Near the mountains of Islamabad stood a talk haveli, the doors opening into large sehan and the whole corridor silent as if everyone was sleeping and to the right inside the main corridor stood two women, talking in whispers.
" Khan ki doosri biwi k liye alag ghar hoga ya yahin rahay gi?"
( Will there be a separate house for Khan's second wife?)

The other women lowered the veil on her head as she turned the light off in the lobby,
" Array, biwi na samjho ussey. Khan tau apni pehli biwi sey barri mohabbat kartay hain jee, yey tau sirf nai hui tau doosri shaadi karni parri."
( O don't consider her his wife. Khan loves his first wife, it was just that she couldn't bear a child so he had to marry again.)

" Haye, yey bechari hai kon?"
( Sad. Who is this one?)

" Wo maasi Shaana hain na? Jo beemar parr gayi magar shuru sey yahan kaam karti thi? Uski beti hai."
( The old woman who used to work here remember? She is sick now but has been here for so long. She is her daughter.)

" Maasi ki tau barri izzat kartay hain saarey ghar walay. Khan ney uski beti sey shaadi kyun ki?"

" Lo, bechari barra beemar thi. Yey larki bhi tau isi haveli mey barri hui hai. Marnay sey pehlay socha isska mustaqbil banna jaye. Khan tau maasi k hathon mey pla hai."

" Pehli biwi ney qubool karlia?"
( The first wife accepted it)

" Kahan? Barra tamasha hua tha.  Lekin Barri Bibi ney chup karwa dia."
(Where? She raised hell but was quietened by BiBi)

" Haye. Larki ki qismat."
( Alas, the girl's fate.)

" Suna hai, hai barri khubsurat. Pathani hai."
( We have heard she's very beautiful. She is from the mountains.)

" Subah dekhain gey. Ab tau wo Khan k kamrey mey hai."
( We'll see in the morning. She is in Khan's room right now)

The women quickly blowed the golden candles off as they walked away.
    
                    ///////////

The candles burned in halo around the bed, the fresh rose petals making the room smell like a garden. That was all the decorations for the new bride. The large oak bed was the centre of the room and on it sat the bride in a soft lehnga and veiled face. The groom was dressed in a simple white Shalwar Kameez which looked perfect on his well structured body. Setting the black shawl on his chest, he crushed the cigarette in the ash tray.

" Aap ko iss baray sab bta dia hai Bibi ney. Meray khyal mey ab koi galat fehmi nahi hogi."
( You have been told about everything. I don't think there will be any misunderstanding.)

The scent of the smoke was close to when she nodded her head, her embroidered baby pink lehgna spread around her which was too light for a new bride but the heavy jewellery given by Bibi accounted for it.

When he stood up, her heart started pummelling inside her chest and when he turned the lights off, leaving only the soft golden candles burning around them, her heart stopped beating.

It was going to happen. Why did she expect any rehm? He married her for it, he wanted a child. There were no soft feelings, no soft whispers. This was what she was here for and she got herself ready for it.

A while into the darkness of the night, a few candles died down by themselves as she lay under him and bore the burden of his frustrations, the cruelty of his masculinity and the unfairness of the universe without producing a single sound.

The sweated the tears, bled into the darkness of the night as a single tear left her eyes when he stopped all the while one sentence ran through her head.

This was the punishment for loving a a married man.

ایک شادی شدہ مرد سے محبت کی یہ سزا ہے

                   ////////////

It's a very short chapter, more like a sneak peak but it's all I can write right now.

Do you like it? If you haven't noticed, I do like the ' haveli' settings in my books lol.

Here it goes. Always wanted to write a doosri shaadi wali story but didn't have much idea of it. Still don't know how it works but we'll see as we proceed.

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Second marriage is allowed in Islam. I can't tell you the whole instructions and laws for it, but please do your research before thinking badly of it. Most young girls ( including myself) think badly of it, think that it's unjust for women. But please don't, you will understand it sooner or later that Allah knows things we don't and He is the Best Planner.

When needed, a man can marry upto four wives in Islam. Only when he can be JUST and EQUAL with all of them.