The aroma of basmati rice tossed in ghee, spices, and meat wafted through the kitchen. Sadiya smiled in satisfaction once she layered the edges of the handi* with dough.

Wiping the beads of sweat she looked at the clock for the nth time.

 It had been three years since Rashid left home to secure a job in Qatar.

'” Sorry, Ammi*, I won't be able to make it this Eid,” he would say every year.

His calls had become irregular but he regularly transferred a lump sum to her account. Finally, she would see him today. She had cooked his favorite mutton biryani* and meethi sevaiya*.

Sadiya ran to open the door when the bell rang.

“Rashid! My son, “she gasped, hugging him.

His face looked longer, with protruding cheekbones and an unruly beard. She searched for her dear son through his rapidly blinking eyes, which refused to meet hers.

Closing his eyes he took in the aroma. “Biryani! I am hungry,” Rashid squealed. “Let’s have lunch together after you freshen up.”

“Ammi, how is Zareena?”' he asked. “The last I met her was at her nikah, *” Sadiya mumbled as Rashid sauntered into his room.

Zareena and Rashid were madly in love. Time had laid its icy hands on their happy memories.  

Sadiya’s mobile buzzed.

She collapsed on the ground clenching her chest on hearing the news. Her body froze. Sadiya had faced tough situations before but nothing could beat this. The agonizing pain shattered her heart. Unfortunately, God had snatched everything from her including her time to grieve.

“Ammi, this feels like Eid,” Rashid chirped seeing the feast laid out for him.

He stared at his mother’s sullen face. Her once salt and pepper hair had now greyed evenly. Her cheeks had caved in. Her big eyes lined with kajal were sunk deep inside. The trauma of Abu’s* death in a communal riot had left its trail on her face.

Rashid’s reverie broke when the mobile rang. His face stiffened as he walked to the porch. Sadiya followed him. The nerves on her neck stood out as she heard his muffled words.

She quietly went back into the kitchen. Soon Rashid followed. His face had turned grim and his lips quivered.

“Sorry Ammi, I must leave right now. Something urgent has come up.” Hugging him, she refused to let him go.

Rashid reluctantly pulled himself away.

Placing a small box of biryani in his hand, Sadiya wept.  “May Allah bless you!”

Rashid relished every morsel of the biryani at the airport. Leaning back, he closed his eyes. “This feels blissful!”

Within a few minutes, he fell dead.

“The most wanted terrorist Farukh alias Rashid Khan was found dead at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. “The next day’s daily read.

Sadiya wailed uncontrollably.

The police had informed her that her son was a terrorist.  The conversation that Sadiya overheard confirmed her worst fears.

Though the mother’s heart bled, she heeded the call of her motherland at the death-defying moment.

***

Glossary:

1.      Handi: A cooking utensil

2.      Biryani: A rice dish made using spices, vegetables, or meat.

3.      Meethi Sevaiya: A dessert made using vermicelli, milk, sugar and dry fruits.

4.      Ammi: Mother

5.      Abu: Father

6.      Nikaah: A Muslim wedding