The Fallen Widow

23. Heavy Price to Pay

Emotions were high in the haveli like a whirlwind making it's way across Jahanpur after learning the scandalous rumours surrounding Shah Nawaz and Meh'r-Bano. Now. It came to light that Meh'r-Bano visited Shah Nawaz late last night whilst the dancers were entertaining. Shahgul ordered Wajahat to her private suite demanding answers.

"What is going on Wali? What is wrong with my son?"

Wajahat bowed his head in shame. He had nothing to say to Shahgul. Shah Nawaz did what he wanted and he was out of control. Now he was on a quest to destroy Meh'r-Bano's family.

"What will he do? What extent will he go to?" Shahgul asked. "What does he want with this woman?"

Wajahat was silent.

"Wali, you need to get a grip on this. My son will not be bought down my a simple woman. He has a future, a marriage, children ahead of him to embed his leadership. This woman is a mere distraction. This has to end. What does he want to do?"

"She slapped him."

"What?"

"He asked her to spend the night and she slapped him."

"A woman slapped my son- the chief of Jahanpur?" Shahgul paced the room is shock. "Why hasn't she being arrested? Why hasn't she been called in front of me?"

"Choudhary Shah Nawaz does not want anyone involved. He is dealing with it."

"Just like he is dealing with this infatuation with this maid Where is he? Tell him his mother wants to see him?"

"I will, Choudhrani Jee."

"Go! Get out of here and keep an eye on my son." Shahgul threw her arm in the air. She knew that Shah Nawaz had his beady eye on her, but the audacity of the simple woman to slap him?

***

Reeling from the heartbreaking truth about Shah Nawaz, Meh'r-Bano fought all day to keep a straight face and stop herself from crying whilst cooking or cleaning. But when she was applying balm on Babu's ulcers tears rained down her cheeks. She couldn't hide her heartbreak from Babu's deep brown eyes. Those wrinkles that turned and eyes widened knowing that she was hiding something. Without words, he tried to ask her to speak, but her tears chocked her as she shook her head.

"It hurts-here." She pressed her hand against her chest. There was a physical ache in her chest, it was deep and throbbing.

"It doesn't go away babu." She wiped her tears with her shawl. "Every hour it gets harder and harder. I can't-" She sobbed into her shawl stifling her cries so no one would hear her. "I just wait for the hours to pass by. Every hour drags on. Then I pray I can sleep, few hours of sleep away from this heartache." Shah Nawaz was like the rest of the men in Jahanpur.

"I've been foolish, Babu. Just pray Allah fixes my heart. It hurts-" She shivered with tears. "I can't bear this pain."

However, this was the start of the vengeance approaching Meh'r-Bano's way when a knock on the gate shattered their home. A gasping young apprentice appeared late one evening calling Kaneez.

"Come quick! Ustaad Shafiq has been arrested." Kaneez let out a cry and fell to knees. Meh'r-Bano quickly ran behind as she heard a hearty cry.

"What happened?" Meh'r-Bano cried out.

"Mushtaq- he's dead. They found his body. They arrested Ustaad!!" Cried the boy.

It was mayhem at Shafiq's house, the sky fell in hearing about Mushtaq's death. For days they were fighting, arguing and throwing threats at each other but today it came to a tragic end. Kaneez cried unable to grasp the reality of it.
"My son is innocent!" She cried out. "My Shafiq is innocent."