Mohabbat ✔

Chapter 26 - Confessions and Troubles

Hawa's POV

"Kya aapko yeh nikaah qubool hai?" The Maulvi Sahaab asked for the second time and I felt my lips were sealed together that I couldn't even move it at all. I lowered my eyes down at my hands as I started pressing it as hard as I could when the stress in me rose up, panicking me. My palms were already turned sweaty and I bit my lower lip hard.

Kya jawab doon?

I could already hear noises when I didn't answer and I know all the eyes presented in the hall were lying on me right now. I was at the center of attention now and I know they were pricking through my ghoongat to see what was I thinking behind it but I was just too numb to even voice out.

"Hawa.." Haya nudged my elbow slightly made me flinch and I opened my mouth, in search for air gravely.

"Chup kyun ho yaar? Kuch to bolo ." She whispered in my ear and I rolled a tongue over my lips as my heart didn't stop throbbing inside it's cage.

"Shayad dulhan sharma rahi hai!"

"Ya phir nervous ho rahi hai!"

Some random Aunties in the crowd decided to crack something to cool down the heat and they rest chuckled as Ammi stroked my back gently as if trying to make me feel better or calm me down.

"Bibi...phir se shuru karte hain." The Maulvi Sahaab spoke firmly, clearing his throat after a small gap and I exhaled heavily as I closed my eyelids.

"Bibi Hawa Jahangir Khan bint Muzaffar Jahangir Khan...aapka nikaah, Muhammad Asad Sayyed Qhazi wald Ibrahim Sayyed Qhazi ke saath ba haq mehar 5 lakh rupiah tey paya hai. Kya aapko yeh nikaah qubool hai?" He asked for the third time, making half of me paralyzed as everyone's attention was on me. I mugged myself up with much difficulties and finally departed my lips.

"Q...Qubool...nahi hai." I spoke in my trembling voice that audible enough for everyone in this hall to be left shocked and I could hear Ammi and Haya startled hearing me, disbelief was clearly evident from their gasps.

I breathed out a heavy sigh; more to a relief sigh as I shut my eyelids when a sudden chill ran through my veins. I could feel myself so relax and calm after I blurted out those three words and a burden shed off my heart.

Keh diya. Finally...keh diya.

A strangely beautiful feeling engulfed me but of course it didn't last long when those gasps and chokes slapped my eardrums, made me depart my eyelids and I stepped in real world again. The atmosphere turned upside down and the voices kept increasing.

"Hawa? What did you say??" Haya asked as her pitch went high and I didn't know what to do.

"Kia kaha aapne??" Abba Ji's voice was loud enough to flinch me back in my seat and I unknowingly fisted my Lahenga tight. Seeing that, the guests started standing up too.

"Qubool nahi hai." I answered in a low tone but loud enough to give myself a real shock that I actually could voice myself out in front of Abba Ji and most of all, I have made him startle in disbelief. He was at total shocked hearing my confidence.

People started whispering with each other and I gulped down the lump in my throat when I saw Abba Ji stood up from his seat and came forward in my direction. He stood few inches away from me and through my veil I could clearly see he was shooting daggers at me with his red puffy eyes due to much anger. The hall turned tense and tightened my grip on my Lahenga even more to suppress my fear when silence took over every corner of the hall.

"Aik...aik minute! Main b...baat karti hoon." Ammi stuttered in her shaken voice as she held my arm and I could sense her shivering grip tight around me. She pulled me up and in a swift, I was already on my feet.