Hasil e Lahasil | حاصلِ لا حاصل

6

Chapter 6

The Meeting

The sky once obscured by the thick layer of mist, was blessed with the rays of sun shining from behind the clouds, decorating the nature in its vivid light, enhancing the multitude of shades. Ibrahim Shah trotted through the pebbled lane of the Malik villa, which stood tall in all its glory.

He was welcomed by a sturdy man, he recognised as the butler of the Malik household, who helped him settle down in a finely furnished drawing room. Yes, as you may grapple, he was here to meet the reason behind every tumult in their lives.

Matters have not been in prospect with the current situation of the village as the riots were building up, destroying the peace that was failing to settle in regard with the two major clans, the Malik's and Shah's. Who have been responsible for the prime state of the place they called home.

To restore the terrific situation at hand, many possibilities of handling the worse conditions were brought up. But they were two different families, sowing a rivalry against each other because the distant cousins and family members were not delighted with two ruling at a same time, rather be one of them.

It could have resulted in each other either burning the fields or ranging a bloody massacre, for them to claim the village as their own, if immediate steps were not taken to minimize the vandalism.

So, to lessen the effects it might provoke and damage the many lives at stake, the wise men of the village had announced a solution to resolve the issue. Ibrahim Shah had taken the decision with a stone on his heart risking one life dear to him than endangering the many innocents out there.

A matrimony was arranged between the families to assuage the liability. And the circumstances prompted for the Shah's to give the daughter as the Malik's only had a male heir to the throne. A marriage that could merge the Malik's and Shah's into one rather than two.

Sajawal Malik, father of Dilawar Malik, had agreed upon the requests of Ibrahim, as he seeked his son out to Pakistan, for the union. Staying his entire life away from the traditions and customs of the place, Sajawal had to work harder on convincing him for the match, rendering him to leave for the country without giving him much of a choice.

In the meanwhile, Dilawar Malik sat in his study, a vast room with mahogany desk and a bookshelf on one side of a room, consisting of all the records of their dealings and transactions with people in and around the village.

There were files piled up on the table, a few of them open as Dilawar had been studying them not so long ago, but he had abandoned the work for the poetry book, he found in one of the drawers of the desk. His own was back at his home in States, so he was quite delighted to find the book here, which most probably belonged to his father.

Father, the mere word brought a bitter taste on his tongue whenever the thoughts of what conspired when he was forced to come to Pakistan came into his mind. He had not been close to his father during all his life instead with his grandparents and mother.

The relationship between his parents had always been strained as he grew up in an unhealthy environment, witnessing their fights and the manhandling of his father. Even though, he loved the man, but held no respect for him, as he had been a strict man with unusual morals and ethics as he called so.

میں بھی مُنہ میں زبان رَکھتا ہُوں
کاش! پُوچھو کہ مُدعا کیا ہے؟

main bhi munh mein zabaan rakhta hoon
kaash! poocho ki "muddaa kya hai" ?

(I too have a tongue in my mouth.
I wish if you had asked what is the intent?)

He read the verses from 'Diwan e Ghalib' divulging into the melancholy of words. The chaos, the silence and loneliness held in it was exhilarating. He wished for anyone to ask that what was the reason behind his silence, despite he had the ability to speak.