The Fallen Widow

7. Inside the Haveli

"Eh!" Clapped Ulfat Naz waking Meh'r-Bano rudely from her brief visit to memory lane. "What is it? There's no time to dawdle. Get a move on. The children will be waiting for you."

The haveli grounds aroused sweet memories of her cherished years with her father. It reminded her how much she missed the valley, the mountains and her previous life.

Making their way behind Central Sar e Mar Mar haveli on the pathway, Ulfat Naz stopped allowing Meh'r-Bano to catch up with her. The young woman was slim, her figure concealed in a large black chador which she chewed covering her mouth. Her long red parranda ran over her left shoulder along the front of her navel. There wasn't anything special about her, apart from her ability to read and write. Ulfat was annoyed the young woman was from the lowly village of Chiragpur, where most of the villagers worked and toiled in the quarry. They had no skill apart from breaking bricks and cooking new bricks. They weren't skilled to work at the haveli.. She married and settled in Chirapur and she was one of them; a meagre Chiragpuri.

"There-" Ulfat Naz pointed with her long pointy finger and her beak of a nose. Meh'r-Bano turned to the left and noticed am lotus shaped fountain streaming twelve separate jets of spray into the air. Behind the mountain was another haveli made of marble and sandstone. The most spectacular feature about his haveli was the main darwaza which was a monumental structure built primarily of marble. Its archways mirror the shape of the Central Sang e Mar Mar Haveli's archways incorporating calligraphy that decorates the haveli.

The haveli was topped with an onion shaped gold dome accentuated by the cylindrical drum. Meh'r-Bano shielded her eyes from the sun staring up at the twenty three foot high splendour.

"That haveli belongs to the heir of Jahanpur, our future leader, the only son of Choudhary Dilawar, Choudhary Shah Nawaz Qureshi." Ulfat Naz spoke with pride.
"He will be inaugurated on 28th July. May Allah grant him a long life with success." Ulfat prayed with sincerity. A smile passed her face gazing at the haveli.
"He is princely, handsome with wolf like grey eyes. He is smart, built like an ox, but sharp as a fox. He is the protector of Jahanpur, the future; our future."
Meh'r-Bano's skin pimpled and she felt a shiver along her spine. She wrapped her arms around herself listening to Ulfat Naz's buoyant speech. Ulfat's eyes widened gazing at the magnificent haveli. Her family, and forefathers served the Choudhary and their forefather. Serving the haveli was in their blood. Choudhary Shah Nawaz Qureshi was the future, and her grandchildren would serve him. When Ulfat turned to Meh'r-Bano who stared at the haveli, her smile sunk to a menacing frown. This Chiragpuri lowly woman had no class to glance at the majestic haveli.
"Turn away!" Ulfat snapped.
Meh'r-Bano gazed at her in surprise.
"You Chiragpuri people have no right to be near the haveli or the noble household. You are nothing." Ulfat spat onto the floor.
Meh'r-Bano turned away in shock. It was the first time she experienced intense hatred. She'd rarely stepped out of the village or her community. Today Ulfat showcased how much they were hated.
"You are quarry workers. The lowest of the rank. Never look at the blessed Haveli of our Choudhary Shah Nawaz Qureshi. You stay away from the noble household. You will do your job and leave. No one will remember you. No one will know your name. You won't last here. You will be forgotten after a few days. You hear me!" Ulfat glared at her. Meh'r-Bano bowed her head in obedience.
"I am tolerating you for a few days, only by request of the noble household. You Chiragpuri are nothing! Now walk!" She snarled at her pointing to the footpath. Heat rose to her cheeks in embarrassment. Why did Ulfat hate her so much? Why was there so much prejudice against the people of Chiragpur?
Ulfat marched ahead and Meh'r-Bano scuttled behind her like a paper bag being blown in the wind. She gazed at the haveli secretly from the side of her eye stealing a glance at the marvel. She was close to her goal; closer than ever she could have imagined.