Chapter 2:The Khan Mansion
"Sarim!",Khaani exclaimed as she sat in the car and gave a tight hug to her brother. "Tum yaha kaise?!",she asked,"Mujhe laga tum Balochistan mein hoge apna nomination paper file karne?". Handing her the bouquet Sarim said, "Haa to tumhare bina thodi jaata main. After all mere political career ka pehla election hai, thodi na tumhare bina jaunga.". Khaani took in her brother's appearance, wearing a crisp white shalwar kameez with a deep blue jacket twenty-eight year old Sarim Khan looked the quintessential Pakistani politician. "I missed you.", Khaani said pressing his hand. "I missed you, too",Sarim replied. "Ma kaisi hai?",he asked nervously. Khaani paused for a moment before saying,"Achhi hai, tumhe bohot miss karti hai. Tum December mein aane waale the New York....". "Haa woh party ka kuch last minute kaam aa gaya tha.",Sarim replied, "Sach sach batao na Khaani....kya Ma mujse naraz hai kyuki maine party join kar liya?". Khaani shook her head and said,"Aisa kuch nahi hai Sarim...Mom bas tumhare liye concerned rehti hai..aur woh justified bhi hai. Tum jaante ho na yaha ka politics kitna dangerous hai. Aaye din newspapers mein khoon-kharaba bomb blasts ki khabar aati rehti hai.". Sarim replied passionately, "Main jaanta hu..magar iss liye to hum jaise young logo ka politics mein aana zaroori hai..warna system mein tabdili kaise aayegi.". Khaani smiled at her brother. He really was a cut above the rest.
A Harvard law graduate like his parents, Sarim Khan was all set to join a top tier law firm in New York two years ago. He and Khaani had come to Islamabad to spend time with their father. There were severe floods inflected in the Balochistan province. Salman had to visit the flood-affected areas and help the local population rehabilitate. Sarim decided to accompany him. Working closely with the distressed families, witnessing their pain changed his life forever. He finally found his life's purpose and decided to stay with his father and pursue a career in politics. His family received this news with mixed emotions. His father proud and elated; his mother resigned to fate. She had sacrificed her youth and her marriage for her children's safety and well-being only for Sarim to throw himself into the very fire she had tried to protect him from. Like her mother, Khaani was unhappy with her brother's decision; unlike her, she was not going to give up easily. After Sarim's announcement, Khaani spent weeks in Khan Mansion - her least favourite place - trying to convince him to change his mind. But to no avail. Ultimately, she gave up and asked Sarim to make arrangements for her return to New York, cheerfully promising to visit him twice a year.
"Waise woh dragon lady kaisi hai?",Khaani asked casually. Sarim rolled his eyes,"Dadi bilkul theek hai...bas BP ka problem hai thoda.". "Oh, how tragic",Khaani replied insincerely. "Don't you think tumhe ab purani baton ko jaane dena chahiye? After all woh humari dadi-". Khaani cut him off, "Correction! Woh tumhari dadi hai aur Dad ki walida hai. Main bas ek unwanted guest hu jisse woh saal mein ek baar apne bete ke liye bardasht karti hai.". Sarim clicked his tongue and said,"Khaani woh badi hai humse-". "Achcha theek hai jaane do! Main bhi pata nahi kyu baat kar rahi hu unki. Yeh batao kaunsi constituency se election ladh rahe ho aur tumhare opposition mein kaun kaun hai?". Sarim replied,"Sibi, Balochistan. Abhi tak kuch confirm nahi hai but mere opposition mein most likely honge Ahmed Sheikh from People's Party, Bakhtiyar Azhar from Insaaf Party aur Mir Hadi from Pakistan Democratic Party aur baaki teen independent candidates hai.". "Pakistan Democratic Party? Matlab humari purani party?", Khaani asked. Sarim nodded and replied gravely, "Haan aur Mir Hadi Mir Shah ka beta hai - jo ek time pe humare dada ke bohot close the lekin unki death ke baad unhone Baba aur Taya ko party se nikal diya.". Khaani scowled and said, " Listen Sarim! Tum election jeeto ya na jeeto....but you have to promise me ke tum uss Mir Shah ke bete ko jeetne nahi doge!". She may not be interested in politics, but Khaani could understand how her father and taya-abbu must have felt when they were unceremoniously expelled from the very party their father and grandfather had dedicated their lives to. This also led to a chain of events which resulted in Sonya and Salman's divorce.
After Sonya took them to New York, Salman had not been able to visit his wife and kids for the next three years. When he did visit them, it was to break the news of his impending nuptials with Nayeema - the daughter of the affluent Peshawari businessman his father had previously arranged his alliance. Sonya did not protest - she knew there was no point. Things had not been fine between her and Salman for a long time. They would regularly fight over phone. He would rant about Mir Shah's betrayal, how it difficult it was to start a new party from scratch, how hard was it to get adequate funding when all she wanted to do was talk about them, their children and their life together. When Salman told her about Nayeema, Sonya asked him for divorce. At first, Salman tried to reason with her - he loved her, this was just a political alliance. But Sonya put her foot down. It was decided that the children would stay with Sonya and visit their father once a year. This had been the status quo until Sarim decided to shift to Pakistan permanently to pursue a career in politics.
The car stopped at the entrance of the palatial Khan Mansion. Waiting at the door was their step-mother, Nayeema. Khaani came forward and hugged Nayeema, who hugged her back. "Kaisi hai aunty?",Khaani asked," Sara aur Sana kaise hai?". Nayeema smiled," Main theek hu beta aur bachhe bhi theek hai. Tumhare aana ka sunkar bohot excited hai. Chalo andar aao.". "Aunty",Sarim said looking at his phone,"Baba ka message aaya hai..mujhe abhi party office jaana hai. Khaani tum jaake rest karo..kal subah baat karte hai.". Before Khaani or Nayeema could respond, Sarim hurried in the car and left. Khaani frowned at her brother's hastiness. "Tum mind nahi karna",Nayeema pacified her," Elections nazdeek hai na, abhi sabka schedule bohot hectic hai.". "I hope Sarim yeh na bhool jaye ke main yaha elections mein usko support karne aayi hu.". Khaani grumbled, following Nayeema inside.
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After freshening up, Khaani came downstairs. Sitting the living room were her two half-sisters Sara and Sana doing their school work under their mother's supervision. Sana, the youngest of the four siblings, jumped from her seat, running towards Khaani. Her elder sister Sara soon followed. The siblings enveloped Khaani in a tight hug. "Finally!",Sana exclaimed,"Tum aa gayi. Tumhe pata hai hum kabse tumhara wait kar rahe the?". Sara said excitedly,"Aaj raat hum tumhare kamre mein rahenge aur der raat tak film dekhenge aur dher saari baatein karenge, thik hai?". Before Khaani could reply, Nayeema interjected sternly,"Ji nahi, aisa kuch nahi hoga. Aapki behen itne lambe safar se aayi hai, aap log usse uske kamre mein rest karne doge...kal se aap log jo chahe program banao main nahi rokungi.". Khaani smiled at her step-mother. This was why she respected Nayeema. There was no blood relation but she acknowledged Khaani's place in this house and in her husband's life. Since the time Khaani first started visiting her father from the age of seven, Nayeema ensured that Khaani had her own room, decorated the way she liked, even if it meant going toe to toe with her formidable mother-in-law who would have altogether preferred her least favourite granddaughter to stay with her maternal relatives in Islamabad.
This reunion was interrupted by the arrival of Shiasta Begum, the Khan family matriarch who was accompanied by Mahnoor, the eldest daughter-in-law. In spite the patriarchal mindset of the family members, it was the frail seventy-year old Shiasta Begum who ruled their lives with an iron fist. Her sons sought her counsel before making any political decision. It was her who had convinced Salman to marry for a second time, not just for political gain but also for her personal enmity with Sonya, who just wouldn't bend to obey the family rules. In her place, she brought the reserved and stoic Nayeema with her father's sizable bank balance. Nayeema knows that it is her father's regular and generous donation to the party that allows her to hold her ground in the house without the fear of retaliation from her mother-in-law. Otherwise, giving birth to two daughters in succession and showing consideration for the grand daughter she hated would have been enough reason for Shiasta Begum to go on a warpath against Nayeema.
"Assalamalaikum, Ammi", Nayeema greeted her mother-in-law, "Aur bhabi ab khala ki tabiyat kaisi hai?". Shiasta Begum and Mahnoor's mother were sisters. "Thik hai, alhamdulillah", Mahnoor replied, "Ammi pooch rahi thi tumhare baare mein. Mujhe laga tumhe koi zaroori kaam tha iss liye humare saath nahi gayi magar(shooting a condescending glance at Khaani)..tum to yaha mehmaan nawazi mein masroof ho...". Nayeema returned her words with a steely smile, "Haan, ab kya kare", she replied pointedly, "Beti itne dino baad apne ghar aayi hai...Salman chahte the ke main Khaani ka khaas khayal rakhu.".
"Kab tak ho tum yaha pe?", Shiasta Begum asked Khaani irritably, "Election ke results ke baad chali jaungi inshallah", Khaani replied with the same annoyance, "Hmmm....", Shiasta said, "Jab tak yaha ho..zara tameez se rehna. Yeh nahi bhoolna ke abhi sabki nazar humare khaandan pe rahegi - aur main apne khaandan ki izzat par koi daag nahi bardasht karungi- Nayeema?.". "Ji?", Nayeema enquired. "Tum kal isse lekar shopping chale jaane - isse kuch achche jode dilaana. Main nahi chahti ke ye inn atrangi kapdo mein ghar se bahar nikle. Aur mera khaana upar bhijwa do..aaj main table par nahi aaungi.". Without waiting for a reply, Shiasta Begum walked away. Khaani bit her lip. She was wearing a black oversized shirt with jeans and a scarf loosely wrapped around her neck. In what world did these clothes look atrangi? Sabr rakho, Khaani, she told herself, tum yaha sirf Sarim ke liye ho. Uss pe focus karo.
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The next day, Khaani finally met her father at the breakfast table. Salman greeted his daughter with a kiss on her forehead, "Kaisi hai meri bachhi?", he asked affectionately. "Naraaz! Main kal sham ko aayi aur aap mujse aaj mil rahe hai?", Khaani pouted. "Woh kya hai na Khaani," Shiasta Begum said, without looking away from her newspaper, "Tumhare walid fariq nahi baithe unke paas aur bhi bohot kaam hai.". Salman clicked his tongue and said, "Ammi....aap to khamakha serious ho gayi...aur main aur Sarim kal Khaani ke kaam se hi masroof the.". "Matlab", Salman's elder brother Yousuf asked curiously. Salman looked at Khaani and replied "Matlab ki mere paas ek surprise hai.". He took his daughter's hand and led her outside the house. The other family members followed them. Waiting at the entrance was Sarim standing next to a brand new Mercedes-Benz. The car took Khaani's breath away. "D-dad?", Khaani asked puzzled, "Kya yeh-yeh mere liye hai?". Sarim laughed and said, "Aur nahi to kya!". Salman replied, "Apni mehnat se tumne itne bade college mein admission liya - bina kisi parche ya sifarish ke...aur main tumhe koi inaam bhi na du...aisa ho sakta hai kya?". Khaani was elated beyond words. Not so much because of the car but more so for the gesture. When she told her father that she was going to Parsons to pursue a career in fashion, he sounded disappointed. He had felt that she was better suited for law. "I love it!", Khaani exclaimed, hugging her father, "Thank you so much dad!".
"Yeh sab kya hai Salman?", came her Yousuf's outraged cry, "Abhi elections nazdeek hai, Election Commission ne sab hi parties aur unke funding par kadi nazar rakhi hai aur abhi tumne itni bada fizool kharch kiya! Yeh to election ke baad bhi kar sakte the!". Khaani pursed her lips in anger. Salman calmly replied, "Bhai sahab, aap fikar nahi kare mere paas iski saari receipts hai aap jisko kahenge main dikha dunga. Aur doosri baat, elections ke baad Khaani wapas chali jayegi tab usse yeh gaadi dene ka kya faida jab woh istemal hi nahi kar payegi.". "Phir bhi Salman", Shiasta Begum said defiantly, "Kal aakhbar mein agar yeh news aa gayi ke AeM ke party Vice-President ne apni beti ko itni mehengi gaadi dilayi...tum par ungli uthaane se pehle koi tumse iski receipt to nahi mangega na?". To this, Nayeema replied, "Agar aisi baat hai Ammi to mere khayal se elections tak hum sab ko saadgi se rehna chahiye...main aur Mahnoor bhabi saade kapde aur bina zewarat ke ghar se baahir niklenge aur Sarim?". "Ji, aunty", Sarim replied. "Tum ek kaam karna ab se tum aur Abul public transport mein travel karna isse tum log voters ke aur kareeb ho jaoge...waise Bhabi Abul kaha hai? Woh nashte par bhi nahi aaya."Nayeema asked. Mahnoor curtly replied, "Abul party office mein hai...campaign manager ke saath strategies discuss kar raha hai...(glancing at Sarim) aakhir party ka future hai woh...usse hi toh sabse zyada mehnat karni hai...to woh wohi kar raha hai.". Without response to this declaration, Shiasta Begum went inside, followed by her eldest son and daughter-in-law. Khaani glanced at the retreating figures going inside. There was no formal declaration made about the party's successor. And yet Shiasta Begum did not chide her daughter-in-law for making such a reckless remark. This uncharacteristic silence of her grandmother was not lost on Khaani - and going by Salman's expression was not lost on him either.
Sarim, on the other hand, brushed away the snide remark saying "Khaani! Tum khadi kyu ho? Chalo gaadi ko saer par le chalte hai. Baba-Nayeema aunty aaye baithe.". Her mother was right when she said Sarim needed him now more than ever. With a family like this, who needed enemies?
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Precap: Mir Hadi pointed his gun at the girl in front of him. For a split second Khaani froze and then ran towards her car. Mir Hadi gave a maniacal laughter and taunted,"Kya hua madam? Ab saari akad bahar aa gayi aapki?". With his gun still raised, Hadi slowly walked towards the car,"Waise main normally khubsurat ladkiyo par goli nahi chalata... magar tumne sher ke munh mein haath dal diya hai...". Hadi stopped in his tracks when he saw Khaani pointing her gun at him.
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