes realize.” She paused, her eyes dropping to her hands as she fidgeted with the edge of her robe. “It’s just… some days, it feels like no one notices how hard it is.”
There was a vulnerability in her words that made Rahim’s chest tighten. He leaned forward slightly, his voice earnest. “I see it, Maya. You’re doing an incredible job. And you’re not alone. Sari loves you, and your husband must appreciate everything you do.”
Maya’s smile was bittersweet as she met his gaze. “Thank you, Rahim-ji.” She stood abruptly, smoothing her robe once more as if trying to compose herself. “I should get back before the baby wakes up. But if you need anything else…”
Rahim rose as well, standing a respectful distance from her. “I’ll be fine, thank you,” he said gently. “And really, thank you for the food and water.”
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