"What are you saying Chachu"
Burhan asked coming out of shock while glaring at Faisal Khan
"Yes, she's my daughter"
He said hugging her more tightly
Hamza nodded his head in no not believing him
"Are you out of your mind Faisal Khan?"
Yahya Khan screamed
"I am speaking the truth, Baba. I got married to Umaira at my friend Hussain's father's funeral. She was his distant cousin. I fell in love with her but she was not from the family and was a well-educated girl. Still, I tried to tell you but you announced my and Shazia's marriage. I knew you would never agree to out marriage. So I made fake parents and sent a proposal to her. We got married before my and Shazia's marriage. Umaira was my first wife. I told her that I work in Swat and stay there with my parents but she won't adjust there so I will stay with her for three days a week. She was very innocent. She never questioned my decision. Seeing me staying here you got me married to Shazia but I never disrespected her baba. I never stepped back from fulfilling her rights as well. Umaira used to stay in this small house just because I didn't want you guys to find out. We didn't have any children till seven years of our marriage. I used to make those fake parents meet Umaira once a year so that she doesn't get suspicious. After seven years we welcomed Heyam but sadly Umaira died and I couldn't take Heyam to Haveli as I knew you guys would never accept her. I stayed for five years here and then hired a maid who used to stay all day with Heyam and I also used to stay with her three days a week. Now she's 19 years old Mash Allah. I didn't want you guys to find out about her because of her safety. Look what you did to my innocent daughter. She's a hijabi. You guys forced her to come like this in front of everyone. You hit her. You hurt my precious daughter. I didn't commit any sin baba. You're responsible for all of this. If you ever prioritised my happiness over your rules then I wouldn't be stuck like this. My whole day gets wasted in traveling here and there. You would have killed me if I told you that I loved Umaira and didn't marry Shazia but now I think that dying was a better option than being stuck. I can't stay with my daughter. Although my men are here to look after the house I still can't sleep in peace that she's alone in another city so far away from me. I can't give my daughter a proper living. I can't fulfill her right"
Faisal Khan looked at Yahya Khan with tear-filled eyes
Burhan was shocked. He didn't say anything but seeing Heyam he made some decisions in his head
Heyam looked at her father with difficulty and nodded in no getting away from him
"Heyam. My life"
Faisal Khan tried to touch her but before he could do this she fell unconscious. Burhan who was standing beside her held her. He wrapped the shawl around her and shouted
"Bring water immediately"
Listening to him a guard ran to bring water
Faisal Khan looked at Hamza. Hamza looked at his father with tears in his eyes. He ran out of the house ignoring Faisal Khan who was calling his name. He sat in his car and started crying silently keeping his head on the steering wheel. He wiped his tears after five minutes and started driving towards Buner
Burhan poured water on his fingers from the glass. He sprinkled it on Heyam's face and tapped her face. She opened her eyes a little bit. He made her her drink water. Burhan could feel Heyam's body turning cold and shivering
"Look away, everyone"
He ordered his guards as Heyam's face wasn't covered. Not even a single guard dared to look at her
Burhan covered her face with a shawl and picked her up in his arms making Yahya Khan and Faisal Khan shocked as a man from Haveli never touched a nonmahram like this
"What are you doing Sardar Burhan Khan?"
Faisal Khan asked controlling his anger and trying to be respectful
"Call some woman and tell her to pack Heyam's necessary things and clothes. I am taking her to Haveli. She will live there from now on. It's my order. Whatever happened today was because we were unaware that she was our family's daughter otherwise I would have never allowed anyone to look at her in such a condition. I didn't know she was a hijabi. I am sorry about my wrong act but she will have to stay at Haveli now as your daughter and no arguments about that. She is not in a condition to walk that's why I am holding her like this. In ten minutes I want you to call a woman and pack her things. She will go in my car as I don't trust you to take her to Haveli. I know you don't want her to live there"
Sardar Burhan Khan ordered and for the first time, he had to apologize because of the girl who shot him. He was having a minor pain in his shoulder as his wound was not deep at all. The bullet just tore his skin
"But"
Faisal Khan was about to say something but stopped seeing Burhan's expression
"No.
Anna"
Heyam muttered in his arms. Burhan listened to it hardly
"You will go. Harun make Anna sit in my car"
He ordered his guard
He started walking towards his car ignoring Heyam who whispered no once again. Heyam closed her eyes. Burhan made her sit in the car and sat in the driving seat. Anna was sitting in the car's back seat. He adjusted Heyam's seat so that she could lie down properly and started driving towards Buner
Heyam was getting unconscious time to time but whenever she regained her consciousness she whispered
"I don't wanna go there"
But Burhan didn't pay heed to her words and continued to drive
.....................................................................
Hamza Khan entered Haveli the next morning to hear loud noises of laughter as there Phuphos came to stay there. Saad ran towards his brother and asked worriedly
"Lala did you go there? Is there any woman in Baba's life? Is baba really cheating our mama?"
"Let's go to women's side Saad and Adam"
Hamza said after staying silent for five minutes
"How can we go to women's side la la. Phupho's daughters are there and its morning all of the women must be present there"
Adam said being shocked and feeling uncomfortable
"We have to go there today as we have to handle everything and Phupho's daughters doesn't follow any rules so please"
Hamza was trying his best to control himself
Seeing this Shafaat and Arsalan their Phupho's son also accompanied them
.....................................................................
A maid came into women's side and announced that men are coming to this side
All of the women got shocked and scared as never for once all men visited women's area except for signing nikkah papers or some funeral. All of them covered their faces except for their Phupho's daughter who didn't bother anything and started checking themselves in their phone screens hoping Burhan to come
Hamza, Saad, Adam, Shafaat, and Arslan entered the women's side. Hamza Khan sat between his mother and sister holding their hands making them confuse and scared at the same time. Shazia got the hint of what was happening. She always dreaded this day. She wanted to live in her dilusion. After some time Yahya Khan entered with both of his sons. Seeing their grandfather their Phupho's daughters covered their head
"I want to announce something very important related to Faisal Khan"
Yahya Khan cleared his throat and said with cold expression
Before he could continue Burhan Khan entered the women's area holding Heyam in his arms making everyone gasp. He lay down Heyam on the sofa and hovered over her till he covered her face properly. Nobody dared to question him but tried their best to look at Heyam's face. They got shocked seeing her dressing
"I Sardar Burhan Khan order you all that Heyam daughter of my chachu Faisal Khan and his late first wife Umaira will stay in this Haveli just like Aleena. She would be given each and every right she deserves. Nobody can stop her from living here. She will be given all the respect which she deserves and any complaints related to her will be brought to me as I know you guys wouldn't be able to decide justly by now. But I want all of you to accept her and my beloved Dadi Jaan to handle the affairs related to her as she's handling the affairs of women's side. Chachu did wrong to hid it from all of us. I want Khala to decide his punishment whatever she wants and nobody will objectify her decision. I want Khala to think about it as much as she wants because this is your chance Khala. Think about all those years of your suffering and decide. Still, I expect you to be kind enough to accept Heyam but Chachu's punishment is upon you"
He ordered coldly
Shazia Khan who was standing seeing Burhan enter into there fell down on the sofa. Her duppata fell from her face. Hamza Khan hurriedly covered her face and side-hugged her comforting her. On the other hand Saad and Alina looked at their father with disbelief. Tears fell down Aleena's cheeks. Saad started glaring at his father and sat beside his mother holding her hands
"I I knew all of this since we got married but was unaware of Heyam's presence. He never hurt me. Never in my whole life behaved rudely towards me"
Shazia's voice was lower as always
"Mama"
Hamza tried to stop her by holding her hand
"I wanna forgive him"
Shazia Khan sobbed
Hamza nodded his head in no glaring at his father who sighed heavily feeling guilty. He didn't wanted to break the heart of his both wives but he did unknowingly. He should have known that he couldn't hide it all his life. He did wrong
"Very weak decision Khala yet strong at the same time. I wish it would have been strong in another sense. You're my Khala I gave you the right to punish him. Why did you do this then? Being helpless and bearing torture whether it's mental or physical isn't called love. He betrayed two women by hiding it if he did marry her then he should have told Dada Jaan then yours, Chachu's, and her life could have been saved from being ruined. Now four more lives are being destroyed too. Hurting someone for once is better than hurting anyone for a whole life. I wish you would have taken a stand instead of being scared at that time. You are responsible for all of this but I gave this right to Khala if she has forgiven you then you're forgiven, unfortunately"
Burhan declared giving a disappointed look to his Khala
"Sometimes past favors don't let you do whatever you want and love forces you to go against your desires"
Shazia Khan spoke helplessly remembering how Yahya Khan and Rubina Khan took care of her and her sister Ayesha when their father passed away. Shazia was just five at that time. He got both of them married to his sons so they don't have to leave their house and live happily
"But I wanna punish him, Lala"
Saad for the first time demanded something from Sardar Burhan Khan
"Me too Sardar Saeen! Our mother's tears and our feelings are not that easy to play with"
Hamza Khan announced standing up from the sofa
There was silence in the hall listening to them. Faisal Khan looked at his sons in shock. Suddenly a meek voice got their attention
"Me too Lala"
Aleena spoke with tear-filled eyes. For the first time, she spoke to a non-mahram
Sardar Burhan Khan walked towards Aleena and placed his hand on her covered head. He asked in his dominating voice
"How do you all wanna punish him? He will be punished exactly like that. Heyam's presence doesn't mean your rights will be deprived. You all are as much important to me as you were before. I brought Heyam here just because our family's women can't live out of this haveli all alone in a faraway city. Remember your Sardar decides with justice and he will continue to do it inshAllah I wanna hear your decision"
"I know why Baba hide this from everyone. For sure he was afraid of losing his parents or dying but the important thing was he couldn't live out of this haveli like a common man. He couldn't leave Sardar's family tag. I see how he takes about interest in every matter brought to Sardar. He wants himself to be a prominent personality in the panchayat. He wants to be one of those members without whom any decision can't be taken which he is now. Whether it's any village in Buner Valley they need Baba's presence to make even a mere decision. He couldn't become Sardar but he enjoys Sardar's liberties. He's a respected renowned man who he always wanted to be. He got attached to Burhan Khan as he was the next Sardar. He started teaching him whatever he wanted in a Sardar and didn't want his position to be snatched. He works for women's rights but here four women are suffering because of him. We all know that no police of any political party can make a decision here if our Sardar is denied. In Buner Valley Sardar is a king and after the King comes Baba the prime minister who deals with all the internal matters and implements Sardar's orders. The person who can't treat his wives and children equally and doesn't deserve such a post. I don't want him to even be there in any panchayat. I want you to take away Baba's post and never in his life enter any panchayat and announce to every single person in every village that Faisal Khan is a betrayal person. He betrayed two women. I want every person to know that the guy who takes a stand for women in Buner Valley destroyed two women's lives just for his selfishness. I want you to take away the post for which he worked for more than 50 years. I will take away that cause for which we got destroyed. The most important thing in my father's life. His aim. His achievement. You're left with nothing baba just a mere member of Haveli nothing else. No more meetings with the president and prime ministers. No more royal blood attitude. He will live in Gujranwala from now on but not Heyam until forgiven"
Hamza Khan announced glaring at his father who was too shocked to speak
"As Hamza said Chachu will not be given the position and he wouldn't be allowed to enter any panchayat and I want every servant and every person in Buner Valley to know what he did to his wives. He will never be given the right to speak for women and will move to Gujranwala tomorrow"
Sardar Burhan Khan announced coldly
There was pin-drop silence in the hall. A lone tear rolled down Faisal Khan's eyes. Seeing this Hamza Khan smirked thinking about all his sufferings
"I don't want any more discussion about this topic anymore"
Shazia Khan announced wiping her tears. She didn't want people to at her with sympathy. She looked at Faisal Khan who worked day in and day out to achieve this position but was left with nothing. He looked so miserable just like Shazia and her children
"You're very weak to be a woman mama"
Saad said looking at her with anger
"You can't understand my position, Saad. I have spent 27 years of my life with him. I am sorry I can't. I have too many favors to return. I am not selfish like him"
She sobbed feeling helpless
"You stood for feminism but couldn't make your woman strong. Very clever baba. Very clever"
Hamza said laughing sarcastically
"I am am. I am sorry"
Faisal Khan said in a broken voice
"Not forgiven until everything gets snatched away from you like you did to us. Not forgiven till you can't feel the roof over your head. Not forgiven till you cry how much we did. You will be punished baba. Your fifty years will get wasted like our whole lives"
Hamza glared at him with tears in his eyes
"I am not complaining but let Heyam come with me. This is your home but she wouldn't be able to live here. I won't meet her promise. I will send her to a hostel in Lahore"
Faisal Khan requested while controlling his tears but Hamza nodded no glaring at him with pain in his eyes
Faisal Khan started staring at the floor not saying anything
Aleena on seeing their father's condition tried to go toward him but Saad stopped her nodding no
Yahya Khan placed his hand on Shazia's head and glared at Heyam. Everyone in the lounge was glaring unconscious Heyam except Faisal Khan and Burhan Khan
"What happened to your shoulder Burhan"
Ayesha Khan ran toward her son seeing his bloodstained Kurta
"Nothing"
He nodded in no to assure her that he was fine
"Call the doctor Adam. She is not well and is fainting from time to time"
Burhan ordered and picked up Heyam again making her lie down in the guest room which was now her room
He went to the man's side after laying her down on the bed not before looking at her for the last time
The doctor said that she had an extreme anxiety attack but she would be fine by tomorrow. She added some injections in Heyam's drip and left
Meanwhile, Yahya Khan called a male doctor who checked Burhan's arm and put a band-aid on his wound saying it was nothing serious giving a pain relieving medicine, and telling him not to move his arm much
All the rooms in Haveli had two doors one led to the men's side and the other to the women's. All of the girls in Haveli are given rooms far away from any men's rooms Heyam's room was just between the rooms of Yahya Khan and Burhan Khan which was decided by Burhan only as he didn't trust her and he was sure that she would try to run away from Haveli
.....................................................................
Heyam woke to see herself in a beautiful room
She blinked her eyes to realize where she was. Heyam panicked and got out of the room remembering everything that happened yesterday. She took the shawl on her head and opened the room to see it was afternoon as they reached Buner in the morning. She was shocked
Everyone was present in the hall. Every woman present there was crying. Heyam started walking in slow steps to find her father. She saw the same handsome man she shot yesterday and the guy who slapped her. As soon as she saw her father she ran toward him and hugged him crying loudly making everyone gasp as the woman had never shown this much affection even their father before in their culture
"Baba I wanna go home. Everything that happened yesterday was a lie, right? You're my Baba only and my mama's husband. There's no woman in your life and no other kids. Right, Baba? Please say something"
She detached herself from the hug speaking the last sentence looking at her father with hope
"I am sorry beta"
Faisal Khan couldn't look at her
Heyam stared at his face with a blank expression. Tears rolled down her eyes. She got angry and asked controlling herself
"Who's your wife"
"Heyam I"
He cupped her face
Heyam jerked his hands making Yahya Khan smirk
"Who is she"
Heyam suppressed every word
Trigger warning ⚠️
Abusive content ahead
Faisal Khan pointed at Shazia who was glaring at Heyam with red eyes. Heyam walked towards her with anger and held both of her arms in her arms tightly forgetting that Shazia was an elder. She screamed at her face
"You will take my mother's place huh you? Look at yourself. My mother was very much more beautiful than you. She survived in a small house with my father not like you. She was an educated woman. You can't be like her okay? She can never be like my mother. You, You will take away my Baba from me. I will never let that happen. I will kill you. I will kill your children. Nobody can take away my Baba from me. You characters woman"
She jolted Shazia but before she could place her hands on her neck Hamza pulled Heyam towards himself and slapped her hard making her fall on the floor and scream. Faisal Khan tried to go toward her but Zahid Khan stopped him holding his arm
Heyam started crying. She got up from the floor. She looked into his eyes fearlessly deep down in her heart she became afraid of him but to save her self respect she raised her hand to slap Hamza but Hamza held her wrist twisting it on her back harshly making her scream loudly
"Ahh leave me"
"You will kill my mother, huh you will kill her. I am not dead that you will do this. How dare you call her characterless"
Hamza twisted her arm more holding her jaws tightly
Burhan Khan didn't say anything as she called his Khala who never talked to a non-mahram characterless
Hamza slapped her again and started pulling her hair harshly making her scream at the top of her lungs
"Ahh baba save me"
"Stop it, Hamza"
Faisal Khan tried to stop him although he was very angry at Heyam's words but punishing her like this wasn't an option for him
Hamza wasn't wrong in his shoes. His mother suffered her whole life but here she was calling his mother characterless and trying to kill her
Hamza pushed her towards Saad. She was about to fall but held Saad's arm while crying to prevent herself from falling and set her dupatta on her head
Burhan who was going to stop them saw Heyam walking toward Shazia again angrily while screaming
"What do you think I will be afraid of you. You can't stop me okay? I will kill her surely"
Heyam did this again because she didn't want to accept her defeat and prove herself right. Before she could touch Shazia Saad held her hair and took her into her room ignoring her screams
"Baba Baba stop him"
.....................................................................
Saad pushed her onto the bed. Heyam's dupatta fell from her hair. She tried to adjust it on her head. Heyam got up from the bed and screamed at Saad's face with tears rolling down her eyes holding his collar
"Never try to touch me again. I am not a weak woman. That witch snatched my father from me. She's my father's second wife, not my mother. I will kill her and you won't stop me. You just can't. That bloody home wreaker"
Before Heyam could talk more Saad slapped her making her fall on the bed. Heyam couldn't process anything for two minutes. She controlled herself and held Saad's collar again who was glaring at her. She tried to jolt him screaming
"I will still not shut up. I will scream. I will scream until that woman doesn't die just like my mother died"
"Shut up or I will kill you"
Saad slapped her again making her fall on the bed again and sob loudly. Saad placed his one leg on the bed and with the other one he raised her head holding her hair. Heyam's heart was beating fastest. She gulped closing her eyes. She opened her eyes and looked at him with her red eyes. Heyam spit on his face and screamed at the top of her lungs
"Kill me then you son of a bitch"
Saad started slapping her like no tomorrow and asked
"Will you speak now? Will you say those words?"
"Yes I will"
Heyam said screaming and sobbing loudly. She was continuously screaming calling Shazia a bad woman and saying that she would kill her
"I will not spare you. You will not be able to speak again"
Saad beat her until she was barely consciou. Her lips and nose were bleeding and her skin started tearing from her cheeks
Saad glared at her in anger and asked while breathing heavily
"Will you call her a bad woman now? Will you kill her now"
Heyam was hiccuping badly. She wasn't able to speak. This much beating taught her to accept her defeat. She couldn't bear more. She tried to say yes but only hiccups were coming out of her mouth
Saad slapped her again thinking she would still do the same. Heyam nodded in no. Saad ignored her and slapped her again. Heyam joined her shivering hands in front of him and tried to move back on the bed. Her dupatta fell off her body. Saad saw her extremely miserable condition and left her. She tried to speak between hiccups but she wasn't able to. After five minutes she whispered between hiccups and body shaking badly
"I w will not. S Sorry"
Saad glared at her and left the room
Heyam fell on the bed and started hiccuping loudly not able to breathe. She was all alone in such a condition. She tried to call her Baba but wasn't able to. She was thinking about Anna but couldn't say anything. She was hiccuping saying Astaghfirullah in her heart
Heyam was like this only. She was so emotional that she didn't even think about what she was doing. She couldn't control seeing Shazia in front of her but later she realized her mistake when Hamza slapped her. Heyam felt guilty for calling her characterless. But she was embarrassed to accept it in front of everyone and she didn't want them to think of her as a weak woman. She was trying to prove her wrong point right just for the sake of her self-respect. She wasn't used to admitting her mistake. Especially where she thinks that person can take advantage of her situation. She wanted to fight for herself as long as she could to show them that they couldn't suppress her. She admitted her mistake in front of Allah. She was feeling too much pain in her body. Their beating her made her more stubborn. Never for once, did any man slap her but both of them beat her so much. She joined hands in front of Allah to ask forgiveness. She decided to apologize to Shazia too as now her anger faded and she had accepted her mistake forcefully. Heyam never hit anyone. Yesterday she shot Burhan and now tried to hit Shazia. Her heart was filled with heaviness. Her mother thought her to be generous. But she did all of this for the suffering of her late mother and her fears of being alone, her longings still she knew she was completely wrong. She used to spend days in guilt after hurting someone but didn't accept her mistake immediately and that's what happened today. But today she got abused till she admitted her mistake. She realized that not every person will bear her tantrums and ill-mannered nature. She apologized to Allah until she fell asleep but was angry and scared of those two boys. She complain about them to Allah
Author's note:
It was a very dark chapter to write. It took me two days to write this chapter. I just couldn't. I don't know what would be your reaction. I am not making any character good or bad. Hope you like the chapter. Leave your lovely comments down below