AsYa SS: Winner Takes All ; Ch 7, Pg 66, 23/04/14 - Page 24

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Chapter 4:

-August 3^rd, 2013-

-Khan Villa -

Asad had spent the last day cooped up in his room. He was still shocked with the way his father had approached him with plans for his marriage. Next he will be setting deadlines for grandkids!!! Asad had an inkling of his father's personal motives but wanted to hear it from his own mouth. He had never shown any emotion towards his child and Asad had gotten used to it. But marriage was one of the most important decisions of one's life but Asad was not shocked that his father would try to take this decision away from him. Abbu had not even tried to find out if there was someone in his life or if he was even ready to get married just yet. However, the whole situation was very typical of his father and just as he had expected.

When he left the room that morning he found his father pacing the hallways outside.

"So have you considered my suggestion?" Rashid blocked Asad way with his walking stick.

"You mean your decision. Why? Why should I?" Asad could not think of any other response.

"Come, I knew that sooner or later you will ask me this question. I was just waiting for you to ask it." Asad followed his smirking father to his study and took the seat that was pointed to him.

"You know how Siddique and I have always had a troubled relationship?"

"More like you could not tolerate each other. What changed now? Why do you want to forge a relation with him all of a sudden?" Asad interrupted Rashid.

"Well the situation is changed. No don't appear so shocked, we have not become best of friends eager to be related. But I have unexpectedly found a way to one up him and for that.."

"...for that you will marry me off to his daughter? And what makes you think he will comply? What makes you think I will agree?"

"Asad thodi der chup raho aur mujhe bolne do. Toknese tumhe apne sawalon ke jawab anhi milenge. Ab suno, Siddique sahib ki zindagi mein ek aisa toofan aaya hua hai jiske rehte, halaat itne bigade hain ki woh kahin mooh dikhane kabil nahin rahe. Kal Iftar party mein jo unki baizati hui hai, uske baad to mujhe lagta hai ki unko kom mein uthna baithna bhi mushkil ho jaayega. Aur aise waqt mein agar ek padosi hi padosi ke kaam na aaye to kaun aayega? [Asad keep quiet for a bit and let me talk. IF you keep interrupting, you will not get answers to your questions. Now listen, Siddique is going through a very rough patch in his life and the situation is so bad that he is being shunned by people. Yesterday at the Iftar party, he was humiliated so bad that I doubt if he will be able face the community. And during such times, if a neighbor does not support another, then who will?] " Rashid continued with a gloat.

"Par aisa kya ho gaya hai Abbu? Unka business toh acha chal raha hain na? [But what has happened? Has his business gotten into trouble?]" Asad asked, concerned about the man he barely knew.

"Yes his business is fine. It's Zoya, his precious daughter. She eloped with a lowly driver a few days ago. And you know the worse thing of this mess, a lot of people saw them since the fools did it in broad daylight. Siddique has been cooped up in his mansion ever since in embarrassment. He ventured out yesterday, but a lot of people snubbed him considering how he has always been such a preacher of tehzeeb and tameez." The smile on Rashi'd face did not falter a bit.

"And pray tell me how am I to marry a girl who has already eloped?" Asad sat forward in his seat, looking his father straight in the eye, his face void of all emotion

"Oh she is back. She was brought back late the very same night, screaming and crying as the cops brought her back home. Woke up half the locality. No one knows what happened to the lover boy, but he has not been seen since then. I am sure Siddique used his influence to get him jailed, or worse yet out of his way forever. But you do understand the implications of the situation, right? No one, and mark my words, no one is going to marry that girl nor is anyone going to open their doors for that family. They will be outcast for the rest of their lives. The way he tried to outcast me." Rashid's voice came out with an edge, his old enmity resurfacing.

Asad just stared at his father poker faced, still. He was trying to digest everything that he father had said.

"So this in itself should make your revenge complete, dad. Shouldn't it? He is where you were once upon a time. Your situations have reversed. So why are you scheming of this marriage? Don't tell me you suddenly feel pity for the girl and want to help her out? Or is it the father that you want to help out?" Asad prodded to get his father to divulge his complete plans.

"Haan magar woh mere haathon mili zillat to nah hogi. Khayal karo, agar tum Zoya se nikah karoge, to Siddique sahib ko tamam umr na hi sirf mujhse adab se pesh aana padega, balkay tamam kom ke saamne mujhse kandhe se kandha milake khade rehna padega. Aur andar hi andar yeh ehsaas unhe satayega ki uski beti ko apne ghar ki bahu banake meine unpe ehsaan kiya hai aur woh tah umr isi ehsaan ke tale dabe rahenge. Ab isse kehte hain sheh bhi aapki aur jeet bhi. [Yes but that would not be an insult served to him by me. Imagine, If you marry Zoya, Siddique will have to treat me with respect all his life and also stand shoulder to shoulder with me in front of the community. Also, he will forever be indebted to me since his daughter would be a daughter-in-law of my family. Now that would be sweet victory.] " Rashid completed with a triumphant look.

"And for that you will sacrifice your only child?" Asad asked his father, his eyes clouding with an unnamed emotion.

"It's not like I am marrying you off to someone who is intolerable to look at. She is a pretty girl, well educated, comes from a good family. And don't look like a martyr, I have noticed the gleam in your eyes, when you look at her." Rashid looked him straight in the eye making Asad look away in discomfort.

"Yes but she loves another man. What are you going to do about that? Do you have a plan to overcome that hindrance? Or will I have to deal with an unwilling bride myself?" Asad got up from his chair with a start and paced the floor, avoiding to look at his father. He did not like that his father could read him so well.

"We will figure something out. So?" Rashid raised an eyebrow in question.

"I need time." Asad said as he made his way out.

"Fine. You have until this evening. I need an answer by then. And it better be a yes else you know what I can do." Rashid shouted at his son's retreating back.

"I don't care about your threats anymore." Asad responded without turning around.

Rashid was raging by the time Asad's footsteps died down. I need to do something about this habit of his. How dare he walk out on me while I am still talking?

-Same Day-

Siddique Mansion -

While Rashid explained his plan to his son, Siddique sat in his library contemplating his life and the latest scrap that his headstrong daughter had gotten them into. Yes it was a situation that not only affected Zoya's future but also his own.

Over the years, he had spent too much time grieving his wife's death and resenting his daughter who had survived. His resentment had caused him to ignore her most of his life. He played only a peripheral role in her upbringing while the hired helps took care of her on a day to day basis. Her stark similarity to his beloved late wife, did not let him come close to her since she was the reason he had lost her.

However, in all this while he had paid very little attention to his business. The business which was once thriving was now just surviving. His good name and reputation were the only reasons things were still manageable.

His only great hope in life had been to retire once his daughter was married off in one of the rich, respectable families of Bhopal. He could then wash his hands off her and spend the rest of his life in peace without a worry. But now even those hopes were crashed. With her reputation in taters her chances of making a good alliance were getting slimmer by the day.

But if she was stubborn, he was her father. There was no way in the world that he would allow her to waste her life behind a lowly driver. He would make sure that she would still marry to a man of his choice and soon if he had his way about it. Now he just had to find a guy who was willing to marry her. He may not have much money now, and her character was ruined, but there would still be some families who would consider her proposal considering their ancestral history. Maybe a family that is not so high in the instep would be perfect.

XXX

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Thanks,

Rivs