Khawabeeda

●5●

A few tears escaped Fariah's eyes as she held her stinging cheek and looked down.

Haider was stunned for a moment. He had never seen his mother like this. He couldn't believe his mother slapped his wife but he recovered quickly from the shock and went towards Fariah and pulled her to him saving her from another slap.

"Ammi!" Haider's anger knew no bounds. He was ashamed at himself when he heard her whimpers. He couldn't even protect her from his own mother, how was he supposed to protect her from the world.

"Itni behayai! Sharam nahi ayi tumhe kisi ghair mard ke bistar ko sajatay hue." (So shameless! Didn't you feel any shame warming up an unknown man's bed?)

Sobs racked Fariah's body as Haider tried to stop his mother from touching her and Rahima engulfed Fariah's trembling body in a hug. She took Fariah away from her mother outside the room but Salma followed her outside.

"Yahin ruk jao tum. Yateem samjh kar apne ghar mai kya rakh liya tumhe, tumne mere bete par doray daalne hi shuru kr diya." (Stop right here. I kept you in my house pitying you orphan girl but you started to seduce my son.) She tried to grab her arm but Rahima turned her back towards her mother with a sobbing Fariah still in her embrace and Haider grabbed his mother's hand.

"Stop Ammi. How can you say all those things to her? She's my wife!" Red lines appeared in Haider's eyes and he clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white.

"Haider, you don't know these character-less girls-" Salma started again but Haider cut her off.

"You're calling her character-less because she slept in my-her husband's-bed. Don't all the woman share their husband's bed? Don't you share a bed with Abbu. It means you're also-...." Haider didn't want to complete his sentence and his father thankfully stopped him.

"Haider! She's your mother!" Ali Razzaq was still trying to grasp the situation but he didn't want his son to disrespect his mother as he knew they both shared a very close bond and Haider was in a fit of rage.

"Fariah is also my wife, Abbu." He turned to look at his father.

"Dekhain ab apka beta is kaali churail ki baton mai aa kr-" (Look, now your son is under this black witch's influence saying all thi-)

"Chup kar jao Salma. Maine bohot mushkil se khud ko roka hua hai. Yeh na ho mai kuch esa kar jaun jisse hum dono ko pachtana parray." (Shut up, Salma. I have controlled myself with great difficulty. Don't make me do something that we both might regret.) He glared at his wife and she looked at him dumbfounded.

"Lakin yeh larki humaray bete ke kamray mai...."(But this girl was in our son's room....) She started again but her husband's glare shut her up.

"I called Fariah into my room as I needed to talk to her. And she wasn't feeling well so I told her to rest in my room." Haider explained even though he didn't feel the need to as Fariah was his wife but he wanted to clear Fariah's name as he was the one who asked her to come to his room.

"There's no need of an explaination. You both are married and deserve privacy in your personal matters." Ali Razzaq Khan assured his son and then turned to his wife who was still angry and confused on why her husband wasn't supporting her.

"Humara beta or bahu apni private life jese marzi guzaray us se humain ya apko koi gharz nahi hona chaiye." (Whatever our son and daughter-in-law do in their private life should not concern you and I.)

"The way you barged into your married son's room was utterly disrespectful and rude. Mai tumse itni ghatiya harkat ki umeed nahi kar sakta tha." His voice boomed throughout the silent the corridor and everyone was stunned. All their life, they had never witnessed Ali Razzaq talking to his wife in even a stern tone so him scolding her like this was a huge shock.