the darkest nights
produce the brightest stars
~
"Salam."
Faris greeted the three men who were sitting near the small pit of fire. The men, who were conversing among each other in their native language pashtu, stopped and looked up at them. They returned the greeting, looking at them with observing gaze.
Muntaha felt uncomfortable under their scruntinizing gaze and she started picking at the hem of her sleeves. Faris, sensing her discomfort, moved to stand in front of her to shield her from their penetrating gaze. Muntaha unconciously stepped closer to him seeking comfort.
They said something in pashto to which Faris replied. Muntaha was surprised to hear Faris speaking pashto but then she remembered Armaan always called him 'Khan Sahab'.
'Oh,he is pathan. That explains his beautiful eyes.' Muntaha thought.
She couldn't really understand what they were saying but one of the men pointed at her and said something. Faris looked back at her for some seconds and then turned and said, "Ho."
'What does "Khaza" means?' She thought since whatever she could decipher from the man's words was that he referred to her 'khaza'.
"Yeh kya keh rahe hain? Who is 'Khaza'?" Muntaha whispered near Faris's ear.
He just turned around and glared at her, asking her to keep quiet with his eyes.
(What are they saying?)
She pouted her cherry tinted lips but stayed quite. His eyes moved down to her lips and then back to her eyes with amusement shining in his eyes.
The men said something and started to walk towards ,which looked like a , village area. Faris held Muntaha's sleeve-covered arm and started following them, dragging Muntaha along.
They reached a house outside which alot of people were sitting and talking among each other. One of the men went near an elderly looking man and said something to him. Everyone around them stopped talking and focussed on what the man was saying. The elderly man looked at them and called them to come forward. He said something to which Faris replied and along the lines stated his name. The man then looked at Muntaha but she didn't what she was supposed to say. Actually, she kinda guessed he was asking their names but she was too intimidated by him to say anything and just bowed her down after looking at Faris. Faris said something again to which the man just smiled a little and most probably passed a comment to which the people sitting around laughed and Faris rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile.
Muntaha pinched his arm as she felt left out on the conversation and he flinched and gave her a look.
"Urdu samjhta hai tum?" Muntaha got startled and looked at the elderly man who asked her if she understands urdu in a quite weird accent.
"Jee." Muntaha nodded her head in a 'yes'.
"Hum Bibi ko keh deta hai. Tum dono uske sath chalay jao. Thakay thakay lag raha hai, araam kar le ga. Khanay ka intezaam bhi ho jata hai." The elderly man said, who appeared to be the Sardar of the village, after he and Faris exchanged a few verses in pashto.
"Apni khaza ko le jao andr."
Faris thanked the man and they followed a guy inside the house.
(I'll ask Bibi to take you both with her. You both looked tired, go and get some rest. The food shall get prepared.)
(Take your wife inside with you.)
●~●
"Wo uncle mujhe 'khaza' kiyu keh rahe the?" Muntaha asked Faris when they were settled in the room after Muntaha had so embarrassedly asked about where the bathroom is from the old lady who showed them the room and went away after that.
"Umm...wo- Actually, I told them that...-uhh...We are married."
"What?!" Muntaha stood up abruptly from the sofa chair she sat on to give her feet some rest.
"I am sure that you are familliar with the coservativeness of Pathans. I couldn't really tell them that we are not related to each other. They would have thought the worst out of the situation."
"But...-uh...hum dono akele is kamray mai nahi reh sakte." Muntaha asked looking down with her cheeks turning red with embarrassement.
"Mai janta hun, lakin hum kya kar skte hain. Inko yeh to nahi bta sakte ke humari shadi nahi hui." Faris was saying when he turned around and his gaze fell upon the old lady who was standing in the doorway with some clothes in her hand and looking at them with wide-eyes.
Faris cursed in his mind as the lady's expression told him that she understood whatever they said-atleast the urdu part.
The woman told Faris to come with her in pashto. He turned around and told Muntaha, "Stay here. I'll go and talk to the elders."
Muntaha gave him a nod and Faris went away with the lady. She sat down with worry burdening her shoulders and prayed to Allah to make everything better.
(Why was that uncle calling me "maina"?)
(But...-uh...we cannot stay in this room together.)
(I know that but what can we do? We can't really tell them that we are not married?)
●~●
Faris stood infront of the old man with his head bowed down. He was ashamed beacause he knew he shouldn't have lied to them but he only did that to protect himself and Muntaha. He truthfully explained the matter to the old man and apologised to him for lying.
"Pasand karta hai ek dusray ko?"
"Jee?" His head shot up and he asked dumbfounded with wide eyes.
"Yeh baal ese hi safaid nahi ho gaye." He said running his hand through his long beard.
"Whatever you did was wrong, but true love is very rare. I also appericiate it." The old guy said in pashto and Faris again looked down.
'What should I do? Oh Allah! Help me.' Faris thought helplessly.
"Humara bhi pasand ka shaadi tha." The man stated with a light smile. Then he asked the men to call Qaazi Sahab and get the groom and bride ready for Nikah.
Faris tried to object but a look from the men and he knew he could not stop this even if he tried.
Faris took a shower and dressed in the white pathani suit he was given.
He prayed Maghrib and asked Allah to help him and to shower His mercy upon them.
(Do you like each other?)
(What?)
(I have a very vast life experience.)
(I also had a love marriage.)
●~●
"Ap log kya kar rahe hain?" Muntaha asked bewildered, looking at the fancy clothes and traditional jewellery the ladies brought in the room.
A lady said something to her in pashto but she couldn't understand what she said and kept looking at her dumbfounded.
"Tumko nikah ke liye tayar karne aya hai." The old lady, who showed her the room, came inside and told her.
"Nikah? Kis ka nikah?"
"Tumhara nikah. Us larkay k sath jiske sath tum aya hai. Barray Sayin ka hukam hai." The lady further explained, picking up a silver head-piece and placing it over Muntaha's head to see how it looks.
"Lakin...." Muntaha stood up in shock.
"Unko pta chal gaya tha ke tum dono ek dusray ko pasand krta hai. Wo usulon ko bohot pakka hai. Is liye tum dono ka nikah parhwaye ga."
(What are you guys doing?)
(We are here to get you ready for the marriage.)
(Marriage? Whose marriage?)
(Your marriage with the guy you came along. It is Baray Sayin's order.)
(But....)
(He got to know that you guys like each other. He is a man of rules. That is why he decided to get you both married.)
'What the hell did Faris tell that man?!' Muntaha thought angrily.
'Faris surely doesn't like me, right?'
'Why would he like you? Don't you see how the girls throw themselves at him.'
'But why did he... Oh gosh, he must be threatened by that man. After all, pathans are very intimidating indeed.'
'But what should I do now?'
Muntaha was having an internal battle of thoughts. She didn't want to marry a guy she barely knew, but what if she denied and these people decide to kill them. She didn't want to die so young! Safi promised her that he will take her to Monal. She really wanted to try their Thai cuisine. And she still hadn't tried the new Chinese restraunt opened in their neighbourhood. Oh, Allah! What should I do now?
"Beti? Hum kabse tum ko awaz deta hai. Jao yeh kapray pehn kr ao. Tumko tayar krna hai." That old lady put her hand on Muntaha's shoulder and said.
"Uhh... I have to pray Maghrib." Muntaha told the lady in urdu to which the lady asked her to go and take ghusal and get changed into the dress and she will bring prayer mat for her.
Muntaha took ghusal (shower) and changed into the heavily embroided colourful pathani dress. She went out and offered her maghrib prayer and asked Allah to help her and shower His mercy upon them and show them the right path.
The ladies started to doll-up Muntaha. They braided the front of her hair with a middle partition and put a heavy silver head-piece on her head along with some other heavy but beautiful jewellery. They also put some red tint on her lips and kajal in her eyes. Her cheeks were already blushing red due the stress and anxiety she was feeling.
She looked ethreal with the noor on her face and the ladies gushed over her. They put a red chaddar over her head which was a little transparent and took her to the main hall where everyone was waiting for the bride.
Author's Note
Aaaahh!!! I'm so excited. And I just wanted to clear up that I am not trying to potray the Pathans as barbaric people. It was all just a misunderstanding since the old man 'thought' they liked each other and are trying to hide it. And Muntaha and Faris both' thought' they would punish them if they denied for marriage. So yeah, you get it right? 😂
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P.s. The girl in the picture ain't Muntaha. She looks like whatever you imangine her to be like.