Believe! [Completed]

Chapter 3

"Meine kuch ghalat toh nahi kaha. Ju tumhari izzat karna nahi jaanta woh tumhara shauhar bananey ka haq bhi nahi rakhta."

Minaal looked at what he had just said with her eyes wide open. But she wasn't the one to agree so easily. For her, her family and its honour came first even if she had to slaughter her own happiness.

"Apse kisi ne mashwara maanga hai ju ap bilawaja de rae hain? Please apne kaam se kaam rakhein."

"Kia tumne sari zindagi aise hi jee huzoori karke guzari hai? Chalo pehle ka toh phir samjh ata hai, ab toh tum samjhdar ho, ab kis khushi mein dimagh istamal nai karti apna?"

"Why are you interfering in my personal matter? You are a stranger!"

"Aur woh ju abhi tumhe itna humiliate karke gaya hai, woh kis haq se bakwas karke gaya hai?"

"Deikhein ap..."

"Kia? Deikhao? Listen I am realistic and practical.  Ek insaan tumhare moun per tumhe keh ke gaya hai ke woh tumse shadi nai karna chahta aur tum usey defend kar rai hu... tumhari jaisi larkiyan khamosh rehti hain, apne haq ke liye nahi boltin aur phir sari zindagi roti hain. Jab mazhab aur law tumhe tumhare hakook deta hai, tum kisi ko kaise unhe overpower karne de sakti hu? Wake up and choose life!"

Minaal was hearing something like this for the first time. Her mother, her brother and her friends used to encourage her too, but she never heard this before. She was stood in front of a man who barely knew her but just by overhearing her conversation, he analysed that she was not defending herself.

She spent her entire life trying to be an obedient daughter and now there was a point when the matter was concerned with her and she had no courage to speak for herself. Though she wanted to. It wasn't that she didn't know what she wanted for herself. She did. But she never managed to find the courage to speak up for her.

Perhaps it was a weakness. Perhaps a flaw. She felt embarrassed. Was she this evidently flawed and vulnerable that even a by-stranger walking past could lecture her on her lack of voice.

Getting back her surroundings after thinking of all this, she wiped the tears from her face and passing a wounded look to Aariz, walked away. When her eyes met with his, a pang of pain had hit his heart. Her eyes were injured, bloodshed and on the verge of complete shattering.

Before he could do or say anything, she was out of sight. He didn't know what, but he ended up saying a silent prayer for her.

"Allah, is larki ki ju bhi pareshani hai, aur ju bhi mushkil hai, usey asaan karde. Uski ankhon mein ju dard hai woh khatam karde. Tu hi jaanta hai uska haal toh usper reham kar. Ameen."

Just his mere prayer, and his heart felt at peace. He felt as if he has done all that he could knowing what he did.

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Minaal had gone and joined his family again and had tried to act like nothing had happened. Usman and his family had left a few minutes before she got to the table. The expressions on her father's face were signalling danger and a showdown. But he had remained quiet. Probably because he was waiting to get home first.

"Tum theek ho?"

Faiz asked Minaal as they walked towards the car park. Shahnawaaz and Zahra were ahead of them.