Zaryab has started his new job at the UN. He was looking at his tie. It was the same tie mehmal had chosen for him.
Even my tie misses you. Where are you? Zaryab said to himself.
He called Suleman. He knew what will he hear from him but still, he begged him to at least give him her phone number.
At least I deserve to talk to you once. Tell me you are ok. How you are leaving where you are leaving. You want nothing from me. You go away without saying anything without asking anything. Yelled, slap do everything, just come back.
He came down for breakfast. His father was talking to Mujtaba. It's been a week since Mujtaba started talking to his father. He still didn't speak to zaryab, nor did zaryab try. He was ashamed.
" Zaryab, a parcel came " Qureshi Sahab gave it to Zaryab.
His visa has been approved the issue is resolved. Zaryab was happy he could visit Mehmal, but he knew she was not there.
" So what have you decided, Zaryab, about your wedding? I thought this weekend we would go to her house for Nikkah Date," Qureshi Sahab said Zadyab stopped his knife, which he was spreading butter on bread.
" Dad, We will talk about this in the evening. I need to tell you guys something, but I'm getting late, and this talk will take time." Zaryab replied. His appetite was gone, so he stood and left for the office.
He was reversing his car when his phone rang. He looked at the ID. It was Anaya. He sighed. For the past month, he tried to avoid Anaya but realized she was trying to mend her relationship with him. She came to visit his family and has developed very well relations with his father's side. When his mother was sick, she came and helped her take care of her, which softened zaryab's mother's heart, but Zaryab already decided that he would try everything to bring Mehmal back, and for that, he would break all ties with Anaya.
In Palestine
Mehmal was looking at a shot of last night's blast and the injured people. She was exhausted when Emer came knocking at the door.
He was busy with his work and last night's event made him more engaged. He had tea in his hand Mehmal smiled and stood when he signaled from his hand to relax and sat in from his table.
" Unlike you, I brought my tea with me," He said. She chuckled.
" Let me make mine," she replied and went to the shelf to make tea herself. Since last month their relationship has gotten better. He gave access to them and helped them to get interviews with Israeli commandos and high-rank officials.
"How's the condition now," Mehmal asked. He was upset and exhausted as well. Last week he went to the US for peace in Palestine. Mehmal was impressed by how much he was working for his Muslim brothers.
" So many women are a widow, and kids are homeless now," he said. Mehmal sat and put her cup on a table.
" So what will you do now?" She asked.
" I came to know today that one of the widows was harassed by the man. He was one of the troops. His husband's funeral is not even done, and this shit starts happening to them," He said Mehmal could see how bound he was to everything.
" When war happens, women and children suffer the most," Mehmal replied. He nodded.
" Let the issue be settled. We temporarily shifted them to camp and gave security to women to complete their iddah. After that, let's see, " He replied and took a sip of his tea.
" What do you guys usually do when this happens?" She asked. He looked up and got more comfortable in his seat " Most of the women shift to their parents; some do jobs whatever they get. Kids are sent to orphanages. If they have any relatives, they live with them; otherwise, they live in the streets or camps." He said Mehmal had heartache even hearing it, and these people suffered. " What about women's," she asked.
" If any men can take responsibility for them, they take them as their wives. Some live in camps if they get a place. Otherwise, they become the victims of Men's deeds and lust, but our brother usually didn't let them," He said.
" What do you mean?" Mehmal was confused by his statement.
" Young women like Nadia are educated. They take care of themselves and their families, but some can't, so our Muslim men here take them as their wives to give them security and fulfill their rights," he said.
" Married man too?" She asked.
" Yes, mostly them," he replied " Don't you think it's unfair to their first wife," she asked—Emer glanced at her for a second.
" Mehmal, this is war, and in such a situation, Our religion told Muslim men to shield their women don't let them become a victim and prey to men's lust. Marrying them is better than giving them to enemies for their enjoyment." He said, which made Mehmal look at her own life.
" So if a wife stops her husband from marrying another, Is she sinful," she asked. Emer has finished his tea. "If the situation is like a war and the wife doesn't allow men, then she is unfair to her Muslim sisters, but that doesn't mean the husband still marries and breaks his relationship with his first wife. Normally, no wife would like to share a husband," he said.
" What if he said he fell in love with another woman he is scared he will commit adultery, so he asked his first wife to let him take another," she asked. Emer looked at her for a second they laughed. Mehmal became embarrassed, but she wasn't laughing with him. She was serious.
" Mehmal, the man, is cheating, and he doesn't want to lose his first wife. So for me, marrying for lust is wrong. Still, marriage would happen, but the man is an asshole," he said, which made mehmal more upset.
" Mehmal men do such stuff, and they know their first wife will do what compromise. Man can have four, but I don't think any man nowadays can do justice among them, and I feel this insulting to wives, but men are men," he said mehmal was still serious.
" If he says he fell for her, is not this insulting to his first wife and then impose his decision, even though she said No to him," she asked. Emer felt something was wrong with mehmal.
" He is telling his wife he fell in love with someone else means he is cheating. Islam hates cheaters. They ordered the man to fast to control their desires. There are circumstances like here. Men marry them to protect them and for other reasons. Mehmal, if a man takes another wife because he fell for another woman, then it's his first wife's choice if she can tolerate it, ok, Allah will help them; otherwise, they have an option for divorce. No one can impose them. Some scholars manipulate women so they will not ask for a divorce from their husbands because they want both, but very few know they can't force them to make them understand but Impose their decisions and force them to accept them. I think their fairness is shown. " he said Mehmal was silently listening to him.
"Once, a woman came to our Prophet(PBUH) and told him she wanted a divorce from her husband, tahabit bin Qais. Our Prophet(PBUH) asked her why? She replied I don't have a problem with his character his seen, but I can't tolerate it. The woman replied, No, I'm taking a Divorce because I'm not in love with him. A husband has many rights to his wife, which I don't want to do. I'm scared I would become a negative person and do something that doesn't like Allah. I don't love him. Our Prophet(PBUH) told her she had the right to take a divorce. Then divorce happened. So Mehmal, it's on the woman if she fears she will not love him as she did or for any reason; she has the right to divorce, and her Paradise will not be taken. Yes, she can't threaten her husband for divorce on the ground of second marriage, but she can tell him her insecurities that if you take another wife, Divorce me because you know yourself you would not be the same with him. With this hadeeth, Our prophet gave women the right to take khulla. When the woman mentioned that she was not taking khulla because of his character and see, still, she was allowed, that means if her husband cheated not even physically, but mentally she could divorce him on the ground of his character," Emer explains. Mehmal was crying. Emer noticed but didn't say anything.
" Still, man chose another woman over his wife," She said. Emer felt she doesn't give an opinion. It's a statement to him or goes her? He thought. " Mehmal, that is not related to religion. That is related to every man," he said Mehmal nodded
" You are a true Muslim man," she said. Emer didn't smile but became anxious Mehmal cleaned her tears. She saw he didn't like her compliment.
" You didn't like my compliment?" she asked.
" Mehmal, I'm not a good Muslim. You are saying because of my words. If you say it by my actions, then I may be like it," he said and stood. If Mehmal called him weird she wasn't wrong. He was weird.
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