“So?” Iram asked, leading her down the backyard of the bungalow. The grass here had dried up in patches. Amaal stepped on a few spots, sensing hard mud. She turned to tell Iram that she needed to air it but found her eyes on the glass window that gave them a clear view of the inside of the house. Daniyal and Yathaarth were wrestling on the floor, Samar and Atharva sitting on the sofa, laughing at something.
“So what?” Amaal bit into the kulfi. “Do you realise you are raising a toddler and a teenager all at once?”
“I never think about it in those terms,” Iram murmured. “It’s like Daniyal was always here. And he is such a good boy to live with. He has his quirks and his days. But… how to say it? They are all ours too. Atharva and he are so close. Maha also wants to come stay here, you know?”
“Sarah told me. She wants to study hard and go to Dani bhai’s college so she can come live with you guys.”
Iram shook her head, continuing their walk.
“How is your book coming about?”
“Releasing this week.”
“What?” Amaal gasped. “How do I not know this?”
“Because we are not doing a big release event or anything.”
“Why?” She stopped in her tracks. “Iram, if it’s because of Atharva’s externment then let me tell you that you are not affected by that. And your book will get a pan-India, a pan-world release…”
Iram’s face softened — “It’s not just that. There are multiple reasons.”
“You can’t do this to your career.”
“Do what?”
“Scale down like this.”
“On the contrary, this book is going into a 10,000-copy first edition print. Ten times Rescuing Heaven.”
“That’s… you deserve the fame, Iram.”
“I don’t want it.”
“Why?”
“I never wanted it, Amaal. Never vied for it. It was good. The book tours, the events, the talks. But after what has happened, to me and to Atharva, I want to stay on the low. I don’t want any attention on us.”
“You are sacrificing your career for Atharva.”
“No. I am strengthening my career into a more solid base for Atharva, and me and the family. Every release will bring five minutes of fame, and considering what we have seen, the bad kind is greater than the good kind. At this point, it will certainly be. That’s what Sherry anticipates too. So why chase it? The focus must be on the book, not on who wrote it.”
Amaal stared at her, speechless.
“And,” Iram continued. “If I channel those marketing efforts into writing instead, I can have my third book out sooner and it will mean a faster backlist, better revenue and a stronger base for us.”
Amaal did not agree.
“Don’t worry, you’ll still get a signed copy which you will not read.”
“Because I will keep it in a vacuum box and auction it for crores after ten years.”
Iram chuckled, turning and resuming their walk back.
“Iram?”
“Hmm?”
“Is everything ok financially? I don’t have that much to help with but, are you all fine?”
