Jaan-e-Ada

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The whole chapter is a flashback.

Warning! You might hate Shahzain after this or you might think Isla was wrong to avoid everything.
I want to see your take on this so shower this one with your comments.

Ayesha...

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The worst day for Zaidi family was when the youngest son, Salman Zaidi and his wife Hafsa Zaidi were returning from Hafsa's native city late in the night after a distant relative's wedding function.

They were crushed mercilessly even though they were in a car by a truck that was speeding.
It was an accident.
And they were declared dead at the moment leaving their three children behind.

The whole Zaidi family was devastated and the one who was most affected was Isla Zaidi.
This girl was the closest to her mother Hafsa because she had been always the innocent one who was introvert and didn't like to spend time with others much.

She was 22 when the accident happened. The 20 year old Inaya would cry her guts out and sob in her brother's arms who would keep holding her throughout the day and at times even at the night.

Inaya was close to her brother no matter he was a strict one but Isla still was a bit closed off.
It affected her the way that she would spend the time inside her bedroom 24/7.

The Zaidi family was worried sick because of Isla's more and more breaking off with her family. She had stopped talking to everyone.
And they couldn't bear to see her like this.

This is why her Tayi Ammi and Taya Abbu had come up with an idea to get Shahzain and Isla marry each other so she could feel secure.

Shahzain had no other option but to agree since he had seen Isla's condition and moreover his mother was pestering him since years to get married.

But not once he put up his say that he wasn't interested in marriage. He didn't realize it the moment how wrong he was.
The only reason being he couldn't make space for anyone in his life since he loved to be just himself.
He was even more closed off than Isla.

Isla had denied.

But at one point everyone had started forcing her thinking it was for her own good.
Even her brother Rafay said she should marry Shahzain.

Isla thought as if she was a burden on everyone. As if they didn't like her presence in the house.

But the only intention each member of this family had was to make her feel secure and they thought Shahzain was the best choice for it.

Shahzain was known to be overprotective of his family.
From afar you would see him doing something or the other for the people he cares.
This was the biggest reason the family wanted him to marry Isla. It would secure her future and she would be with someone they trusted.

But marriage is not always the solution. This is what they failed to understand.

And at one point Isla agreed. She just gave in.
Though she had one hope left. That Shahzain might change himself for her after their marriage.

Flashback...

Isla was looking like a fairy dressed in the ivory colored shahrara set she had selected for the nikaah.
The rukhsati was supposed to take place the same day.

Sitting on the bed, Shahzain Mir Zaidi's bed she was thinking how she had turned from Isla Zaidi to Isla Shahzain Mir under seconds.

The nikaah and functions felt like formality to both of them.
And both were so off to understand what they were doing with their lives because one decision and their marriage could change everything.