Short Stories - Tales of Night

The Village is Ruthless

"Agar kisi ki aulad cheenogey to woh Maan tumhein kosey gi hi!" She shouted back at him in answer to his query. He just smiled at her and crouched down in front of the kid she tightly held. His hand stealthily enveloped around the kid's wrist and took him out of his mother's grasp. The little boy looked like he came out of her hold willingly? Did he hypnotize the kid with his looks?

The lady thrashed about and cried and tried to tear down the wall his men erected by themselves, sheilding their chief who ambled along the way holding the kid's hand in his trademark regal bearing.

"Khilwat!" Oh, now she comes? Talk about timing!

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Raheela braided my brownish hair from both the sides and leaving them open from the back, bringing out an elegant up-do as a corollary. My peach colored suit, studded with stones and pearls in every patch, and the light pinkish nude makeup made me look as elegant as I could ever get. The endmost accessory was the sophisticated, peachish heel, with a few diamonds on the strap that was to be tightened around the ankle. I fixed my neatly folded dupatta on the left shoulder and sweeped my hair out of it.

"Woah, girl! The guys are in it for today. You look ravishing! Ma Shaa Allah." She inspected my appearance for anything else to fill and clapped her hands with a satisfied expression. Her remark had me sheepishly smile back at her with a light tint coloring my cheeks.

"Eh, I don't look that modish now. Besides, you're the one that prettified my look." I shyly appreciated her efforts, she did make me a sight to behold. Ya Allah, safeguard me from men with a wrong gaze.

It was a pre-wedding function called out in the lawn of the Haveli. The decorated courtyard gave me a tingly feeling with all the lights and flowers dangling from various places. The aunties ran here to there, chastising their maids and their children for lazing around and not making proper preparations for their beloved nephew, lionized by every member of the family. His wedding had to be carried out with additional pump and festivities.

The men wore deep royal colored Kurtas and went by laughing and winking at their female folks, merrily enjoying the celebration. I was eternally grateful to Raheela who didn't leave my side for once. The fact that I garrotted her arm in mine was another story, but my baby didn't leave me for the wolves.

"Raheela and Khilwat! Idhar aao tum dono. Zara jaakar saari mithaiyaan batwao, aur Raheela tum raaste mein saare Laddu khud hi na kha jaana. Mehmaan ke liye hai woh." Raheela's mother handed us a chore threatening Raheela all along for gobbling the sweet goodies. I was handed a thaali of Barfi and Raheela was given a tempting tray of Laddus.

"Bhai, yeh zulm horaha hai mujh par. Kya mehmaan hai to apni jaaydaat de dein? Dekho kaise dekh rahi hai Amma mujhe, jaise ek nazar unki chuki, aur maine in laddu'oon ka satyanaas kardena hai!" Frustratingly rambled Raheela giving a scowl to her mother, who in turn raised her hand motioning that if anything went wrong, she'll have her head. I could just let out a giggle at her; who was hopping mad.

"Oho Raheela! Aisey hi rehna tum. Haye, meri khushi to dekho koi, is ke haath mein thaali dekh kar ghar-baar ke kaam karti hui itni acchi lag rahi hai. Kabhi yeh rehm-o-karam kisi ke Shaadi ke ilawah koi aam aam dinon mein bhi kar liya karo. Bhagaa kar le jaoonga, pakka!" A handsome lad whispered the last part in Raheela's ears which had me thinking whether the red on her cheeks was due to anger or something else maybe. He kept grinning at her ear-to-ear, dancing on his feet anxious for her riled up reaction.

She kept the thaali on the table between the couches, and turned to him with red cheeks and a death threatening glare. I guess the tint was due to boiling rage, nothing more than that. She suddenly grabbed his collar and brought him to her eye level with just a few fingers gap in between, a bold move I'd say and muttered in a dead low voice.