Part 4
Zoya seized the opportunity to try explaining herself. She never felt the need to explain her actions to anyone but for the first time she felt like she owed him an explanation, she didn't want him to think ill of her. She placed her hand tentatively on Asad's chest and he closed his eyes as felt the sparks between them. Zoya whispered softly,
"Now will you be a good boy and hear my side of the story? Without any interruptions, without losing your temper?"
Asad sighed heavily then nodded his head and plopped himself up on his elbow, looking down at Zoya.
oOo
Zoya made her way towards Mariam's room to bid her goodbye before going and to apologize to not be able to attend her wedding. All the while she was grumbling at herself about Mr Khan's rude and appalling behavior. She didn't understand why he was so keen on sending her away, if the bride and her sisters had no problem then why was he having any problem. She was so excited about this wedding. Old, traditional, village marriages had always intrigued her and she was finally getting to attend one, she was getting to see all the rituals and ceremonies with her own eyes apart from reading it in books and seeing it in films but alas! Mr khan can never see her happy, can he? It seemed to her that he had made it his life's mission to reprimand her, chide her and make sure she never smiles. With a huff she stopped outside Mariam's room and knocked on the door. She waited for Mariam to open the door but she didn't get any response. She knocked again thinking she might have not heard it the first time but she again didn't get any reply. She thought maybe she was changing into her bridal dress so she called out to her.
"Mariam, it's me Zoya. Open the door please." She waited but again she was greeted with silence.
She waited for a few minutes and looked around her, hoping to see anybody and ask them about mariam's whereabouts but there was no one. Suddenly the strong smell of kerosene hit her nostrils. She grimaced and covered her nose, the smell of kerosene always made her nauseous. She moved closer toward the door and realized that the smell was coming from inside Mariam's room. Panic struck her as various thoughts ran through her mind. What if she was in trouble? She knocked again, this time louder and called out to her but no one replied. She inched closer towards the door and the smell became more pungent. It was definitely coming from her room. She tried pushing the door with all her might, willing it to break open but it didn't budge an inch. Of course what was she thinking? She wasn't James Bond or even Mr Khan for that matter that she could break open a door. She tried moving the handle but it was also of no use, the door was latched from inside and it wouldn't open unless someone opened it from inside. She contemplated going to Asad and asking for his help but then waved off the thought. She knew how the conversation would go, he would see her and start his lecture, he wouldn't even bother listening to her and will push her towards the car, if it was up to him he might have personally drove her back to Bhopal, making sure she reached Bhopal, away from the wedding. And by some chance he did listen to her, he would label it as a sorry excuse for staying back and would again yell at her. She was starting to get annoyed of this pattern, it always created problems for her and everyone else. If only he could shut that big mouth of his and listen to her, for once. But she knew that would happen only when pigs started flying. She moved around the room looking for some door or window to go through.
She moved to the side of the room and saw an open window. She was shocked to see Mariam trying desperately to light a matchstick. Her clothes were wet and she could see a sort of blue liquid on the ground. Then it struck her that Mariam was actually trying to attempt suicide. She immediately came out of the shock and jumped inside the room through the window. Mariam had successfully tried to light the matchstick and she was about to throw it on the ground, Zoya caught hold of her hand at the nick of time and blew the matchstick off. Mariam looked at Zoya with her red puffy eyes and hugged her, crying her eyes out. Zoya simply soothed her back and made her sit on the bed. She was really angry at her for taking such a huge step but held back her anger. This was not the time to reprimand her, she was already very scared. Zoya looked at her traumatic face and gently wiped her tears but as she did that, fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. Mariam's condition saddened her and she just wanted to take her pain away. She patted her head lovingly, trying to stop her hysteria.
"Mariam kya hua tumhe? Kya tum is nikaah se khush nahi ho? Tum aise kyun karne jaa rahi thi? Mujhe batao? Tum mujhe apni baaji bulati ho na, mujhe batao kya hua? Main tumhari help karungi."
"Main aapko kya bataun baji? Yeh bataun ke mera nikaah ek insaan se nahi balki ek jallaad se hone jaa raha hai?" Mariam managed to say in between her sobs which seemed to increase. Mariam slowly told her about the kind of person she was getting married to, the person who had not only left her parents almost penniless by asking a huge dowry but had also ruined her life by stealing her virtue. She told him about her insensitive parents who knew about the truth yet preferred to turn a deaf ear to it, who still chose to go ahead with the nikaah for the sake of their pride and prestige. She had no other option but to end her life to get out of it, to get out of the life that was being planned for her. She rested her head on Zoya's shoulder and cried for her ill fate, cried for her life. Zoya simply patted her head. She was too shocked to think straight, she tried to process what she just heard. She couldn't believe such people, parents, to be precise still existed. Parents who seemed to love their daughter yet do nothing to save her from her predicament, parents who preferred to let their child suffer a life of misery in order to save their honor in front of the society. She didn't realize when tears started flowing down her cheeks, tears for the poor girl who had to suffer so much at such a tender age. She wiped her tears then cupped Mariam's face and wiped her tears.
"Koi tumhare saath zabardasti nahi kar sakta. Agar tum yeh nikaah nahi karna chahti toh tumhe koi nahi rokega."
"Par baaji ammi abbu…."
"Main hun tumhare saath. Main tumhari yahan se bhagne main help karungi." Zoya said confidently and smiled at her. She didn't think anything further, all she wanted to do was get Mariam out of this hell, to get her away from this as soon as possible and she had to do it discreetly. She couldn't risk getting caught, only when Mariam was far, far way would she tell it to Mr Khan if not anyone else. She stood up and hugged Mariam just then they heard the giggling of some girls and Mariam's mother asking her to come out if she was dressed. Mariam looked at Zoya with wide, frightened eyes, Zoya too looked at the door trying to find a way out of it.
XXX
A/N – Tada, the next part! Because I really wanted Asad to LISTEN to Zoya's POV, plus the scene where Zoya gets inside mariam's room was very rushed, I mean first she was outside standing calmly and then suddenly she was inside? How? Hope it was nice! Leave your feedbacks please! Next update will be of this SS only and ill be continuing from where I left off.
Love,
Sadie!
Pati Patni Aur Panga
Jaane Anjaane Hum Mile
Tum Se Tum Tak
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
Vasudha
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