EK ZABRAN NIKHA

A very beautiful village, where the fields are covered with beautiful greenery. There is silence all around, only the sound of crickets can be heard. In the middle of it is a very old mansion, where some big people are sitting in a hall. It seems from everyone's face that something big has happened here. One of the old women said while looking at her daughter-in-law standing in front - "Noor Jahan, see, is that girl ready or is she still throwing tantrums? Qazi sahab is waiting. That girl's tantrums just do not end. Today is a wedding in this house, but the people of this house are not destined to even breathe a sigh of relief." Noor Jahan entered the room after listening to her mother-in-law, nodding slightly. The girl is sitting in front of the mirror in a red saree. There is no makeup on her face. Her eyes have become red due to crying. Noor Jahan went behind her and started caressing her shoulder while keeping a dupatta on her head. Then the girl immediately put her hand on her waist and said while sobbing – "I don't want to get married Mami. You know, it was not my fault. Please convince everyone else. I still have a lot to study. Please don't do this injustice to me. Why are you people not understanding me? I have not done anything for which I am being given such a big punishment." Noor Jahan, after listening to the girl, said while caressing her head – "In this mansion, we women are not allowed to say anything. It is not in my control." Noor Jahan said while caressing Rida's cheek lovingly – "Rida, I cannot stop this marriage even if I want to. But if we don't go out now, then there will be a ruckus." On hearing Noor Jahan's words, Rida started looking at her with hopeful eyes, But Noor Jahan took a deep breath, put a dupatta on her head and lowered her veil and started taking her with her. Rida was seeing her every dream shattering as she walked step by step. She once again held Noor Jahan's hand and started pleading with her, But Noor Jahan being deaf and dumb silently brought her out of the room and made her sit next to the groom. The tears in Rida's eyes were not stopping. Her dreams, her hopes, her desire to become something - everything was going to end today. Because the person she is getting married to does not understand anyone else except herself and neither does he care about anyone else. Nikhat Begum (Noor Jahan's mother-in-law), looking at Qazi sahab said - "You start." Qazi sahab looks at Rida and places a paper in front of her and asks – "Rida binte late Arman Sheikh, do you accept the marriage with Shyan binte Mohsin Khan?" Rida did not answer, so Qazi sahab repeated his words again. Rida was holding her dupatta tightly, her tears were not stopping. She did not have the courage to speak. Just then a cold and heavy voice came in her ears – "If you want the safety of your lover and his family, then Qazi does not have to repeat it." Rida's face turned pale as soon as she heard Shyan's words. She gathered courage and nodded her head in 'yes', to which Qazi sahab asked her to sign the nikahnama. Rida signs the paper with trembling hands, seeing which Shyan looks at her with a slanted eye. Qazi sahab asked Shyan too, and Shyan immediately said ‘yes’. Everyone was fed sweets. After the Nikaah, everyone prayed. After praying, Qazi sahab left. After he left, Nikhat Bano got up from her seat and said – “Noorjahan Begum, take your daughter-in-law to the room.” On hearing Nikhat’s words, Noorjahan said nervously – “Amma, I will take her there. You take a rest.” On hearing Noorjahan’s words, Nikhat Bano said smilingly – “It seems, Bahu Begum, you are forgetting or is your daughter-in-law some angel that the rules will be changed for her?” On hearing her mother-in-law’s words, Noorjahan looked at Shyan and her husband Mohsin, and Shyan was quietly busy with his phone, as if he did not care about Rida at all. Mohsin signaled her to leave with his eyes, so she quietly walked with her mother-in-law and Rida towards Shyan's room. As soon as she closed the door of the room, she held Rida's jaw and pulled her close to her and said, "I forgave many of your mistakes just because you are very dear to Mohsin and Noor Jahan, but remember - if my Shyaan gets hurt even a little bit because of you... you have escaped from my hands once, but this time I will not give you a single chance to escape. So burn your books and throw it away and take care of my Shyaan. Fulfill your duty as a wife. If my grandson gets hurt even a little bit because of you, you have escaped from my hands once - this time no one will save you from me. You have got a chance to repay the favor of your mother, who gave you a new life and kept you in this house, otherwise you would have been begging on the streets or yearning for two meals a day in an orphanage." "I have explained to you - what I had to understand. Now it is your responsibility, how you have to spend your life." After finishing her talk, she left the room. Noor Jahan started looking inside the room with worried eyes, but when Nikhat ji signaled her to close the door and leave, she silently followed her. Rida, who was in the same room, could not hold back her tears after hearing her grandmother's words - she started crying out loud. She was in a lot of pain. She was standing in such a dilemma where she had to do all that she had never thought of. Marriage was a far-fetched thing in her dictionary. She wanted to fulfill her mother's dream first, and then she had to get married. But everything went the other way. Today she got married and today itself it was guaranteed that she would not be allowed to fulfill her dreams in future. She sat there near the door and started crying. Just then the door opened again. As Shyan entered the room, the expression on his face changed after seeing Rida crying like this. The veins on her forehead started showing, her fists were clenched tightly. Rida was crying uncontrollably with her head down. After listening to her grandmother's words, she felt her whole life going into darkness. She was suffering punishment for a mistake that she had not committed. She did not know what to do. Slowly she lay down on the floor and started sobbing. Noor Jahan and Mohsin's room Noor Jahan looked at Mohsin and said, "I am very nervous. We should not have been in such a hurry to get married. I am sure Rida cannot do anything like this. You know that ever since we got Shyan and Rida engaged, Shyan has not tolerated Rida for a moment." Mohsin was quietly listening to his wife. He took his wife's hand in his and caressed it lovingly and said, "It seems you do not know your son. If he did not like Rida, are you sure he would have got engaged to her? And we would have got her married today? I know he is a little grumpy and arrogant, but I am sure both of them will be able to handle each other." Hearing Mohsin's words, Noor Jahan smiled and said, "I pray to Allah that what you are saying is correct. I am feeling a strange nervousness - it seems that something very big is going to happen." Mohsin looked at his beloved wife and hugged her and said, "You are thinking too much, everything will be fine. Now go to sleep - you have to get up early in the morning." The next morning Rida had fallen asleep crying on the floor. Suddenly cold water fell on her, due to which she opened her eyes in a hurry, and Nikhat Begum was staring at her with angry eyes. Before Rida could say anything, Nikhat Begum slapped her hard and said, "You have turned out to be just like your mother! Last night itself I had explained to you to take care of my grandson, but you shameless girl - you forced my grandson to go abroad from here!" Nikhat Begum pulled Rida downstairs by her hair, where everyone else was present, who were supposed to come to the wedding last night, but had to stop halfway due to bad weather. Everyone was shocked to see Nikhat Begum coming. Noor Jahan was serving tea and snacks to everyone along with juice and servants. The tea tray fell from her hand. She immediately went to the stairs and saw her mother-in-law and said, “Amma! What are you doing? Why are you holding Rida like this? She must be in pain… let go!” Nikhat Begum, on hearing Noor Jahan, pushed Rida down the stairs. Rida fell to the ground rolling like a sack. On hearing the sound, everyone left the dining table and came to the stairs.