Hasil e Lahasil | حاصلِ لا حاصل

10

Chapter 10

Longing

Sarah inhaled sharply, her back ached from sitting upright before her mother, who had been speaking for the past hour about matters of least importance to her. Someone was supposed to hold the older woman's horses as she made no attempt to cease her blabber regarding the marriage Sarah was being forced into.

Despite her physical presence in front of Shireen Shah, her thoughts had been wandering towards the safety of the men of her family. They had left hours ago to inspect the reason behind the fire in the fields in order to take necessary measures to avert greater damage.

And this union between the two families was just one way to control the disaster the innocent inhabitants of the village had been facing due to the bigotry of the distant members of the two families fighting like fools due their unfathomable lust for power. They had been blinded because of their greed and the ones at their mercy were the peasants and the farmers, now, Sarah herself.

She wanted to cry out loud at the agony of her fate instead of discussing the wedding theme and dresses with her mother. She wished to complain that if she was meant to serve for the foolishness of the knuckleheads of her family, then why had she fallen in the ruthless clutches of love. That too, with the man, who stood within her hold and yet so far to grasp at the same time.

Then, there were contrasting feelings regarding her mother. Shireen had always showered her with love and care but the woman never realised that creating distance between Laila and her, wasn't what she ever wanted.

It was all her mother's doing, that they drifted apart and today are on the path of no return, towards the days of joy and happiness, they once relished. But deep down, she wished a way out of all this attention and yearned for the simple childhood with her sister that was devoid of any worries.

She was distracted out of her thoughts by the sudden commotion outside her room in the courtyard, indicating her father's arrival. She had been thankful for the uproar as Shireen immediately left her room.

Heaving a sigh, she pushed back the thoughts swirling in her brain, and followed her mother out. Her dark brown eyes witnessed her father sitting distressed with his head bowed between his palms. Her grandmother consoling him with her words of wisdom as she rubbed his back.

A stressed out Daud paced along the length of the courtyard conversing with someone on the phone in an agitated tone. And of course her sister, who stood by one of the pillars like always, concealing herself from the prying eyes of this ruthless world, and still observing the very nook of this place with her amber eyes.

She almost choked on her saliva as she noticed the peculiar presence of Dilawar Malik, who entered the courtyard whilst keeping his phone in his pocket. It was almost about midnight and the man was still at their place. She wondered why he was here when he was supposed to be at his home by now.

The place where she was standing did not seem to be an ideal one as she quickly scurried towards one of the seats. She noticed Daud ending the call and moving towards Dilawar and her father.

"What did they say?" He inquired rather calmly.

Ibrahim raised his head looking at him hopefully but Dilawar shook his head before replying, "they are denying any involvement." He took a seat on one of the charpoy and clasped his hands.

"Oh boy," Ibrahim sighed running a hand through his hair.

"Don't worry, chachu. I've filed a complaint in the police station. They'll start investigating." Daud reassured Ibrahim squeezing his shoulder.