Khizaan

Chapter 22

(She'll never be happy with Hayder. And Hayder only said yes because of baba.)

Unknown to both, Hayder was listening to all of this. His suspicions were right; he wasn't suitable for Hyra, and this engagement was causing neither of them any happiness. He hadn't wanted to force this relationship, but after the engagement, he felt powerless. Hyra's reputation had already been tarnished, and if the engagement broke, people would get another chance to judge her.

Hayder watched from the sidelines, a mere spectator. Their wedding happened, she looked beautiful in her bridal attire, but Hayder deliberately avoided looking at her.

And then, on their wedding night, a thick tension hung in the air. Hayder's voice had carried a weight of bitterness as he confessed the truth,

"Dhyan se suno tum, mujhse ya iss shadi se koi umeed na rakhna. Maine yeh shad sirf aur sirf baba ki wajah se ki hai." He told her

(Listen carefully, don't expect anything from me or this marriage. I only agreed to this marriage because of Baba.)

Each word had cut through Hyra's heart, her face a mirror of wounded emotions. But he didn't stop there to look at it, he couldn't look at her face and turned to leave, when her confession came.

"Maine bhi yeh shadi sirf mamma ki khushi ke liye ki hai. Warna aap mere ideal bilkul nahi."

(I also agreed to this marriage only for mamma's happiness. Otherwise, you're not my ideal at all.)

In the midst of their mutual deception, they had concealed their true feelings, their hearts ironically united in a shared untruth. Hayder's love for Hyra, once buried deep, had surged forth despite his attempts to quell it. Meanwhile, Hyra's initial happiness about the marriage had been dampened by the realization that her husband's motivations were far from what she had hoped.

•••

"Tumne bataya kya tha Dawar bhai ko? Kya tumne sab kuch hi bata diya tha?" Hyra asked to Uswa, what she couldn't talk to her on the phone.

(What did you tell Dawar bhai? Did you tell him everything?)

"Yaar, main utni pagal dikhti hongi, but hoon nahi. Mujhe maloom hai kab kya batana hai." Uswa was offended by Hyra's question, which she didn't hide. Crossing her arms over her chest, she huffed.

(I may look crazy, but I am not. I know when to say what.)

"Dawar bhai puch rahe the sabka toh maine bata diya tum Hospital mein ho, unhone pucha kyu, toh maine bas itna bataya ki Hayder bhai bohot gusse mein aye the aur mujhe bhi niche bhej diya aur fir pata nahi kya hua..." Uswa informed her.

(Dawar bhai was asking about everyone, so I told them you are hospitalised, he asked what happened, so I told him Hayder bhai was very angry when he came, and he sent me downstairs then I don't know what happened...)

Hyra smacked her forehead. Trust Uswa to turn even a simple thing into a dramatic moment.

It wasn't that bad as Uswa made it sound like.

"Yeh bhi koi batane wali baat nahi thi, Uswa." Hyra shook her head. Like Uswa, she didn't try to hide her disappointment either.

(You shouldn't have told him this either, Uswa.)

Uswa was her only friend, the only person with whom Hyra could share anything, and knew Uswa won't judge. But after this incident, she learned that she doesn't need to share every minor thing of her marriage with Uswa either.

"Dekho, sabne mujhe already bohot sunaya, haan mujhe bhi bura laga jiss tarah se sab hua. But maine kuch galat nahi kiya. Tum meri jagah hoti, toh mere liye tum bhi yahi karti." A look on annoyance crosses Uswa's face, as she said.