I was kind of disappointed with Asad repeating fake nikah so many times, so here is a piece I wrote. Not a very positive one, but this is how this man needs to be conveyed the message.
GOOD BYE MR.KHAN -
It was evening. Asad tried to finish up all his work before 4 PM so that he could get home on time for the ritual ' Jashn ' E ' Saugad. He arrived hoping everything would be ready and all he would do is freshen up and change. Then pretend as if he is looking forward to the marriage ritual with Ms.Farooqui. He opened the door of his house to see that the whole house was in darkness. There was no signs of any ritual to take place in his house that night. He was confused. His Ammi did tell him to get home early that day. Or did something happen that it was postponed? He wondered. He couldn't spot anyone. Anyone at all including Tanveer. He thought maybe she is resting in her room and headed to his room to freshen up. He remembered his Tamatar bringing a beautiful sherwani and keeping it neatly on his bed in the morning. She had told him to wear that and get ready in the evening. That Sherwani was nowhere to be found in his room. He thought something was really odd and headed straight to his Ammi's room without even changing.
Najma sat next to Dilshaad who looked tired after crying for hours. Asad got scared about his ammi's health and asked Najma what had happened. Dilshaad didn't look very happy with him at the moment. She neither wanted to face him nor talk to him.
Asad: "Ammi, what happened? Why are you all sitting so gloomily in darkness? Aren't you suppose to get ready for Jashn-E-Saugad?"
Dilshaad: "Whose nikah ceremony Asad? You are not really getting married anyway. It was all a drama to make sure I don't get stressed out, right?" She had tears brimming from her eyes.
Asad:"What are you telling Ammi? Did Ms.Farooqui talked rubbish to you again? I swear to God that if not for you, I wouldn't get engaged to that girl even if she is the only girl on the planet. She is such a Bad-Tameez girl. I don't know why you choose her for me Ammi. I really don't understand."
Dilshaad: "Yes, it was my mistake. I just did this wrong thinking I will give you the best gift of your life in the form of Zoya. But, you are right. She doesn't deserve you. Or you don't deserve her. She deserves much better in her life than the man who loves her but will never accept it for his own fears. But don't worry Asad, you don't have to do any drama anymore."
Asad: "What, what do you mean by that Ammi?"
Najma: With tears flowing on her chubby cheeks "Bhaijaan, Zoya is gone. She will never come back to our house. I can never meet her again." With this, she ran out of the room.
Asad: "What do you mean by she is gone Ammi? See how ungrateful she is, I did all this engagement for her sake, so that she can stay in this country, she just fled?" Asad was mad. But why was he mad? He couldn't understand. It was him who drove her away.
Dilshaad: "Oh yes, you did all that to help her. But, did she ask you to help her? She didn't. Her work was done in India. She was ready to go back and if she wanted to stay back herself, she would've asked for help. You did all this by yourself and now you are blaming her. That is not correct Asad."
Asad: "Ammi, I did all that for you."
Dilshaad: "But you couldn't marry her for me, could you? That was too much to ask and Zoya made me understand that."
Asad: "Zoya? What exactly happened Ammi?"
Dilshaad: "Asad, she is that kind of a person who can understand others very well. She could see how badly you were getting affected because of the drama, lies of nikah. She didn't want you to go through it anymore. And she explained me the whole thing and she calmed me down saying it is not fair on my part to force you to marry her. You should have a say in who you are going to marry and left for New York by the afternoon flight."
Asad was just staring like a dumb person, didn't know what to do or how to react.
Dilshaad: "See Asad, even now she was thinking only of you. I am not that fortunate to have her as my daughter and you are not fortunate to marry her Asad. Some lucky fellow will sweep her away and maker her his ' that is if she lets someone after what happened to her" Dilshaad sighed and wiped her tears.
Asad: "But Ammi, what about your challenge? What will happen now?"
Dilshaad: "I have no other option but to get you married to someone else. I have called Mrs.Yasmine. She is going to be here early in the morning with the profiles of suitable girls. I will let you choose one of the three girls that I and Najma are going to short list. If you refuse to that, I will choose the girl for you myself."
Asad was shocked. He was getting mad at Zoya for leaving him in such a bad situation.
Dilshaad: "You know Asad, you are getting upset with Zoya now that she left you right? But she did try a lot to convince me to let go of my challenge. She said it is not more important than your life. But she doesn't know how badly I was pushed to make that challenge and I am not ready to let that go. I would die if I lose the challenge".
Asad:"Ammi, for god's sake, please don't talk like that. I will marry whoever you choose, I don't want to see or meet the girl Ammi, Good night" saying that, he left the room.
Asad in his room:
Asad didn't know what to do. He didn't know whether to be relieved that he doesn't have to marry Zoya or not. "This girl will drive me crazy" he thought rubbing his forehead. When he opened his eyes, an envelope stuck between the window doors caught his attention. He opened the envelope. It was addressed to him by Zoya.
Dear Mr.Khan,
I am sorry for everything that happened in your life after I entered your home. I know that according to you, I am a misfit in not only your life but in any man's life. But don't you think Mr.Khan that you can call me a misfit for you but you don't have any right to call me a misfit in any other person's life? Anyways, I do know all the opinions you have made up on me and even when I don't agree with them, it is yours to keep. I won't waste my energy trying to make you understand.
Before you lose your temper and start breaking everything in your room, let me tell you that I didn't ask you to help me with fake engagement idea to extend my visa. I was ready to go back to NY. Yes, I did want to stay but I needed a reason to stay too. You, by saying you are getting engaged to me, gave me that reason. I thought may be you have grown to like me, tolerate me. But, whom was I kidding? How would me, being a bad-tameez ladki be of any interest to you except for taunting, yelling at and insulting?
Yes Mr. Khan, I am going to say my heart out in this letter. There is nothing you could do to me now, is there? You cannot yell at me or even slap me. You always misjudged me and I will even forgive you for that. But, I cannot forgive you for what you have put me through with this fake engagement and fake nikah fiasco. I have had enough and even when I love Phupi so much, I cannot go through this deception anymore. It is not fair for her also. How would she feel when she comes to know about how her only son and the person whom she treated like her own daughter, cheated her together? I cannot risk to lose her trust. So, I called it quits. You are free to do whatever you want to do. Don't worry about Phupi. She is a strong woman, she will be fine.
I also have to apologize to you about one thing I kept for myself that is yours. I did tell Phupi about it and she was generous in saying that I can keep the ring as a gift. But that wouldn't be a gift from her would it? Even though she was the one who got it made, it was you who slid the ring on my finger. You probably think I am crazy about jewellery and that is why I kept it, but let me tell you the truth for once.
I kept it for two reasons ' even when it was a fake sagai for you, it is real for me. I will be that spinster who was engaged but never married. I will be buried with that ring. I wish I had enough courage to smack your head and say "Mr.Khan, I love you, I want to be your wife, I want to raise our kids with you and grow old with you" but if I did say that, you would call me besharam ladki and be mad at me. Won't you?
Another reason is to chase the other guys away. I can show the ring and say I am engaged if anyone tries to hit on me. Aren't I smart?
Mr.Khan, only god can help you. Because, there is no gimmick in the world that can bring you back your love (not me, I know you despise me) unless you learn to express it using words. Your family will be included in my prayers every day. May God bless you with everything you wish for.
Good Bye Mr.Khan, take care,
Your misfit Zoya.
By the time he finished reading the last line, he slumped
down on the floor. He had lost his love. His life.
Thanks for reading.
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