The Fallen Widow

1. Golden Field of Dreams

Panting for breath. Racing barefoot through the narrow dirt path. Jumping over the potholes. Meh'r-Bano's heart pounded against her ribcage. Her arms pumped blood through her body.
"Run Baji! Bano! Run!" Cheered a seven year old. "He's catching up!"

Adrenaline pumped into her blood system thrusting her to jump over the boulder and spill into the golden yellow ocean of mustard fields. Hip deep in the crop, Meh'r-Bano pushed her way through the mustard seeds swimming through the strong odour, her long white chiffon duppatta trailing behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that he was close waving his fist in the air.
"You can run, but where will you hide Meh'r-Bano!" Shafiq growled impending upon her like a dagger.

The chase was long, tiring under the glaring July sun. Meh'r-Bano had run from the quarry for twenty minutes and Shafiq was now raspy. Beads of sweat drenched the back of her white cotton kameez, she feared its transparency as she raced wildly through the fields. He was close. So close, she could feel his long hand upon her shoulder.

Once she made her way through the field, she jumped onto the path but her duppatta betrayed her. She looked back. Her whited duppatta was pinned on the crop. She looked back, but it was too late. Shafiq's black grimy fingers were upon her white duppatta as he snatched it causing a tear. There was no time to waste, Mehr-Bano darted through the tight alley, her anklets dancing around her ankle as she meandered through dodging the oncoming motorbikes. Finally, she crashed through the wooden gates; home.

In the far corner lying on the kat (bed) was her frail bed-ridden father-in-law. Paralysed by a stroke, he waved his right hand for her to come over so he could protect her. She hid behind his frail sun baked figure; flesh on bones. He mumbled incoherently through his lapsed lips.

With her white duppatta in his greasy hand, Shafiq slammed the gates shut and tied the chain. "Today, I will not spare you!" Shafiq marched towards his father's bed. 

"That mouth of hers! You need to cut her tongue out and throw it to the dogs." Kaneez screwed her nose pointing her long stubby finger at her daughter-in-law.

"How many times have I told my wife to stay at home Babu?" Shafiq looked at his dad who shook his hand, mumbling helplessly at his son. "But my wife would rather spend her days out in the brick quarry poisoning the children's minds with her books!" Shafiq's beetal leaf stained red teeth gnashed in anger.

Meh'r-Bano cowed behind her protective father-in-law. In her marital mud dwelling only he was her saviour. Despite his mumbling speech and his disability, he shook the able side of his body to gain attention to save his caring daughter-in-law.

"Just because she has read a few books, she thinks she is better than us. I told you Babu!" Kaneez turned to her weak husband adding fuel. "I told you not to bring a woman from the valley! Our women maybe uneducated but they know their place; in the quarry, earning money." Kaneez flung the bale of hay aside and rubbed her hands. "Sort her out." She ordered her son Shafiq and pointed to the barn.

Shafiq grinded his red stained teeth and stepped closer. "If Choudhary Saab finds out about your trips to the quarry-"

Meh'r-Bano wiped the sweat from her forehead and chanted like a war cry. "To hell with Choudhary Saab and his son!" Mehr-Bano cursed. She loathed the generations of Choudhry's. They were nothing but elite feasting on the flesh of the poor. Every nook of her body rebelled against their brutality, their patriarchal system that favoured wealthy fat men.

Kaneez gawped at her daughter's in law audacity. She shivered fearing that the neighbour would hear and report her to the Choudhary and hell would soon break loose.

"May maggots feast on Choudhary Qureshi's flesh who has bound the people of Jahanpur into generations of bonded debt!" She appeared from behind the kat with rage clear in her eyes. She wasn't going to run. It was time to vent her hatred. She pressed her hands on her narrow hips and poked her ring pierced button nose up in the air standing face to face with her husband with not a flint of fear in her eyes. Kaneez covered her gaping mouth staring at her insolent bare headed daughter in law.
"Shush!" Kaneez gasped. "The villagers will hear you. If word spreads-"