S O U N D of the tight slap echoed throughout the small house. The intensity shaking the window panes. It was a slap of justice. An outcry from a father who could see the future of both his children in doom. Jamal had never felt a sense of hopelessness so strongly. Not even when his first wife had died in his arms. He did not know where he went wrong or what wrong did he do in the past to be given such a destiny.

"BESHARAM! SHARAM NAHI AAI TUJHE? JAB TERI WAJA SAI EIK BAAR PHIR TERI BEHAN KO KOI TUHJRA KAR CHALA GAIA?!"
[Shameless. Did you have no shame? When because of you once again someone rejected your sister?]
Jamal grabbed the collar of his son, Ali, who did nothing to say in his defense.
What could he say? All was out in the open. Perhaps had it been the first time he could have expected his father to show him a little bit of mercy but it was the third time his actions had reflected on his sister.
"Abu mujhe maaf kardein. Ainda aisa nahi ho ga,"
[Dad forgive me. This will not happen again]
Ali spoke weakly, still not believing that a slap was all he would get for his actions.
"Ainda ka kia matlab? Are jo barbad hona tha woh tou hogay na hum! Ab bata konsa sharif khandan banay ga isko apni baho?"
[What do you mean next time? What had to be destroyed, is destroyed. Now which respectable family will make her their daughter-in-law?]
Jahan-ara stepped into the father son debate. She knew her husbands weak resolve. A plead or two and all would be forgiven.

"Aur aap Jamal sahab. Kin sochon mein gum hain? Aray iss baat ka yakeen kar lein keh yeh ladka haaton sai bahir nikal chuka hai. Isko bhattay par bheja tha na tou phir yeh wapis uss juway keh aday par kaisay ja pohncha?"
[And you Mr.Jamal In what thoughts are you lost? Now belive this thing that this boy is out of our hands. You sent him to the brick kiln right? Then how did he end up with the gamblers again?]
Jahan-ara pointed fingers at her husband, it was his leniency that had turned her worries into a solidified reality.
"Jahan-ara ab sabr karo. Jo hona tha-"
[Jahan-ara have patience. What had to happen-]
Jamal tried to cool down the situation.
"Kia matlab jo hona tha? Uss bachi keh toottay khwab nahi dikhtay aapko? Saari zindagi ussi ki kamai sai ghar ka pahiya chalain gai? Jo khud kama kar haath mein rakhte hain woh tou jawaan jaahan beta aiyaashi mein uda deta hai. Isko smajhain baap ki sugar mill nahi hai!"
[What do you mean? Do you not see that poor girls dreams breaking? Do you want to run the household with her earnings for the rest of your life. What you earn yourself, your young son wastes in the wrong things. Tell him that his father does not own a sugar mill]
Jahan-ara huffed and left from there. Had she stayed a minute longer, her son or her husband would have been beat by her.

Jahan-ara had married Jamal when Hoor was thirteen and Ali was fifteen. The first thing after marriage she did was to take charge of the household and run it her own way. It was then that she had observed Ali's money pinching habits and had told all about it to her mijazi-khuda [husband], who had brushed it off as "ladkhpan" [teenages] fast forward a few years later and here they were. With not a penny worth of savings, all potential suitors for their daughter being flushed down the drain whilst the culprit continued to enjoy a free of responsibility lifestyle.

"Hoor meri bacchi idhr aana zara,"
[Hoor my child come here for a second]
Jahan-ara called her over.
Hoor leaving the shirt she was stitching ran over.
"Ji ammi sab khariat?"
[Yes mom is everything okay?]
Hoor kept her face calm, she knew what was coming.
"Han beta zara idhr meray paas betho,"
[Yes child, just come here and sit with me]
her hands waving to the empty space on the day bed.
"Hoor beta aaj jo bhi huwa, usko bhul jao. Mein jaanti hun keh har ladki ki tarah tumharay bhi khwab hain. Jo keh adhooray hain. Par us Rab ki zaat par bharosa rakho. Jo bhi woh karta hai behtri keh liye karta hai,"
[Hoor my child, whatever happened today, forget it. I know as a girl, you have some dreams aswell. That have remained unfulfilled. But keep faith in the Power of that God. Whatever He does, He does it for our benefit]
she as the ammi of a young girl tried to calm her down.
Reminding her of the fact that nothing was greater than the plan that Allah made for them and that she should have blind faith on it.

"

Ammi aap fikr na karein. Hum iss keh baaray mein nahi sochain gai. Waada!"
[Mum do not worry about it. I won't think about this. Promise!]
Hoor gave her mother a shallow smile. She knew that if she told her about how defeated she felt by todays incidents then her mother's blood pressure would shoot up. And that was one thing Hoor had promised to avoid. It was after all not her first rejection, she knew to wear her big girl pants and take it all with the pride of a king. Chins up, the smile should never falter.

The starry sky with the moon hovering in the middle, like a beautiful glittering bindia [a form of headpiece] on a forehead caused Hoor to become breathless. It casted a light on the land so gentle that if one was not looking hard enough they might not even see it. Such was the skill of the Creator. He made the universe, added each delicate thing that never seemed out of place. Had He wanted the sun would shine even in the dark but He knew how difficult it would be for His people and so night was created.

How naive was man to think that Allah would abandon them. When he had millions of years ago thought of each and everything that His people could need. He knew how to provide and create comfort for mankind. He made pairs of men and women fifty thousand years ago on heaven. How could man think that the One that vowed to loved them more than seventy mothers would forget them.

"Allah mujhe maaf karde. Mein teri bandi hun iss liye kabhi kabhi nashukri kar bethti hun. Mujhe meri nashukri ki maafi ata farma. Apni iss gunhygaar bandi ko iss aziat aur takleef sai nikal dai,"
[Allah forgive me. I am your servant, hence why sometimes I end up being thankless. Forgive me for my thanklessness. Forgive this sinner servant and take me out of this test and pain]
Hoor wept as she kneeled infront of the best Confidant.
She knew He was listening. Having laid her prayer mat on the rooftop that night to feel serene, Hoor allowed herself to let go of all her worries for a few seconds and allow herself to he vulnerable infront of Him.
"Allah tala meray maa baap meray liye pareshan hain. Woh jar waqt meri wajah sai kisi na kisi pareshani ka shikar rehtay hain. Unko meri waja sai jab takleef hoti hai tou mera dil khoon keh ansoon rota hai. Mein kiya karun? Kidhr jaun? Mujhe meray maa baap par eik bhooj mat bana!"
[Lord my parents are worried for me. They are at all times facing problems because of me. Whenever they are hurt because of me, my heart cries tears of blood. What should I do? Where do I go? Do not make me a burden on my parents]
Hoor wept loudly.
With no-one except Allah to hear her painful cries. She had been staying strong for absolutely way too long. When would her tests end? Had she not gone through enough. Her heart hurt and she sobbed the better half of the night away.

K A M A L H O U S E, D H A L H R
●●●●¤¤●●●▪︎

Mustafa entered his home. It was eerie silent. He looked at his wristwatch. It was only nearing seven in the evening hence why he was a bit shocked about the fact that his aunt and cousins were not lingering in the lounge, waiting for him with a list of wishes to fulfill.

"Hania sab kidhr hain?"
[Hania where is everybody?]
Mustafa asked the maid who happened to be passing by.
"Sahab sab aap keh chacha keh kamray mein hai,"
[They are in your uncle's bedroom]
she replied with her head down low. Running away without even waiting for his reply.

Mustafa sighed, it was a daily occurrence. The housekeeping avoided him as if he was a leper. Was his disability really so revolting that no one liked to be within a three feet radius? Rolling his wheelchair to his uncle's bedroom, Mustafa knocked on the bedroom door.

"Come in," his aunt, Munazza, shouted.
Mustafa opened the door and entered.
"Assalamualikum," he greeted the family that sat on the huge bed. They seemed to have been enjoying a family moment that was interrupted by him, an outsider.
"Arey aao Mustafa,"
[Oh Mustafa come]
his uncle got up to wheel him to his bedside.
"Mustafa beta khariat?"
[Mustafa child is everything alright?]
Munazza was unable to keep jer curiosity to herself.
"Ji Allah ka shukr hai,"
[Yes, thanks to Allah]
Mustafa uttered the sentence, monotone. Eventhough it seemed he himself had a hard time believing those words.

"Woh Chachi mein nai kehna tha, kal Shahrukh sai kehna ready rahay. Mein isay apany office le kar jaun ga. I have decided to make him CEO of my personal business. Umeed hai keh yeh faisla ghalat nahi sabit honay de ga,"
[Uh auntie I wanted to say that tell Shahrukh to stay ready tomorrow. I will take him to my office. I have decided to make him CEO of my personal business. I hope he will not make me regret my decision]
Mustafa said to them what he had decided.
"Shukriya beta. Hum saari zindagi tumharay ahsaan mand rahein gai!"
[Thank you son. We will be thankful to you for our entire life]
Munazza took his hands in her own and kissed them.

The kiss was the first time in a while that he had felt motherly love. He wondered what could he do to get this love everyday. He wished for a mother's love. For a father's love. And for a partner who would be willing to stand with him on the happiest and saddest days of his life.

J A M A L H O U S E, ANDROON LHR
●●●●¤¤●●●●

Hoor woke up on Thursday full of optimism. She could not quite put a finger on what it was but something inside her felt very happy. It felt as if a burden had been lifted from her tiny shoulders. Her heart felt open to the wonders that the world had to offer and she was ready for all problems that were to come at her.

Perhaps it was her soul acknowledging the fact that it was about to meet its other half very soon.

●●●●¤¤●●●●