The Fallen Widow

14. The Ceremony

Forty-eight long hours passed and the haveli was on knife edge. The wind stopped. The maids nursed Fiza twist and turn on her bed, shivering from a deep set fever. Throughout the shivers and hallucinations, only one name was on her lips.

"Uzayr."

News spread of her trauma. Clothes torn. Body bruised and bite marks. Everyone assumed the worst. Uzayr had raped her. But why was she calling out to him? Malikah, Shahgul and the maids were bewildered by her state whilst the female doctor checked on her regulary.

Discharged from the hospital, Dilwar-Baksh returned to the haveli to take control of the situation. Terror struck through his body when he heard Uzayr hurt his beloved granddaughter. Uzayr had punished him through Fiza. First, he attempted to kill him, now he assaulted his beloved granddaughter. The haveli was on knife edge. Wajahat Ali and the guards raced through Jahanpur to find Uzayr and bring him back alive. But fear paralysed the guards. Uzayr was a mighty Samson, no one dared to approach him. He was a Choudhary, with mighty power. He could snap a guards pencil neck in seconds.

"The moment she wakes her, prepare for her nikah." Shah Nawaz paced the bettak with his mother planning the next few hours.

"We promised her parents she will be married. Jahanzaib is ready to marry her."

"She is no state to be married." Shah gul replied after spending a sleepless night by her side.

However, the moment Fiza returned to her consciousness, Shah Nawaz's plans were thwarted. Delirious and confused, she felt emotionally and physically drained. The past few days were removed from her memory. What happened? Where was she? Malaikah stroked her matted hair. Her eyes moist with tears. Fiza couldn't hear her.

"Uzayr." Fiza whispered. The visions were clear like day. Uzayr jumped off a cliff. His body floated like his father's body. Uzayr was dead. She saw his white shroud. Sitting on her bed dressed in white, her hair curled around her.

"He's dead! Where is he?" She glared at Malaikah.

"Who?"

"Uzayr?! What happened to him?"

Maliakah neared her and calmed her down stroking her back and telling her to forget Uzayr. "You have been asleep for two days, my jaan. What is wrong with you? Look at the state of you. Don't you remember what he did to you?"

Fiza's mind was foggy. Her head pounding. Her mouth dry. She shook her head. "It wasn't his fault. I know everything."

She had to find Uzayr. She stepped off the bed. Her knees weak, she swayed falling back onto the bed.

"Where are you going?"

But Fiza was adamant, with the help of Malaikah she made her way to her baba's room. Did he kill Uzayr? Did he know Azaad was behind the assassination?

"Take me to baba." Fiza insisted.

On approaching the door, Fiza barged into the room and found her grandfather sitting on the arm chair, staring out into the balcony at the serene view of his land. The land with a million problems. Barefoot, she approached her baba, without a dupatta. She smoothed her hair over her neck.

Dilawar-Baksh took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His tears froze. He tightened his grip on his chair. He couldn't speak to her. He couldn't face her. His child was hurt and he couldn't do anything. Fiza kneeled in his feet. She rested her head on his knees and sobbed. The visions of Uzayr's body flashed before her eyes. Was he dead? Did baba kill him?

"Baba-have you killed him?" Her voice shuddered. "Don't. It's not his fault." She sobbed her head falling into his feet.

"Uzayr is wild with revenge. Azaad is behind all this. He planned the assassination." Tears landed on his bare feet.